Initially viewed as a match made in heaven, 1993 saw the alliance between the BUELL Motor Company and Harley-Davidson, resulting in the birth of the BUELL Motorcycle Company, of which Erik Buell held 51%, and Harley-Davidson the remaining 49%. The infusion of H-D cash and resources allowed BUELL to build an All-American motorcycle without the monetary restraints the entrepreneur previously had to endure. This first bike was named BUELL S2 Thunderbolt and introduced to the public in 1994 as a 1995 model.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
The S2 Thunderbolt retained styling elements from the 1200RS/RSS Westwind, its ancestor from BUELL's independent era, yet boasted various refinements and some truly unique features. Its heart was Harley-Davidson's 1203cc Evolution engine, slightly enhanced in horsepower and torque by allowing it to inhale and exhale easier. With 76 horses on tap, the 475-lb. bike was no match for the high-revving supersports from Japan, and never aspired to be one. But its stump-pulling 76 ft-lbs. of torque from low down allowed the Thunderbolt to provide a riding experience that couldn't be found anywhere else.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
And that's exactly what makes the Thunderbolt so special. It's a gentleman's express that combines the best of both worlds by providing riders the Harley-Davidson experience of a big, honkin' V-Twin, stuffed into a world-class chassis designed by an accomplished Harley-Davidson road racer. Interestingly, the same chassis should later serve in one of Team Elves' Bonneville BUELLs, which hold no less than 4 motorcycle World Landspeed records to this day.
|
Exactly 1,399 BUELL S2 Thunderbolts were built for the '95 model year, every single one of them entirely by hand. Click on image to the left for an XXL-sized view |
|
|
Click on any of the above images for a full-size view
Images above show the installed timing cover and the matching Certificate of Authenticity for this bike, #307.
|
|
Click on any of the above images for a full-size view
Accompanying this motorcycle is the factory fold-out brochure, the original Owner's Manual, the factory Service Manual and Parts Catalog, two BRAG magazines, and the most amazing poster showing this bike I've ever seen!
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Better yet, there's a huge, 3-inch thick folder containing every single receipt since new, chronologically ordered in sheet protectors, including the original purchase invoice for $12,400 from Harley-Davidson of Tuscon.
Also included are two Buell fairing bags as well as the Buell underseat bag, all of which are now obsolete. The battery is almost new and has been nourished on a battery tender, and so is the rear tire, which now has exactly 500 miles on it.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Glancing at the Thunderbolt, the eye immediately catches the beautiful, artisan-quality tube frame, which was TIG-welded by one person: race car fabricator Jim Schneider. Quite Ducati-esque in its execution, the bike features a short, 55-inch wheelbase, allowing for quick response to rider input, making it a blast to ride through the twisties. All of the BUELL S2 frames were powdercoated white, an exclusive feature they share with some contemporary Ducatis, making them unique in the world of BUELLs. The billet Performance Machine wheels this bike carries were an expensive factory option.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Also white were the fascias of the two BUELL branded factory gauges, a prominently mounted tachometer and a speedometer to the left. Notice the interesting badge to the right of the dash which, for the first time, eliminated any reference to the Harley-Davidson sourced engine.
CClick on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
The '95 S2 Thunderbolt featured here carries all of its factory original Black Sapphire Pearl paint. Due to the pearl content in the three-stage, 14-layer paint, all of the colors change their appearance slightly, depending upon the ambient lighting. The Black Sapphire Pearl can look blue in bright sunshine, purple before sundown, and pitch black in the shade.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Reportedly, the body's styling curves were inspired by a Vargas painting of a beautiful woman. All of the painted bodywork, namely the front fairing, the front fender, the fuel tank cover, and the tail section, were made from hand-laid fiberglass, a very elaborate and enormously time-consuming method. Since it was also prohibitively expensive, even for a hand-built bike like the first year Thunderbolt, BUELL switched to ABS plastic for the 1996 model year.
This particular S2 carries all of its factory-original fiberglass body parts.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Hard to believe, but 20 years ago, when carbon fiber was as exotic and difficult to work with as a belly dancer from Bengal, BUELL already used this very material for its air cleaner housings. By now the aftermarket industry has caught up, but the original pieces are easily identified by their greenish tint and the label attached to them.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Also made from carbon fiber was the '95 rear fender and belt guard. Although the S2 Thunderbolt was manufactured for two years, the '96 models had to do with black painted plastic instead.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
This motorcycle has always been adult owned, loved like a favorite child, and treated with respect. It has never been dropped and never been in the rain in all those years the previous owner -- a very good friend of mine -- and I've owned it. Yet some of the chrome showed some minor pitting, which is why I had those parts rechromed at a reputable shop in Los Angeles. At the same time, I replaced some of the rubber pieces with N.O.S. ones.
I can state in full confidence that this bike is in perfect operating condition. Everything works as it should and there are no issues, no leaks, no smoke, no untoward noises, and no problems at all. It's most likely one of the best preserved early Thunderbolts in existence and you can hop on and ride it home, across the country if that's where you live!
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
At a MSRP of $11,900.00 (plus tax) over 20 years ago, the new Thunderbolt wasn't exactly cheap, yet an incredible bargain in the world of hand built bikes. Originally, a series of 300 bikes was targeted and frame numbers (starting wth 1B9...) were assigned and stamped accordingly, starting in January of 1994.
When the reception of the bike by the motorcycling public was overwhelmingly positive and additional orders poured in, Buell had to manufacture a second, much bigger batch of frames (which -- nobody really knows why -- start with 4MZ...) and switched from TIG welding to MIG welding, just to save time when keeping up with demand.
Since this bike's frame was manufactured on September 26, 1994, is production #307 and still has the 1B9 VIN, it is one of the last ones built from the aforementioned first batch, of which the very first 30 bikes went straight into prominent collections.
Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)
Sadly, quite a few S2s Thunderbolts have lost their life to accidents or when their heart and other organs were used to animate choppers. Others have been modified, often beyond the boundaries of good taste, to a point of no return. Despite all that, a nice S2 Thunderbolt can still be bought rather inexpensively, if one comes up for sale, but that's about to change.
Often seen as not only the most beautiful but also the best all around BUELL ever made, prices for clean, original examples are bound to go up as surely as the sun rises in the morning.
Value isn't everything, though; what really matters most is the incredible experience of riding a tube frame BUELL. Once you've ridden one, you'll understand its mystique and might agree: there's nothing like it on Earth.
I am asking $3,300 for this Thunderbolt. If interested in becoming its new caretaker, please e-mail me at Bernard@californiaclassix.com.
Thank you for your interest.