As the latest addition to the Buell Lightning family, the Lightning Super TT
XB12STT combines hard core Streetfighter attitude with the style of
Supermoto bikes. Primed with 84 ft. lbs. of torque and broad powerband of
the Buell Thunderstorm 1203 45-degree engine, the Lightning Super TT is just
the bike to attack city streets
.The air/oil/fan-cooled V-Twin engine
features DDFI II electronic fuel injection and the Buell Interactive Exhaust
is tuned for the ultimate in performance and control. The Lightning Super TT
provides a long, smooth 31.4-inch solo seat height with Supermoto-style,
while a passenger seat can be added. A 5.63-inch suspension travel and
54-inch wheelbase let you take the Lightning Super TT wherever the road
leads. While the Lightning Super TT has a slick, competition-inspired look
with racing-style number plates, white Surlyn flyscreen and minimalist Satin
Black tail section, the bike begs riders to show their inspiration for
customization as these components can easily be personalized. The Lightning
Super TT features a Barricade Orange or Arctic White airbox cover molded in
color schemes.
Buell Lightning Super TT XB12STT highlights:
1203cc (73.4 cid) Thunderstorm
Powertrain
3.500-inch (88.9 mm) bore and 3.812-inch (96.82 mm) stroke
10.0:1 compression ratio
49 mm down draft DDFI II fuel injection
Interactive Exhaust with mass-centralized mounting
103 peak horsepower @ 6800 rpm (per SAE J607)
84 ft. lbs. peak torque @ 6000 rpm (per SAE J607)
Designer Black 6-Spoke Powdercoat cast aluminum wheels:
Front: 3.5 inch (89 mm) x 17 inch (432 mm) wheel with 120/70 ZR-17 tire
Rear: 5.5 inch (140 mm) x 17 inch (432 mm) wheel with 180/55 ZR-17 tire
Pirelli Scorpion Sync tires
Buell ZTL front brake
Front and rear suspension travel of 5.63 inches (143 mm)
43 mm Showa fully-adjustable front suspension with inverted forks
Showa fully-adjustable rear suspension with coil-over monoshock with
remote reservoir
Narrow Supermoto-style solo seat
Laden seat height 31.4 inches (798 mm)
Supermoto-inspired upper front fender design
Racing style white Surlyn flyscreen and tail section number plates that
are easily swapped out as a canvas for moto art and self-expression
23.1-degree rake and 4.7-inch (119 mm) trail
Dry weight: 400 pounds (181 kg)
Wheelbase: 54 inches (1372 mm)
Graphite Gray frame and swingarm
Supermoto-style crossbar with deflectors.
Review
Like a heat-stroked renegade cowboy with a bad attitude, Buell's Lightning Super
TT kicks open the doors of the saloon, smacks the barmaid on the ass, downs a
double-shot of liver-killer, lays a smoky burnout around the piano before
rolling into the street, burning out sideways, flat track style, and heading due
west into the sunset waving a middle finger in the air.
And that's why the XB12STT is so damn cool, because it is what it is and makes
no apologies for it. The Super TT is an in-your-face hoodlum that combines the
best of two of Buell's most current design concepts into an ultra-fun and
easy-to-ride method of transportation that is sure to polarize public opinion on
the topic of its appearance and functionality.
This latest evolution of the Lightning series is a multi-purpose machine that
occupies one specific void in the Buell line-up located somewhere between the
CityX and the Ulysses. Buell's CityX is based on the Lightning XB9 which leaves
the 984cc X a bit underpowered to be taken seriously as a full-bore hooligan
machine. The tall adventure-touring Ulysses features the 1203cc Thunderstorm
motor and extra suspension travel that provides a smooth long-distance ride but
it's a bit ungainly when the road gets tight and twisty. The Super TT uses a
23.1-degree rake, a bit sharper than the 23.5 degrees in the Uly and XB12SS, but
much more relaxed than the 21.0 degrees of the standard Lightning. A generous
4.7-inches of trail combines to keep things relatively stable for such a
quick-turning bike. A tall inverted fork with nearly a half foot of travel
smoothes bumpy roads.
The journey to uncover the appeal of the Super TT began with an early afternoon
jaunt down Southern California's I-5 to Highway 74 that revealed its
rider-friendly ergonomics. The supermoto-inspired riding position is afforded by
the relationship of the rear-set pegs, motocross-style bars and its long, slim
seat. This would be the first, and least entertaining, test of the 5.63-inches
of travel offered up by both the fully adjustable 43mm Showa inverted fork and
fully adjustable Showa shock. With a 31.4-inch seat height (measured, as Buell
and H-D do, with a rider aboard) and an unobstructed view of the road ahead, it
makes for a good base to survey the chaos developing before you. The concrete
whoops pounding away beneath are kept in check by softly sprung suspenders, the
first of a long list of compliments the STT deserves. Blasting along SoCal's
infamous Ortega highway on the STT further proved that it is equally at home in
the canyons.
As it is with all Buell motorcycles, the STT consumes twisties with minimal
effort on the part of the rider, thanks to its responsive nature. It has a very
neutral feeling while navigating the seemingly endless onslaught of curves found
along Ortega. Thanks to the well-balanced chassis and centralized mass,
perpetrated by Buell's Trilogy of Technology philosophy, the STT accepts rider
input without resistance and provides a level of riding enjoyment usually
reserved for pure sportbikes.
At the heart of this canyon-consuming beast is the air-cooled 45-degree
Thunderstorm V-Twin. It has the torque necessary to accelerate quickly in almost
any of its five gears, allowing for on-demand passes and impromptu roll-on
wheelies when conditions allow, even though the motor stops making power rather
abruptly immediately after redline. Just keep the Buell on the boil by shifting
around 6800 rpm and there's a claimed 103 hp on tap. This is more than enough
motor for the average rider to get their kicks.
And in the event someone underestimates the power of the Twin, they will be
thanking Buell for another of its unique components. If you do find yourself
overcooking it into a turn, the massive 375mm ZTL front brake rotor and
six-piston caliper offers up amazing stopping power along with excellent feel at
the lever. So, late braking won't always end in disaster, and the giant single
rotor looks really cool, too. But the Super TT has even more to offer the
discerning rider than merely being a comfortable commuter platform and
competent-canyon carving motorcycle.
When the road gets really, really tight, really, really twisty and full of
really, really nasty imperfections including, but not limited to, gravel,
chuck-holes, braking bumps and sharp elevation changes, that's right about the
time the Super TT is in its element. And this is the secret place Erik Buell
intended to dominate with the Super TT.
This particular road, the most exciting and truly taxing portion of our SoCal
excursion, occurred on a rarely used single-lane paved path that our trail boss
Big Cat revealed to us out of the kindness of his heart. Throughout the ride my
adrenalin was pumping, I was smiling and laughing, and Megadeth's "Secret Place"
was running rampant in my head the entire time. Thank goodness the likelihood of
running across The Man was all but non-existent because, for what seemed like
nearly an hour, the SuperTTs were flogged mercilessly, wheelied incessantly and
literally pounded into the ground repeatedly in the interest of discovering the
answer to that all-important question: Why build this bike?
After much research, the answer to that question is surprisingly simple: Why
not? It's so much damn fun to ride a streetfighter and so much fun to ride a
supermoto that it now makes perfect sense to combine the two. The STT is more
fun to ride hard and fast than a number of narrowly focused bikes on the market
today, plus the variety of roads it can tackle make it a truly multi-purpose
bike. A pure sportbike, for example, would be hard pressed to hang through that
type of terrain at those speeds, and, frankly, the lower fairing would have been
smashed to oblivion five minutes into the ride. As it was, the underslung
exhaust did take a pounding. (Sorry, guys.) There's just something exciting
about the bike that is hard to put a finger on. I think it may stem from the
dirtbike-like riding experience.
The torquey V-Twin that does such an admirable job on a standard stretch of
canyon road is damn near perfect for a street-bound supermoto such as this. With
84 lb-ft of torque on tap at such low rpm, the 180/55ZR-17 Pirelli Scorpion
Synch rear tire grabs plenty of traction, which when combined with the stubby
54-inch wheelbase, 2-inches longer than a standard Lightning XB12S, makes the
front end ultra light. When cresting the sharp hills and road undulations that
comprised the majority of our covert canyon tarmac, the 120/70 ZR-17 front tire
was off the ground more often than not. The point is that the front end was
light and wheelies were mindlessly simple on this rollercoaster of a road.
When the ride was over it was clear that this is where the Super TT belongs.
Sure, it does a great job as a daily driver, and the 4.4 gallon fuel capacity
and nearly 200-mile range makes touring an option as well. But if you want to
experience the best of the STT, you need to roll hard and flat-out get it on at
your secret place. Whether it's a favorite hidden canyon or fire road, the STT
is capable of dispatching it in fine fashion. Once you experience the STT in its
element, then you too will understand why Buell went through the effort to build
a bike to address the inner hooligan in all of us. An interesting Super TT
option is the uniquely graffiti-inspired color schemes available directly from
Buell. The STT is available in either Barricade Orange or Arctic White versions
but optional painted tank cover, front and side number plates are also
available.
The massive twin-spar frame/fuel cell wrapped around a low-maintenance
belt-driven air-cooled V-Twin and oil reservoir/swingarm is at the heart of all
but one model (the single-cylinder entry-level Blast). The gauges, switchgear,
mirrors and bodywork are all basic Buell hardware, as are the 6-spoke wheels and
minimalist bodywork. It's the minute differences that make the Super TT
different. Buell produces a number of variations on its proven base platform,
just like a number of its competitors do, so get over it.
With a MSRP $10,295, the XB12STT is actually one of the less expensive big-bore
Buells. Add into the equation an available level of customization to go along
with the Lightning attitude, and the Super TT starts to make sense as a good
all-around streetbike. This is not a sport fighter. It is not a supermoto. It is
a multi-role urban-assault vehicle offered to us by the man as a solution to
satiating our inner child.