Choice of 25 Buell Blasts

[Josh1234]

If anyone wants to start a kid or a wife on riding, there might be some good deals here...

 

Not mine, obv, from Craigslist:

 

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcd/4592860947.html

 

 

Twenty five Buell Blast 500cc motorcycles used in Riders Academy classes. Ranging in price from $499 for a parts bike to $2,399 for a 2010. All low miles,get here soon for best selection.

 

 

In Mentor, OH

 

And I bet you could haggle with them, if they have 25.  Plus, the Riders Academy bikes usually have like 500 miles on them  Probably a good chance they were never titled, too, if owned by a dealer, so you might even be listed as the first owner.  And even though you know they've been dropped, a Blast can just laugh it off and keep on chugging.

[redkow97]

who wants to start a spec class with MotoSeries? 

 

make an offer for the lot of 'em!  I work close enough to stop and take a look on my way home

[max power]

Ok. $1000 for all of them. That's about what those buckets of shit are worth.

It's the Yugo of motorcycles.

[Josh1234]

Ok. $1000 for all of them. That's about what those buckets of shit are worth.

It's the Yugo of motorcycles.

 

People hate on Blasts so much.  Why are they "buckets of shit?"  Did you used to have one and it kept breaking down? Do you hang out on bad weather bikers just to hear breakdown stories?  

 

They're perfectly fine motorcycles... They just happen to be "only" 500ccs, and instead of shiny plastics, they have nice resilient surlyn coverings.  I had one and the only issue I ever had with it was a dead voltage regulator/rectifier that probably came from pinching the wiring harness together where it shouldn't have been.  Everything else was great... there's no choke to mess with, there's no chain to mess with, etc.  Nice low seat (they made a higher and lower seat, stock) for shorter or beginning riders, etc.  

 

I loved mine for exactly what it was, and I hate hearing people rag on them

[MidgetTodd]

I bought one a few years ago to get wife to learn on. You are wrong on every point and I will never try to teach someone on one. Agree completely with what Shawn said. I think you've convinced yourself they're good because it's what you had and you didn't know any different. I've owned or rode most every thing out there and that is one bike I'll never ever recommend.

[Josh1234]

I bought one a few years ago to get wife to learn on. You are wrong on every point and I will never try to teach someone on one. Agree completely with what Shawn said. I think you've convinced yourself they're good because it's what you had and you didn't know any different. I've owned or rode most every thing out there and that is one bike I'll never ever recommend.

 

Can you explain?

[MidgetTodd]

Shitty clutch

Vibrates the teeth out of your skull

Shitty brake feel/feed back

Goofy ass ape hanger bars bend everytime it's dropped

Handling is poor at best, especially for a nervous new rider in a panic situation

Power is outgrown the day after you get your license

A quote from her on very first day riding "I'd rather ride a scooter, who the fuck rides these things"

Traded for a EX500 after one week and never looked back. Then on to and F4I

Please stop doing people a disservice by telling them it's the perfect beginner bike.

Ninja or CBR 250/300

EX 500

GS 500

All far better choices.

[redkow97]

I like to joke that they're half of a decent engine, but I've got no particular beef with the Blast.

 

I think it would be fun to race them in a spec class.   probably pretty comparable to an EX250.

[MidgetTodd]

I like to joke that they're half of a decent engine, but I've got no particular beef with the Blast.

 

I think it would be fun to race them in a spec class.   probably pretty comparable to an EX250.

No where close in handling and way behind in power/acceleration and 20mph less top end

[redkow97]

I believe that the EX250 edges the Buell out on the top-end, but I would be a bit surprised to hear that it struggles so much up to (legal) highway speeds.

 

I would have expected the buell to pull ahead up to 30 mph, then slowly lose ground as 65 approaches, and continue to fall behind as both bikes push beyond 75 or 80.  Still, the EX should just surpass 100, and the Buell ought to be pushing 90 (I thought).

[MidgetTodd]

The one I got topped at 86 and took 3 days to get there

[redkow97]

I bet it would still be fun in a spec racing class.  Picture us hitting each other with bats and chains on the back straight at Nelson.  Road Rash in real life!

[MidgetTodd]

Lol I'm getting enough rash in the XR spec class

[Tpoppa]

The B-Last racing series?

[Josh1234]

Shitty clutch

Vibrates the teeth out of your skull

Shitty brake feel/feed back

Goofy ass ape hanger bars bend everytime it's dropped

Handling is poor at best, especially for a nervous new rider in a panic situation

Power is outgrown the day after you get your license

A quote from her on very first day riding "I'd rather ride a scooter, who the fuck rides these things"

Traded for a EX500 after one week and never looked back. Then on to and F4I

Please stop doing people a disservice by telling them it's the perfect beginner bike.

Ninja or CBR 250/300

EX 500

GS 500

All far better choices.

 

I respect your opinion, and I tried to keep an open mind, which is why I asked you to explain.  That said, here's my take on your explanation:

 

I never had any problems with my clutch.  It was my first one, so maybe I lacked experience with comparisons (I'd ridden several bikes, but it was the first I owned) but it worked just like every other clutch I've used since then.  I'll grant you, though, that I did feel it had a pretty short engagement zone, but really, that's something that is just a matter of forming the correct muscle memory with your hand. A good skill for a new rider to learn.

 

Vibration:  Yeah, it's a thumper.  Single-cylinder bikes do tend to vibrate a bit more... But it was never enough to bother me, and at anything other than idle, the bike smoothed right out.  Blurry mirrors at a stoplight didn't bother me enough to say the bike is a POS.  Besides, I sort of liked it, and felt that it gave the bike character.

 

Brake feedback: Does a ninja 250 or another starter 500 (Ninja, gs500) have better feedback on brakes?  I don't think so... I was quite happy with the brakes.  It's not like it's a supersport.

 

Goofy ass ape hangar bars that bend: They're less intimidating than clip-ons or drag bars.  If you don't like them, that's just opinion, and doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not the bike is suitable for beginners.  I didn't drop mine, so I can't really comment on the bars being bent, but I've NEVER heard of a blast with bent bars, and it's a safe bet that most of them have been dropped.

 

Handling being poor:  What kind of handing are you talking about?  Trying to take it on the twisties or a race track?  Leaning until you're scratching up your knee pucks?  C'mon, for a starter bike, it doesn't have to do ANY of that crap.  It has to handle decently and as-expected (as though a new rider would expect it to) and it does.

 

Power is outgrown the day you get your license:  This proves, more than anything else, how you view bikes & riders.  That statement from you tells me that you think all riders will always want more power and never be happy with a 500cc.  Sorry, but this just isn't the case.  And for those that DO want more power, and who DO outgrow it... They can do what I did, and sell the bike for MORE than they paid for it after riding it for almost 2 years.  There's nothing wrong with buying it for a starter bike, outgrowing it, and then selling it.  Getting experience on more than one kind of bike was part of my plan.  So there's no problem with outgrowing the power.  That she moved on to an ex500 and F4I after that sort of just proves that you & she believe in the "more RPM, more horsepower" school of riding.  Some people are quite content to cruise around at low RPM and enjoy torque more than having to rev the shit out of an engine.  Which brings me to my next point:

 

No, a 250 is not strictly better than a blast.  This is the oldest argument on the internet on biker forums ever since the blast was released.  It's been well-covered, but in ANY comparison of the two bikes, the 250 will have to have a great rider who likes to stay at the top-end of the tachometer.  Is that what I wanted to worry about as a new rider?  Not really.  

 

Some of it is different strokes for different folks, and some of it is you viewing the Blast through "sportbike rider" glasses.  Some of it, I'm sure, is your informed and experienced opinion, but I think there's enough interpretation and opinion on your end to fail to convince me that it's an actual "disservice" to recommend one as a starter bike.  

 

I WILL concede that I don't think someone should buy it and plan to ride it for 5 years, but for learning it's fine.  And you certainly COULD ride it for 5 years if you wanted to.  Hell, I took it on ORDN rides and routinely on the highway and it served me well.    

 

That said, I'm gonna stop internet-arguing since I don't want to get you (more) pissed off at me, and it's not like I own one anymore  

[MidgetTodd]

I'm never pissed off lol. Just answered your question. That rider was my now ex wife who had never rode a bike in her life and wanted more of a bike from day one. The Blast lasted a week, the Ex 500 6 months. Then the F4I.

My daughter gets her learners permit in a couple months. Also never rode other than a dirt bike. She will not be on a blast either, CBR250 is going to be her first

[MidgetTodd]

The B-Last racing series?

that's fucking awesome

[redkow97]

Josh - I started to respond before Todd posted his latest.  It's probably more because I've talked to Todd in person quite a bit now, but I didn't read it as him being pissed off.  Maybe a little ranty, but more in the vein of humor than anger.

 

Todd - you're a brave man for letting it slip on this forum that you have a teenage daughter...

[Josh1234]

I'm never pissed off lol. Just answered your question. That rider was my now ex wife who had never rode a bike in her life and wanted more of a bike from day one. The Blast lasted a week, the Ex 500 6 months. Then the F4I.

My daughter gets her learners permit in a couple months. Also never rode other than a dirt bike. She will not be on a blast either, CBR250 is going to be her first

 

Cool, cool, thank you....

 

Hey let me know if you want to overpay for a Ninja 500 for her, I've got one

[jbot]

don't listen to anyone here, blast is best.  that's why it almost rhymes.

 

but then again... it also almost rhymes with molest. and incest.

[MidgetTodd]

Josh - I started to respond before Todd posted his latest.  It's probably more because I've talked to Todd in person quite a bit now, but I didn't read it as him being pissed off.  Maybe a little ranty, but more in the vein of humor than anger.

 

Todd - you're a brave man for letting it slip on this forum that you have a teenage daughter...

Lol she's got more balls than half the forum, not skeerd. She grew up with my torment. Many here have already met her anyway she comes to a lot of the local things with me.

And angry? Have you ever seen an angry midget, we are always fucking happy. We can stare at women's chests and lower regions all day long without offending because it's eye level. How can we be mad?

Watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I defy you to find an unhappy Umpaloompa!

[J_Copeland]

I've owned both the Ninja 250 and a Blast.

I honestly like the Blast a lot more than the Ninja.

It handles good,decent HD power for a beginner and is low for vertically challenged riders.

Very easy to work on.

Try getting the carbs on the Ninja out in 5 minutes !

[2talltim]

Busa or GTFO!

Edited July 29, 2014 by 2talltim

[MidgetTodd]

I've owned both the Ninja 250 and a Blast.

I honestly like the Blast a lot more than the Ninja.

It handles good,decent HD power for a beginner and is low for vertically challenged riders.

Very easy to work on.

Try getting the carbs on the Ninja out in 5 minutes !

We can not ride the same tracks from this quote forward

[just_some_dude]

Insert Self....

 

A couple people I know from another forum (buellridersonline.com) that have turned their Blasts to EFI and Turbo. Turbo is in process, obviously just needs to run the oil line back.

 

If I get enough money together I'll transform my Blast from carb to EFI Turbo.

 

Turbo Buell Blast:

EFI Buell Blast: