Buell Blast feeler - Sale or Trade

[Josh1234]

If anyone ever wants to buy a Buell Blast (Stop laughing! Maybe you know someone REALLLLLY short who wants to lern2ride) let me know

It's about time I move up to a bigger bike! Although I must say, you guys have all been very nice about not ragging on me about it. It was just a starter bike and it has served its purpose.

It's an 05 with about 5K miles right now, though I ride it As much as possible, so they're going up. I have both the standard seat and the low profile seat. It's clearly been dropped once or twice (or thrice) before I got it, so it's not a looker, but it's mechanically sound and Blasts were made to be dropped and bounce back. I put a new rear tire on it this summer and changed the oil. Last winter it got a new R&R Ignition module and a go-over from a mechanic.

Interested in trades, also, if you have a 2nd bike you don't need anymore, and I can throw in cash on top of the trade if it's the right one

I figured I'd post because it never hurts to ask (barring ridicule, of course).

I posted it on CL for 2500 obo, but I'd let it go cheaper than that, in truth, of course

[Disclaimer]

My first bike was a 1k.....what? Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

Free bump for an American made starter bike LBTS, GLWS

[redkow97]

how much hp do these make? somewhere between EX250 and EX500?

The wife's got her M endorsement, and I wouldn't mind an occasional street ride.

[Bad324]

how much hp do these make? somewhere between EX250 and EX500?

The wife's got her M endorsement, and I wouldn't mind an occasional street ride.

i wanna say I read that he said 34hp in another thread

[Josh1234]

Yep! I pulled 34 from the Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buell_Blast

There's EXTENSIVE comparisons between the Blast and a Ninja 250/Ninja 500 in various articles on the web.

The 250 can't keep up with the blast due to the Blast having much better Torque, I'm told. A 500 could probably out-perform the Blast, based on what I've read, with a skilled rider.

The real advantages to a Blast are that you won't cry when/if a new rider drops it, because the plastics are made of Surlyn, the stuff on the outside of a gold ball. Also, no lubing/adjusting chain, adjusting lifters, or having to mess with a choke. The first two aren't a big deal, probably, since you're an old hand at motorcycles, but any new rider (and lots of vets, I bet) hates to have to use a choke... one more thing to do

Oh, and if she's short, she'll have no problem flat-footing the ground. The blast is plenty comfy in an upright position, but better than a rebel 250 since it can actually keep up on the highway

[/salesman]

Parma, eh? I'll be happy to ride over if you want to take a look at it and/or test ride. (No pressure to buy, I just want an excuse to ride!)

How much riding has your wife done? Blasts are Single-cylinder, so there's a decent amount of vibration at idle, but it smoothes out right away at higher RPMs. Keep in mind they have no tachometer, either Other than the vibration, the only thing I'd warn a new rider about is that the clutch has a very small friction zone. That + thumper means you stall once or twice when learning, but I've completely adjusted and I'm sure any other rider will also

[redkow97]

I think your blast is too rich for my (cheap) blood, but stop on over if you want some time. My wife has done the MSF course, and then a little seat time on my EX500. Buying "her" a bike would be a rationalization for me to have a street bike around

Just something to take out for fun, and maybe commute every so often.

blast + beaveRun would be a fun little time for you though. room on my trailer for September WERA round. Just sayin'

[2talltim]

fuel for the fire...LOL..

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Buell_Blast_vs_Ninja_250

[Josh1234]

No offense' date=' but a Ninja250 would hand a Blast it's tail section. Not that it matters, but you drew first blood. [/quote']

None taken, but you should be more specific... In a straightaway? Around twisties? For "around town" Resale value? They each have their plusses and minuses... A 250 is hardly an all-around better bike...

You can get a Blast much cheaper than a ninja... but a 250 will have higher resale value.

You can get both up to 95 on the highway, but the 250 will have be screaming it's little heart & lungs out.

The 250 is certainly "flickable," but I've heard it's suspension traits leave a little something to be desired, too.

Keep in mind that a pro rider who can max out a bike might be able to do wonders with a 250, but maybe a beginner or intermediate rider will get a LOT more usage out of the Blast's capabilities. New riders won't constantly be in the top-end of the RPM range, either, whereas the blast provides very friendly power in each area of its RPM range

[Josh1234]

I think your blast is too rich for my (cheap) blood, but stop on over if you want some time. My wife has done the MSF course, and then a little seat time on my EX500. Buying "her" a bike would be a rationalization for me to have a street bike around

Just something to take out for fun, and maybe commute every so often.

blast + beaveRun would be a fun little time for you though. room on my trailer for September WERA round. Just sayin'

I might be willing to come down a LOT What year is your EX500? I've been seriously thinking about getting one.

[MidgetTodd]

No offense' date=' but a Ninja250 would hand a Blast it's tail section. Not that it matters, but you drew first blood. [/quote']

This ^

None taken, but you should be more specific... In a straightaway? Around twisties? For "around town" Resale value? They each have their plusses and minuses... A 250 is hardly an all-around better bike...

You can get a Blast much cheaper than a ninja... but a 250 will have higher resale value.

You can get both up to 95 on the highway, but the 250 will have be screaming it's little heart & lungs out.

The 250 is certainly "flickable," but I've heard it's suspension traits leave a little something to be desired, too.

Keep in mind that a pro rider who can max out a bike might be able to do wonders with a 250, but maybe a beginner or intermediate rider will get a LOT more usage out of the Blast's capabilities. New riders won't constantly be in the top-end of the RPM range, either, whereas the blast provides very friendly power in each area of its RPM range

Absolutly NOT this ^

In respect of your classified ad' date=' and the rules of this forum, I won't respond. However, if you'd like to have a discussion on the topic.. start another thread.[/quote']

You've gone soft.

[MidgetTodd]

I had a a Blast for the wife and it sold on CL the next day.... It was less money and a 3rd the miles though. GLWS.

IMHO, I hated it and would rather ride a scooter.

[Josh1234]

Like I said... I'm listing it higher than I'd sell it for, and I'm not really expecting to sell it on here

As for those bashing it, I'm not saying it's better than a ninja 250, only that it's better in some areas. It certainly costs less and has twice the torque, and no one can argue with those two, at least.

I mean.. Can you blame me for wanting to sell it and move up to a bigger bike?

[Uncle Punk]

I hated it and would rather ride a scooter.

You can go fuck yourself!

[MidgetTodd]

Then I can go your scooterific rides, no lie I want to.

[jporter12]

Like I said... I'm listing it higher than I'd sell it for, and I'm not really expecting to sell it on here

As for those bashing it, I'm not saying it's better than a ninja 250, only that it's better in some areas. It certainly costs less and has twice the torque, and no one can argue with those two, at least.

I mean.. Can you blame me for wanting to sell it and move up to a bigger bike?

I'm not gonna bash on your Blast, I'm sure it's a great bike. That said, you wanna run 'em?

Seriously, for someone just wanting to run the streets, in town riding, even freeway, the Blasts lower price (used) would probably be the better deal. If someone is going to start hitting the twisty's the Ninja 250 will probably be the better bike, even if the suspension is lacking in comparison.

Too bad... I was selling a Yamaha FZ6 just a month ago. Let her go for $2400.

If I wasn't perpetually broke, I would have likely snatched that thing up!

[redkow97]

Don't upgrade from a Blast to an EX500. Find a good used EX650, or first-gen SV650. You'll pay marginally more, but get a LOT more bike. It's nothing against the EX, but moving from a blast to an EX500 is like moving from a nicely optioned Cavalier to a base-model Civic. If you're going to upgrade, make it more worth-while (IMHO).

My EX500 was a 1997. I sold it on here a few months ago. Nothing wrong with the bike, but it was getting to the point where I wasn't riding it often, and it needed a rear tire, and my insurance was up for renewal.

I was looking at sinking $400 into something I really didn't ride very often; so I sold it. Shaun's on this site every so often, and I know he rides my old bike a LOT more than I was. win/win.

Now this EX250 vs. Blast 500 debate intrigues me.

I would LOVE to ride both back-to-back at Nelson or BeaveRun and see which produces better lap times. I'm actually surprised there are so many people who feel the 250 will be faster. maybe for outright top-end speed, but Buell's usually handle their business in the turns.

And as noted, the additional torque will definitely get it out of a corner quicker. Depending on the track, that might be more helpful than an extra 10 mph on the straight.

It's funny to me that you can literally go through the carousel at Nelson in 5th gear on either of those bikes, and you're at top speed about where a 600 is shifting into 4th!

I can only imagine what it's like on a bigger track. I saw 89 mph indicated at the apex of the final turn coming onto the front-straight at Summit. I'm sure I went faster when I wasn't stealing glances at the speedometer. So that's ~3,000 feet of WOT in top-gear for smaller bikes

[J_Copeland]

I have had a Ninja 250 and a Blast at the same time.

The Ninja is a fast little machine only at very high RPM,handling is decent and the seat height is a little tall for any person over 5'4"

The Blast is exactly what the name implies,a lot of torque,handles very well and is just about bullet proof.Short riders can get a low profile seat that fit someone under 5'4"

Just my 2 cents

GLWS !!!

[Josh1234]

THanks for the Advice, RedKow... I'd really love a 650, but it's not in the budget right now. If I DO end up with a Ninja 500, I'll be positive to test-ride before hand, and I'll make sure that base-model civic will keep me happy for a while if I get it... I'm basically looking for the next step up in terms of horsepower, and not a permanent long-term bike... Unless I decide I'm happy with my "civic" Then again, since I'll end up buying a used bike, odds are I'll take whatever comes along and is a decent deal, so that very well might be a Ninja 650, ZX636, ZX600, or various other 600 & up sportbikes

Jporter:

I know one of you dailies is a 250, right? Ever been to the track?

'Cause I'm a new rider with ~1 yr experience, and I've never been to the track

I'm also 6'2 and 220 pounds!

I needed the torque so I didn't look like a huge beast of a man riding a kid's toy

I'm sure i'd get my ass kicked on the track or in the twisties, but I used my Blast to commute, and I use it around town... I'll happily go stoplight-to-stoplight with a 250... especially if the rider is as big as me

And J_Copeland, thanks for the input! It's nice to hear from someone who has owned both, and at the same time.

Next time I go to a meet or a ride, I'm certainly willing to let people try my bike, and goodness knows I'd love to test ride a 250 one day for comparison... Never been on one

[redkow97]

what's the budget? the EX650's can be found for pretty cheap. This is an '08, so not quite old enough to be a "great" buy, but they'r eonly asking $4400, which means $3900 isn't too far off.

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/2551270919.html

'06 for $3k (sketchy history though) http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/2543944546.html

'07 for $3k http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/2497193718.html

'05 SV for $3800 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/2524462136.html

but really, for $2500 or so, you should be able to find a first-gen SV and rock that thing HARD for a long time.

[Josh1234]

I'm a little embarassed to say what my budget is I need to sell my current bike and put that towards a new bike, and, um... find another job

But hey, c'mon... I'm not gonna let that stop me from lookin' & dreamin'!

[jporter12]

Yeah, I ride mine daily. I'm not uncomfortable in freeway traffic, and I'm in front on the traffic most of the time. In the twisty's, the group I ride with doesn't go much over 80 mph, and I'm usually not far from the lead pack, I just lack the acceleration out of the corners. With experience, I've improved that by gear selection, and more confidence in my corner speed, but I'll never be able to keep up with 600's. Well, until I get a 600!

[jporter12]

I'm a little embarassed to say what my budget is I need to sell my current bike and put that towards a new bike, and, um... find another job

But hey, c'mon... I'm not gonna let that stop me from lookin' & dreamin'!

Nothing wrong with that! I have $0 to put toward another bike right now, but I still keep looking around. I won't be selling the 250 though!

[Josh1234]

Nothing wrong with that! I have $0 to put toward another bike right now, but I still keep looking around. I won't be selling the 250 though!

mustnotoffertrademustnotoffertrademustnotoffertrade

j/k

[jporter12]

If you like wrenching, I have a 1985 Honda Interceptor 500 up for grabs! That thing is rated up around 75 or so HP!

[Tpoppa]

The Blast is a good bike for it's intended use...beginners and commuting. It has simple mechanicals and is relatively bulletproof. You'd likely be underwhelmed if you're used to riding a proper sportbike.