Buell Firebolt XB12R ... or Monster S2R 1000

Hey Folks,

Well I have narrowed it down to these two bikes.  I love the uniqueness of both, and they both offer enough performance for me.  I've heard negative things about maintenance and general cost of ownership, but the model years in question were 2003-04.  Wanted to tap into anyone who may have personal real-world experiences with either one of these bikes, as opposed to just reading spec-sheets and conjecture.  Thanks in advance for any comments.  

IIRC, S2R 1000 was not available until 2005 model year... I believe the Monster 1000DS was available in 2004.

Two different bikes, only thing similar is the v-twin configuration. XB12R Firebolt is a half-faired sportbike, the Monster S2R 1000 is a streetfighter/naked sportbike/whatever you want to call it.

A XB12S Lightning would be more comparable to a Monster. I think there is a comparison on sportrider.com or motorcyclistonline.com

Edit: Sorry. got sucked into a meeting. sometimes actually have to work at work.

See if you can get a demo ride. Buell as a whole seems to have a nationwide demo day program and some Ducati dealers are amenable to this.

WIth the Duc, you always have to plan and budget for the desmo valve service or you learn to do it yourself.

Either way, you get a bike that, while not as fast as the Japanese inline-four liter iron, would likely give many smiles per mile.