Well the triumph isn't exactly easy to wheelie either. Dunno bout the 1050 but with the 955 it requires a slightly different approach than normally, it does get the front wheel up without doing a clutchbomb or anything but the problem is you run out of rev range pretty quickly so you either have to jump it up pretty fast or learn to do a mid-wheelie shift if you wanna keep it up longer. Currently in the learning phase of the first option myself...

 

Let's be honest; a Buell is just a Harley Davidson trying really hard to pretend it's not a Harley Davidson.

 

Well he did say it shouldn't be too fast

Personally I could actually consider some day buying one... IF they werent so ridiculously expensive here that there are a plethora of better choices to choose from at the same price range. And the harley stench does stick pretty tight in them...

 

You are coming on so well with your English skills Matti, I suspect that wouldn't be a word that half of native English speakers would use in a casual post.

Well done you mate, we might have to start calling you the Cunning Linguist.

 

...and you my good man, master the skill of forming your posts so that the reader can never be certain are they being complimented or F*ked with.

You sure you don't have any Finnish blood?

 

Oh! Almost forgot and quite frankly surprised no one else has suggested it. (Yea yea seb did mention but not suggest)

IMO got the looks, a V twin so plenty of tire flipping torque. Rumbling sounds, but should corner and also cruise.

A KTM Super Duke. I'm sure the 990 will deliver plenty of hoon, but if you really want to go mental get the new 1290r that's released this year. Although I've heard the reserve list is as long as the line to Pixie Lott's locker room...

 

In all honesty, nothing else other than the motor is Harley. Fuel in frame, oil in swingarm, ZTL brakes, the fact that most of it is aluminum, etc - Harley could never be that technologically advanced on their own.

And my only complaint about the motor was the low RPM limiter. If it could have spun a little bit more, it would have been the perfect bike. Bouncing off the rev limiter mid corner sucks. It wasn't fast at all, despite twice the displacement. But it was such a fun engine once I got past the fact it'd never be like an I4.

However, the main reason its not at all a Harley is the way it handles. I was much faster through every corner on my Buell than I ever was on any of my CBRs.

I remember watching some of the AMA races when Hero had Danny Eslick on board, and you could visibly watch Danny catch guys in every corner on the Buell (and then they'd cruise by him on the straights)


But, whatever you go with, like the trend of suggestions here, go with something that's different than what you have now.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mTUmczVdik

Some years back a friend and I took an Aprilia ride demo. The demo leader of the ride addressed the Tuono riders separately. He said, "2 fingers on the brake lever, sometimes 1, sometimes 3 but never 4". He was holding up his hand while talking and demonstrating the gripping technique on the lever. The point was, grabbing the Brembo's will cause the front to lock up. He also asked, "How do I know? I own one and the other day I locked it up and went down. This is a warning."

He then went on to talk about the Tuono further. "If we see the front wheel come up, we'll figure it was just a mistake because they come up very very easily. However, if we see it come up twice, we will stop the ride, call the truck and you'll be walking back."

I rode the Falco and loved it. Why they stopped making it all never figure out. My friend on the other hand loved the Tuono and ended up owning one. He sold it because during spirited riding any throttle input while the bike was leaned down made the front end light and scary.

The Tuono is basically a Mille w/o plastic and different riding position. With the Milli the rider puts enough weight on the front to keep it down but the Tuono's upright position makes it a great wheelie machine.

 

Ok peoples, the Tuono is top of the list but, just to throw something strange but something I really find interesting...Cagiva Raptor 1000.


When these first came out I would have given anything to own one and still think they are different. They are Italian but have the Suzuki TL1000 engine in them which is bomb proof.


The Buell is not for me I'm afraid Matti. Had a look at them and don't really find them appealing in any way.


The KTM's sound good but out of my price range at the moment.

 

Absolute assurance Matti that I was not extracting the urine. You have become so much more competent in English than I would have in the same time if I had been trying to learn Finnish.