Riding through the city, I keep running into the same types - but different riders - over and over again. This has led me to the conclusion that downtown NYC is dominated by five types of bikes/riders:
1) Ducati S2/800 riders: there seem to be dozens of Ducatis roaming about on any given weekend, and hundreds more parked curbside on side streets. I always see more riders standing next to their bikes, talking to other people, than I see actually riding. This leads me to a broad, sweeping generalization that these folks are mostly novice riders, students or young professionals with a fleeting fancy to ride, but mostly into it for the social image of riding. These bikes turn over like hot cakes on Craigslist, which only confirms my assessment.
2) BMW folks: not surprisingly, there are quite a few BMW bikes in the neighborhood. This makes sense, since there's a massive BMW dealership in midtown West. Funny thing is, I almost always see these riders on the West side highway or FDR, which makes sense, because I can't imagine trying to pilot one of those massive bikes through street traffic. I imagine if I had a BMW on the weekend, I'd be hitting the highways for Jersey, Penn, or CT just as fast as possible.
3) Buellers: surprisingly, I seem quite a few fellow Buell bikes parked on the streets. Mostly, I see them parked in midtown, or on Park Ave., which leads me to believe their riders are working professionals, commuters, and probably live out in one of the boroughs. I've yet to meet one of these guys riding on the weekends.
4) Temporary sportbiker: there's this poor sportbike over on 2nd ave that gets more abuse than any other bike I've seen. The poor thing is chained, locked up, and very well secured, but seems to be on its side every other weekend. I think this typifies the NYC sportbiker's experience; frustration. You'll usually catch a glimpse of one of these bikes for a week, and then you'll never see them in the area again. I've concluded they either get stolen, or the owners never come to grips with their paranoia and park them in a garage somewhere.
5) Dormant cruisers: they're everywhere, sitting on side streets just taking up space. I mean really, someone's got to move them on street cleaning day twice a week, right? So why don't I ever see these guys? It's amazing. Cruisers win the award for lowest ratio of hours ridden to hours parked of any class of bike in NYC. For the record, I've heard that Harley's get stolen very often in NYC, which explains why the only ones you see parked on the streets are retros from the 70's or 80's.
Showing posts with label buell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buell. Show all posts
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Why Buell?
So I bought a Buell Lightening XB12Ss. Buell makes several versions, and mine has a lengthened wheel base, extra large gas tank, and a 1200cc V-twin. The other versions include a 900cc Lightening called the CityX, and the Firebolt line (which complements the Lightening line) of sportier looking bikes. I spent a great deal of time test driving BMW's, Ducati's, and Japanese bikes (everything from the CBR F4i to the legendary Hyabusa), but found the overall package and value of the Buell unmatched. Here's why:
Power: I intend to ride primarily in NYC... downtown Manhattan. I need all my usable power optimized under 60 mph. An insane HP curve that maxes out at 12,000 rpms doesn't do me any good, since most of my riding will be in 2nd and 3rd gear at most. In fact, a quick look at the torque and HP curves confirms that the Buell XB12Ss is the most powerful naked bike under 7,000 RPMs. What's more, the Buell's flat torque at all RPMs beats most Japanese bikes' maximum torque at full power.
Street ridability: Practical street riding on any bike tends to hover in the 3,000-6,000 RPM range, and I want instant maximum power to respond to surprises. I don't want to have to rev the engine to 10,000 before I have the full capability of the engine under me - by that time, the truck in back of me will have already barreled into me. What's more, this develops habits of revving the engine to get to optimal peak power, which begets a tendancy to over-accelerate, followed by a need to aggressively deccelerate. The takeaway? Low RPM power on a motorcycle means more command over street riding.
Handling: I needed the most nimble and reactive bike possible, for dodging potholes, black tar patches, and oil pools... not to mention cabs, courier/messenger bikers, pedestrians, and Jersey drivers. This ruled out most large bikes with awesome straight-line abilities like the BMW K series or most Japanese liters. Sure, riding in a straight line will get you a great mark on the back cover fact-sheet tables in Bike or Rider magazine, but in all but your wildest racer boi fantasies, the real world is far more demanding.
Presence and visibility: No stealth riding for me, thanks. I need to be seen and heard from blocks away. The Buell XB12's gold rims do a great job of highlighting the profile view, and though not an official feature, the head lights can be toggled to keep the ultra-bright high beam on as well as the normal light. Best of all, the stock muffler and V-twin sound like the illegitimate child of a mack truck and big bore Harley Davidson. When I sense trouble, a flick of the throttle sends window-pane shattering vibrations that echo between townhouses and skyscrapers, turn cabbie heads, and make pedestrians skitter away like roaches.
Low theft appeal: Let's face it, the average NYC motorcyclist will have his bike or something on it stolen. It's that simple. But there are things one can do to decrease the odds, like not buying a bike that has a huge demand for after-market parts/mods, squid-appeal, stunt ability, or other kind of street appeal. In otherwords, an "odd-ball" brand, like a BMW, Buell, Triumph, or a non-sportbike like a (non Harley Davidson) cruiser, or cafe racer. Put yourself in the shoes of the guys in Jersey who need fast money and own a van... you're not stealing a bike to ride or resell, you're stealing it to part out and sell on Ebay. Ask any insurance agent - they'll tell you the majority of motorcycles that are stolen are down to parts within hours.
Side-effects: The Buell has incredible styling; parked by the side of the road or stopped at a light, I can't tell you how many people stop to look - at least a hundred per hour. You don't see that kind of recognition for other bikes. Low insurance; as with most odd-ball bikes/brands, you're not paying for other squid life support. To quanitify this for you, I'm paying $1,500 less per year for full comprehensive and collision support than I would have with a Monster, Speed Triple, or any Japanese bike.
For the record, my final round decision-making came down to deciding between:
-Buell XB12Ss
-Triumph Speed Triple
-Ducati Monster S4Rs
-BMW K1200R
-Moto Guzzi Griso
Power: I intend to ride primarily in NYC... downtown Manhattan. I need all my usable power optimized under 60 mph. An insane HP curve that maxes out at 12,000 rpms doesn't do me any good, since most of my riding will be in 2nd and 3rd gear at most. In fact, a quick look at the torque and HP curves confirms that the Buell XB12Ss is the most powerful naked bike under 7,000 RPMs. What's more, the Buell's flat torque at all RPMs beats most Japanese bikes' maximum torque at full power.
Street ridability: Practical street riding on any bike tends to hover in the 3,000-6,000 RPM range, and I want instant maximum power to respond to surprises. I don't want to have to rev the engine to 10,000 before I have the full capability of the engine under me - by that time, the truck in back of me will have already barreled into me. What's more, this develops habits of revving the engine to get to optimal peak power, which begets a tendancy to over-accelerate, followed by a need to aggressively deccelerate. The takeaway? Low RPM power on a motorcycle means more command over street riding.
Handling: I needed the most nimble and reactive bike possible, for dodging potholes, black tar patches, and oil pools... not to mention cabs, courier/messenger bikers, pedestrians, and Jersey drivers. This ruled out most large bikes with awesome straight-line abilities like the BMW K series or most Japanese liters. Sure, riding in a straight line will get you a great mark on the back cover fact-sheet tables in Bike or Rider magazine, but in all but your wildest racer boi fantasies, the real world is far more demanding.
Presence and visibility: No stealth riding for me, thanks. I need to be seen and heard from blocks away. The Buell XB12's gold rims do a great job of highlighting the profile view, and though not an official feature, the head lights can be toggled to keep the ultra-bright high beam on as well as the normal light. Best of all, the stock muffler and V-twin sound like the illegitimate child of a mack truck and big bore Harley Davidson. When I sense trouble, a flick of the throttle sends window-pane shattering vibrations that echo between townhouses and skyscrapers, turn cabbie heads, and make pedestrians skitter away like roaches.
Low theft appeal: Let's face it, the average NYC motorcyclist will have his bike or something on it stolen. It's that simple. But there are things one can do to decrease the odds, like not buying a bike that has a huge demand for after-market parts/mods, squid-appeal, stunt ability, or other kind of street appeal. In otherwords, an "odd-ball" brand, like a BMW, Buell, Triumph, or a non-sportbike like a (non Harley Davidson) cruiser, or cafe racer. Put yourself in the shoes of the guys in Jersey who need fast money and own a van... you're not stealing a bike to ride or resell, you're stealing it to part out and sell on Ebay. Ask any insurance agent - they'll tell you the majority of motorcycles that are stolen are down to parts within hours.
Side-effects: The Buell has incredible styling; parked by the side of the road or stopped at a light, I can't tell you how many people stop to look - at least a hundred per hour. You don't see that kind of recognition for other bikes. Low insurance; as with most odd-ball bikes/brands, you're not paying for other squid life support. To quanitify this for you, I'm paying $1,500 less per year for full comprehensive and collision support than I would have with a Monster, Speed Triple, or any Japanese bike.
For the record, my final round decision-making came down to deciding between:
-Buell XB12Ss
-Triumph Speed Triple
-Ducati Monster S4Rs
-BMW K1200R
-Moto Guzzi Griso
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