last week, i saw a buell blast and i thought it's pretty cool. i was going to recommend it to a friend. but then i thought i'd ask here first. anyone heard of bad news about buell blasts? if not, then i might even trade my gs for a blast   not really of course.

There are many web pages with problems about the beeeelast ... nothing but problems is my guess ... But might be also whiny complainy beginnners that its targeted at ... its almost like saying you can be a clue less all thumbs, 2 left feet, epileptic and you can ride this ... and its obviously not so ...
Cool.
Srinath.

The buell feels like a 150cc scooter compared to the GS.  Some people like that, though.  If you want a motorcycle, you are better off with a ninja 250.

There were some quality control issues early on, but I don't think they are as bad as they were made out to be.  There are people with plenty of miles on them with out serious issues.
Stock they are very slow.  But the HP jumps quickly with basic mods (filter, exhaust & jet kit)
The tires are an off size (16" rim) and wear quickly.
They are also very small.  I sat on one the other day at a dealership because I was considering them.  I'm a little over 6'2" and it was clear that this bike was not designed around a guy my height.  With my feet on the pegs, my knees were almost to the top of the tank. My thighs were not even close to fitting into the tank cut-outs... or whatever you call the indentions where your legs go.
I still think they are neat... but I'm back to the GS as being be starter bike of choice (2nd being a 500 ninja).
Good luck

I rode those for my MSF course.  
My comments: torquey, but still kinda underpowered (it is a thumper).  
Really easy to handle at slow speeds.  Durning our lunch break I took my GS on the slalom that I had been running all day with the Blast, and I couldn't get through it as fast.  Low seat height may help a lot :dunno:
One of the 15 or so bike broke down that weekend, but keep in mind these bike are beat on by beginners all summer. Other than that I can't personally comment on reliability

Summary: A great beginner bike/around town bike, but you wouldn't want to take it out on the freeway or on any long trips.

I think it's cool to have a beginner bike with a thumper, belt drive and self-adjusting valves.  But the Blast was too small for me too.  If they made it GS500-sized, with a 650cc thumper like the KLR650 or Suzi XF650 "Freewind", then the Blast could be a great bike.

But I think the bike is targetted at the spouses/gf of Harley riders.  From my experience, HD dealers try to push guys into the 883 Sporty.  With their target demographic, it makes sense to keep the bike small.

well, if there're lotsa complaints about them on the web, then it has to mean there're some problems, even if the ppl are whiny. i don't see much of complaints about gs500 on the web

so i guess it's time to help hunt for a used gs again  hopefully we can find one within a month or two..

See my reply on the thread about the whether the Blast or the 250 is faster. Love the Baby G and this forum.

C.......

Quote from: Travis R
They are also very small.  I sat on one the other day at a dealership because I was considering them.  I'm a little over 6'2" and it was clear that this bike was not designed around a guy my height.

Me too.  What bike _was_ designed for guys our heights?

But a friend of mine mentioned once that you can get used to almost anything, and in a way he was kind of right with me.  (Yeah he's getting used to me but that's not what I mean.)  First time I tried a Ninja-500, my wrists were screaming and I said never to anything but a standard in the old-fashioned, CB750 sense.  Now my GS seems perfectly comfy, as does a new Ninja.  I probably look goofy on them, but oh well.

A Rebel, I think, I could never get used to so yeah there is an upper bound of discomfort one can stand.

--Mike D.

Quote from: geekonabike
Me too.  What bike _was_ designed for guys our heights?
--Mike D.

A Firebolt apparently.  I sat on one of those too and it fit me beautifully.  Seat height, control placement, etc all felt really nice.... but that bike would get me from 0 to Dead in about 3.5 seconds.  

Quote from: Travis R

Quote from: geekonabike
Me too.  What bike _was_ designed for guys our heights?
--Mike D.

A Firebolt apparently.  I sat on one of those too and it fit me beautifully.  Seat height, control placement, etc all felt really nice.... but that bike would get me from 0 to Dead in about 3.5 seconds.  

Yeah, maybe I'm a little harsh on the ergos of bikes.  In fact I do like many, but I wonder if it's because I've gotten used to being quite cramped, and so just being somewhat cramped feels OK now.  :dunno:

Well, in fact I've found the VStrom to be a very comfy sit, for instance.  But definitely bikes that I used to hate the ergos on I'm now thinking are OK, like the Ninja 250 and 500, the SV650, and a few others.  The Rebel has my knees pointing skyward and some cruisers feel too much like birthing position.  I do wish there were more true standards than just the CB250 (too slow) and the Bonneville (too expensive?).  The S/40/Savage almost is.

FWIW,
Mike D.

PS:  You do have me curious about the Firebolt!

I t-t-t-t-t-est r-r-r-r-r-rode a B-u-e-l-l-l-l B-b-b-b-b-last t-t-t-t-oday...

From someone who's owned 4 thumpers, this thing vibrates like a M-F.  I dunno if it was just the one I rode, but the transmission sucked ass.  No tach.  OK torque, not really great go when you open it up.  Uninspired handling.  I could flatfoot it, but who cares?

Nothing like reviving a 9-month-old thread!

Quote from: RoadstergalI t-t-t-t-t-est r-r-r-r-r-rode a B-u-e-l-l-l-l B-b-b-b-b-last t-t-t-t-oday...

From someone who's owned 4 thumpers, this thing vibrates like a M-F.  I dunno if it was just the one I rode, but the transmission sucked ass.  No tach.  OK torque, not really great go when you open it up.  Uninspired handling.  I could flatfoot it, but who cares?

Interesting.  I've never gotten to actually ride one.  The mags are starting to like the newer Buells, especially the Ulysses, but a Blast can be had for little money.  Maybe as a second bike, for when the main scoot is in the Garage or a friend comes by and we want to go riding.  The way they supposedly eat up tires, they must be good for torque.

FWIW, in case anyone here remembers me, I sold my '98 to a friend after he kept it for me in the summer (I was in Taiwan) and fell in love with it.  Anyhow I wanted to say goodbye to weird carb issues (75mph in gear six it just wanted to cough and I got tired, and nearly broke, trying to fix it...shoulda just sent carbs to Srinath!).  Of course it works great for my friend, so we're still friends and all, but anyhow I thought it was time to finally buy something brand new, and so I'm on a 2005 EX250R Ninja ($3100 OTD).  See link at the bottom!  I thank the GS for getting me ready for it ergonomically, and do miss the low end torque of the GS.  OTOH it sure is nice to ride something brand-new, and quiet (liquid cooling and all).  Keeping it on the boil, I could keep up with my friend on the twisties no problem (and sound like a Formula One car), and it's the cheapest bike I can ride 80mph (indicated) on demand (being 6'2" and 215 lbs and in windy blowy Oklahoma).  My problems on the older GS made me leery of buying a new one.  I have kept an eye on the Kymco Venox though, but for about $300 more you can get an S40 (formerly Savage) for some real thumping fun!  BTW the new Suzuki DR dual purpose bikes look neat, in a KLR-ish way.

Oh, to be able to afford multiple bike disorder!

--Mike D.
2005 Ninja
http://www.ninja250.org/geekonabike

Nuttin' wrong with EX250s!  They get you there and they're reliable and easy on gas.

The Blast probably has torque compared to a 250, but I'd rather have any of my 650 thumpers for build quality and engine character.  If a cruiser floats your boat, you can do a lot worse than an S40 (I had a Savage).  I'd put stickier tires on it, though - the front tire locks far too easily.

I take it the 05 "F" was a lot better for you than the '91 "E"?

I'd like to have a Savage in my garage for short trips.  About the most fun 10 minutes I've ever had on two wheels was in test riding an '04 (I think) Savage along the little stretch of I44 that runs through Oklahoma City on a 60F night.  That was a hoot!  But I've heard what's a hoot for a half-hour is a pain after a couple hours.  So far I'm OK for a couple on the EX250.  But coming off a CB250 (standard) it is good I had the GS ergos for a year, and got used to them.  I wonder if my '98 was the same kind of pain as your '91.

--Mike D.

Oh, and how do you like the DR?

I like it.  It's a lot lighter than my F650, so I can actually take it offroad.  And it still does freeway with no issues.  The view over other cars is helpful.  The banana seat lets me shift around a bit and not get too stiff.  The brakes are surprisingly good - of course, lack of inertia helps.  The lightness does make it dance more than other bikes - on metal gratings or rutted roads, it does a little waltz with you.  But it's very tractable.
It gets a little over 50mpg - not as good as my F650, but that's carbed vs. FI.  Nice exhaust note.

Cool, thanks.  It must be nice to have an advanced case of multiple bike disorder.  The F650 also sounds like a cool one to own.  And I'm glad to know there are those who take Savages on longer rides.  I've always had a soft spot for that bike.  Not like my old GS had at 6500 rpms, but you know what I mean.

--Mike D.

Don't do it! Don't even think about one! There is NO favorable comparison between a Blast and a GS500. NONE. There is nothing you can do to a Blast to make it anywhere close to comparable. The Blast will not compare favorably in ANY catagory against the GS500. Not even close. The Blast is truly an embarassment to Harley-Davidson and should have been shaZam!-canned.
Stay away from these like a case of Bubonic Plague and your pocketbook and bank account will greatly thank you.