Buell XB-12 STT Lightning Super TT 2007 — Specifications

When a brand exhausts the variations of its flagship model, two interpretations are possible: either it lacks ideas, or it masters its subject to the point of being able to twist it in every way without breaking it. Buell clearly belongs to the second category. After the R, the S, the Scg, the SS and the Ulysses, here is the XB-12 STT, for Super TT, a machine that borrows the best from its sisters to compose a hybrid character.

The concept is simple to state, less obvious to realize. Erik Buell took the nervousness of the street-fighter, grafted the generous suspension travel of the Ulysses onto it, and placed the whole thing on a perimeter aluminum frame that also serves as a fuel tank. This design detail, emblematic of Buell, contributes to a remarkably low center of gravity for a 45° V-twin. The result on the scale: 179 kg dry weight, which is a dense machine but never heavy to handle. The 100 horsepower at 6600 rpm and the torque of 107.9 Nm available at 6000 rpm are expressed via a five-speed gearbox and a belt transmission, understated and without tedious maintenance.

The stated vocation is that of a large-wheel supermotard. The 43 mm Showa inverted fork and the single rear shock each offer 143 mm of travel, which places the STT above the SS in terms of tolerance to road imperfections, without reaching the off-road philosophy claimed by the Ulysses. A deliberate in-between, oriented towards broken roads, small passes, departmental roads where the asphalt changes nature every kilometer. To stick to this versatile ambition, Buell fitted Pirelli Scorpion Sync tires, mixed-profile tires capable of handling some deviations without panicking. The announced top speed of 220 km/h indicates that the machine does not renounce the highway when the situation requires it.

The understated, almost austere, trim may surprise for a motorcycle positioned as an adventurer. But that is precisely where Buell's commercial intelligence lies: the side panels and the Ulysses-inherited fork headstock invite racing numbers, stickers, personalization. The STT is intended to be a raw base that its owner finishes defining. Faced with a KTM 990 SM or an Aprilia Dorsoduro of the time, the Buell plays the card of the torquey American V-twin where the European models focus on high revs. It is a choice of temperament as much as of technique. At 11,295 euros in 2007, it is aimed at a rider who already knows the brand, who is looking for something less conventional than a Triumph Speed Triple but more versatile than a pure XB-12SS. The track rider will pass on, the adventurous touring rider will find here an atypical machine, sincere in its intentions and consistent in its execution.