These are the 2 bikes I am currently considering at the moment. Both have positives and negatives for me, and before anyone says anything, I understand that I'm asking on a Ducati board. I'll ask the same question on a Buell Forum (if i can find a decent one). Please keep in mind that I care much more about roll-on acceleration than about top-speed.

Buell XB12R
I like that it has a very little maintenance and no chain to clean. (i.e. comparably cheap and care-free)
I like that it gets great gas mileage.
I like the styling.

I don't like the cheap looking gauges and controls.
I don't like the rumor that it runs out of revs too quickly to be fun and that it doesn't have a 6th gear.

S2R 1000
I like how every time I sit on one, it feels right to me. Maybe cause Im used to the seating position.
I like the feeling of quality from the cockpit.
I like the depth of aftermarket options available.
I like how the motor has gotten rave reviews in every test I've read.

I don't like the probability of high maintenance costs
I hate the look of the udder on the stock exhaust, meaning I'd have to buy a midpipe.
I don't like the possibilty that I will have surge issues unless I buy a new exhaust and ecu.

So what do you think? I will mostly use the bike intown, but I'll also be using it to cut through traffic on the parking lots they call freeway. I think that one of my major stumbling blocks is that the monster looks like it can get real expensive real quick, while the buell appears a lot more practical, but with an inferior motor. I can't think anymore, help me out. Sorry for the long post.

How about a 1125 R ?

I've looked and sat on the 1125, and it's just too ugly and expensive for me. I probably wouldn't think twice if I didn't care about what my bike looked like. The motor is supposed to be great and there's so much fairing to tuck behind. Still, it's pretty ugly, and i don't want to take the time to stare at it till it starts to grow on me.

Plus, the fact that they went with a rotax engine makes me wonder about the xb12r. Is it Buell's way of saying they messed up with the harley engine? In a way it's kinda like advertising for Aprilia because they can say that they've been using that manufacturer for years.

Are you dead set on getting a new bike?  If not, why not consider the S2R800?  I have one that I use as my commuter and I think it is pretty much the ideal bike for that use.  It has the same ergos as the 1K and while it does not have quite as nice suspension or brakes, it does have a few things going for it that in my mind make it a better commuter bike.  For one, as much as I love the sound of the dry clutch, I think it would get a bit tiring in stop and go traffic.  The 800's wet clutch is feathery and very easy to use when stuck in traffic.  Also, pretty much none of the 800s have the issues (popping/stalling) that the 1Ks have because the majority of them never went to the closed emissions system.  Take mine for example, it is an '07 (bought in July of) and even though the bike itself says that is is E3 compliant, it came without O2 sensors and all of the woes that seem to plague the bigger bikes.  Plus, mine gets flippin great milage. 

It's funny that you mention the 800 because that's the one I first had my heart set on when I started to like the monster. I would gladly get one over the 1000 since it would suit me just fine and be cheaper, but i don't want to used bike. My last one gave way too much trouble. If there are any dealer leftover 07's around when I'm ready to buy, I'll jump on it, but I'm not holding my breath.

Has maintenance been alot for your 800? They should be about the same for the 1000 since they're both 2 valve right?

Pretty much, yea.  And one nice thing about these is that they are so simple.  Do the fluid changes yourself and save a fair amount of dosh.  The only thing you might need to take the bike in for is valve servicing, if that.

The Firebolt will have a few more HP and Torque than the S2R1000. The firebolt is closer to S4R numbers.

Firebolt 103 peak hp, 84 ft. lbs.
S2R1000 95 hp (69.4 lb-ft
S2R800 76 HP 53.5 ft.lbs

Which bike are you coming off of right now out of curiosity?

I'm coming from a ninja 250 right now, and I know that either will be a huge improvement. From what I've read though, the Buell's numbers preform differently when not on paper. There's supposed to be loads of torque down low, and will beat a 600 to about 100mph, but then it'll get blown away. At the same time though, I don't know how an S4R will preform against a 600...

I obviously don't care about racing my friends to 100mph, but I have heard that the buell has so much torque that it can be "abrupt".  I wouldn't mind the buell, but what's really bugging me is the really short rev range. Whenever i watch a clip of one accelerating on youtube, I always hear them shift annoyingly early. Could that be considered a problem for the monster too. If I'm getting a bike with a sweet sounding motor, I want to be able to enjoy the music  [moto]

You can run the two valve monsters up to 9K easy.

When I was looking for a second bike coming off of a 03 620 I was thinking of getting a buell.

One of the reasons was they have a short rider friendly 12scg which is a very comfy bike to sit on.

I also really liked the sound and feel of the buells. I was ready to pull the trigger and I found a barely used 05 S4R I fell in love with.
So my second bike turned into replacing my smaller monster.

Things that I have learned specially for splitting traffic like you speak of is the smaller the monster the better. The larger Monsters can a pain in heavy traffic for clutch pull and gearing even if you go with a 14t.

My recommendation would be a S2R800 or the new 696 if you like the redesign look. 2.5 to 3 times the bike you have right now in regards to HP and Torque and will be easier to use in traffic than its bigger brother.

I went through the same decision last year, I was looking at an XB12Ss or my s2r1k.  The Harley dealer really didn’t want to work (msrp on ’07 models) with me and the salesman really didn’t know the products the few times I went in there. 

When I went to the Ducati dealership the sales people were great, gave me a great price, $1100 off of msrp (on an ’07 in march of ’07).  at the time the two bike had the same MSRP of 10,495  I was otd with a new jacket and helmet for ~10.  I also got to peel back the cardboard on the shipping crate to inspect my bike before signing on the line… damn that was a good feeling. 

so obviously i went with the duc

different ducati, same engine, don't know about gearing though.

QuotePERFORMANCE NUMBERS


Quarter-Mile
Buell XB12R: 11.43 sec. @ 117.5 mph
Ducati SS1000 DS: 11.40 sec. @ 120.5 mph
Roll-ons, 60-80 mph
Buell XB12R: 3.98 sec.
Ducati SS1000 DS: 4.01 sec.
Roll-ons, 80-100 mph
Buell XB12R: 4.45 sec.
Ducati SS1000 DS: 4.71 sec

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_0312_buell_xb12r_ducati_ss1000/index.html

Quote from: LastSon on May 12, 2008, 10:25:58 PM
These are the 2 bikes I am currently considering at the moment. Both have positives and negatives for me, and before anyone says anything, I understand that I'm asking on a Ducati board. I'll ask the same question on a Buell Forum (if i can find a decent one). Please keep in mind that I care much more about roll-on acceleration than about top-speed.

Buell XB12R
I like that it has a very little maintenance and no chain to clean. (i.e. comparably cheap and care-free)
I like that it gets great gas mileage.
I like the styling.

I don't like the cheap looking gauges and controls.
I don't like the rumor that it runs out of revs too quickly to be fun and that it doesn't have a 6th gear.

S2R 1000
I like how every time I sit on one, it feels right to me. Maybe cause Im used to the seating position.
I like the feeling of quality from the cockpit.
I like the depth of aftermarket options available.
I like how the motor has gotten rave reviews in every test I've read.

I don't like the probability of high maintenance costs
I hate the look of the udder on the stock exhaust, meaning I'd have to buy a midpipe.
I don't like the possibilty that I will have surge issues unless I buy a new exhaust and ecu.

So what do you think? I will mostly use the bike intown, but I'll also be using it to cut through traffic on the parking lots they call freeway. I think that one of my major stumbling blocks is that the monster looks like it can get real expensive real quick, while the buell appears a lot more practical, but with an inferior motor. I can't think anymore, help me out. Sorry for the long post.

About two years ago I was in your exact position- I looked at both the Firebolt ( I still dig 'em) and the monster S2R both 800 and 1K.Then I looked at the abundance of aftermarket parts for each, and the support network- Dealers, ind. mechanics and web community for information. Swinging a leg over the S2r..........and that clanging in my ears...... SOLD!

Quote from: aaronb on May 13, 2008, 06:19:39 AM
I went through the same decision last year, I was looking at an XB12Ss or my s2r1k.  The Harley dealer really didn’t want to work (msrp on ’07 models) with me and the salesman really didn’t know the products the few times I went in there. 

When I went to the Ducati dealership the sales people were great, gave me a great price, $1100 off of msrp (on an ’07 in march of ’07).  at the time the two bike had the same MSRP of 10,495  I was otd with a new jacket and helmet for ~10.  I also got to peel back the cardboard on the shipping crate to inspect my bike before signing on the line… damn that was a good feeling. 

so obviously i went with the duc

Sounds like A great dealer! ! ! 

Care to give them props?

It was Corse Superbikes in Saukville WI.