Woah, that was a lot of reading.

Maybe I just worded it wrong. I mean, I could probably afford to have 2 bikes, I'd just rather not, and save the money.

Glad that's all settled.

As for the performance, I know it's a huge step up. I've got it under control. The bike only goes as fast as you make it. It will just be a lot nice to cruise in 4th or 5th gear when I make the ride from Pittsburgh to Altoona so see friends and family. Instead of ringing the f%$k out of the GS just to keep up with traffic.

Quote from: JEREMY JOCK on June 09, 2010, 11:09:02 AM
Instead of ringing the f%$k out of the GS just to keep up with traffic.

exactamondo - I love getting on the highway, downshifting to drip what little power I can out of the motor, hitting the flat spot, revving the piss out of the bike, hoping to maintain traffic speeds, enjoying the buffeting, swearing all along that I need more power, and dreaming of a bigger bike that won't have to do all that.

Go Triumph for Jeremy!

haha, there's nothing better than when I decide to take the highway back from my parents house 25 miles away, and as soon as I get over 50mph my bike is just vibrating so bad that I can barely keep my hands on the bars without them going numb.

Either way, that guy with the xb9sx on craigslist emailed me back tonight to say the bike is still for sale but it's on hold while he has to go out of town for an unexpected work trip until next week. That should give me the time I need to get the last couple hundred dollars I need, and I might be on a new bike as soon as next weekend! Still gotta go check it out first when he get back. That's too long term of a plan to start getting too excited yet. I offered him $500 less than he listed it for, so the fact that he even mailed me back gives me hope that there isn't too much other competition for the bike yet.

The luck of the bike Gods are with you TT!

I hope you score the Buell.  I was seconds away from a red XB9S last season.  But I bought a GS, lol.  Wish I would have bought it!!! 

I'm still so mad that I missed the chance to grab a brand new xb9sx for $4k when buell went under in October and HD dealers were trying to shove the last of buell out their doors, but I just didn't have the cash to spare. Either way a 2005 with 9k miles for $3k will help me get over it. As appealing as a new bike is, I hate buying shiny new things because then I'm afraid to use them. This way it'll already be scuffed in and I won't have any problem jumping on it and just having fun.

What made you pick the GS over the XB9?? I've never ridden one, and I'm still wondering how I'll feel about it long term, but to be honest I'm ok with a 91 GS, so it's not like it'd be possibly to jump on something 15 years newer and really think it wasn't good enough. People say the shifting is heavy and the engine is weak, but my GS gearbox feels like it's filled with sand so the buell HAS to feel much better, and even though the xb only makes 92hp, while the gsxr750 I was previously considering makes 140, the xb9 still puts out 70ft/lb torque compared to the gsxrs 60. Either way it's putting out a good bit more power than an sv650, and people love those bikes, and I'm always saying I want something stronger than an sv650, but not as crazy as any of the other 1000cc v twins, so I think this one will be perfect. I had been debating on whether I wanted to find an xb12 instead, but that probably would've cost me an extra $1k and a while of waiting. HP isn't all that important of a number to me, since I spend 99% of my time on the GS between 2500-4500 rpm, and there has to be a real good reason that I ever take it over 5k, so I'd never even come close to seeing any real power on an inline 4. I've read a million reviews, comparisons, and random people's opinions, but they're all just so biased, either by people just hating Buells in general, or people at magazines who care about nothing but spec sheets and top speed/top end. Having a motor who's highlight is it's lower range just over idle sounds perfect to me.

The other part, which is sad to say, but it'd just feel nice to ride somewhere and enjoy being on something that just feels like more of a real bike. Bigger bikes just feel dead solid when you're riding on them, and I'll be much more likely to go find some group rides, and stop at some bike nights and just be social in general. I tend to be a bit of a loaner on the gs, because who really want to hang out with guys on super nice bikes when I've gotta park my bike next to some of those things.

I chose the GS as it was $1500 and that is what the wife said could be done.  I was about to finance either a Ninja 250R, a 2004ish Monster, or an XB9S for my first bike.  I rode the ninja and it was weak.  I rode a Buell which was "different".  I never rode the "Monster".  I know those bikes are all different in their own rights.  Basically it was about financing and the I was not "able" to do that because of the house, cars, student loans, etc.

While putting around with what I wanted to do, one day we happened upon this little red bike (that I thought was a buell, lol) which was $1500.  The wife said, "if you want this, we can buy it tonight, cash".  I decided that it was either a year of saving or a bike for the moment and I purchased the little bike.

So, now that I have spent WAY too much on it, I have the green light from the wife for a new Ducati after the wedding and yada yada yada. 

Yes, I already call her the wife, lol.

Oddly there is a blue XB912 up the road from me that never moves.  I should see if it is for sale.

AS fr the Buells, I love different and non-traditional things in life.  To me, the Buell is just that.  If I could have financed back then, I would have bought a brand new red XB9S.