First let me apologize… I am writing this in between one of two thousand little jobs I am currently involved in. I will try not to ramble or repeat myself…today you get a small peak at the thought process of the one called LaFeet.

Buell has been trying to overcome a reputation as a finicky and failure prone motorcycle. While sportier than their Harley cousins, they seem to be going through the same growing pains that caused us old diehards to need a complete Craftsman tool chest for road trips on our old soft-tails.

A whole new engine has been developed by Buell in conjunction with Harley-Davidson. As you would expect from such collaboration the engine is a 45-degree V-Twin pushrod engine. Fuel is applied by way of Buell’s advanced EFI system, into a large air box that resides where you would expect to find the fuel tank. The system acts as a ram air system, helping the 984cc engine to pump out a respectable 92hp @ 7,200 rpm which is transferred to the rear wheel by an improved belt drive system.
Buell has had trouble with their engines, but I believe that they got all of the bugs out with the Firebolt™ XB9R. Featuring an air cooled, four stroker, the Firebolt™ sports a decent displacement of 984 cc {88.9 bore x 79.38 mm stroke}. One of the bad things about the V-Twin is that the back cylinder never gets as much cooling as the front one does. Buell took this onboard and increased the back cylinders heat sink fins to radiate off more heat. They also added an actual oil cooler and placed a small fan on the rear cylinder to provide additional cooling. This means that this is the coolest (engine temp wise) Harley out on the road today. Compression is a modest 10:1 ratio and breathing is supported by an overhead valve train (OHV) with two valves per cylinder. The valves are self adjusting to help maintain performance.

Buell learned something from the venerable V-Max. Force feed air into an air box and you get more bang for the buck. Air enters the ram air intake and then accelerates through a venture. Fuel is pumped in by a pair of 45 mm downdraft fuel injectors.
The 11 liter air box was designed to have "zero resistance" to help “boost” oxygen input, allowing a more complete burn and return from the fuel in the cylinder. The air cleaner has been positioned under the fake fuel tank.

The waste exits the exhaust ports and enters staggered lengths of stainless steel. By altering the lengths, Buell enhanced the natural scavenging ability of this V-Twin design.

Buell has managed to produce a fine engine for street riding. But the Firebolt™ is NOT a SuperBikel. You will not outrun the punk kids on their R6’s, Ninja ZX-6RR’s, or GSX-600RX’s. The main bottle neck in power production is the use of only two valves per cylinder. It is ironic that Buell would utilize an advance ram air system and not allow the engine to breathe better with at least 3 three valves per cylinder.

No, this is a gentleman’s road course bike. It will look great as you barrel through traffic, and it offers more than enough performance for typical driving of the enthusiastic nature. But this is not a track bike. It will perform well enough in the hands of a master. But the same master could walk rings around the Firebolt™ if he were on a SuperBikel. No, the Firebolt™ XB9R is a street bike with a bit of gusto. A svelte Harley that looks fast even while parked.

I really liked the instrumentation layout. The panel includes clock, speed, tach, low fuel light, two trip odometers, and a fuel odometer that tracks mileage following illumination of the low fuel light. All well lit and easy to read.

Delivering a strapping 68 foot – pounds (ft-lbs) of torque at mid range, the Firebolt™ has a better torque to weight ratio than all other middle weight bikes. Couple this to a respectable 92 ponies (92 hp @ 7200 RPM) and you’ve an eager street fighter in the hands of the right rider. It’s sorta like having a 327 magnum or a 32 caliber pistol. Who ever is the better shot will get the better results. The inexperienced rider on the SuperBikel is only going to scare people in traffic, frighten him/herself or get hurt… no matter how big the bike is.

The bike is not without its pleasures. Being of a fair speed, I found the bike better handling than most I’ve been on lately. I compare its handling to that of the 350 Chevy Vega… one plows out of corners by just applying gas to the engine and adjusting the steering as needed. But the Firebolt™ hangs low in the corners and stays stable allowing you continue to twist the throttle open before exiting the turn. This is the kind of bike riding I use to clear all the bad cholesterol out of my arteries. Yee Haw! And there is little to no play in the tranny. I continue to have crisp, smooth shifts up and down gears.

The main reason for the great handling is Buell’s approach to a bike design. Tossing aside the trellis frame of old, Buell built a rather large aluminum twin spar chassis. By increasing the size of the chassis tubing, Buell has allowed for the framework to become the gas tank instead of having the weight up high in a remote tank. The benefits are many, but mainly, lower center of gravity and less effect on fuel delivery efficiency during maneuvers.

Buell's continues to mount the swing arm directly to the engine. Couple this with the “Uniplanar” engine mounts, help reduce engine vibration and improving rider comfort.

Other refinements include the continued use of the dry sump oil system. This system uses the swing arm as an oil sump, holding 3.5 quarts of oil inside the hollow aluminum alloy frame, again lowering the center of gravity. This also acts as an oil cooler. The air flowing over the swing arm helps cool the oil, lowering engine temperatures.


Buell has taken every effort to increase stability, improve chassis rigidity, lower the center of gravity and reduce overall weight.

This even applies to the bike’s rims. Using the thinnest rim walls possible, Buell removed excess material (i.e. spacers, washers) as possible. And to help reduce centrifugal rotation, Buell mounted the single 375 mm front disc directly to the rim. The caliper has been mounted upside down and applies pressure from inside. So what you say….. well if you combine the front braking power with the fact that over 52 % of the bikes weight is balanced on the front axel… then you have a bike capable of doing those Mission impossible II style maneuvers – without trying hard.

While the brake did seem a little unorthodox, it does provide ample braking power for any condition. It really shows its worth on a track with numerous curves, especially hairpins.

Tires are supplied by Dunlop. The rear is a D207 Y180/55ZR17 while the front sports a FY120/70ZR17.
Overall, this is an excellent riding bike. I am not intimidated by punks on R6’s or Hayabusas….not that I ever was. But this bike has enough gumph to handle itself and provide an outstanding, wide A^& grin ride. With a steep steering angle of only 21°, you have instant and precise response. The front is suspended by an inverted Showa® fork; the rear suspension sports a link less Showa® monoshock. You can easily adjust both for your specific riding needs (preload, compression and rebound damping). These, combined with the travel (front 4.7 in. /120 mm, rear 5 in. /127 mm) provide a relatively smooth ride across most pavement trouble spots.
Being a shorter person, I found the XB9R a comfortable ride. The 30.5 inch seat height posed no problem for my stubby legs. I would imagine taller people will need to actually bend their knees when seated and the bike is stopped. But not me… I just flat foot it comfortably. The taller people might complain about low positioned handlebars and the location of the foot pegs. There is a spot for a passenger, but the seat is not fit for anyone without sufficient maximus gluteus to provide their own padding. It would be okay for short hauls to the movie or dinner, but not for anything longer than 20 minutes or so.

If I had to complain it would be in two areas…..performance and fuel capacity.
With only 3.7 gallons {14 liters} of gas, you will be filling up frequently. I average about 37 miles per gallon…. But I ride rather aggressive. I try to fill up right around 100 miles… and I have had the low fuel light and odometer help keep me from having to push the bike to the station for some gogo juice.
Performance is lacking only in the top end region. The motor have more than enough torque to giddy up and go… but it lacks top end performance. I don’t want to keep up with the Japanese bikes…. I could buy one of those… but I do like to open it up a bit now and then (look at my wide a#@ grin) . I believe that the incorporation of a sixth gear could help out in the performance area. That would be an easy fix until Buell decides to use more valves per cylinder.

On a side note, Buell Motorcycle has recalled the 2003 Buell Firebolt XB9R because the side stand legs have the potential to bend or break.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 9850
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003