The Buell X1 Lightning
What’s rare is wonderful and the team at Waterford Harley-Davidson have a rarer that rare Buell X-1 Lightning from 2000 as part of their used bike stock.
H-D folded the Buell operation a number of years ago, siting poor sales and not being able to identify the market that they were aiming at. The genius behind it all, Eric Buell, seemed to be just that little bit too far ahead of the curve.
They don't make them like this anymore...
Now, of course, these bikes are few and far between, and worth a lot as a result.
The X-1 has a unique look that’s centred around that amazing air-cooled, four-stroke, 1203cc, 45-degree V-Twin powerplant. The block puts out a healthy 104 Nm of torque and since it delivers that power through a full Vance & Hines Exhaust system there are no baffles in the way to hold it back! As a matter of fact, it just adds the appropriate music to the engine.
Having a short wheelbase shows the bikes intentions as does the race proven WP suspension. This and the predictable power make for a bike that’s a whole lot of fun in the corners. Indeed those 17” wheels demonstrate the bikes promised ability before it’s even ridden.
One of a kind
Weighing in at 200 kilos with a simple non ABS breaking system just added to the precision offered by the 95bhp power plant. Being the later model it benefited from being fuel injected and the belt drive never needs any chain lube!
As a style choice, the X1 Lightning has a unique one all of its own. The exposed subframe along with the shape of the proudly badged tank set it apart from everything else in its class. Billet brakes, those curved pipes emerging from the big VTwin and the end can mounted below the engine were so far beyond their time. The bike, along with the other Buell machines in the range, were a very long way from just about everything else that the parent company, H-D, made.
Pure and Perfect
This one is fully serviced, has only 28,692 miles on the clock and at €7,000 makes this rare bike a perfect piece for a collector as much as it makes the perfect weapon for the road or trackday outing. Talk to Mo to arrange a viewing or a test ride on 051844200.