MCRR ordered a Buell XB12R in August 2008 and it was delivered in one of the first shipments of the Buell XB12R to Australia. The first of the XB range was the XB9R and XB9S which were released first with the 883 configuration.
MCRR had previously taken this bike for a test ride and saw potential in its excellent handling, torque and power delivery however believed it lacked power and top end. Then, when the XB12R and XB12S range were released in early 2003, he immediately placed his order. The motorcycle was originally purchased for stunt shows for Gold Coast Bike Week, and for filming stunt shows for car and motorcycle shows/events around south eastern Queensland.
By 2012, MCRR’s XB12R had 32, 000K’s on the clock. Around the same time, he was involved in a T-bone accident at an intersection, in which a motorist failed to give way and directly hit the side of the motorcycle. After the first day of riding the XB12R post-crash, MCRR encountered a noise in the motor which was later diagnosed as a shattered big end. Gold Coast Harley Davidson assisted MCRR in lodging a warranty claim for a new motor and, after having to provide a detailed report of the conditions of the big end failure, agreed to fit a brand new motor into the motorcycle. MCRR then decided that this was a good time to do a complete custom rebuild of the motorcycle, to both fit the new motor and repair the accident damage.
MCRR completely dismantled the XB12R in his home workshop and each part was carefully restored, painted or anodized. The full front chassis and front end and rear end were given to Gold Coast Harley Davidson to fit the new motor.
MCRR’s motorcycle is currently still being used for stunt shows and has been entered into custom bike shows where it has won ‘Best Of Its Class’ several times. The bike now has 48, 000k’s on the clock, which equates to approximately 16, 000k’s having been racked up on the second motor. Most of these kilometres have been stunt riding and the bike is also used as a weekend thrash bike with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
The XB12R continues to perform extremely well with exceptional cornering capabilities and a modest top speed of 225KPH. This is a very capable bike even today, and will surprise even experienced riders on high performance motorcycles who will only ever see the Buell XB12R’s tail lights disappear.
MCRR last restored the XB12R in 2005 (11 years ago), therefore the bike will soon be stripped down once again and completely rebuilt, this time using all carbon fibre panels and a custom MCRR paint job.
