02 Ktm 125 Motorcycles for sale

2017 KTM 125 SX

$6,500

Centreville, Virginia

Bike is now listed locally so I reserve the right to end this auction early. Selling my 2013 KTM 690 Duke - 4.2k~ miles Rides brand new, oil and filter changed every 2K. I am the second owner. I have only put about 1500 miles on her. The reason I am selling is I thought this bike would give me a balance from my R1 but it is just a little underpowered for me. No drops, no spills, never touched the concrete. Bike is and has ALWAYS been garage kept. She is 100% ready to ride. Looking for $7000. Ping me with ANY QUESTIONS you have but please don't waste my time.***Shoot me a message, lets work the deal. I have personally shipped 2 bikes using UShip and Federal Motorcycle Transport*** Addons include: 1. Fresco Decat ($170)2. IXIL Exhaust (sent entire exhaust to Bonehead Performance and had it ceramic coated black) (Exhaust $200, Ceramic Coating $130)3. CRG Arrow Mirror (NOT INCLUDED!! Wife confiscated them for her bike. Happy wife happy life. You will have to buy your own mirrors but I am leaving the Rottweiler mounts so you can put whatever bar end mirrors you want on and keep the handguards)4. Handguards ($50)5. Kevs 02 and Fuel Mod ($140) - this is put in place because once the cat was removed to use Freso Decat link, you needed to insure bike gets gas/air ratio needed. Can be adjust for any setting or altitude if necessary. Basically it was the Power Commander before it was created for this bike. (read all the info here in Kev's documents. 4shared.com/office/TDmSJu6rce/KTM_Duke_Fuel_mod_2012_onwards.html & 4shared.com/office/trhzqNf9ce/O2_Controller_Mod_for_KTM_690_.html )6. KTM Powerparts Seat ($110)7. Practically new Michelin Pilot Road 4 tires8. KTM DNA Performance Air Box Filter ($100)9. Vinyl Decal on the wheels ($100)10. KTM Crash Bars ($285)11. KTM Performance Rearsets ($200 for the pair)12. FASSTCO KTM ANTI-VIBRATION BAR INSERTS ($50)13. Rottweiler Performance QUICK FLIP MIRROR MOUNTS ($40)14. Original Seat15. Original CAT Converter if your state requires it (you will want to get it ceramic coated black of course)16. Original Side Panel and air filter lube17. Original KTM Bag with documents and magazine, etc18. RG Radiator Guard to protect flying dubris and bugs from getting into the radiator. Pictured in the photos19. Evotech Tidy Tail ($150) Sound video (work garage) = vimeo.com/189989075Outside Warm Up Video = youtu.be/BeHT7ncND6k (excuse the kid. He is always out.. he likes motorcycles)Short Ride Video = youtu.be/1jjznXdqs0MMore Photos = https://goo.gl/photos/79MSzGCzofgBm5Li8

2003 Yamaha YZ 125

$2,600

Bristol, Rhode Island

I have a beautiful 2003 YZ125 for sale. This is a rare model/year becasue it is the steel frame version. Yamaha only made steel frame YZ's from 02-05. The steel frame is renowned as being the best frame for trail riding compared to the current aluminum frame design (is it ironic KTM is still using steel frames for their bike frames). I bought this bike as a project build over last winter. I completely rebuilt the bike from the ground up. Almost everything is new on the bike. I spent over $3,000 in new parts. Brand new cylinder from Millennium Technologies, new power valve, all new wheel, linkage, swingarm & suspension bearings throughout, braided steel brake line, full Pro Circuit exhaust, Maxxis tires, new seat, fork bleeders etc. The list is a mile long!I have a folder with EVERY recipt for every part added to this bike (I'm meticulous).Total hours on the rebuild is 1.5 (Pro Circuit hour meter on the bike). Which was used to break in the new cylinder and piston, as well as getting the jetting spot on. The bike is basically brand new, and extremely fast (brand new piston/brand new cylinder). The bike has always been stored inside, and treated like an absolute garage queen (always on a stand). You will not find a better YZ near this price point. The only reason I am selling, is because I have other street bikes and a supermoto. I just don't have the time to ride off road, like I did in my younger years. I thought I did when building this bike, but I just don't. Pictures speak for themselves. 32HP, 198LBPlease contact me with any questions!

2015 Harley-Davidson Touring 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special FLTRXS 3k Miles New Dealer Overstock

$18,700

Lathrop, California

2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special FLTRX New Harley Davidson Dealer Overstock!Vin#: 1HD1KTM14FB698854Engine#: KTMF698854 CLEAN AND CLEAR TITLE!Runs and Rides Great, Nice Clean Bike, Like New, Ready to Ride Now! NADA Book Value: $19,770 Buy it Now Price: $18,700 103 Cubic inch 1688 ccFuel Injected6 speed transmission3,815 MilesABS BrakesFactory Alarm System with 2 Keys and 2 FobsNavigationSmoke WindshieldCruise ControlUSB Port / Phone Hook UpProjection HeadlampsOwners ManualTested and Inspected, Ready to Ride Now!No Damage, No Issues!Beautiful Bike! Bike is Like New! Off New Dealers Floor, Overstock!CLEAN AND CLEAR TITLE!If you have any questions please give us a call (209)234-0300Also please view our OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE ON EBAY! PLEASE NOTE WHEN SUBMITTING A BID THESE ITEMS ARE BEING SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BID AT AUCTION CLOSE! THIS IS NOT AN OFFER, THIS IS A SALE! SO PLEASE HAVE ALL INSPECTIONS AND FUNDS IN ORDER BEFOREBIDDING!! ALL AUCTIONS ARE FINAL! 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These minor items most of time do not have any issues or problems. And once these items leave our location they are sold AS-IS. So please do all and any necessary inspections before leaving our location. We are not held liable for any damages or issues found after the items leave our location. Please be ready to do you own inspection or have a inspector do a inspection when you arrive to pick up. We do strive to do our best and keep everyone happy with their items, and have done so for many years! Feel Free to ask any necessary questions! Thank you! TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR OTHER AUCTIONS, WE SELL MOTORCYCLES, MOTORHOMES, CLASSIC CARS, BOATS, TOY HAULERS, ATV'S, JET SKI'S, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, ECT. ALL OUR ITEMS ARE SOLD AS NO RESERVE AUCTIONS, AND ALL SELL TO THE HIGHEST BID! WE SELL OVER 40 HARLEY DAVIDSON'S A MONTH ALL ON EBAY, EVERY MONTH!!! VIEW OUR OTHER AUCTIONS BY CLICKING AT THE TOP RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE, "VIEW OTHER ITEMS" THANK YOU! Winning buyer must contact us within 1 hour of auctions end, and make arrangements for payment and pick up of item at that time. A $500.00 deposit is due within 1 hour of end of auction via Pay Pal. We DO NOT accept Pay Pal for full payment, we only accept pay pal for the $500.00 deposit, no more then $500.00. The remainder of payment is due within 7 days of listing end. If no contact is made within 1 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, or sell it otherwise. If payment is not received on any item, buyer will receive negative feedback and an unpaid mark through Ebay OR pay a relisting fee of $500.00. Make sure if financing that your financial institution accepts the year and miles of this vehicle before bidding. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of item. We do not offer crating services, but we will work with any shipping company you choose! We do ask you to have item inspected BEFORE bidding, as all our items are sold AS-IS, if you have any questions please give us a call or send a message! ONCE ANY ITEM LEAVES OUR LOCATION, WETHER IT IS WITH THE BUYER OR A TRANSPORTER, THEY ARE SOLD AS-IS! YOU OWN THE ITEM ONCE IT HAS LEFT OUR FACILITY, WE ENCOURAGE INSPECTIONS BEFORE BIDDING! Fees and Tax Information: ALL SALES WILL HAVE A $139.00 ONLINE BUYER PREMIUM ADDED ON TOP OF EBAY SALE PRICE. All California RESIDENTS are subject to sales tax fees (Based on their county rate) and license fees (Standard 2%). Independent Motorcycle Inspection Service: Gear Heads Motorcycle Shop: (209)239-7079 ($125.00 Inspection) Shipping Companies we refer: California / West Coast Motorcycle Transporters: *Dukes Transport Service (Drew)- (916)417-2929 *Rapid Transporter (Steve)- (925)783-9612 National Motorcycle Transporters: *Haul Bikes- (888)428-5245 *Allied Federal Transport Co.- (800)747-4100 International Transporters: *CFR Rinkens Export Specialist www.cfrrinken.com (310)294-8494 *World / West Coast Shipping (Offer Container Shipping of all Types of Items all over the world) View website for quotes: http://www.wcshipping.com/international-car-shipping-rate-calculator or call direct, Steve (415)940-3043 *A to Z Imports (Shipping and Compliance)- (617)303-668-02 Website- www.atozimports.com.au Email- [email protected] *Schmacher Cargo Logistics- (562)408-6677 RV, 5th Wheel, Car, Truck & Heavy Haul Transporters: *Horizon Transport- (574)862-2378 IF YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT SOMETHING, PLEASE ASK! Vehicles listed are pre owned and may not come with keys, or other accessories. Please ask, we are happy to verify anything you ask. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale. While we at Nationwide Fleet make every reasonable attempt to verify data and information used in this ad, all information should be independently verified prior to purchase. Nationwide Fleet will not be liable for errors and/or omissions. Please do not bid on this auction unless you are serious about owning this vehicle. All non-paying high bidders will be reported to eBay, and negative feedback will be posted. We do charge a $500.00 restocking fee to back out of any auction for any reason unless our description of the item was wrong. All these items are used repo’s and do have normal wear and tear, and we may miss a scratch, ding, or dent once and a while in our description! 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Trim Road Glide Special FLTRXS

Buell : Thunderbolt Rare limited production 1997 Erik Buell S3T Thunderbolt Sport Touring Edition

$3,500

Oakdale, Pennsylvania

OWN A PIECE OF MOTORCYCLE HISTORY !This is a limited production "Tuber", one of the last hand assembled by a few of Erik Buell's expert team in East Troy Wisconsin, back in the early days, only 384 were made this first year of the S3T in 1997. American Muscle, made in USA. Very light but strong hand laid fiberglass fender, fairing, gas tank, and rear tail section. Once Harley took over Buell in 1998, the expensive to make fiberglass components all went to mass production cheap ABS plastic. Ducati style hand crafted chrome-moly perimeter frame, Performance Machine front and Brembo rear calipers, and inverted WP forks. Corbin seat ($500), D&D Racing carbon fiber exhaust cannister ($500), lightweight quick release lockable luggage ($1500 option), new sport touring tires; front IRC ProTech SP-11F, rear Metzeler RoadTech Z6 ($400), newer AGM battery ($100) , newer front brakes, new rear brakes. That's already $3000 in stuff without even mentioning the rest of the bike. USA bidders only. MODEL YEARS PRODUCED 97-98, 00-02 APPROX. NUMBER BUILT 1,779 1997 = 384 1998 = 630 1999 = NIL 2000 = 349 2001 = 164 2002 = 252 Displacement: 1203cc 91HP@5800RPM Torque: 87 ft.lbs @ 5,200 rpm Bought it in September 2012 with 14665 miles, as a third bike that I always wanted, and have only put on a thousand miles in three years. Originally I was going to completely refreshen the bike to showroom condition...someday...well guess its time for a new owner. Another "Bueller" enthusiast would be perfect. Starts and runs excellent, it is tuned and piped for 100HP like the later Thunderstorm motor but without the troublesome head and cylinder gasket issues of the 1998 and later models. Has always been run on Mobil One synthetic 15w50. Primary chain and belt drive tension adjusted, valves are maintenance free hydraulic pushrods, self adjusting. Carburetor has been re-jetted for performance. Rear end lowered two inches for better comfort, can easily be redone to original. Handles incredible, upright sitting position and pretty comfortable in the saddle overall. I added rubber gel grips to smooth out some hand vibration. Bike is very light, only around 450lbs, top speed around 130 in under a minute for those adrenaline junkies. The luggage black tubing frame is one piece and removes in minutes for a very sport bike look, tail fender was also clipped by previous owner for a very clean modern look. Its imperfect, if it was showroom the value would be $5,000. It was almost $14,000 new in 1997. This rare Thunderbolt ST3 needs some small cosmetic details finished; gas tank ovals were going to be airbrushed with the new Pegasus Buell symbols, some small paint bubbles on gas tank, left foot peg rubber end is broken off, some scratches on saddle bags. Fairing leg lowers missing, removed for better cooling. Upper plastic belt drive cover missing, removed for easy drive belt inspection. Custom made license plate bracket, nice, but not original. Bonus: BUY IT NOW winner will also receive two authentic Buell saddlebag liners which are worth $200 (not pictured), they are no longer available from Buell and nearly impossible to find. Keep in mind Ebay charges $125 to the seller (me), so if you can come see it in person, cash in pocket will get a better deal. I am near the Pittsburgh Airport, fly in, I will pick you up, ride home. Its reliable enough to ride cross country on any given day. Everything works as it should. It's listed for sale local so I reserve the right to end the auction at any time. An outdoor fabric cover is included if needed. I have many other photos if you request, apologies for the poor quality. Mileage will go up slightly as I still ride it every week. Also I am open to trading my Buell Thunderbolt plus cash to anyone who has an adventure type bike I can occasionally ride off road; like a Buell Ulysses, Triumph Tiger, BMW, KTM, Husqvarna, etc. Unlike most motorcycles, consider this one an investment rather than an expense. The value goes up slightly every year instead of down, and in 2017, at twenty years, will appreciate even faster as a classic. (nice unedited article below for those curious about Buells. Here in Pittsburgh, where Erik Buell grew up, worked as a motorcycle mechanic, and attended the University of Pittsburgh; Buells are LEGEND.) THE 1999 BUELL S3 THUNDERBOLTBy Chuck Hawks Thunderbolt! That is the only way to understand this motorcycle. I had looked at Buell motorcycles, especially the top of the line S3 Thunderbolt, almost every time I visited my local Harley-Davidson dealer, but I never understood these motorcycles until I finally took a test ride. That is what the Buell motorcycles are all about: the ride. There are fancier, plainer, costlier, cheaper, prettier, homelier, faster, slower, lighter, heavier, bigger, and smaller motorcycles available, but in all my years of riding I have never ridden anything like a Buell. That also seems to be the opinion of the Buell owners I have talked to, including those who have owned a variety of expensive (read Italian) sport bikes. Speaking of which, Harley's investment in Buell appears to be paying off. Last year (1998), Buell outsold all of the other "specialty sport bikes" (a term which, I believe, excludes the regular production of the Japanese Big Four) in the U.S. except Ducati, who managed to stay in first place by the slimmest of margins. This year, Buell expects to outsell Ducati and take over the number one spot. As I write this, in 1999, the Buell line of Vee-twin sport bikes consists of three models. There is the surprisingly economical M2 Cyclone, the X1 Lightning street fighter, and the sport or sport-touring oriented S3 Thunderbolt. All exhibit similar, but not identical, styling and performance, and all three are powered by a modified Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 motor. All three are sporty motorcycles designed to get you off the line and down the road quickly, with the maximum amount of fun. Real world performance is the forte' of these bikes, and not much can catch them on the road. Like all Buells, but unlike most other sport and sport-touring bikes, the engine of the S3 is left open to view. There is no bodywork to hide that big powerplant. The visible V-twin motor is probably the easiest way to identify a Buell American Motorcycle. In a world of look-alike sport bikes, nothing else looks like a Buell. Because I am a fan of the sport-touring concept, the Thunderbolt S3T is the Buell for me. All Thunderbolts feature a frame mounted sport fairing designed to protect the rider and gas tank (without obscuring the motor), You get to pick from a variety of color combinations for the Thunderbolt. My favorite color scheme for 1999 is the "Molten Orange" (fairing,tank, and tail section) with "Nuclear Blue" (frame and wheels) color scheme. Hey, there's safety in conspicuity! I recommend the S3T touring package. This includes touring handlebars, fairing lowers, two fitted soft storage bags for the fairing, an underseat tote bag (perfect for a toolkit, and not much else), and the newly improved, color coordinated, detachable, hard saddlebags, which come with fitted removable liners. The saddle bags come with your choice of deep (read bulky) or narrow (read trim) covers. Although the deep covers will swallow a full face helmet, I prefer the sleeker and more attractive narrow covers, a triumph of form over function. The other covers can be ordered separately later, if it becomes necessary. I don't have much use for the color matched fairing lowers, included in the S3T touring package, because they trap even more of the already excessive heat generated by the big 74 cubic inch engine throbbing within inches of the rider's legs, and detract from the bike's appearance. Also, they are fairly flimsy (the body parts of these bikes are designed to be light in weight) and stick out to the sides, and are therefore liable to damage if the bike falls over in a parking lot mishap (or something similar). Fortunately, they are designed to be easily removed. Two options available only from the aftermarket (as I write this) are a taller "touring" windshield, and thicker, softer, gel handgrips (is anybody at Buell taking notes?). Buell does offer an excellent tank bag, which I recommend. The result is a sport-touring bike from the sporty end of the spectrum. Other neat features of the Thunderbolt include a chrome-moly tubular perimeter frame, digital electronic fuel injection (which eliminates the hassle of a fuel tank petcock, as well as a choke), hydraulic self-adjusting valve lifters, electronic ignition, belt drive, stainless steel header pipes, fully adjustable suspension with inverted front forks and a rear mono shock which operates in extension, aluminum arc swingarm, hollow 3-spoke cast wheels, "Z" rated radial tubeless tires, superb brakes, completely sealed maintenance-free battery, halogen headlight with an adjustment knob in the fairing, excellent fairing mounted mirrors (you actually see the traffic behind you, instead of your arms), European passing lamp flasher (a little trigger on the left handlebar controls that flashes the high beam), and folding footpegs. About all that is missing is self-canceling turn signals (Dear Buell representative: please note). All 1999 Buells come with a much improved dual seat, and I am happy to report that the new, wide, Thunderbolt seat is adequately comfortable for solo commuting and Sunday rides. I have not taken any long trips, so I cannot comment on its suitability for serious touring. A drawback to the wider seat is that it is a longer reach to the ground than it used to be from the old, uncomfortable but narrower, version. The factory specification says the seat height is 29.5 inches, but they must have measured it with the suspension at both ends set to the lowest possible setting, and the tires flat. It feels higher than that. The Thunderbolt would not be my first choice, given my 30 inch inseam, for a lot of complicated parking lot maneuvers. Nor is it a particularly good bike for riding with a passenger. The bike is somewhat top heavy to start with, and this top heavy feeling is aggrivated by a seat that puts the passenger too high and too far back. If you ride two up a lot, a Buell may not be the bike for you. After mentioning the new seat, I should mention that I find the rider's seating position quite comfortable. An average size rider is postioned in a relaxed position with a slight froward lean. It is better, in my opinion, than the seating position on a BMW R 1100RS sport-tourer, or a Triumph Thunderbird Sport (bikes with which it might reasonably be compared). The location of the rider's footpegs, in particular, is very good. So is the height and reach of the touring handlebar. The layout of the handlebar controls and switches is conventional, and easy to learn. Mounted in the dash are a large tach and speedo, plus a surprisingly useful quartz clock. Also on the dash are a variety of idiot lights, including a handy low fuel warning light which illuminates when .4 gallon of petrol remains. The large 5.4 gallon fuel tank means 225-265 miles (on average) before the low fuel warning light comes on. This is outstanding range, greater than that offered by most luxury touring bikes. On a recent 205 mile Saturday ride from Eugene to Sisters and back, involving both the old and new Mckenzie Highways over Oregon's Cascade Mountains, I actually averaged 59.94 miles per gallon. That would mean approximately 300 miles from a full tank of gas before the low fuel light comes on! More complete technical specifications for all of the Buells, and many other top sport bikes, can be found in the "Sport Motorcycle Comparison Chart," on my Travel page. The only area that needs improvement, to make the Thunderbolt a decent touring bike, is rider protection. The factory supplied windshield is pure sport bike. Combined with the smallish fairing, it offers good protection for the torso, none for the hands, and directs the slipstream coming over the windshield about at the chinbar of the rider's helmet. This is tolerable on a Sunday sport ride, but fatiguing on a long freeway ride. I fitted a Rifle brand replacement windshield 17 inches tall (the only aftermarket replacement I could find) and while this represents a marginal improvement, it is far from ideal. The factory windshield is very short, about 13 inches, and angled at what appears to be less than 45 degrees above the horizontal. The Rifle replacement is angled almost bolt upright, and still too low. The wind collapses behind and around this windshield, and hits the rider in the face and shoulders. It is marginally better than the factory windshield, in that you are being hit in the face by broken air (I believe the aerodynamic term is "burble"), rather than the almost laminar airflow off the factory windshield. Faint praise, to be sure, since at speed the rider's head is still continually buffeted by the wind. If I lay over the tank, the Rifle windshield provides excellent protection--but who wants to ride a long distance laying over the tank? What is needed is a windshield taller than the Rifle version by about 5 inches, and angled back at about 60 degrees. This would put it somewhere between the excessively upright stance of the Rifle windshield, and the very swept-back angle of the factory windshield, and hopefully it would send the slipstream over the rider's head. Certainly a competent designer, with a little practice, could produce a satisfactory touring windshield for the Thunderbolt fairing. It has been done for plenty of other motorcycles. It is no secret that Buell motorcycles have had something of a "kit bike" reputation. After all, Eric Buell originally started building them in his garage. (Bill Harley and the Davidson brothers started the same way, back in 1903.) Everyone agreed that they were a blast to ride, but niggling problems like cracks in ultra light body parts, excessive heat radiating from the engine and exhaust pipes, broken engine mounts, uncomfortable seats, saddle bag latches that didn't work, and similar problems have drawn criticism, and rightly so. The 1999 models are the first since Harley-Davidson acquired 98% of Buell American Motorcycles. Eric Buell remains in charge, and still owns 2% of the stock. Harley had previously owned half of the company, with Buell owning the other half. The changes allowed by Harley's deep pockets are apparent. Everything has been improved, including the frame, engine mounts, fuel injection, front forks, swingarm, rear monoshock, seat, handlebar controls, the S-3 fairing, the S3 saddlebags, and more. Unfortunately, work remains to be done to eliminate the small, niggling problems to which the bikes are still prone. Judging by my experience with the S3, build quality still does not appear to be as good as a Harley-Davidson. In fact, it is probably below that of an average Japanese motorcycle, not really bad, but not perfect. There is no assembly line at the Buell factory. Each motorcycle is built individually, by a small team of workers, who work only on that particular bike until it is finished. This system yields great job satisfaction, high employee morale, a lot of promise for the future, and motorcycles that are maybe a little less uniform than they might otherwise be. Before founding Buell American Motorcycles, Eric Buell worked as an engineer for Harley-Davidson. Based on what I have read about Eric Buell, the most basic ingredients of his design philosophy seem to be centralization of mass, low unsprung weight, and frame rigidity. Let's take a quick look at these concepts, because they are central to why a Buell is so much fun to ride. I am no engineer, but as a sailor I am familiar with the benefits of mass centralization. A boat designed with the weight concentrated in the center, instead of out at the ends, will respond more quickly. It will tend to ride over, rather than plow through, the waves. Two people with access to a small skiff, dinghy, or rowboat can experiment with this concept. First, have one person sit in the very bow, and the other at the stern. Note how the boat feels sluggish and responds slowly to the waves. Now move both people (the mass) to the middle of the boat. Suddenly it feels more lively, and responds faster, now that the mass is centralized. The same basic principle also holds true for motorcycles. This is why Buell concentrates the weight of the heavy components of the motorcycle, the engine/transmission, muffler, gas tank, rear monoshock, and battery near the center of the motorcycle. Everything is basically placed above or below the engine/transmission unit, the heaviest single component of the motorcycle. The result is that Buell motorcycles feel exceptionally lively, and a lively motorcycle is more fun to ride. Unsprung weight is the weight of the components not supported by the suspension, principally the wheels, tires, lower fork legs, and brakes. Lower unsprung weight allows the tires to maintain better contact with the uneven surface of the road, thus making for a safer, better controlled, and more enjoyable ride. Buell uses hollow 3-spoke alloy wheels of the lightest and most rigid type for all of their models. For the Thunderbolt, Buell uses expensive Showa inverted front forks. Inverted forks put the smaller diameter fork section on the bottom, which lowers unsprung weight. They are also extremely strong, and more rigid than conventional telescopic forks. Going further to eliminate as much unsprung weight as possible, the Thunderbolt has a single stainless steel floating front brake disc, rather than the dual discs found on almost all other specialty sport bikes. Brake discs and their associated calipers are very heavy. To ensure adequate swept area, that single disc is the largest found on any production bike, 340mm in diameter. To make it lightweight while retaining the necessary thickness in cross section, it is extremely narrow in profile, and to ensure an excess of stopping power, the Thunderbolt comes with a 6-piston front brake caliper. "Stoppies" are easy on a Buell. Other premium motorcycle manufacturers can and do take some of these same steps to lower unsprung weight, but none combine all of these strategies as Buell does. Almost everyone agrees that a rigid frame is crucial to precise handling and control. Buell selected the expensive but effective method of using chrome-moly alloy steel tubing to build a perimeter frame with triangulated sections. Buell calls it a "geodesic perimeter frame." In the best modern fashion, the engine serves as a stressed member of the frame. The result is an exceptionally light and stiff frame, which improves handling and control. A bike that handles precisely and delivers exceptional control is more fun to ride. The centralized mass, low unsprung weight , stiff frame, and premium suspension, when combined with a rather short 55 inch wheelbase and only 24.5 degrees of front-end rake, should result in a light and quick handling motorcycle, and indeed it does. You might think the same combination would also make for a twitchy feeling motorcycle, but it doesn't. I expected, and found, a fast handling bike, but what I found most surprising was the Thunderbolt's excellent static stability. Static stability means that left to its own devices, it will run straight. This is a bike that will run straight as a die with the rider's hands off the handlebar. I guess the 3.8 inches of trail has something to do with that. Whatever the reason, the bike responds quickly, handles superbly, and runs true. Of course, more than trick engineering is necessary to build a complete motorcycle. The motor is the key to performance, and all Buells use a highly modified Harley-Davidson Sportster V-twin engine. The hot-rodded 1203cc "Thunderstorm" power plant used in the Thunderbolt produces an ample 101 horsepower at the crankshaft, and a gut wrenching 90 ft. lbs. of torque. This translates to about 71-78 ft. lbs. of torque and 85-90 hp. at the rear wheel, depending on whose dyno you read. Remember that horsepower is a measurement of work performed over time, and torque is the turning force at the crankshaft (or rear wheel). This is why torque is more important in everyday riding. Torque is what is responsible for that slingshot feeling when you roll the throttle on, not to mention those "power" wheelies. The vibration produced by the compact 45 degree V-twin motor is isolated from the frame, and the rider, by Buell's proprietary "Uniplanar" mounting system. This system works. It is amazing to ride a bike, powered by what is basically a Sportster 1200 engine, that is so smooth. At idle it feels about like a Sportster, but as the RPM increases, vibration diminishes. By the time the tach has moved past 3000 RPM, vibration is almost completely absent. The Sportster, as I wrote in my article "The Harley-Davidson Sportster," is quite pleasant to ride below about 60 MPH (in 5th gear). But vibration intrudes as speeds increase, and becomes uncomfortable (to me) by about 70 MPH. But on its cousin, the Buell Thunderbolt, the faster you go the smoother it gets. At 70 MPH and above, it is uncannily smooth. It is hard to believe it is powered by a Sportster 1200 motor, let alone one producing about a third more power. It seems to me that the Thunderbolt is a pretty good sport-touring bike, by which I mean a great sport bike for Sunday rides, with its power and razor sharp handling, that still has the capability of making overnight and longer trips. It has the range, speed, smoothness, stability, comfortable seating position, and available luggage to serve as a solo touring bike, plus the benefit of a very extensive dealer network should something go wrong while on the road (a good point to consider before purchasing some exotic brand sport-touring bike). Rider protection is the primary deficiency at present, but all it needs is a properly designed touring windshield to bring it up to snuff in that area. I hope that someone, either at Buell or in the aftermarket, will eventually respond to fill this need. If you want a sporty looking motorcycle for cheap transportation, there are more economical alternatives. But if you're leaning toward a sport or sport-touring bike, and ride for the pleasure of the experience, you owe it to yourself to at least test ride a Buell Thunderbolt.

Trim S3T Sport Touring Edition