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So I'm becomming interested in geting myself a new bike. I love the feel and look of riding and building my classic UJM collection. But I'm feeling the need for a "push button and go" bike, not to mention something that's not going to wake up my entire apartment complex when I start it up at midnight, and something with a two up seat.

so I'm caught in the middle of a dilemma... do I go with what I know and land myself a modern classic (triumph thruxton) or do I break new ground and get something more radical (buell xb9r firebolt)

Both are attractive to me in thier own way.. I love the design of the xb9r, it's hot (...channeling the hilton media mean?) in photos but the fit and finish on buells is abysmal to the point of embarassing, and would take a good bit of effort to bring up to a respectable level (sanding all the moldflash and painting the bodywork) or I could go really insaine and swap out all the cheap plastics with beat aluminum mimicing the original and polish every inch of the frame and body... but now it's just another project, and I want a bike to ride when I'm sick of wrenching rather then one that I have to wrench to ride.

The Triumph on the other hand looks hot right out of the box... I'm sure eventually the bug would get to me and I'd start dropping bars, sanding metal and cutting fenders... but I think I could hold off and just ride it and enjoy it untill at least one of my other bikes reached "dependable".

So after those two paragraphs The Triumph seems the obvious choice... but I'm just getting started. I want to build a chopper, not next week, not next month... I've got other things to get to first. But someday I will be putting one together and this bike that I'm talking about would probably end up the doner. That's where the buell shines, Triumph chops are cool but a triumph chopper should have an old motor because to me the Triumph chop only works when it's straightup oldschool. I more want to get into a... Zero Engineering meets Exile strong heavy looking bike, and Harley aren't as pure and can work beautifully for what I have in mind.

anyway, hope I didn't wander too much, I'm a little sleep deprived.

so... Buell or Triumph, lay it on me

Triumph Thruxton.


Or how about http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/ if you could find one.

I'd pick the Triumph myself. I do think the Ulysese (sp?) looks like a cool bike, but I haven't seen any in the flesh.

I would go for the thurxton. its basically an out of the box cafe bike. already has the dropped bars at least. Engine is a paralell twin (seems like the preferred engine for cafe bikes) but has modern fuel injection, and has a good power output.

Pongo wrote:Triumph Thruxton. Or how about http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/ if you could find one.

man that bike pisses me off, I used to live right around gladstone... and I bet I couldn't get one if I still lived there. I should call them though and see if I can get a tour of thier place.

Sitting right up with to AmericanCafeRacers Supermanx the new Commando is possibly one of the sexiest cafes I've ever seen (especially the ad with the schoolgirl chick ) a little spendy though. The Buell's been pretty much dropped out of contention. Or pushed out by the monster 620 dark, which may be my final choice. I'll be taking both the thruxton and the 620 for a test ride on friday, and go from there. The duck doesn't fit into the chopper idea, but niether did the thruxton very well. The thruxton runs 7,999 and the 620 7,499 but the Commando bases at 9,999 and goes up... unless I want a signature series which starts I think at 19,000 and are sold out (oh and the Supermanx starts at 39,900)

Right now I'm leaning towards the duck on the basis that it's so different from what's already in my garage (and I'll admit to there just being something sexy in the name) also I'm not so sure how I'm feeling about the Thruxtons' design details. Looking at them in pictures I definately prefer the Thruxton but Monsters just don't photograph well.

jmillheiser wrote:I would go for the thurxton. its basically an out of the box cafe bike. already has the dropped bars at least. Engine is a paralell twin (seems like the preferred engine for cafe bikes)...

that's sort of what I don't like about it, I'm soon going to have three of those in my garage already, and that just makes it so formulaic and tipping on boreing.

jmillheiser wrote:but has modern fuel injection...

no it doesn't

The 620 Monster is a great way to go. The Monster riding position for any distance kicks butt on the Thruxton as well.

monster is a good way to go too. Maybe also look at one of the bigger models in the monster line.

My Duc fear (along with my fear of Guzzis and Triumphs) has to do with my proximity to an authorized dealer. Don't know if that is a concern for you, but I know I don't have a dealer within a couple hundred miles of me. Same with KTM, or I might own an 950 Adventurer. With the Japanese bikes, BMW, and Buells I have a variety of dealer choices and none are very far away. Then again I can see you are a guy not frightened by the wrench, so maybe you'd never go to the dealer except to buy the bike anyway.

scanevalexec wrote:...Then again I can see you are a guy not frightened by the wrench, so maybe you'd never go to the dealer except to buy the bike anyway.

usually not even for that

This would be the first vehicle that I've ever purchased new. I do want this bike to be one that I don't have to wrench on though so I am looking forward to the idea of having 2 years roadside and warrentee. I can certianly understand that proximity concern, but yeah, it's not an issue for me since at about 6 miles from my home, and 3 miles from my work, my BMW/Ducati/Triumph dealer is actually the closest cycle shop around.

High_Side wrote:...The Monster riding position for any distance kicks butt on the Thruxton as well.

umm... did you mean that litteraly or are you saying that the monster is more comfortable than the Thruxton? I've read a number of reviews that state the monster saddle is good for about 20 miles at the most... now I'm pretty tolerant and think that my CL360 with a CF seat and half an inch of padding is plenty comfortable so I probably wont take issue with it, that's just what I've read.

jmillheiser wrote:...Maybe also look at one of the bigger models in the monster line.

Comming off a CL360 I'm actually a little afraid of the 620... really if I thought I was ready for a real bike I'd be seeking out a 748, that's ( as long as Sachs never mass produces thier Beast) the ultimate bike as far as I'm concerned.