Cool Motorcycles reviews Buell Sport Firebolt® XB12R

There was a time when the sportbike world was defined by a very narrow, very uniform set of rules. Buell ignored all of it with the creation of the Firebolt® XB12R. It redefines what a frame should be, what a front brake should be and what a sporting engine should be. This is a motorcycle for riders who value the light weight and razor sharp agility of a sportbike, but crave the look, sound and feel of an air-cooled, 45-degree V-twin. Its torque-rich powerplant, intuitive handling and proven reliability make it a potent canyon carver. So much for convention.

Features

Buell® Intuitive Response Chassis (IRC)

With its 52-inch wheelbase, the Firebolt® handles with surgical precision. The rigid chassis keeps you stable and confident through the turns, while the 21-degree rake and 3.3-inch trail improves agility.

ZTL-2™ Front Brake

Proven through multiple wins in AMA Pro Racing, the Buell Zero Torsional Load (ZTL-2™) front brake utilizes a 4-pad, 8-piston caliper and single 375 mm rotor. The caliper casting was optimized for clamp stiffness, yielding a more progressive and connected braking feel to the rider. New for 2010, the flycut ZTL-2™ logo adds a trick look to the caliper. The rim-mounted design eliminates the need for load-bearing spokes or even a second disc, resulting in a front-end assembly that is significantly lighter than competitive designs.

6-spoke Cast Aluminum Wheels

The Buell 6-spoke front wheel is extremely light, reducing steering inertia and unsprung weight for better handling on the track or less-than-perfect streets.

Pirelli® Diablo Corsa III Tires

Pirelli® Diablo Corsa III tires feature a three-zone compound for optimum street and track use.

Frame and Swingarm
Handling is key to everything we do. That’s why our massive frames and swingarms are made of aluminum. Lightweight and extremely rigid, they minimize torsional flex and optimize lateral flex for control in the corners. Incorporating the fuel tank into the frame and the oil reservoir into the swingarm also improves handling. By lowering the placement of the fluids, the center of gravity shifts downward, which explains why a Buell® flicks so effortlessly through corners.

Front Suspension
The fully adjustable 43 mm Showa® inverted fork features a high-performance damping cartridge that lets you adjust the setup for any situation, with 5.6-inches of travel to soak up every bump and pothole. Whether it’s at the track or the ride home, you can optimize the suspension for excellent feedback and razor-sharp handling

Rear Suspension
A top-shelf Showa® push shock with a fully adjustable damping cartridge allows you to fine-tune the compression, rebound and preload to maximize handling and feedback for any condition.

1203 cc Thunderstorm® Engine

The Thunderstorm® 1203 cc, 45-degree V-twin delivers the iconic look, thunderous sound and power-pulsing feel that only a V-twin engine can offer. Following the style of an American Muscle machine, you can tap into maximum torque in any gear, regardless of where the tach needle is pointing. In fact, you’ll find that over 85 percent of the motor’s torque is available at just 2500 rpm. Performance and dependability are enhanced with a large crank pin, a large-capacity oiling system and an electronic timing system and ECM that control a DDFI 3 fuel injection system. Combined, these features improve drivability and performance while reducing maintenance costs.

Underslung Exhaust

Exhaust cans are heavy and hot. It doesn’t make sense to hang them up high and off the back of the bike and close to the rider. Our underslung exhaust – a Buell staple since 1985 – concentrates the weight underneath the chassis to provide greater Mass Centralization. The result is a clean, uncluttered look, improved flickability and superior handling. It also features a large-volume muffler tuned to produce a linear horsepower and torque curve.

SPECIFICATION

Dimensions

• Overall Length : 76.2 in. (1,935 mm)
• Seat Height, Laden : 30.5 in. (775 mm)
• Seat Height, Unladen : 31.9 in. (810 mm)
• Overall Width without mirrors : 28.1 in. (714 mm)
• Ground Clearance, Unladen : 4.35 in. (110 mm)
• Rake (Steering Head Angle) at Ride Height (degrees) : 21
• Fork Angle at Ride Height (degrees) : 21
• Trail at Ride Height : 3.3 in. (84 mm)
• Wheelbase, Unladen : 52 in. (1,321 mm)
• Fuel Capacity, Total : 3.82 gal. (14.5 l)
• Fuel Capacity : 0.75 gal. (2.8 l)
• Oil Capacity : 2.5 qt. (2.4 l)
• Dry Weight : 395 lb. (179 kg)
• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating : 850 lb. (386 kg)
• Load Carrying Capacity : 379 lb. (172 kg)

Powertrain

• Engine : Thunderstorm 1203 air/oil/fan-cooled, 4-stroke, 45 degree V-twin
• Displacement : 73.4 cu in (1,203 cc)
• Bore : 3.5 in. (88.9 mm)
• Stroke : 3.812 in. (96.82 mm)
• Peak Torque per SAE J607, North America : 84 ft-lb (114 Nm)
• Peak Torque RPM per SAE J607, North America : 6,000
• Peak Horsepower per SAE J607, North America : 103 hp (77 kW)
• Peak Horsepower RPM per SAE J607, North America : 6,800
• Compression Ratio : 10.0:1
• Mileage per US EPA Urban Trace, CITY : 48 mpg (4.9 l/100 km)
• Mileage per US EPA HIGHWAY Fuel Economy Test : 65 mpg (3.6 l/100 km)
• Intake : Zero-resistance airbox

DriveTrain

• Primary Drive Type : Chain
• Primary Drive Ratio : 1.500 (57/38)
• Secondary Drive Type : Constant path, 14mm pitch aramid reinforced Hibrex(R) belt with Flexten(R) Plus technology.
• Secondary Drive Member Pitch Length (# of Teeth or # of Links) : 128
• Secondary Drive Ratio: 2.407 (65/27)
• Transmission type : 5-speed, Helical gear design
• Transmission Ratio, 1st    2.648
• Transmission Ratio, 2nd    1.892
• Transmission Ratio, 3rd    1.407
• Transmission Ratio, 4th    1.166
• Transmission Ratio, 5th    1

Chassis

• Front Brake : ZTL-2 braking system
• Front Rotor and Caliper Configuration : 8-piston, fixed caliper. Single-sided, inside-out, floating rotor.
• Front Rotor Size, OD : 14.76 in. (375 mm)
• Number of Front Brake Rotors : 1
• Rear Rotor and Caliper Configuration : Single-piston, floating caliper. Fixed rotor.
• Rear Rotor Size, OD : 9.45 in. (240 mm)
• Rear Suspension Type and Configuration : Fully adjustable (adjustable compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload), coil-over monoshock with remote, underseat reservoir.
• Front Suspension Type and Configuration : Fully adjustable (adjustable compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload) inverted forks.
• Front Fork Slider Tube Diameter    : 1.69 in. (42.9 mm)
• Fork Lock Availability (true or false) : True
• Suspension Travel, Front Wheel, Along Fork Line : 4.72 in. (120 mm)
• Suspension Travel, Rear Wheel, Vertical : 5.06 in. (129 mm)
• Lean Angle at Full Suspension Compression, Soft Contact, Left (degrees) : 47
• Lean Angle at Full Suspension Compression, Soft Contact, Right (degrees) : 47
• Lean Angle at Full Suspension Compression, Hard Contact, Left (degrees) : 48
• Lean Angle at Full Suspension Compression, Hard Contact, Right (degrees) : 50
• Frame : Aluminum frame with Uniplanar Powertrain vibration isolation system – FUEL IN FRAME
• Swingarm Description : Cast aluminum swingarm with detachable brace. OIL IN SWINGARM.

Wheels and Tires

• Tire Brand and Model, Front : Pirelli Corsa III
• Tire Brand and Model, Rear : Pirelli Corsa III
• Tire Size Designator, Front : 120/70 ZR-17
• Tire Size Designator, Rear : 180/55 ZR-17
• Wheel Type, Front : 6-spoke, ZTL cast aluminum
• Wheel Type, Rear : 6-spoke, cast aluminum
• Wheel Size, Front (width x dia) (in) : 3.5 in x 17 in
• Wheel Size, Rear (width x dia) (in) : 5.5 in x 17 in

Electrical

• Battery Type and Specifications : Sealed Lead Acid, maintenance-free, 12-volt, 12 amp-hour (per Battery Council International rating), 200 cca.
• Charging System Specifications : 30-amp max permanent magnet single-phase alternator with solid-state regulator (405 watts@3,000 rpm, 405 watts peak)
• Starter System Specifications : 1.2 kW electric with solenoid shift starter motor engagement
• Headlamp Type and Wattages (high, low and position lamp) : Twin-projector beam (H3). 55-watt low beam, 55-watt high beam. 3-watt position lamp (EUR, ENG, JPN, AUS).
• Tail Light Wattages (stop and running) : .55W for tail light, 5W for stop light
• Turn Signal Lights Type (manual or self-canceling) and Wattage : Manual cancelling, 10wLicense Plate Lamp Wattage : 5W

Colors/Finishes/Graphics

• Body Work (molded in color) : Sunfire Yellow, Villain Black
• Frame : Phantom Metallic
• Wheels : Hero Blue Translucent (on Villain Black body) or Villain Black (on Sunfire Yellow body)

Cool Motorcycles reviews Buell Sport Firebolt® XB12R