Y2K Buell M2 Cyclone Impressions
Thursday, November 18, 1999 I bought a new 2000 model Buell M2 Cyclone. No, I'm not insane. I knew what I was doing. Why did I do it? Well, I think Buell has succeeded in doing what Harley Davidson (or AMF?) attempted with the XLCR Cafe Racer of the late '70s and the XR1000 of the early '80s, create a thoroughly modern sportbike with an engine that can truly be considered a classic, while benefiting from modern manufacturing techniques and materials.
Everything but the engine on the Cyclone is Y2K spec. The suspension is adjustable for spring preload, and both compression and rebound damping. Modern cast aluminum wheels are fitted with fat radial tires. The engine on the other hand is somewhat of an anachronism. It's the latest in the evolution of a 1950s design (unless you live in Kansas, in which case it miraculously appeared at this stage of development), long-stroke, air-cooled, overhead valve, pushrod twin, with four short duration, high lift, gear driven cams actuating two large valves feeding each of its 10:1 compression ratio cylinders. It has modern touches, but the basic framework was laid back in the '50s.
The bike shakes like a hardware store paint mixer at idle and just above, but once underway vibration is not at all objectionable, thanks to non-rigid motor mounts that isolate engine vibration from the frame. What minimal vibration does get through at cruising speed mainly serves as a reminder that there are two big pistons at work down below. (I wonder if smoothness was a major factor for cowboys when deciding on a horse.) Other than the aforementioned vibration and the distinctive Harley Davidson 45 degree V-twin sound, the engine's power characteristics are more in line with an electric motor than with motorcycles I've been accustomed to riding - the more you turn the throttle, the faster it goes, with no perceptible power increase as engine speed builds (a direct result of the flat torque curve). The wheelbase is almost 4 inches shorter than that of my old Honda V45 Interceptor, but the riding position isn't cramped and even provides a little more legroom than the Honda. It doesn't come close to my Kawasaki KLR 650 though for roominess.
Compared to the latest 600cc, ultra short stroke, double overhead cam, sixteen valve, four cylinder sportbikes making over 90 rear-wheel horsepower, redlining as high as 15,500 rpm in the case of the Yamaha R6, or to Suzuki's 157 rear wheel horsepower, 190 mph GSX-1300R Hayabusa, the Buell's Harley Davidson Sportster derived 1203cc engine clearly shows its heritage, or is positively archaic, depending on how kind you'd like to put it. It produces approximately 76 rear wheel horsepower at 6,250 rpm. What's more relevant is the fact that it delivers over 65 foot pounds of torque to the rear wheel from just over 3,000 rpm to a little past 6,000 rpm.
As long as it performs its intended function, I don't really care if it's powered by diesel, steam, electricity or hamsters... well, maybe not hamsters. The important thing is that it does what it was designed to do and the power is plenty adequate for my needs. One thing about its relative simplicity compared to the latest Japanese technological marvels, is that you would look pretty silly wearing a lab coat while performing routine maintenance. Dressing as you would to service your Baldwin A-4s locomotive engine would probably be more appropriate.
Besides being "different" and simple enough that I can look at the various parts and figure out what they're for, I like the low maintenance toothed-belt final drive, hydraulic lifters, and the fact that you can change the oil without the use of tools. The engine is a dry sump design, which means the oil is stored in a separate oil tank and not in the crankcase (or oil pan). There is a drain tube attached to the frame at a higher level than the tank (I haven't actually looked at this yet, just the illustrations in the owners manual), with a removable plug, so you just unclip the tube, remove the plug, and allow the oil to drain into a suitable container. The oil filter is an automotive, spin on type. There are a couple of items to nit-pick about, like an ridiculously complex fuel filler cap, and the fact that the muffler has to be removed to drain the transmission oil, but everything is out in the open and easy to get at. There's also a sidestand that's a tipover waiting to happen if you park on even a slight downhill slope.
I stopped by my sister's house on the way home Thursday night after picking up the bike and her husband came out to look it over. He seemed most impressed by, in his words, the "beautiful TIG welds" on the stainless steel exhaust headers. He looked at them as if they were a work of art. To me the bike would be more suitably displayed in a hardware store than an art museum, but that would miss its entire point for being. It's about adventure. When I'm driving a car, I almost never turn down an unfamiliar road just to see where it leads, but I plan on doing a lot of that as soon as the weather dries out a bit. Well, I'm going outside now to watch for an approaching patch of blue sky. I might not be back inside until May.
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