A Super Mouthful
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday November 25, 2006
Harley-Davidson-owned Buell describes the Lightning Super TT XB12STT (just call it the Lightning Super) as a combination of "hardcore street-fighter attitude with the style of supermoto bikes".
In other words Buell is trying for a blend of dirt tracker and motocross bike with a bit of road racer and road bike thrown in for good measure. Running with the American maxim that there is no substitute for cubic capacity the bike is powered by a 1203cc, 45-degree V-twin mounted into an alloy frame which doubles as the fuel tank fitted with a rear swing arm that is also the oil tank. Dimensionally this 181kg relative of Buell's Lightning Long XB12Ss and Lightning CityX XB9SX (no, we really are not making up the names) rides on a 1370mm wheelbase and has 143mm suspension travel. Front suspension design employs an inverted front fork with full adjustment and Showa shock absorbers are used at both ends. Braking is handled by discs front and rear, the front end using a 375mm- diameter front rotor with six-piston caliper. Interestingly, the Lightning Super has a supermoto-style solo seat (height 800mm) but a passenger's seat can be added for running two-up. No word yet on the bike's imminent arrival or price but one thing is probably close to certain: SuperMoto styling in no way guarantees we will see one on a race track anytime soon.
© 2006 Illawarra Mercury
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