I have just been handed the keys to a buell xb12s 07 plate as a gift from my fiances mother. it was her husbands who passed away 5 years ago, the bike was last ridden in 2010 and has been sat ever since in a garage.

i have never ridden bikes but am now in the process of learning (very fast) to get my license and i was recommended to join this website for help on what to do with the bike to get it back on the road and what to look for so i don't get fleeced with garages etc.

also as ive never ridden anything like this, some stories of how it handles what its like to ride and what it actually is that ive been handed the keys to.

thanks to all in advance for any responses to this message

Hi from West Sussex, very lucky to be given that, does it start and run?

I wish somebody would give me one, I'm bagged up.

Welcome!
I'd be wary of anything mechanical that hasn't been used in that length of time, so it's a mercy that you can't just fire it up, swing your leg over it and go 'do a ton up the bypass'... good luck with gaining your licence btw.
My advice would be to avoid the temptation of firing it up and revvving it in front of your mates and to trailer it to someone like Maz who will give it an honest and knowledgeable appraisal and ready it for the road again.

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'98 M2 Razorback, it's a keeper.

Who is maz and is he or the shop London based. I'm very excited about he bike as I've always wanted to own one. This really did just fall in my lap and I have not much of a clue on bike maintenance. Had my first bike lesson this morning from a friend and it went remarkably well. Gear changes Are not as daunting as I thought. CBT is booked can't wait to try be be legal and sit on he bike

This is the bike that was kindly given to me

Nice.
Maz is the UK's leading authority on Buells, his works in Manc is called The Emporium.
Yes, Manc. No where near London is it. But according to all disciples, well worth the pilgrimage.
Here's an account from a recent happy customer.
Thing is, Buells are weird and they need weird people to look after them. Ornerarry folks mess just 'em up.
I guarantee that there will be others along later to confirm what I just said.

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'98 M2 Razorback, it's a keeper.

Do you have a more specific name or address as when when I Google nothing comes up

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Mithered ta death.
92 MB
96 S2T
98 S1W
00 M2
01 X1
03 P3
10 CR

Please 'please what ever the effort take the bike to .Do not on any account let your local bike shop touch it. I have personal experience of letting so called specialists work on my Buell. Never again, although Max is long way away his expert knowledge and exceptional standards mean you will have the best working on your bike. He is also excellentvalue for money . Your time and money is well invested. BTW dontdon't touch his tools or arrange to see him before 11am,......eh Maz

Max is his street name. .... Mad

Do it sooner, and avoid problems later

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Welcome, you lucky MoFo!

I had my X1 couriered up to Maz with the courier that Maz uses from Kent when I bought it. It cost in the region of £130-ish, it was a wee while ago and I have the memory of a hamster! An alternative is to hire a van , sling the bike in the back of it and go and spend some time at the Emporium. You will learn what you should be doing and how to do it.

Despite appearing to be an anti-social, miserable feck on here, he is actually a very nice person and will spend as much time as is needed to explain the ins and outs of Buell ownership to even the least mechanically mixed of folks. His very reasonable hourly rate more than makes up for the cost of getting the bike Oop Norf.

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Go big!! Or go Home!!

Welcome to the forum. Nice looking bike. And good luck with the test.

As per Rik's link above, my 2003 XB9S has just come back from Maz's workshop and I'm very, very pleased with what he's done.

Manchester is a bit of a trek for us southerners but A2B Bike Movers (link below) is a reasonable cost option to get your bike up there and back. They are very professional and use properly fitted out vans (wheel chocks, built-in loading ramps, etc.). When I say 'reasonable cost' that doesn't mean cheap but it's probably the most cost effective option and you have the reassurance of knowing that your bike has been entrusted to people who know what they're doing, are honest and reliable, and are bikers themselves.

As an illustration:

1. When I bought my XB9S in 2009 I found 'a man with a van' on the internet who picked it up from just outside Liverpool and brought it down to West Sussex for £180. He did a good job but he was using a standard Ford Transit and the time honoured method of lashing the bike to the (inside) side of the van lined with an old mattress. I doubt that he had any professional insurance to cover accidental damage.

2. When I took my bike up to Maz's workshop last month, I hired a long wheel base Ford Transit. The cost including insurance for two days was £150. The fuel cost was £90. I spent six hours driving up there on Saturday and five hours on Sunday to do the return trip. So, the basic cost was £240 and nine hours of my time. I didn't have to stay overnight but I did so that was more money spent. Getting the bike on and off the van was tricky and I could have easily dropped it.

3. A2B charged me £168 to pick the bike up from Maz's and drop it off outside my house two days later.

So, A2B are charging less than the 'man and a van' I used six years ago (for almost the same distance) and a lot less than it cost me to do it myself. And you can trust them to do a good job.

You might want to factor in labour rates in the overall cost too. Maz's hourly rate is probably less than your local motorcycle dealership or independent specialist. So when you add it all up, that might offset the transport cost to some extent.

http://www.a2bmotorcyclemovers.co.uk/

Steve

Do you reckon there'll be any commission coming our way seeing as we're all now acting as smiley helpful 'front-of-house' for the surly old bastard...?
S'alreet Maz, only kiddin', actually we do it cos we love you!

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'98 M2 Razorback, it's a keeper.