I don't really keep up with sport bikes much, but recall reading a few tests on Buells that said they were some of the best handling bikes around. So we take a great handling bike and give it an extra dose of hp. Sounds like a good combo to me. Personally, when I look at sport bikes, I tend to like the not so common ones like Ducati's, Triumphs, Aprilia, so the Buell appeals to me just because it's a good bike and not one of the Big4 Japanese brands. Don't know if I'll ever buy a sporty bike, but the ones I would consider are the Speed Triple, Ducati ST4, Aprilia, or the new Buell.

 

I would love to get a demo ride on that new Buell

 

Not sure if its really a "sport bike" but I have it admit I get a different feeling riding my Buell "Ulysess". Best of both worlds!

 

Compared to other sportbikes the Buells need some effort to turn in. It can still carry alot of corner speed, but fast turn-in is pretty important, at least to me. I would say that the 2006-2007 Yamaha R6 and the Triumph Daytona 675 are probably the best handling bikes on the market. The R6 turns in extremely quick. Here's what Sport Rider said about the Buell:

"While the new Buell still requires some serious effort to turn, the desire to stand up on the brakes is diminished substantially. Whereas the old bike required constant pressure on the inside clip-on to hold a line, the new bike's steering is more neutral once you are on the gas. As a result, our chassis setup is not as extreme as what we used on the XB9R, and we were able to obtain a decent compromise with the stock D207ZR tires (whereas we resorted to some DOT race tires with a more rounded profile for our previous test). Make no mistake, the 12R still resists steering inputs, and requires serious attention to setup and a lot of effort and concentration to ride quickly. But when it all comes together railing down a twisty road, the result is much more satisfying than previously."

 

Short answer is: Apples and Oranges. Like pizzaand Chocaolate, the Sport bike and Harley have there intended functions which they both excel at... ala a Porche or a Hummer. I ride both sport bikes and my Harley andIand love it.
Cheers.

Tom/054

 

Just out of courisity have you had any other "dual sport" type bikes, if so how does the Ulysess compare? I have a KLR 650 as well as a E-Glide and the KLR seems terribly underpowered (but I'm 260 lbs. though). Any insight would be cool.

David

 

I don't give a chit if you think I'm cool or not, but just so you know my friends call me Cool. As far as my limitations go, I have ridden, raced, dirt bikes, ATV's. I have ridden Sports bikes more than my share of times. The problem with me and a sport bike is that I have no fear and very few limitations. The rush grabs me and all I want to do is go faster, keeping my knees on the pavement rather than next to the gas tank.

June 1, 2006 I decided I wanted anothermotorcycle since I hadn't had one for quite a few years and now since I am 36 years old, married and have two small kids, I decided that a Rice Rocket wasn't for me, as I can't control my need for adrenaline. And I am so glad that I went with a Harley.

You call it what you want, it may not sound cool but in my situation I think that it is a no brainer and just plain SMART![8D]

 

Hey, Matrix, that is smart