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The new engine is extremely smooth once under way and enjoys a near flat torque curve. In fact, once past 2,500 rpm you are within 10% of the 84 ft-lbs of torque available over the entire operating range. The redline starts at 7,000rpm and the limiter kicks in at 7,500rpm.

Out on the short track, this was only an issue on the front straight changing to third, and a little care had to be taken to shift before the limiter, as the engine gets to maximum revs pretty quickly. The 1203cc air/fan and oil-cooled V-Twin is essentially the same unit found in the XB9S, with a new stroke of 3.812 inches. The bore remains the same, as does the compression ratio, and peak horsepower is 103 at 6,800rpm up from the “9’s” 94, at a slightly higher 7,500rpm.

There are some significant changes to the intake and exhaust system, with the throttle body diameter growing from 45mm-49mm. The header pipes follow suit with a new 1.75-inch diameter, up from 1.5 inches. Connected to the new header pipes is one of the many engineering marvels to be found on the new Buells: the Inter-Active Exhaust. Inside the muffler, exhaust gases have a choice of two paths, with this choice being dictated by the engine’s ECM monitor that controls an internal butterfly valve. At low rpms with the throttle wide-open, the valve opens to reduce backpressure and allow the engine to rev freely. The valve is then closed through the mid-range to boost the engines torque before opening again at full throttle for maximum horsepower.

Getting the extra horsepower to the ground, the clutch now uses stiffer springs and a new belt drive. The official name for this is, “Goodyear’s Aramid Reinforced Hibrex Belt with Flexton Plus Technology.” Basically, this means stronger, lighter and longer lasting with the expected service life being around 25,000 miles. With the fitment of a tensioning wheel, new Buell owners can enjoy clean, adjustment free riding for a long time before changing belts. The upper and lower belt guards are also new this year and make rear wheel removal easier, as well as giving a cleaner look. The primary drive ratio has been lowered a little from 1.68:1 to 1.50:1, while the five-speed gearbox remains the same.

There are some other subtle changes around the bike, such as lowered passenger pegs, two-inch wider stalks on the mirrors and a re-designed shift pedal. This features a longer shaft, which should be easier to get your boot wrapped around. The side stand design has been simplified, although I never rode the previous generation so all I can say is, “it works very nicely for me, thank you.”