The Buell Blast was built to be the easiest way into motorcycling. Made from 2000 to 2009, it used a single-cylinder engine derived from Harley-Davidson’s Sportster V-twin, a belt final drive that needed no adjustment, and plastic bodywork tough enough to survive a learner dropping it.
Buell Blast at a glance
| Maker | Buell Motorcycle Company, United States |
|---|---|
| Production | 2000–2009 |
| Engine | 491.64 cc single, air-cooled, two valves, pushrods and rocker arms |
| Fuel system | carburettor with automatic choke |
| Valve gear | self-adjusting hydraulic lifters |
| Final drive | automatically tensioned toothed belt |
| Bodywork | Surlyn, the plastic used for golf ball covers, colour moulded in |
| Engine origin | Harley-Davidson Evolution Sportster V-twin with the rear cylinder removed |
| Role | entry-level model and Harley-Davidson Rider’s Edge training bike |
History of the Buell Blast
The Blast was conceived as an entry-level motorcycle to attract newcomers to motorcycling in general and to Harley-Davidson in particular, so its design goals were low cost and ease of operation and maintenance. The engine was taken from Harley’s Evolution Sportster V-twin with the rear cylinder deleted, giving an air-cooled single of 491.64 cc with two pushrod-operated valves and hydraulic lifters that never need adjusting. A carburettor with an automatic choke and an automatically tensioned belt final drive removed two more routine jobs from the owner.
The bodywork was made from Surlyn, the same substance used for the outside of golf balls, so that the panels could take the knocks of a dropped learner bike; the colour was moulded into the plastic rather than painted. The Blast was also used in Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge New Rider programme, a course similar to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse, which put the model in front of thousands of beginners.
In July 2009, before ending all motorcycle production, Buell ran an advertisement announcing that the Blast would no longer appear in the line-up. It showed a Blast being destroyed in an automobile crusher. For 2010 a limited run of the crushed cubes was offered for sale on request, in Battle Blue, Midnight Black and Sunfire Yellow, each signed and numbered by Erik Buell.
Design and features
- Single-cylinder simplicity: a 492 cc air-cooled engine with one cylinder fewer than the Sportster it came from.
- Low maintenance: hydraulic valve lifters, an automatic choke and a self-tensioning belt drive.
- Surlyn bodywork: flexible, colour-moulded plastic that shrugs off low-speed falls.
- Training role: the standard mount of Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge new rider course.
Buell Blast versions
- Blast (2000–2009): the standard production bike.
- Rider’s Edge fleet bikes: examples used in Harley-Davidson’s new rider training programme.
- Crushed cubes (2010): a limited run of crushed Blast cubes in Battle Blue, Midnight Black and Sunfire Yellow, signed and numbered by Erik Buell.
The Blast was the smallest Buell, well below the XB9 twins. More Buells are in the Buell collection.
Video: My 2001 buell blast, Starter bike.
Video by Dbest1a’s Ride on YouTube.
Sources
- Buell Blast, English Wikipedia: design goals, Surlyn, Rider’s Edge, 2010 cubes
- Buell Blast, Italian Wikipedia: engine size and layout, production dates
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