IBIS wrote:
Paul, your opinion about the reliability of a Harley engine might be valid on the XB models as the " corporate bean counters" played a large part in the final design. However, the tuber models are completely different. Only last year Maz carried out a strip and rebuild, on my X1 the engin didn't even need new rings. That's after nineteen years of careful thrashing. I also have friends that have Harley's that have done over 100,000 miles. Yes you could argue that they are not in the same league as yours performance wise, but the technology is older too. There's those who love tubers & those who love their fuelers, each to their own & I made it a personal golden rule not to disrespect anybody's ride, no matter how tempted I am. ( technically the XB design was a Buell engine as although designed while Buell was owned by HD it of course never featured in a Harley badged bike. )
Hi IBIS,
Truly mate, No disrespect meant, I'm not sure that I actually mentioned reliability at all. I just don't like the Harley Engines full stop.
I totally appreciate what Erik Buel did for them, My XB9 did 144 mph (on an airstrip of course) which is pretty damned good for a 1000 cc pushrod V twin, and I totally fell in love with the frame design which is astonishingly good.
I sold all my imperial allen keys, sockets, spanners etc with the Firebolt as I had resigned myself to never owning a Buell again, until I saw the Rotax engined 1125r & particularly the 2008 model and thought that's one mean looking F****r. This may well have had something to do with having owned an RSV Mille prior to my Triumph, but I feel in my bones it was the frame design with as far as I'm concerned a proper motor in it. Sorry guys.
I know nothing about Tubers or any other Buell other than my XB9, so would be arrogant indeed to blight them in any way and I do like the look of them and the way the engine looks like it's been prized into the frame.
However it still comes back to the Harley Engine which I just don't like, that's all it is!
Hope that explains a little better, sorry to anyone who thought I was slagging their bike. I wasn't.