Brief riding impressions: Buell XB-12R, XB-12S. Aprilia Tuono, RSV-R. Honda VFR-VTEC. From the demo rides at sears point... I got there on friday, Buell was doing demorides all day, aprilia didn't start until the afternoon. So I took the chance to ride both the 12R and 12S buell... Commonalities: Great chassis, nice and stable feeling. Light feel. The chassis is brilliant: very compact, good handling and stable. The rim-brake I like: It keeps the wheel light, but gives it a linear-with-speed steering damper effect (as the gyroscopic action is large). But there is a massive fly in the ointment, the HORRID engine and transmission. That "torque" crap is a myth. What you really care about is the thrust curves (how much thrust you get in each gear at various speeds), which depends on the torque/HP curve and gearing. Where it comes in on the Buell is that the Buell's engine only works in a narrow RPM range: from ~2-2.5k to ~6k RPM. Thus even a lazy rider (especially a lazy rider) has to shift a pretty good amount to keep the engine happy. And the transmission, how did they make it? Stone gears lubricated with gen-u-wine tar from Rancho LaBrea? The engine and transmission are relics. They may suit a k bargan-harley (when "real" harleys cost k+), but anything with sporting pretetions is just a no-go. Hell, the engine gets bored out to >1.3L, and is exempt from most other race regulations, just to compete with moderately modified 600 supersports. Buell sales numbers have been flat from FY2000 to FY2003, and down 10% between 2002 and 2003 (although revenue was up as the Blast has been nearly killed, down to 1200/yr). Dealers are reportedly knocking 2K off list! And why? Because the engine SUCKS. The XBs with, say, the RC51, Mille, TL1000, or any similar modern V-twin would be pavement-shreeding, high speed, high handling monsters, ratehr than just "funky-odd-thangs" In terms of differences between the two, I liked the 12S much better. I would have expected otherwise, but the 12Rs flyscreen is just too small, and sitting up makes the front feel just a little bit disconnected. Being bent over the front actually works. Aprilia Tuono: If the Buell's are raw beef left out in the sun too long, the Tuono is a piece of fugu: Beautiful, tasty, and deadly. The engine is everything the Buell's isn't: free revving and powerful, happy from 3k RPM to >11k, with a distinct kick at around 8k. The transmission is smooth, but you never need to leave second gear (it's geared so high that 2nd puts you in the "guys with guns and blinkylights REALLY want to talk to you" range). Stable, rock stable, and it feels like you are flying: the windscreen keeps just enough wind-blast off. Rock solid stable on the handling, very neutral, very fast. The steering damper seems set at a nice level. Oh, and Aprilia demo rides go faster through the twisties, probably down to the ride leader having been sick of being stuck in traffic. Still nowhere near what the bike is capable of, mind you. Just faster. The bike is TOTAL overkill, and geared too high, but damn its nice. Serious Italian Lust. If I ever wanted a pure sportbike, THIS would be it. Aprilia RSV-R (I'll still call it a Mille): Hunched over pain! Erogonomic nightmare. And the mirrors: The law says you need mirrors. The law says they need to be SLIGHTLY bigger than a postage stamp. The law says nothing about the mirrors being able to see anything more than the rider's shoulders... Fortunatly, it was just 3 miles on it, but owch. A beautiful bike for 20 laps of sears point, or for poseuing in the parking lot. Not good on the real world, unless you are going so fast you don't ever need to look back. VFR-VTEC: A friend's bike. NICE. He's got a seargent seat on it, and raised the bars 1/4 of an inch. Very nice, neutral, refined. More refined than mine (those who say the older version is better is suckin-down on either nostalgia or wakki-tobakki), smooth and powerful. Likes running at 2k+ rpm higher (lower vibration allows higher revvs in comfort), which means more power on tap in practice, even if the engines are nearly identical on the dyno. The VTec is superfluous, apart from the noise, which is cool. Although the gear whine was cool too.
