Buell Demo Day

Another Quick Riding Impression - Buell Lightning X9BS

This doesn't feel half bad!

Though Gail couldn't ride the Blast, or accompany me on any of the demo bikes as a passenger, there remained one last possibility. Ottawa HD had a demo bike of their own and was not governed by the same rules, or insurance, as the factory demo group. They graciously offered me their bright yellow Lightning, and their permission to take it for a spin anywhere I wanted. Now that was an offer I couldn't refuse.

I had never ridden a true sport bike prior to testing the Lightning. To say that I had preconceptions of what to expect would be an understatement. Topmost on my list of negatives would have been that sport bikes are uncomfortable not only for the rider, but especially for the passenger. As I walked around the bike sizing it up for the first time, I couldn't help but notice that the passenger's accommodations indeed were minimal. I had a hard time convincing myself that the seat really was meant to carry two despite finding the extra pegs directly below. I got on and had my daughter hop on the back to see if I would have enough room to control the bike. Earlier we had done the same thing on the Blast and discovered that for a small bike, it had plenty of space for a passenger of normal size. Things were a lot cozier on the Lightning, and I suppose that shouldn't have been a surprise. The Lightning had 3.3 inches less in wheelbase (52" vs. 55.3" for the Blast). I don't think I'd enjoy having anyone larger than my daughter sharing that saddle with me, and definitely no guys!

Another first for me was riding a bike with fuel injection. When I turn the ignition key on my T-Sport, I'd wait for the tach needle to settle down before hitting the starter. On the Lightning I followed the same routine, only now I would wait for the fuel pump light to go out indicating the system was pressurized. Just like on the Blast, a quick stab of the starter button brought the engine instantaneously to life and a perfect idle - virtually idiot proof.

I leaned forward and took hold of the handlebars and found them to be positioned just right for me. This is one area that I am always concerned with as my neck can't take sharp angles for very long. In the hour and a half that I eventually would have on this hooligan bike, upper body comfort would never become a problem. In contrast, my lower half screamed its objections within seconds.

Raising my leg and angling it back to find the peg was totally alien to me. I had to concentrate on what I was doing just to ensure my foot found its target. Once on the peg, things only got worse.

With the Lightning warmed up and in gear, I slowly and carefully headed out into traffic, my legs awkwardly and unnaturally positioned from what I was normally accustomed to. Blinding pain shot through both my upper thighs as if they were impaled with hot steel blades. I occasionally have these pains on my T-Sport when using the mid-controls, but never so intense; nor did I ever experience this in both legs at the same time. I came to a stop at the first light less than a kilometer later, sweat beading on my forehead from more than just the stifling confinement of the full coverage helmet. I can't do this, I thought.

The light changed and I plowed ahead, the pain more than just a distraction. Sweet mother of god, what have I got myself into? Another red light, and another chance to straighten my limbs. The pain started to recede. Red became green and my legs lifted up as I rolled on the throttle. In total amazement I realized the pain was gone. Inside of five minutes, I went from a fate normally reserved for unfortunate souls in some dank, dark dungeon, to the beginnings of euphoria.

I'm a hooligan (?)

No longer burdened by electric messages of agony, my brain could now concentrate on processing how much fun I was having instead. I started to play with the throttle, accelerating quickly, braking hard, and flicking the bike from lane to lane. I could only tell my daughter was behind me when I felt her pull on to my jacket as the front wheel started to lift, or push on my back as common sense kicked in and I dropped speeds back to the legal limit. Hot damn, this was fun!!

We pulled back into the Ottawa HD lot after only 15 minutes of riding. Although I could have continued my evaluation of the bike on my own, I wanted to travel the route I had gone on earlier with the Blast. For that I needed to follow the demo group leader, Keith, as he knew which roads to take. As it turned out, my decision to ride with the group was even better than I thought.