Buell XB1200XT

Remember that song? Ah yes, the Beach Boys. It comes to mind after I turned the key,hit the run switch and plop the starter button on. The vibratious motor pulsing along in its 45 degree V-twin. The Americans call it the Milwaukee motor boogie.

The 12XT’s short wheelbase – actually long by Buell’s standards – is fit for the shorterriders after they’ve lowered the seat from the previous adventure bike, the X. Buell has, this time around, not pretended to be offroad minded and has marketed the XT as a road tourer only. So the pretentious offroad capability is gone, this clearly marked with the factory Pirelli Diablo Strada tires it leaves the showroom with. The suspension
upfront has seen a total revise with less travel and the firming up has done wonders for the handling. Boy oh boy,it’s like there is some Lock-Tite between the tires and road. The XT simply handles like it’s on rails.

The power, 103bhp is available @ 6800Rpm, but what makes the Buell tick is its engine torque and there’s a 100nm of it. Short wheelbase and low end grunt is a recipe to send the front wheel pointing to the sky if you are in a hurry in first gear. Don’t worry, the nature of the Buell motor is of such that it’s not frightening, but very controllable. I love the Buell for that very reason. Using the frame for fuel lowers the center of gravity and that aids the handling characteristics of the bike. With the XT tipping the scales at 210kg dry, she’s no lightweight,but the center of gravity makes up for it.

As there are no pretentions to wander off-road, there is really no need to see the capabilities of the Buell. But, we did .. anyway.
The XT smiles at gravel, keeping in mind that the front shocks are not the longer travel X unit’s, potholes can cause some trouble, but generally
the bike is very stable, even at road highway speeds in excess of 100kph. The ride is slightly harder than normal, but the suspension is fully adjustable with compression and preload in the front and preload at the rear via a quick adjustable knob. Turn it up for highway rides and turn it down for the more bumpy roads. Buell even made it easy in the front, letting you know the harder and softer directions, clearly marking them with H – S. Riding the XT in anything more than gravel would not be a requirement, but it will handle light sand riding, loose gravel and even stones if you are careful. I would just change the front tire to a similar spec of the X and you should be fine, should you find yourself wandering off the tarmac more than usual.

Stopping power is accommodated via huge disks aided by 6 pot calipers. The system is called ZTL (Zero Torsional Load) .They certainly do
their part in bringing you down from speed in any situation. The huge 375mm front disk mounted to the rim instead of the hub, makes the need for another disk unnecessary and saves weigh by a couple of kg’s. Must admit that I thought they would get me into trouble on the gravel, but they did not once lock up or make me feel like I should start worrying.

Another Buell unique is the constant tension belt drive that is extremely strong and long lasting. This is also weight saving so there is no feeling of power loss through gear changes as you would sometime experience with a chain driven motorcycle. The XT comes from the factory with
the BUELL pannier and Top Box. These are lockable and removes in less than 20seconds – yes, all 3 of them. They house approximately
36liters. Each can carry a considerable amount when you end up planning for the adventure of a lifetime.

There are two 14v accessory sockets as well as factory fitted handlebar operated heated grips, a really nice feature for the winter mornings.
If you need the use of a bike to play with the superbikes in the twisties, do some millage on the highways or settle for a dirt road that leads to
the middle of nowhere, this Buell will do it all without absolutely any hesitation.