as they don’t vibrate half as much as on the previous Buells – the numbers look like they’ve been rubbed on by an eight year-old with a transfer sheet. Or should I say a conscientious eight year-old with a transfer sheet, as they’re all lined up nicely

and terrible gearbox. Get over this and you have a good, if quirky, handling bike that looks great and really draws a crowd everywhere. You have to want to own a Buell, but if you do, the XB12S is the best of the bunch. Although just bear in mind that it is a

In short:Not a bad first-time effort for Buell, but lacks composure in the face of its peers Pros:Not a bad first-time effort for Buell, but lacks composure in the face of its peers Cons:Not a bad first-time effort for Buell, but lacks composure

, the Lightning is a demonstration of how things can actually be different the more they stay the same. After all, if Buell spent money making the Lightning slower, longer and worse handling, (i.e. more ‘street’ orientated) all we’d do as potential purchasers

hugger does its intended job by protecting the shock, but it does mean the rear of the bike is very exposed. Expect a very wet and splattered back if riding in the rain! For the first time a Buell comes shod with Pirelli tyres as standard – chunky-looking

scratches on the swingarms where boots were rubbing the paint off and all of us had to do the Buell 'hot-shoe shuffle' at one time or another, when very hot air was vented onto your right foot - don't ride this bike in trainers! And then there