Buell Blast
Buell Blast
CYCLE WORLD TEST
You meet the nicest people...on a Buell?
WHEN ERIK BUELL AND COMPANY SET OUT TO BUILD THE ideal entry-level motorcycle, they knew that first and foremost, the bike had to be a kick to ride. Sure, focus groups and marketing studies unearthed key design elements aimed at seducing non-riding Gen-Xers into the two-wheel fold, but does the bike’s performance and fun factor live up to its name?
To be honest, the arrival of Buell’s newbie Single at Cycle World's doorstep didn’t exactly rival the level of enthusiasm generated by, say, the appearance of Suzuki’s GSX1300R Hayabusa. In this case, however, the fact that there was no blood shed over possession of the Blast’s ignition key could be viewed as a good sign-after all, the CW editorial staff doesn’t exactly fit the bike’s target audience.
Buell’s research showed that attracting a larger segment of novice riders would require a bike that was perceived as hip but non-threatening. To that end, the Blast seems as cute and cuddly as a golden retriever pup when parked alongside a pit-bullish performance bike. And as we soon learned, even jaded moto-scribes can develop a soft spot for the fun-loving Single.
It’s doubtful that a think-tank consensus was required to surmise that solid footing is the foundation to building a new rider’s confidence. Throw a leg over the Blast and you sink into a deeply padded seat that’s surprisingly low to the ground. For the truly vertically challenged, there’s an optional low-profile saddle that reduces standard seat height by another 2 inches. Grab hold of the tricycle-bend handlebar and the next thing you’ll notice is the bike’s surprising lightness as you lift it off the sidestand.
Don’t just take our word for it, though. Java Joe, who works at a local Starbucks, expressed this same sentiment as he tried the Blast on for size. The fact that JJ, a Gen-Xer who doesn’t ride but fancies owning a bike someday, took a break from blending mochas to get a close look at the Blast would seem to substantiate target acquisition for Buell marketeers.
A wealth of steering lock makes low-speed maneuvers and U-tums a breeze. At 384 pounds with half a fuel load, the Blast can be backed out of a tight parking space without a whole lot of muscle or bike-handling skill. Having a low center of gravity can certainly help eliminate lowspeed tip-overs, and here, too, the Blast scores points by packing much of its mass below the beltline. Everywhere you look, you find attention to detail that makes the Blast ultra user-friendly.
Simple operation is a key factor here. Take starting the engine, for example: There’s no need to prime the 40mm Keihin; no kicking the motor through with a compression release; heck, you don’t even have to fumble for a choke lever. Simply thumb the start button and the 492cc aircooled, ohv, four-stroke Single immediately fires, its autochoke maintaining a high idle while the engine warms.
Reach for the clutch lever-if you can call it a reach; the lever’s positioned close to the grip to accommodate smaller hands-and a light-effort pull disengages the clutch. Selecting first gear while the engine is still wanning at high idle always results in a disquieting rat-tat-tat grinding engagement. Once the auto-choke circuit is no longer in effect, though, the engine maintains a steady thumpity-thump idle that makes engaging first gear much smoother.
Novice riders will find pulling away from a stop is very easy with little risk of stalling. Once again, a relatively low gear ratio and engine torque that begins right off idle make this bike a beginner’s delight. Roll the throttle on and the engine answers with a charismatic shudder of distinct power pulses that smooth dramatically as revs build. A friendly familiarity exists in the pop-pop-pop exhaust note and throbbing vibes at low rpm. Of course! It’s reminiscent of the Briggs & Stratton pony motor that has powered everything from lawn mowers to minibikes. If that intimidates Mr. or Ms. X, there is no hope.
On the CW dyno, the engine produced a double-humped torque curve with twin peaks nearly 27 foot-pounds high at 2600 rpm and 5500 rpm. A trough in the curve that’s 5 ft.lbs. deep is centered at 4000 rpm and is responsible for the dismal 20-second 60-80-mph top-gear roll-on performance. Then again, real-world riding involves a downshift or two to keep the engine on the boil.
Gearchanges are fairly smooth-at least by Sportster standards-with shifts up and down through the five-speed box both positive and light in effort. Normally, adjusting lever position to suit an individual’s foot is a compromise that’s imposed by the coarse splines on the shift shaft. Here, the Blast features a bit of clever innovation with its infinitely adjustable lever.
Full-power sprints through the gears provide rewarding acceleration-enough to blast through the dragstrip timing lights to the tune of 15.73 seconds with an 82.19-mph trap speed. Spank it hard for a mile or more and the Blast reaches a top speed of 95 mph. While certainly no threat to multicylinder sportbikes, the little Buell more than keeps up with the flow of traffic.
Unlike less capable entrylevel machines, this Buell can be ridden in fast-paced freeway traffic without a concern. In fact, the engine seems happiest while running between 55 and 70 mph, where vibration levels are the lowest. Pushing the speedometer needle much past 70 mph, however, requires a good deal more throttle as the engine strains against the headwind.
Another incentive for riding at legal speeds is the phenomenal fuel mileage the Blast can achieve, an average of 70 miles per gallon! Starving students take note. Even though the fuel tank holds just 2.8 gallons, not many full-sized bikes with twice the fuel capacity can claim the Blast’s near-200mile range.
While lengthy rides are certainly doable, city riding and freeway commuting are much better uses for this bike. Of course, with the Blast’s sporty styling and ultra-nimble handling, it’d be a shame not to strafe a few apexes on Sundays. Initiating turns requires just a hint of input at the bar, yet the level of overall stability belies this quickness in handling. Chalk part of this lightness to the use of narrowish, 16-inch-diameter wheels and tires. There simply is no need for fat radiais when taming 30 rear-wheel horsepower-visualize that a pizza cutter leans into comers much more easily than a rolling pin.
Showa suspension at both ends is non-adjustable so as to not confuse newbies with too many variables. While the suspension calibration is on the soft side for an adult male of average weight, it shouldn’t pose a problem for the core audience. The ride can be a bit harsh over sharp bumps, but bottoming the fork while braking over bumps was our biggest complaint. This softness at the front also limits the full potential of the single-disc front brake, to which we otherwise give good marks for its progressive feel and fade-free performance.
While it’s no simple task building a single bike to suit the needs of every new rider, Buell has done a fine job with the Blast. Sure, many will soon outgrow the bike and graduate onto larger machines, but that’s part of Buell’s grand plan-that the bike become sort of a motorized hand-medown, repeatedly passed on, promoting the continued growth of our sport. If it all works out, then, these Blasts from the past could play a big part in motorcycling’s future.
EDITORS' NOTES
IT’S NOT THAT THE BUELL BLAST ÍS A relatively affordable entry-level motorcycle. No, the important thing is that it’s a bike you could recommend to new riders because it’s fun to ride. The fit and finish is excellent, and the Blast accelerates quickly around town-as long as you compare it to cars and not hundredhorsepower sportbikes. It thumps out a pleasantly deep exhaust note without the
least hint of a tinny overtone, and cruises at 75 mph on the freeway. As for top-gear roll-ons, downshift! The Blast loves to be tossed around tight comers, its responsive handling showing its Buell heritage.
The seat and the suspension are too soft for my tastes, but I suspect that most new owners won’t complain. I often am fiercely happy that I rode smaller streetbikes, 250 and 350cc machines, for years before climbing on a really big and fast motorcycle. I’m a better rider for it. Similarly, anyone who starts their riding career on a Blast will leam far more than if they had bought a more intimidating machine.
-,Steve Anderson, Contributing Editor
As A SEASONED RIDER WHO PRIDES HIMself on possessing an ability to tap the performance potential of the most fearsome sportbikes, finding some entertainment value in an entry-level platform can be a challenge. So how is it, then, I catch myself smiling in my helmet when out trolling for trouble on this little Buell?
Simple: Nimble-handling bikes, regardless of speed, always have this effect on me.
While the Blast may not be able to reach the ton, or float the front wheel under power, it slices up twists and turns in the road with incredible ease. And for me, tilting the horizon is the greatest appeal of two-wheeled sport.
So when somebody I know sees me riding the Buell and asks what the heck I’m doing on a “girl’s bike,” I tell them I’m having a Blast! Sometimes you just can’t let something as shallow as an overgrown ego get in the way of having a good time. —Don Canet, Road Test Editor
THE IRONY IS SWEET. WHILE THE Japanese Big Four trip all over themselves building half-price Hogs for 45year-old re-entry riders, HarleyDavidson takes a page from their own history books and goes after a younger generation with a small, inexpensive runabout.
Of course, this isn’t 1966 and the Blast ain’t a CB160, but you have to applaud the effort. Will it work? It’s a gamble, certainly. To my eyes, the bike is appealing in the main, though there’s the usual Buell wonkiness about the airbox and muffler (what gives with these guys?). Original price point was $3995; now pushing $4400, the Blast is uncomfortably close to the Suzuki GS500 and Kawasaki Ninja 500, both very good, versatile motorcycles. The difference is those models get next to no promotion, while there are big plans to hype the Blast to the MTV crowd
Hey, I say good luck. Take a look around the next time you go on a group ride-we aren’t getting any younger.
-David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief
BUELL
BLAST
$4395
