Buell XB-9S X LIGHTNING City Cross 2010 — Specifications

Erik Buell always had that particular talent for building motorcycles that divide as much as they fascinate. The 2010 XB-9S Lightning City Cross is no exception to the rule: take an already polarizing roadster, add a motocross handlebar, a headlight guard, hand protectors, and a translucent blue plastic airbox cover, and you get something hybrid, provocative, and unapologetic. All for €8,825 at the time, which placed the Buell in a reasonable price range against Japanese bikes of the same displacement.

Beneath the bodywork, the 984 cc 45-degree V-twin develops 92 horsepower at 7,200 rpm and 85.3 Nm of torque at 5,600 rpm. Respectable figures, but it's above all the way this engine delivers its power that deserves attention. At low revs, it struggles, stumbles, refuses to be tamed easily. The five-speed gearbox transmits power via a belt borrowed from the XB-12S — a sensible choice on paper — but shifting gears demands a patience one more willingly extends to a difficult friend than to a city motorcycle. And the cooling fan, ever-present, is a constant reminder that you're riding a machine with an American temperament.

The name "City Cross" is a paradox on wheels. In urban environments, this Buell proves less comfortable than its nickname promised. The seat hovers around 850 mm, a figure that strictly filters riders by build, and the turning radius turns every U-turn into an exercise in spatial awareness. The wet weight of 204 kg doesn't make tight maneuvers any easier either. For a motorcycle supposedly aimed at city dwellers, it's a remarkable irony.

Redemption comes the moment you leave the 30 km/h zones. On winding roads, the XB-9S City Cross completely transforms its character. Its aluminum perimeter frame, which also serves as the 14-liter fuel tank, offers exemplary rigidity. The inverted fork with 120 mm of travel and the rear mono-shock with 127 mm work in harmony with a chassis whose geometry reflects genuine engineering thought. At mid-range revs, the V-twin comes fully alive, the 175 kg dry weight allows quick directional changes, and the machine — topping out at 210 km/h — is never short of arguments when exiting corners. The 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 tires absorb varying lean angles with confidence.

The target audience for this Cross version remains unclear, and that may be its main problem. Too tall and bulky for genuine urban use, not versatile enough for long-distance touring with its 14-liter tank, it finds its truth on back roads, between well-measured bends. That's where the Buell heritage makes complete sense: a technical philosophy that runs counter to Japanese standards, signed by a man who conceived his motorcycles as objects of passion before thinking of them as commercial products. If you're a rider seeking unconventional sensations and looking to stand out from the crowd, welcome home.