Buell XB12R Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 14 consumer complaints across the 2 model years of the Buell XB12R (2004–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 2005 has the most, with 7. Across all years, the part named most often is exterior lighting (13 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All XB12R model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7 | 6,410 | 1 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 7 | 20,000 | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Exterior lighting13 93%
- Fuel system1 7.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “Ignition fuse blew on several occasions in past 2 years causing motorcycle to quit in traffic, inspected wiring harness replaced fuse, no defects noted. While traveling on the highway, the motorcycle died, I was able to get it to the side of the highway but replacing the fuse didn't help, it blew again upon turning the ignition key. Had it towed home and after troubleshooting the failure, I traced it to a chafed wire on the in-tank fuel pump. After researching, I found it to be a fairly common failure. …”
NHTSA complaint #10394197, filed 2011-04, 29,000 miles2004: “The head lamps on my 2004 Buell XB12R have needed replacement because the reflective coating on the lamp reflector, degrade to the point that light output become dangerously low for night driving. The motorcycle has a two headlight system. One lamp is used for low beam the other for high beam. The low beam lamp has been replaced twice since the bike was purchased new in aug 2004. The high beam lamp has been replaced once in the same time frame. I expected to have to continue annual replacement of the lamp assemblies because of this problem and to maintain safe night driving.”
NHTSA complaint #10181965, filed 2007-02, 25,000 milesOther Buell models
45 complaintsBuell 1125CR
44 complaintsBuell Firebolt XB9R
18 complaintsBuell S3 Thunderbolt
10 complaintsBuell S1 Lightning
7 complaintsBuell XB12S
7 complaintsBuell X1 Lightning
5 complaintsBuell XB12X
5 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology