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Yes the Buell XB12R Firebolt engine’s crude and lumpy. But that’s part of its charm. Nothing could be further than the in-line fours the Japanese power their sports motorcycles with. This 1203cc air cooled, narrow angle V-twin is an old-school charmer with plenty of brawny torque. The refinement’s not there or the manic top end power but it’s immensely satisfying to use and it digs in and drives out of corners superbly.

Always a Buell bugbear, although they claim issues have been sorted out. Older bikes had major problems, newer ones only seem to have minor niggles. The finish on some parts chucks in the towel at the first sign of winter and electrical glitches are not unheard of. No match for Honda.

As a sports bike or even a track day tool, the Buell XB12R Firebolt’s handling works. Steering’s so rapid you look and the motorcycle turns. But it manages this without being unstable too – testament that Buell’s innovations work. On the road it can be a handful. Instant power, fast steering and firm suspension make it a committed rather than relaxed ride.

The Buell XB12R Firebolt’s price is competitive compared to other litre sports bikes – but not good next to the 600s which have similar / better performance. It’s on par with other character machines like the Tuono and Speed Triple. Running costs are moderate including depreciation as long as you don’t rack up too many miles.

The latest sports motorcycles are pretty well equipped – the Buell XB12R Firebolt is somewhat behind. There’s a couple of bungee hooks on the rear seat until, basic clocks and not much else. Being part of Harley-Davidson there’s a big range of extras from carbon parts to performance exhausts and air filters.

1202cc Harley-Davidson air cooled V-twin in the Buell XB12S Lightning has been tuned and lays down fat wads of torque from tick over upwards. The Buell XB12S Lightning’s power is plentiful if not excessive. The gearbox is not good though. It needs a firm prod and makes plenty of noise as you swap cogs – but it kind of adds to the experience of taming this motorcycle. Injection somewhat jerky with this particular motorcycle.

Buell promise the glitches and niggles of earlier years are sorted with the Buell XB12S Lightning  but owners of the motorcycle report otherwise. Electrical problems and poor finish are more minor than the snapping bolts and drive belts that earlier Buell motorcycles suffered. A local dealer who understands the Buell XB12S Lightning will make ownership easier.

Superb handling. Buell were talking about (and using) mass centralisation years before the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers cottoned on. The Buell XB12S Lightning’s rim mounted disc brake works well plus lets the wheel be lighter for lower unsprung mass. Fuel in frame and oil in the swing arm aren’t rocket science but help keep the motorcycle’s weight where it’s best carried and the Buell XB12S Lightning corners with aplomb.

Rival motorcycles are available for similar money to the Buell XB12S Lightning. The exciting and dependable Triumph Speed Triple 1050 and the punchy Aprilia Tuono 1000 are both as desirable and capable but with their own character and cachet. You have to really want any of those motorcycles to buy one but if you do, little else will fit the bill. Used Buell XB12S Lightnings can be a mixed bag – be wary of far-out modifications.

Little is expected on streetfighter motorcycles and the Buell XB12S Lightning is particularly minimalist. The motorcycle’s seat is barely adequate for one, let alone two and the lack of wind protection makes longer journeys tiring on a Buell XB12S Lightning.  Fuel range poor. Twin trip meters is about as much luxury as you get with this motorcycle. Factory extras include a gel seat, rigid panniers, frame protectors, loads of carbon and dress up parts and more.

In a Harley Sportster 1200, it doesn’t really matter that the motor makes relatively sedate power, tends to overheat if caned and has a gearbox that needs a size 10 boot wielding with brutal authority to change gear. But on an alleged sportbike the Buell M2 Cyclone’s motor just doesn’t cut the mustard. Post-2000 Buell Cyclones had a claimed 93bhp instead of 86bhp in their 1203cc cases.

Big old pushrod twins vibrate and sometimes bits work loose, or fall off them. That’s the plain truth about many a twin cylinder machine and the Buells have been known to suffer from various complaints. They also run hot, and it’s crucial that the impeller fan is working 100% and the engine oil is monitored carefully and changed frequently.

Decent Showa suspension, fairly neutral steering and a firm sporty ride overall make the Buell M2 Cyclone a surprisingly adroit motorcycle on twisty corners. The old tubular frame is plenty stiff enough for the modest power output and the M2 has a chunky dualseat on top of its rails, instead of the more modest seating accommodation of the Lightning models.

Buells have never been especially popular in the UK market, which means they’re fairly thin on the ground as a used bike, making prices for a used M2 Cyclone – preferably with some aftermarket tuning bits on it – reasonably firm. True Buelligans will pay top dollar for a sorted example, but roughhouse dawgs are best avoided.

The Buell M2 Cyclone is a naked roadster motorcycle and as such has few luxury items on its spartan chassis. The brakes and suspension are decent pieces of kit and it has a good sized fuel tank that allows you a good touring range. Nice three spoke alloy wheels too.

The Buell X1 Lightning has plenty of lowdown grunt and the novelty of fuel injection as opposed to carbs on earlier Buells, but the injection doesn’t work that well at low rpm, which is where the motor is definitely happiest. That’s a damn shame, as are the other build quality issues which affect the X1 model.

The Buell X1 Lightning demonstrated that Buell were listening to their customers – and critics – and trying damn hard to improve matters. But it still features details like a battery exposed to the elements under the seat, a crude transmission and a glitchy fuel injection system. The dashboard and switchgear never looked they belonged on a motorcycle costing £7500 new either.

The early base model Buell X1 Lightnings with their Showa suspension are generally better for mainstream road riders than the models featuring the more solid WP kit, although the Dutch suspension looks trick. There’s no ifs or buts, the Buell bikes give you a firm ride and you can feel exactly what’s going on with the road surface. If you develop confidence, you can corner reasonably quickly on the X1.

If you really want a Buell X1 Lightning, there are a few around, and thankfully most owners seem to be willing to spend cash on solving some of the reliability and performance issues which affected the X1 from new. A `kitted’ X1 can feel like a totally different animal from the factory model, so if you can find something well tweaked, good luck. Otherwise, one to avoid.

The Buell X1 Lightning has nicer body parts than the Buells that preceded it, plus fuel injection replacing carbs. Traditional white faced clocks, belt drive and an exhaust the size of an space shuttle booster rocket, complete the Buell X1′s mean `n’ hungry looks, but using the same brakes, sub-frame and wheels as the older M2 model smacks of cost-cutting a little bit.

The Buell XB12STT uses the same powerplant as the Buell XB12R Firebolt and Buell XB12S Lightning. The Harley-Davidson derived, 1203cc Thunderstorm V-twin produces 103 horsepower and 84 lbs.-ft. of torque. That’s impressive enough but, though undeniably grunty the Buell XB12STT lacks the smoothness, sophistication and top end power of more modern rival motorcycles.

Despite the Harley-Davidson connection Buell motorcycles still have a long way to go before they are held in such high regard. The Buell XB12STT’s quality is only average and reliability has tarnished the Buell motorcycle name over recent years (although it is starting to improve now).

Buell XB12X Ulysses frame but with longer swing arm and fairly long travel suspension give the Buell XB12STT a true supermoto motorcycle posture. But it manages to blend quick flickability and high speed stability well and is great fun to ride this motorcycle through the twisties, although the Ducati Hypermotard is better yet.

The Buell XB12STT’s £7295 list price sounds cheap for a funky Harley-Davidson engined motorcycle with more than its fair share of techno wizardry and in a way it is, but compared to direct rival motorcycles such as the mouth-watering Ducati Hypermotard, the Buell XB12STT suddenly doesn’t sound quite the same bargain.

Buells have always been fairly basic motorcycles and the Buell XB12STT is no different – it even only comes in white! The clocks are OK rather than attractive, the switchgear look like something that came off a 1994 Kawasaki motorcycle, there’s no mainstand or luggage provision and the Buell XB12STT’s mirrors aren’t nice either.

The Buell 1125R is a major move by Buell to step away from Harley-Davidson power in favour of a water-cooled Rotax-built lump. Gearbox and power delivery are peachy, but let down by Buell’s lack of experience in getting the injection electrics working spot on. But it is happening – constant development work has already seen a couple of ECU upgrades.

Rotax engines have a decent reputation for reliability and there’s no reason to expect anything else on the Buell 1125R. Chassis-wise it looks to be OK but the detailing is suspect – the right side of the swingarm is open to boot heel scuffs, the pillion seat is held in place by a lump of steel plate that doubles up as a vegetable slicer, and the idiot warning lights are hard to see in bright sunshine.

The Buell 1125R’s Showa suspension specification has now been finalised and works fine, except Buell insists the suspension is set to determined settings according to rider weight. In most cases it’ll be too firm for customers. MCN’s UK road test found the bike still understeers and is too bloody hard over bumps. A sympathetic dealer will have the sense to set the bike up more in tune with the rider – weight, experience, riding style.

Priced at £8495 is a clever move because it drops the Buell 1125R bang underneath the Aprilia and Ducati competition. If you want a cheapish large capacity V-twin that can turn its wheels to do most things (road, track day, commute etc) the Buell 1125R will suffice but without any refinement of the competition.

Buell’s famed belt drive is a plus point for being low maintenance. The single rim-mounted front disc is retained from previous models but now has a massive six-piston inverted caliper – it works, but if it’s supposed to save weight and reduce inertia why hasn’t the rest of the world cottoned on to this set up? The Buell 1125R’s top fairing does well at protecting the rider at all speeds, but the mirrors have more bounce issues than a drunk Zebedee! A plus point is the whopping 21.2lt fuel tank.

Rotax built to Buell’s spec, there’s no denying the engine packs some muscle that likes to be used. Despite three balancer mechanisms inside its engine cases, the Buell 1125CR does vibrate in the upper rev stratosphere. Overheating and poor fuel economy of the original Buell 1125R are claimed to be sorted on the 1125CR with a completely revised electronics package.

The suspension set-up is still a thorny issue: as standard the bike is dealer set according to rider weight, not style or road conditions. Careful use of tools will deliver a half decent set up. Once done the Buell 1125CR handles like the sports bike it’s based on – rapid steering, tracks true and is fun.

Issues with electronics, engine heat removal and other niggles have been resolved on the sports 1125R and Buell claims the 1125CR is now the finished item it wanted in the first place. The initial launch test showed no problems as such, although hard boot heels can scuff the swingarm if ridden with balls of feet on the pegs.

Bear in mind the Buell 1125CR has a modern and very competent V-twin engine, the £7830 asking price is quite competitive when compared to KTM’s 990 Super Duke. The golden rule is if the bike appeals to you then it is good value. But there are other bikes in this sector: Kawasaki Z1000, KTM Super Duke, Triumph Speed triple etc.

Nothing much to write about here. No big name equipment involved but the bike retains Buell’s single-sided rim-mounted front disc with an 8-piston, inverted front caliper and it has belt final drive.