buell blast ??

[YOYO]

Hey, im a new rider and im thinking about getting a used buell blast because i heard that they are easy to handel and not to heavy, but i also heard that they are not that great...what should i get ???

[qwerty]

I considered a Blast, but couldn't find one local, so I bought a TW200 instead. The Blast I rode had no bad habits, would make a fine commuter bike for my needs. People I've talked to who own them wouldn't say a blast is a bad bike, just a basic bike. Some were experienced riders who were looking for a commuter and bought a Blast because it is a rather basic bike. Others bought a Blast as a first bike and are now looking to trade it off. One guy bought a Blast for his first bike, traded it for a bigger Buell, and missed the Blast so much he bought another. Shop for a good price on a used Blast, do good maintenance, and if you ever want to sell it you'll just about get your money back.

[Koss]

You can't go wrong with the Blast. It has two seat height models, one for short, the other a little taller. So if buying used, ask which one it is. I heard that the first generation blast, I think 2000-2002 (I could be wrong about the years) had some problems, but the company sorted it all out with the next model years to follow. My only complaint is that the 500cc motor puts out numbers of a 250cc motor from the japanese companies. Which isn't bad... but maybe if your insurance decides by engine size, you could get a cheaper rate with a 250 for the same amount of power. Although perhaps the japanese 250's put out less torque...

Anyways... other bikes that you should consider seriously are

Suzuki boulevard gz250(I think before it was called the Marauder gz250),gs500, sv650

Honda CMX250C Rebel, or the CB250 nighthawk

Kawasaki Ninja 250r, 500r, 650r (ex series... ex250, ex500, ex650)
Also their Eliminator 125(cruiser style, like the suzuki gz250 and Honda Rebel CMX250C)

Hyosung 250 and 650... they have those engines in cruiser, standard/naked, and sport styles... I dont know if they sell their 125cc engine here in north america. Also the company UM rebadges the same bikes under their name... but its the same stuff.

My list pretty much has cruisers, standards, and sport bikes... but also don't over look the dual sport motorcycles.

Above all, I would suggest sitting on each bike that interests you, and a few that don't for at least half an hour so you can get a feel for the seating position and the quality of the seat. Consider what you want out of the bike. Just a quick jaunt around the block? Weekend Rider? Full out Commuter bike? Aspiring motogp champion? Easy Rider? A combination of any of the above?

[anarchy]

if you're looking for a good deal on a blast, find out which harley dealers run the riders edge motorcycle class. harley uses the blast for their classes and the bikes are well maintained. after the bike has gone through it's rotation in the class, the dealer will sell them at a good price. but it's usually not advertised and you have to ask...

[CNF2002]

if you're looking for a good deal on a blast, find out which harley dealers run the riders edge motorcycle class. harley uses the blast for their classes and the bikes are well maintained. after the bike has gone through it's rotation in the class, the dealer will sell them at a good price. but it's usually not advertised and you have to ask...

Whatever you do, don't buy a rider's edge blast (sorry anarchy)...they are abused from the get-go. They spend the beginning of their engine life sitting in parking lots idling in the heat (its a air cooled engine), they are dropped frequently. Their gears are clunked and grinded as new riders attempt to shift. Not all are given their proper break-in either. Most bikes I saw at my class were over 500 miles, but one only had 350 miles. The proper breakin mileage for the blast is 500 miles.

Course blasts are typically reskinned before sale so they look untouched, but they have been abused.

[Sev]

You can probably add 6000-7000 miles on any odometer from a msf class. Those things are so abused it's not even funny.