Buell Blast vs...

GUTTERbOY · 03-01-2007, 07:03 PM

OK, I just spent about 12 hours of time riding a Buell Blast in my MSF course. So I'd like to hear from people who've ridden a Blast along with other bikes, because I'd like to know how certain aspects of the Buell compare to most bikes.

First thing I noticed with the Blast- the shifter was clunky as hell. Sometimes it was nigh on impossible to get it into neutral- especially after running it for a bit, I'd have to push the shifter up hard enough that it hurt my foot a little, and it would inevitably go on up into second. Rocking the bike while doing this seemed to make no difference at all- it either went into neutral or it just wasn't in the mood.

Second, the clutch seemed to make my hand tired awfully quick. Of course, some of this is due to the large amount of time I spent sitting still with the clutch in, waiting to run some exercise.

And finally, somewhat in jest- I'm going to hazard a guess that it's a specific characteristic of a single that they sound like oversized Murray riding lawnmowers. Please tell me a twin won't sound like a piece of lawn equipment.

But seriously, how do the shifter and clutch compare to other bikes? Am I wrong to think to myself that I wouldn't want a Blast for a first bike because of these things? Are they par for the course? Is there hope for life on other worlds? Do these pants make me look fat?

Thanks.

BSeay · 03-01-2007, 07:05 PM

the bikes in MSF are from what i understand donated...

i dont know much about buells but my buddy who's been riding like 100x longer then me was telling me the gas tank is in the frame? this could be BS or wrong i dunno...

i've never ridden one, but if you're liking it go to the HD dealer and test ride one..

OldSchlPunk · 03-01-2007, 08:43 PM

The Blast is half a Sportster motor. They are known for their heavy clutches. The clunky trans in part is due to a very heavy flywheel. My wife's Blast shifts into neutral just fine, could be because the MSF bikes tend to be hammered.

Unless you are in an area that you'll be stuck in traffic often, I wouldn't worry about the clutch pull. My friend's Ducati is worse.

We're very happy with the Blast. I even ride it now and then. It's very dependable, and since we switched to a Corbin seat and Firebolt bars (and mirrors - the Blast mirrors kept breaking off once we changed the bars), it's more comfortable. An aftermarket exhaust helps the sound too.

nb_mitch · 03-02-2007, 11:14 PM

I ride a Blast, the tranny is very clunky, but is better with syn3 oil in the tranny. The Blast also has a standard gas tank, 2.8 gallons, so range is only about 150 miles. All the XB models have the fuel in the frame. A thumper is a different experience, it isn't smooth, it is different and a good bike for the vertically challenged with a 25.5 inch seat height with the low seat and 27.5 with the standard seat.

Mitch

GUTTERbOY · 03-03-2007, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nb_mitch

I ride a Blast, the tranny is very clunky, but is better with syn3 oil in the tranny. The Blast also has a standard gas tank, 2.8 gallons, so range is only about 150 miles. All the XB models have the fuel in the frame. A thumper is a different experience, it isn't smooth, it is different and a good bike for the vertically challenged with a 25.5 inch seat height with the low seat and 27.5 with the standard seat.

Mitch

Yeah, about that seat height thing... I'm nearly 6'4", so it felt slightly annoyingly low to me. But I'm sure it was reassuring for the shorter ladies in my class.

At any rate, I think I've found a couple of potentially good deals on a 2006 EX500 and a 2004 GS500F in my area; those are likely the two bikes I'll be primarily looking at. The relative seat heights are something else that's good for me to know, even though I didn't think to ask.