Sport Touring Bike

Subject: Sport Touring Bike 1/8/2011, 6:01 pm

After owning two Buell S1 Lightnings I find myself looking at Buell S3 sport touring bikes now. May just be my next street bike :-) I've always liked the S3's and you can get some great deals on them. Hmmm......

Sport Touring Bike Buell.left

Hodakaguy

Subject: Re: Sport Touring Bike 1/8/2011, 6:09 pm

Whoa! That's pretty, in a masculine way, of course....

Posts : 42 Join date : 2010-11-21 Bike : 2003 DR650

Awwwww yeahhhhh.....now your talking. Since you owned a couple of S1's and your darn handy with fixing bikes, Buells are right up your alley. The S3s are a stonking great deal for the money. I usually cruise 75-80 on road trips, get 50 mpg, and they can wail at 100 plus no problem too. Here is a posting on the S2/S3. If you do find one post it up, love to see it.

Undervalued sport touring bikes! I am biased because I have owned Buells for about 10 years, but I would nominate the S2 and S3 Buells as bargain sport touring bikes that even now fill a niche which is hard to find a bike for.

The early versions, S2 and S2T (Touring) were made up to about 1998/99, when they transitioned to the S3 versions. The S2 was a truly "hand built" bike made in low numbers, and featuring hand welded frames, fiberglass body work, and White Power suspension. The S2's had fairly stock HD motors. The styling of S2's is pure Buell, slightly bulbous yet sleek, and really the American version of the European sport touring concept. Later, Buell migrated to the S3 versions, which had higher production numbers and were a bit more refined, some of the bugs were worked out and chassis improved. The S3 features the hopped up Sportster motor, with about 100 HP at the crank (65-70 HP rear wheel). The S3's also have fuel injection, and not a carb. Pretty much you just replace the oil and filter, and your good to go.

Here is a fine example of a S2:
Sport Touring Bike P5150094

Here is me on my 2002 S3T, last year of the S3's. I got it for $3,500 out of California, me and KosmicKLR drove non-stop from Texas to CA to pick it up. It has matching saddle bags not on the bike. The S3's are a ton of bike for the money, and I have seen them low as $2,500, with most in the $3,500 range. Clean examples with few miles can be had, at times Buells can be cranky and would sit, their owners discouraged about working on them and HD dealer support being crappy. KosmicKLR picked up an S3, with just a few thousand miles on it, did a bit of maintenance and presto it was like buying a new motorycle at the fraction of the price ($10-11,000 new).

But overall the bike can run at 100 plus MPH, cruises all day at 80 MPH, gets 50 MPG, and has low maintenance requirements (hydro valves, no adjusting).
The riding position is spot on, handling is great (but a tad slow steering). Buells can be cranky and need dedicated owners. For example, the oil pump drive gear on mine stripped, a rare but known problem. I had to replace the cams and oil pump, but did it all for $500 in parts and my own labor. Also, the TPS for fuel injection has a habit of crapping out, but these are easy to replace. Having the trouble code software is helpful for resetting the TPS, clearing trouble codes, setting the idle, ect. Suspension is pretty good, but KosmicKLR did Race Tech front suspension and put a Pensky shock on the rear, an expensive upgrade but really transformed the rear suspension. I highly recommend a Buell S3 as a budget sport touring bike, packing good performance and handling in a unique package. But, you have to be a dedicated owner, be willing to do some trouble shooting, and be ready to address a few quirks they have.

Sport Touring Bike S3TDragonMarch2008-2

Sport Touring Bike 149699_1449804087656_1309836142_31008287_5840573_n

Subject: Re: Sport Touring Bike 1/8/2011, 10:13 pm

Nice ride! I've ridden a S2 but not the S3. I agree that they are under valued and some real bargains can be found if you look a while. I think the S3 would make a great bike for distance travel as well as a fun toy around town. thumb

Here's a few pics and list of mods on my last S1.

96 S1
Metmachex Polished Aluminum Swing Arm, Chain Drive Conversion, Penske Racing Shock, Trimmed Down Carbon Fiber Inner Rear Fender, Carbon Fiber Rear Tail Section (Custom Painted and Clear Coated), Passenger Peg Frame Loops Removed, Custom Billet Foot Controls with Honda Kick Stand, Stortz License Plate Re-Locator, Billet Catch Cans For Engine and Trans, Polished Aluminum Oil Tank, Stainless Braided Oil Lines, Stainless Braided Control Lines, Polished Banke Frame Brace, Billet Choke Knob, Polished Steering Damper, 16 Piston Brake Sys - PM 4 Piston Rear Caliper, Duel PM 6 Piston Front Calipers with PM Race Rotors, Ducati Front Fender, HPC Ceramic Coated Buell Pro-Race Header and Exhaust, Mikuni HSR 42mm Carb, Bartels Carbon Fiber Air Cleaner (Custom Painted and Clear Coated), Buell Pro-Race Seat, CRG Billet Bar End Mirrors, Custom Bar End Mirror Adaptors, Carbon Fiber Gauge Insert, Billet Clip-On Bars, Polished Spurgin Oil Cooler, Polished Aluminum Rear Brake Reservoir, Chrome Gauge Covers (Rear), Cut Down Cam Cover, Custom Red Paint and New Style Puffy Letters, Billet Front Pulley Cover, Carbon Fiber Leg Heat Shield, Integrated LED Tail Light/Turn Signals, Billet Polished Front Engine Mount, Buell Race Ignition Module, Billet Exhaust Hanger, Billet Front Shock Mount, Polished PM Wheels. Lots of Stainless and Chrome Hardware, Tons of Polishing Work: Engine Cases. Triple Clamps, Fork Legs, Brake Calipers, Rocker Boxes, Starter, ect ect.

Sport Touring Bike IMG_3696-1

Hodakaguy

Posts : 42 Join date : 2010-11-21 Bike : 2003 DR650

WOW! HodakaGuy, that is by far the trickest, cleanest and most awesome S1 I have seen. You really did the bike justice. Sadly you see too many Buells that have been butchered to death by ham-fisted riders. Yours really takes the cake. You would make our HellBuellies club in Austin very proud! Thanks for sharing the pics, I will point some of our Buell guys to the posting to check it out!

Subject: Re: Sport Touring Bike 1/9/2011, 5:44 pm

DoctorDR wrote:: WOW! HodakaGuy, that is by far the trickest, cleanest and most awesome S1 I have seen. You really did the bike justice. Sadly you see too many Buells that have been butchered to death by ham-fisted riders. Yours really takes the cake. You would make our HellBuellies club in Austin very proud! Thanks for sharing the pics, I will point some of our Buell guys to the posting to check it out!

I didn't do all the work on it, the majority was done by the previous owner. I fine tuned what he started, it was a great S1 for sure. It's still my favorite S1 that I've seen. I think a S3 done up right would be a great follow up to it. thumb

Hodakaguy

Subject: Re: Sport Touring Bike 1/9/2011, 7:26 pm

Sport Touring Bike Smallish_2571167106_fa43e152c5_o

Buell S9 Wagon Queen Family Truckster!

Subject: Re: Sport Touring Bike 1/10/2011, 4:36 am

YamWOW! wrote:: Buell S9 Wagon Queen Family Truckster!

Yep...you either like Buell's or you don't. I'm taking a wild guess which group your in big

Hodakaguy

Posts : 52 Join date : 2010-05-12 Age : 59 Bike : '82XL500R

That station weapon rocks! Troy341

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