Buell S1 Lightning

BUELL S1 LIGHTNING

CYCLE WORLD TEST

HIGH-VOLTAGE FUN MACHINE

LAST OCTOBER, THE FLEDGLING BUELL MOTORCYCLE COMPANY LOANED us a bright-yellow, pre-production S1 Lightning. Despite a few teething problems, the prototype possessed immense potential, impressing us with its free-revving Sportster 1200-based engine and sharp handling. Now, production units have made their way into dealer showrooms, perhaps even into your own garage. So, we wondered, does the S1 live up to its pre-production promises? The answer is yes. And no.

With its unique, almost controversial styling, the SI generally garners “love it” or “hate it” reactions from those who see it. Some cut it slack for its engine heritage. Others feel the S1 strays too far from Harley-Davidson tradition. Whatever your response, a brief ride will indicate that Erik Buell has touched the very essence of sport riding.

Our time with the prototype was hampered by problems: The rear fender wouldn’t stay put; the rear cylinder’s exhaust header brushed uncomfortably against the rider’s right knee and calf; and the seat felt better suited to a trials bike than a road machine. The first two problems have been fixed. The fender’s mounting system seems bulletproof, and the exhaust pipe has a different bend with a more streamlined heat shield. The narrow, thinly padded seat, however, didn't receive the needed improvements, and remains a pain in the posterior.

Buell was not pleased when our pre-production SI produced “only” 75 horsepower at the rear wheel. Eighty was his goal, which is exactly what the production bike puts out, accompanied by a torque curve as fat and flat as any we’ve seen. The results of the power boost were apparent throughout our acceleration tests, with improvement in every category.

After a brief warm-up, the engine is good to go, although there’s still an occasional hiccup if revs are held below 2500 rpm. This stumble-and-lurch condition is most bothersome in low gear at parking-lot speeds. Throughout the rest of the rev range, though, carburetion is crisp and responsive.

Engine vibration remains prominent at extra-low revs, with the 1203cc, pushrod V-Twin’s power pulses coursing though the chassis and reaching the rider via the handlebar, footpegs and saddle. This rumbling soon dissolves into a sea of harmonic tranquility as the tach needle crests 3000 rpm, yielding a band of utter smoothness that extends well beyond four grand. A minor buzz builds as the engine nears its 6000rpm redline, but top-gear speeds of 60-80 mph are well within the engine’s sweet spot.

You can choose to row the smooth-shifting transmission up and down through its five ratios or stick it in top, leaving the engine to do the work. There's an abundance of torque, and revs can drop as low as 2500 rpm before a downshift is neces sary. Drive lash is well-damped, thanks in part to the kevlar reinforced drive belt.

Despite the Si’s lack of vibration, the mere sight of its saddle, which is reminiscent of the banana seat from a Schwinn Stingray, is enough to make your rump ache. Thirty minutes of seat time will have you longing for the expansive comfort of, say, a wooden park bench. And even if your tush can take it, on a hot day heat radiating from the rear cylinder exhaust header will likely toast your right thigh.

While other bikes may be better suited to longdistance hops,

the SI certainly pegs the amusement meter on a Saturday-night spin downtown or a Sundaymorning sprint. Fact is, on a winding mountain road, the Lightning is truly electrifying. Appropriately, then, the riding position is aimed at maximum control. The footpegs are directly in line with the base of your spine with your upper body in a slightly forward bend, hands resting naturally on the mid-height, flat-track-style bar.

With only the instrument cluster, hand controls and top edge of the headlight fairing in view, you quickly develop a sense that you're gliding swiftly over the pavement, almost flying. The Lightning responds intuitively to input, and steering is neutral at any lean angle. In fact, at 54.7 inches, the wheelbase is shorter than any current 600cc sportbike. This, coupled with quick steering geometry and excellent leverage from the wide handlebar, makes the S1 feel lighter and more nimble than its 441-pound weight would suggest. Snapping the bike upright at the exit of a low-speed comer with a well-timed tug on the bar lofts the front wheel.

Straightline stability is also very good, as is lowto medium-speed cornering. Run the bike through fast, sweeping corners, though, and you’re likely to experience a moderate weave, the result of unwanted pilot-induced steering inputs brought on by high-speed buffeting. This may be a case where the wide, high-leverage handlebar is a liablity. On the positive side, an abundance of cornering clearance allows the rider to sample the outer limits of tire adhesion without more than a grounded footpeg feeler to disturb the illusion of flight.

Suspension is a mixed bag. The inverted WP fork does a fine job, absorbing bumps large and small while resisting bottoming under heavy braking loads. As delivered, the rear suspension, also by WP, provided a harsh ride over even moderately rough pavement. Some of this harshness was eliminated by reducing spring preload, which allowed the bike to settle a bit lower in its suspension travel.

Up front, braking is handled by an enormous, 13.4-inch rotor and a single Performance Machine six-piston caliper. Initial bite isn’t terribly impressive, but there’s plenty of stopping power on tap. At the rear is a single-piston Brembo caliper pinching a 9-inch rotor. As for the latter, you’ll need a heavy foot to induce lock-up.

Fit and finish are better than previous Buell efforts. Most noticeable is the Si’s departure from clunky H-D hand controls and switchgear to sleek Italian-made components that are better suited to a sportbike.

So, how’s the SI selling? “It’s huge,” says Erik Buell. “We’re back-ordered, with the dealers asking for more.” Bill Bartels, owner of Bartels’ Harley-Davidson in Marina del Ray, California, concurs. “The SI has been selling fantastic. We can’t get ’em is the big problem. We have deposits on three or four and are just now receiving two bikes, the first we’ve seen since January.” Look for an increase in production by 1997, but for now, interested buyers may find themselves on a waiting list.

For all practical purposes, the Lightning is a solo machine built for the sportbike maverick, an individual looking for something beyond the norm. Seat notwithstanding, we enjoyed the SI Lightning prototype, and we like the production bike even more. Consider it proof positive that lightning can strike twice.

EDITORS' NOTES

MADE IN THE GOOD OL' USA. AMER ican powerplant. Domestic engineering prowess. I wanted Buell's S 1 Lightfling to be the one. Sure, I love the Lightning's freespinning Sportster motor and razorsharp chassis. I dig the attention this little black curiosity arouses, and live to exploit the Si's knack for lurid, adrenaline-pumping wheelies. Unfort unately, though, I fail to see Buell's effort as complete. And, to make matters worse, the thing is butt-ugly-literally. As a two-wheeled enigma, the Lightning is just fine. But if this thing's a sportbike, it needs an upper fairing and a prop er windscreen. Another requirement is a bearable passenger seat; for me, sharing the twisties with a special someone is an integral part of the sportbike experience. Finally, this Buell is in desperate need of a major rear-end restyle. Call me unpatriotic, but America's sportbike just isn't my choice for backroad barnstorming. -Eric Putter, Associate Editor

As MUCH AS I ENJOY RIDING THE SI IN the twisties, everywhere else, I'm hap pier to be on something else. Riding pleasure cut short due to that silly seat and heat radiating from the rear exhaust pipe relegates the SI to the role of short-range thrill-seeker. That's where sprint racing the Si makes perfect sense. After talking with some knee-dragging buds who compete on the S 1, roadracing a Buell is sounding pretty tempting. Rock-solid stability combined with impressive agility seems to be the general opinion on race-prepped Lightnings. Who would've thought a bike with flexible rubber mounts tying its frame and swingarm pivot together could assemble such praise from men riding at the very edge of the envelope? Erik Buell, that's who. Maybe if I were outfitted in generously padded Nomex undies, the Si could become an endurance-racing candidate. -Don Canet, Road Test Editor

BUELLS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE the time I limped home on one with my Aerostich suit's pockets full of shed parts. Thanks in part to the influx of capital afforded by Harley-Davidson's purchase of 49 percent of Erik Buell's small company, fit and finish are light years ahead of where they were when the first RRI000 was introduced almost a decade ago. Ironically, the Motor Company's money has helped Buell equip the SI with some distinctly non-Harley parts, such as 7/s-inch handlebars and Italian switchgear. Next items up for replacement should be the spongy rubber footpegs, which don't provide the sure footing one desires on a sporty bike like the S 1. I'd also like to see the one-cheek seat hit the trash bin: Speedway and trials bikes have saddles this small, but you stand up when piloting those. And-EPA be damned-the breadbox-shaped air cleaner has to go. That done, the Si would be about as perfect as you could make a bike-or at least one with a Sportster engine. -Brian Gatterson, Executive Editor

BUELL

S1

$9995