2004 Buell Blast®

The Buell Blast is a great motorcycle for a beginning rider taking a training course for several reasons:

1. Introduces the rider to the mechanical features of the motorcycle in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.

Each feature of the Blast is clearly labeled and easy ... to understand for the beginning rider. The fuel valve is within easy reach from a seated position on the seat, and the instrument panel is clear and easy to understand, even to someone who has never ridden before.

2. Easy to handle in a closed environment.

Since motorcycle training courses generally operate within a limited amount of space, the motorcycle used for training purposes must be suited to operate within that limited space. The Buell Blast fits well within the small parking-lot area used by most rider training programs, and has the turn of speed and turning radius necessary to quickly maneuver through the small space.

CONS:

1. Weight

For smaller riders, such as female riders like myself, the Blast is a little on the heavy side and can be cumbersome to re-position when dropped (personal experience). When I dropped mine during a training course it took me and an instructor several minutes to get it off the ground and back on the wheels.

2. Seat Height

The base model comes with a standard seat height, which disadvantages the shorter riders. When I took my training course I needed to have the seat changed out to a lower version because of my height. While it's great that the seat CAN be interchanged easily, it's still cumbersome finding a base model with the seat difference.

OVERALL:

A *great* bike for learning how to ride because of its ease of use, understandable mechanical parts and ease of reach, and the bike is well suited for the small spaces used by training programs.

Today I have a 1982 Honda CM250 Custom, and I feel that the Buell certainly readied me for the task of riding my own motorcycle.