2008 Buell Lightning® XB12Ss

2008 Buell Lightning® XB12Ss pictures, prices, information, and specifications.
Year
2008
Parent Company
Buell
Dealers
Generic Type (Primary)
Standard
Make
Buell
Display Name
Lightning® XB12Ss
Manufacturer Country
USA
Introduction Year
2006
Price
Standard
MSRP
$10,495
Warranty (Months/Condition)
24 / Unlimited
Engine
Standard
Engine Brand Name
Thunderstorm®
Engine Type
V Twin
Cylinders
2
Engine Stroke
4-Stroke
Horsepower RPM
6800
Torque RPM
6000
Cooling
Air / Oil
Valves
4
Valves Per Cylinder
2
Valve Configuration
OHV - Pushrod
Compression Ratio
10.0:1
Starter
Electric
Fuel Type
Gas
Fuel Requirements
Regular
Carburetion
Standard
Fuel Injector
Yes
Carburetor
No
Carburetion Type
Fuel Injected
Speed Governor
No
Horsepower (bhp)
103
Torque (Nm)
114
Bore (mm/in)
88.9 / 3.5
Stroke (in/mm)
3.81 / 96.8
Displacement (cc/ci)
1203 / 73.4
US Miles Per Gallon (Hwy/City)
65 / 48
CAN Liters Per Kilometer (Hwy/City)
3.6 / 4.9
Fuel Injector Size (mm)
49
Transmission
Standard
Transmission Type
Manual
Number Of Speeds
5
Reverse
No
Final Drive Ratio
2.41
Primary Drive (Rear Wheel)
Belt
Dimensions
Standard
Weight
Standard
Capacities
Standard
Performance
Standard
Length (in/mm)
81.5 / 2070
Width (in/mm)
29.7 / 755
Height (in/mm)
42.1 / 1069.3
Wheelbase (in/mm)
54 / 1372
Ground Clearance (in/mm)
4.7 / 118
Dry Weight (lbs/kg)
400 / 181
Payload Capacity (lbs/kgs)
381 / 173
GVWR (lbs)
850
Fuel Capacity (gal/l)
4.4 / 16.7
Fuel Capacity Reserve (gal/l)
0.83 / 3.1
Engine Displacement to Weight (cc)
3.01
Construction
Standard
Frame
Aluminum
Foot Pegs
Standard
Foot Peg Location
Driver and Passenger
Hand Grips
Standard
Handlebars
Standard
Exterior Guards
Standard
Belt Guard
Yes
Chain Guard
No
Drive Shaft Guard
No
Engine Case Guard
Yes
Fork Guards
Yes
Hand Guards
No
Heel Guards
Yes
Saddle Bag Guard
No
Tank Guard
Yes
Exterior Covers
Standard
Front Fender
Standard
Stand
Standard
Stand Type
Kick
Spoiler
Standard
Other Exterior
Optional
Steering Control
Handlebar
Front Suspension Brand Name
Showa®
Front Suspension Type
Inverted Fork
Front Adjustable Fork Pre-Load
Yes
Front Adjustable Rebound Damping
Yes
Front Central Suspension Strut
No
Rear Suspension Brand Name
Showa®
Rear Suspension Type
Twin Sided Swing Arm
Rear Suspension Material
Aluminum
Rear Adjustable Shock / Spring Pre-Load
Yes
Rear Adjustable Rebound Damping
Yes
Number Rear Shock Absorbers
1
Air Adjustable
No
Front Suspension Size (in/mm)
1.7 / 43
Front Travel (in/mm)
4.7 / 120
Rear Travel (in/mm)
5 / 126
Wheels
Standard
Wheels Composition
Aluminum
Chromed
No
Tires
Standard
Tire Brand
Pirelli®
Front Tire Width
120
Front Tire Aspect Ratio
70
Front Tire Speed Rating
Z
Front Wheel Diameter
17
Rear Tire Width
180
Rear Tire Aspect Ratio
55
Rear Tire Speed Rating
Z
Rear Wheel Diameter
17
Front Wheel Width (in)
3.5
Rear Wheel Width (in)
5.5
Front Tire (Full Spec)
Pirelli Diablo T120/70 ZR17
Rear Tire (Full Spec)
Pirelli Diablo T 180/55 ZR17
Brakes
Standard
Front Brake Type
Disc
Rear Brake Type
Disc
Front Brake Diameter (in/mm)
14.8 / 375
Rear Brake Diameter (in/mm)
9.5 / 240
Seat Type
One-Piece
Seat Location
Driver and Passenger
Seat Material
Vinyl
Adjustable
No
Folding
No
Seat Specifications
Standard
Number Of Seats
2
Backrest Logo Plate
No
Grab Rail or Strap
Standard
Seat Height (in/mm)
30.5 / 775
Digital Instrumentation
Standard
Clock
Standard
Speedometer
Standard
Tachometer
Standard
Trip Odometer
Standard
Fuel Level Warning
Standard
Fuel Level Warning Type
Light
Service Reminder
Standard
Hard Side Cases
Optional
Side Storage Mount
Optional
Tail Bag
Optional
Tank Bag
Optional
Underseat Storage
Standard
Storage Cover
Optional
Map Holder
Optional
Type
Halogen
Headlight (s)
Standard
Halogen Headlight (s)
Standard
Rearview Mirrors
Standard
Windshield
Optional
Heated Hand Grips
Optional
Other Convenience
Optional
Side Case Mount
Optional
Windshield Mounts
Optional
Paint
Standard
Metallic
No
User Reviews
2 reviews
  • Great bike!!!
    By  (I am an Owner) on Oct 13, 2008

    I have had the bike for a couple of months now and it had been wonderfull. The torque curve makes the bike more mannerable and smoother through the gears. Driving long distances on it is not bad at all. The bike handles great and stops on a dime because of all of its technical advances (fuel in frame, ...

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  • Fun but not for me
    By  (I am an Owner) on Sep 19, 2008

    I've had this (beautiful) bike for almost a year. I already had to take it to the garage twice for repair besides maintenance. They fixed the bigger problems but told me that the rest is just the bike's character. Not starting on first try in cold weather or the sorta throttle lag I feel when hitting ...

    My last bike was a Honda 919. True, it had less character but it NEVER had ANY problem and the break-in period was optional. I knew I might have problems with a Buell. It just sucks more than I thought.

    Now the good stuff. It's very comfortable for me and my girl. We ride together quite a bit and we have no complaints. The seat, the peg/handles position and even air protection all work very well. I'm average built and she's small.

    It's powerful enough but I was disappointed to find-out it doesn't quite have the kick my 919 had. The power curve is very gradual and I just miss that extra pull I'd get when the Honda reached peak power. It does feel light though and it's a pleasure to throw it around traffic until that throttle lag deprives you of power at the worst moment.

    I haven't pushed the handling to its limits so I can't really judge. But I will say that the bike simply doesn't inspire enough confidence to make me want to play with those limits... It looks damn good though.

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