I don't think it was ever really considered competition, but it was meant to be a beginner bike all the same.... and is no more
http://www.buell.com/en_ca/bikes/blast/
they could have rocked the commuter bike community with a twin, fuel injected, zero maintenance (valves !) belt driven twin... but no. they built shaZam!. oh well, they can join chevy with saying "we almost did it guys ! almost !"
I'm very confused...is the blast dead? That website was funny but left me with many questions. I can't tell if it's all a big joke or not. I hate that feeling lol
i suppose the past tense is "blasted"
Quote from: Bluesmudge on July 28, 2009, 11:14:42 PM
I'm very confused...is the blast dead? That website was funny but left me with many questions. I can't tell if it's all a big joke or not. I hate that feeling lol
Yep, it's done. Not sure if they're making a big deal of it so they can introduce a better replacement, or if they're just giving up on smaller displacement bikes all together. Discussion on another forum leaves people saying they don't picture Buell caring to have another smaller bike.
From what I'm hearing, the Blast isn't dead, but it won't carry a Buell badge any more.
And as far as it not being the perfect twin cylinder commuter bike, it was never intended to be anything close to that. It was supposed to be the tamest, non-threatening in any way to total newbie riders bike possible, and it succeeded 100% in that goal... which is why Buell wants nothing to do with it.
Whether the Blast is dead or not, it was never competition for the GS 500. It's a thumper. Thumpers lack smoothness and top end, and therefore suck as street bikes. Thumpers are for dirt. It's just a fact that will never change. That's my two cents. The KLR 650 is probably the best street worthy thumper ever made and it can't match the GS 500 on the street, no way. The Blast makes the GS 500 seem very refined, smooth, and fast.
I've wanted Buell or Hardley Ableson to make a mid-size standard forever, and to this day my prayers go unanswered. It's as though they sit in the boardroom making sure I'll never buy one of their products.
But they make a fortune selling big paint mixer V-twins to guys who can't ride with more money than brains or skill, so what do I know? :dunno_white:
Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 03:23:35 PM
But they make a fortune selling big paint mixer V-twins to guys who can't ride with more money than brains or skill, so what do I know? :dunno_white:
Not everybody considers a motorcycle's only real function to be for dragging knees around corners. I'd love one of their bikes, but the reliability of the engines worry me considering I don't have a ton of background with engine internals, and they don't sell second hand very cheaply. Otherwise I think they look amazing
ttfour, you nailed it. I can't agree with you more. They're beautiful and expensive. They also shake like hell. That's all they offer. That is what I get from owners. I ask them. I listen to them at the bar all the time. When you catch them in an unemotional honest moment, they all complain about cost and especially vibration at some point. I'll ride Jap bikes, thank you very much. Cheaper, better, more reliable, and many are sexy as hell, although that is subjective. Works for me.
Holy stereotyping batman!
Hate to break it to you guys, but modern HD's are not the rancid piles of crap you're hoping they are. Rubber mounted EVO and Twin Cam motors don't vibrate excessively, require less maint than a GS500, make acceptable power, and get the job done quite nicely as long as you're not Joe Rocket - Boy Racer. Rather than relying on third hand info maybe you should actually get out and RIDE one some time.
Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 03:23:35 PM
Thumpers lack smoothness and top end, and therefore suck as street bikes. Thumpers are for dirt.
EXCUSE ME?(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/DR-Z400SM/right.jpg)
The local buell dealership closed because the owner was running some kind of drug ring, so I'm out of luck on the one......... not to add to your stereotype of harley drivers...
All you have to do is go to youtube, you can see the things shaking at idle. I told people plenty the triumphs running like junk was just a stereotype, but when I came down to it, my triumph ran like junk and I'll never buy something that isn't japanese again. I love the Z1000, but I wish Honda or Suzuki would put out a bike that looked as good as a buell.
Yup, they shake at idle, and especially with the Buells and the uni-planar mount setup... they get glass smooth with revs. It's kinda freaky actually. I got to ride a Cyclone that had been hot rodded a bit, thing didn't want to idle at all with the big cam in it. At a stop you couldn't use the mirrors, shaking too badly. Blip the throttle and the thing went still till the revs dropped to idle and it resumed it's strained lope. On the road, it wasn't any worse than any other big v-twin I've ridden for vibes.
I'd be fine with it, and I don't think a rough idle would bug me at all if I was the only one that was going to be on it, but I think Heather would hate it, not to mention the passenger seats are pretty tiny looking.
The old S3T was setup properly for passengers, unfortunately it's long since discontinued, and was an early bike for Buell, before they had all the gremlins worked out... The Ulysses looks like it's got a reasonable seat setup for rider and passenger?
I don't get the point. I know thumpers have advanced over the years but I said they're not good for the street and they're not, and someone shows me a picture of a track bike. I don't get it. Two cylinders are a lot better than one, and I have ridden Harleys, which have also gotten better over the years. They're much more reliable now, and went from super shaky to tolerably shaky, but to me they're still too heavy and expensive, and less maintenance than a GS 500? C'mon, please, stop, you're killing me! Harley sells looks, sound, and the image that goes with it for high prices, and the American public eats it up. Be honest. I've said here several times I'm in the minority on this and I don't expect to convince anyone. I take a drier view of motorcycling than most of you. If I had the $ for a Harley I'd send my daughter to private school. It's only a bike.
Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 08:23:32 PM
I don't get the point. I know thumpers have advanced over the years but I said they're not good for the street and they're not, and someone shows me a picture of a track bike. I don't get it. Two cylinders are a lot better than one, and I have ridden Harleys, which have also gotten better over the years. They're much more reliable now, and went from super shaky to tolerably shaky, but to me they're still too heavy and expensive, and less maintenance than a GS 500? C'mon, please, stop, you're killing me! Harley sells looks, sound, and the image that goes with it for high prices, and the American public eats it up. Be honest. I've said here several times I'm in the minority on this and I don't expect to convince anyone. I take a drier view of motorcycling than most of you. If I had the $ for a Harley I'd send my daughter to private school. It's only a bike.
Track bike? TRACK BIKE?
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/DR-Z400SM/ugly.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/DR-Z400SM/IMG_1496.jpg)
Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 08:23:32 PM
I don't get the point. I know thumpers have advanced over the years but I said they're not good for the street and they're not, and someone shows me a picture of a track bike. I don't get it. Two cylinders are a lot better than one, and I have ridden Harleys, which have also gotten better over the years. They're much more reliable now, and went from super shaky to tolerably shaky, but to me they're still too heavy and expensive, and less maintenance than a GS 500? C'mon, please, stop, you're killing me! Harley sells looks, sound, and the image that goes with it for high prices, and the American public eats it up. Be honest. I've said here several times I'm in the minority on this and I don't expect to convince anyone. I take a drier view of motorcycling than most of you. If I had the $ for a Harley I'd send my daughter to private school. It's only a bike.
The point? I've got a KTM 520SX, that lil 510cc single puts out more torque and HP than my GS500E by a decent amount (52hp at the rear wheel), is just as smooth, and weighs nearly half as much. Just comparing the engines themselves, the single is easily less than half the weight. Just swapping engines would be a radical improvement for my GS. You can actually make a glass smooth single if you want, ala the old Duc Super Singles with slave rods. Inline twins will always have a rocking imbalance that you can't eliminate. That said, a lil vibration isn't bad as it provides character, too smooth and the bike seems souless, like say, a Bandit 1200S. What a boring machine, can go like a raped ape in a straight line but you might as well have an electric motor beneath you as the motor doesn't provide anything for feeling or feedback.
As far as maint on an HD... what do you think there is? Add gas, change the oil and filter periodically, tires and brake pads when they wear out... that's it. No valve lash to check, etc.
Quote from: tt_four on July 28, 2009, 05:50:08 PM
I don't think it was ever really considered competition, but it was meant to be a beginner bike all the same.... and is no more
http://www.buell.com/en_ca/bikes/blast/
funny! :laugh:
BTW, the US site is a bit more complete, has videos and explanation:
http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/blast/
I did have a blast for a short time, and I can echo that it was NO competition for the GS in a sporting fashion. It was lacking much in power and certianly wasn't as ready for hard riding or track use. As a small commuter for a small person, it was great. I did enjoy riding it, and I have to say it sounded better than the GS too. I would say it was actually smoother and more relaxed on the highway too, and the torque and lack of revs made it seem more like a diesel. :laugh: Perfect starter bike, easier to ride.
In further defense of thumpers, I present the BMW 650 GS:
(http://www.webbikeworld.com/BMW-motorcycles/2009-bmw-f-650-gs/2009-bmw-f-650-gs-front-left.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/ecpreston/SNF1999A_682_472181a.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/ecpreston/Production-Stock-2009-BMW-F650GS-22.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/ecpreston/30112277-M.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/ecpreston/2006-bmw-f650-gs-dakar-1_800x0w.jpg)
It apparently makes for a nice street bike too. And it clearly has some capability. I'd rock one.
When I said it was competition for a GS, I didn't mean it was good competition on a track or a twisty back road, I just meant in the general motorcycle market. They're both smaller displacement beginner bikes. When someone new/short thinks about buying their first bike, and they come up with a list of bikes they'd consider......gs500, ex250, ex500, buell blast, they may not all perform the same, but they're all still the same category.
I had one of those BMWs as a service loaner once, that thing was awful.....
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3773055252_c332708532.jpg)
Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 08:23:32 PM
I don't get the point. I know thumpers have advanced over the years but I said they're not good for the street and they're not, and someone shows me a picture of a track bike. I don't get it. Two cylinders are a lot better than one, and I have ridden Harleys, which have also gotten better over the years. They're much more reliable now, and went from super shaky to tolerably shaky, but to me they're still too heavy and expensive, and less maintenance than a GS 500? C'mon, please, stop, you're killing me! Harley sells looks, sound, and the image that goes with it for high prices, and the American public eats it up. Be honest. I've said here several times I'm in the minority on this and I don't expect to convince anyone. I take a drier view of motorcycling than most of you. If I had the $ for a Harley I'd send my daughter to private school. It's only a bike.
squid?
Hey guys, remember way back when this thread was about Buell dropping the Blast? Thse were simpler, happier times then...
Buell is getting rid of it for something more agressive and powerful as there entry level bike from what Ive heard through the grapevine. Bet on it.
I'm carnfused? Is this not a GSTwins Forum :confused: Who cares about Buell anyway?
Harley Shop down the street went out of business recently and I couldn't be happier :woohoo:. Less JA's with stupid loud pipes and no riding skills around to deal with!
Harley-Davidson's campaign against loud exhaust pipes. Its initial effort last year was directed at and through dealers, with posters and literature that attempted to educate dealers and riders about the negative consequences of loud pipes. Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James also told Motorcycle Cruiser that during the next few months Harley will cease shipments to dealers of racing exhaust systems that can be fitted to street models. We could no longer find any racing exhaust systems listed on the company's accessory website. However, Harley-Davidson still offers dozens of accessory exhaust systems that are street-legal (and therefore acceptably quiet) including for use in California.
I hate that "loud pipes save lives" thing, I was always more for the "your loud pipes annoy the hell out of me" crowd. I'd take a nice quiet bike any day. The GS couldn't possibly louder with the V&H exhaust that it has, but that's what came on it, so that's what I have. A loud pipe will only attract attention if people in cars already paid attention otherwise, but they're not hearing your exhaust over their radio, cell phone, and rear seat dvd player, not to mention car commercials now advertise how once you shut yourself in the car you won't even hear a cannon going off outside the car, so obviously they don't care that you're around.
How long has harley been trying to get riders to quiet down? I thought 5 years they were trying to buy the patent on that obnoxious noise so they could say it was their own??
Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!
Thanks JA's :2guns: :nono:
Quote from: JB848 on July 30, 2009, 01:50:03 PM
Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!
Thanks JA's :2guns: :nono:
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it already IS illegal to do so, as you're modifying an emission control system. They're just going to start enforcing it more.
not saying you can't have an aftermarket exhaust though from my understanding. the rules about them will just be a bit stricter. if i'm understanding this correctly. :thumb:
Quote from: Kurlon on July 30, 2009, 02:06:45 PM
Quote from: JB848 on July 30, 2009, 01:50:03 PM
Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!
Thanks JA's :2guns: :nono:
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it already IS illegal to do so, as you're modifying an emission control system. They're just going to start enforcing it more.
Clarify. If your bike passes emition controls which are very strict in some state where does it state about illegal exhaust and what is to stop you from getting inspected with stock and throwing on obnoxious ignorant exhaust pipes like these idiots do around here?
A lot of companies sell street legal aftermarket exhausts. Some of them also come with two baffles so you can just swap between the race or street baffle. I wish bike manufactures would just make the stock exhausts look nice, I'd be perfectly find with keeping one, but because they know they're gonna be replaced, they don't even bother to make them ok looking.
Besides HD, who sells EPA approved aftermarket systems?
I don't know about motorcycle companies who do. Triumph sells a lot of aftermarket exhausts, but I don't know if any are legal or not. I know at least Devil sells on that is road legal. I don't know however if that only refers to the sound level, or if it actually meets emissions and whatever else they require....
Devil Master
Devil Master Exhaust Can
The big 2006 innovation, the Devil MASTER has the most aggressive design on the market. It gives superb performance and has compact dimensions.
(http://www.vyxxn.co.uk/images/devil-master.jpg)
The Devil MASTER is inspired by modern GP bikes and is a direct descendant of the Devil Racing Replica can though 100% road legal. This is an oval 420mm compact and lightweight can available in carbon only.
i just watched the interview with the owner/founder talking about dropping the blast. he said himself it was a great beginners bike. wonderful to learn on. used them for years in msf courses etc. but then said, "it's not a true sport bike, and that's what people want" or some shiite like that. so, buell is going to alienate the entire "beginners" culture? to make a few more bucks? i'm confused because i don't see anything on their website that is new so they've basically just dropped this bike. i've never ridden one but you'd think there was a reason that most msf courses used this bike. wow. i'm just blown away. nothing else in buell's stable even remotely comes close to saying, "pick me for your first bike, i'm newbie friendly".
:cookoo:
You can't expect him to do anyone any favors. It was cool that he made the bikes for so long, but if he didn't want to make them anymore, then that's pretty much all there is to it. It wasn't ever his responsibility to make bikes for beginners, and there's plenty of other bikes out there to replace them in MSF courses.
Now that the beginners 500 is out, they need to get onto making a serious 600cc bike, preferable 650-675 like the other street bikes around, even a 750 would be awesome. Just something smaller than a 900-1200.
Maybe he will make a beginner bike that does not have a big bore Vtwin mill with only one jug and a block off plate like some cheesy unfunded prototype mockup. A short stroke counterbalance single maybe. Or maybe a real r500 vtwin with say 30-35 hp low rpm hp.
Larger version of virago 535.
Maybe he doesnt care about entty in to AHrley line and wil make 90 hp 500 screamer. Half a bmw r100ss. Rroom to grow to 125 hp.
Harley is acknowledging gap in their product and bringing xr1200 stateside. That they made it in the first place is encouraging.
HArley knows what they are doing. They make the things they make because of their market research which tells them thats where the money is.
i guess i'm just confused about how a company can make a product for so long, one that even they say is a great product and even still sells and just to decide to up and all out scrap it. :dunno_white: