Buell Lightning Long XB12Ss

The people at the Buell Motorcycle Company have been busy putting together a fresh model line-up for 2006. Included are new versions of its existing bikes, a new member for the Lightning range and an all-new, dual-purpose tourer.

The Buell family consists of the bikini-faired, sports Firebolts, the streetfighter-style Lightnings and the new dual-purpose tourer - the Ulysses.

The Firebolts are available as the 900cc XB9R and the 1200cc XB12R. The Lightnings start with the 900cc XB9SX City-X. Then there's the 1200cc XB12S and the newie, the XB12Ss Long. The out-of-left-field addition is the XB12X Ulysses - the high steppin' 1200cc duallie.

We decided to check out the Lightning Long first.

HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Visually the effect of stretching the Lightning has been minimal. Ergonomically I found the effect to be quite a different story. Part of the Buell experience with the standard length is the very up-front, upright riding position - the streetfighter posture. With the extra room you get the "almost-streetfighter" posture. It's still fairly upright but a lot more relaxed. When you've done enough fighting on the streets and you want to knock out a few hundred kays of country-roading at high average speeds you've got the room to adjust yourself into a bit of a crouch. A crouch on the "shortie" feels quite unnatural. On the "Longfellow" it's as natural as on quite a range of touring-style bikes.
Buell has made a number of subtle adjustments to the ergonomics - as well as the wheelbase change, the subframe has changed and the seat has come in for a workover. The overall result is a more comfortable and more versatile riding position. It's still what I call an "Action-man" posture. When you sit fairly upright grabbing a wide pair of "flat-tracker" bars and you're gripping a light, responsive chassis between your knees you feel as though you're on some sort of mission (alert but not alarmed perhaps). It's almost a supermotard position. Yes, you always feel ready for action when you mount the Buell.

Buelling two-up is a new story too. The "shortie" involves lots of intimate contact between rider and passenger.

"No bad thing," I hear you say, in certain situations. But it still leaves the passenger perched on the edge of the abyss. The Long's passenger sits more comfortably and feels more secure. My co-pilot gave it the big tick after a whiz through the hills. It's not a bike you could hang a lot of luggage on for serious two-up touring but two people with a backpack could knock over some serious distance in a day without regrets.

WHAT ABOUT PERFORMANCE?
Along with the move towards more versatility and more comfort in the package, Buell has blanded down the once razor-sharp steering geometry. Rake has gone out 2.5° to 23.5° and trail has gone out a significant 35mm to 119mm. On the road, however, it remains a highly-responsive chassis. I'd never found stability to be lacking in the short version so the long version is certainly fine in that regard. The bike performs well in the urban traffic jungle. It's an ideal lane swapper and lane splitter. It also rewards hard charging in the hills. A little counter-steering push on those wide bars tips it straight into the corner. It doesn't keep you waiting.

If you like the occasional mono, don't fret; the extra length of the bike overall and the swingarm has settled the front wheel a little, but it still comes up with ease.

The clutch action is lovely and the gearbox is sweeter to use compared with previous examples I've ridden. Buell tells us these items were improved for '06.

The unique annular-disc front-brake works well. It's powerful but progressive. The back one is a bit wooden - that's okay by me.

Suspension performance is excellent. It's sports-bike firm and secure. When the front is adorned with a pair of 43mm, Showa, fully-adjustable inverted forks you know that good handling is part of the deal.

The big engine is a delight to use. You just need to forget about in-line-four-style rpm figures. Most of your good work on this thing will be done in the 2500rpm to 5500rpm range. It's your classic "riding the torque curve" experience. Opening the throttle delivers a very textured acceleration experience. It's a bit like munching on grainy bread - you know all that lumpiness is good for you.

Fuel consumption for me was around 16km/l with a mixture of commuting and some hard-accelerating visits to the countryside. Its larger 16.7 litre tank should give it a reliable 250km-plus range.

At a steady 80km/h in top there's a vibration through the bars that can become annoying. It's long gone once you're above 90km/h.

At steady speeds, with very low throttle openings (your steady 50, 60, 70km/h city-street runs), the engine-management system is a little uncomfortable doing its job. It produces a continuous series of little surges. The engine becomes a little un-smooth. It's as if the engine is saying, "Come on. Let's go." It fits the "Action-man" riding position of the bike. Overall, this is very much a "Let's go and do something," machine. To be clear, the surges only occur when you're trying to hold steady low speeds. It's quite happy if you're accelerating up through those low speeds or coasting down on a closed throttle. The light weight of the Buell tends to exaggerate any fluctuations in an engine with a pair of 600cc pots.

The finish of the bike was excellent. Attention to quality issues looked spot-on on the test machine.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF THE LONG
This is a bike that has become much more versatile as a result of subtle changes to the chassis. Its shorter siblings perform their narrow-focus role well. This performs its more universal role well.

If you're comfortable with the Buell's radical looks and comfortable with the attention it attracts, then try the performance for yourself. It's a seriously enjoyable bike.

COMPARING THE NUMBERS?
XB12S XB12Ss
W/base 1320mm 1360mm
Rake 21° 23.5°
Trail 84mm 119mm
Fuel 14.5lt 16.7lt
Weight 179kg 181kg
Length 1950mm 2070mm

HERE'S A SURPRISE
When you're looking at big, lazy V-twin engines you tend to be thinking, "low-tech package". So it comes as a little surprise to find that the big exhaust muffler slung under the 1200 Lightning's belly contains an electronically-switched dual-mode, "Exup" type system to maximise torque across the range.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed, constant-mesh, helical gears
Primary drive: Triplex chain
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium (fuel in frame) with Uniplanar vibration isolation
Front-suspension: Showa, inverted, 43mm, fully adjustable forks
Rear-suspension: Showa, fully adjustable unit
Front brake: Single 375mm ZTL disc with six-piston caliper
Rear brake: Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper.

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 181kg
Seat height: 775mm
Fuel capacity: 16.7lt

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 100hp at 6600rpm
Max torque: 11.22kg-m at 6000rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $17,495 plus ORC
Colours: Thrust blue, Midnight black and Sunset orange
Test bike supplied by: Buell Australia
Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres

LIKES
Improved versatility
Overall performance
V-twin "Character"

DISLIKES
Surging at steady low speeds