WHEN I picked up the Buell at Dockgate 20 I asked Bob Tile if there was anything to watch out for.

"Yes, the fun!"

And that was what I did.

My first thought when I sat on the Buell CityX was that it seemed rather tall and the tank had a rather intimate relationship with me.

First impressions can be so very wrong. Before the first set of lights I was in fun mode and the bike felt as comfy as my old gloves.

Sit into the bike and the height is fine and the riding stance allows the knees to sit comfortably into the see-through tank (which is actually the air filter).

The narrow bars with hand protectors proved great for me - after a full day of riding I was relaxed enough to want more.

An absolute essential is good instruments. The red needles against a blue background combined with an analog display on the Buell's clocks are very easy to read.

That background blue is a feature of the design and repeats on the small front screen, tank and rear mudguard.

The beauty of the CityX is the mass weight centralisation; the sweet balance means it is as happy at 5mph as it is at the top of its performance.

In town the precise handling and the extremely narrow profile make the Buell an absolute joy; it's simply fun to ride.

The fuel-injected 948cc Harley-based engine is extremely tractable, producing buckets of torque and just as comfortable in a traffic jam as on the motorway - no mean trick!

In and around town the CityX is a predator; the seating position of 825mm puts the rider high enough to command traffic which the stated 83bhp is more than able to master.

As with the other Buells that I have ridden I love the brakes.

The whopping 370mm front disc that fills the space around the rim is bitten by a six-pot calliper.

No sharp grabs on the disc though - during the time I've had the bike the feedback has been superb and very inspiring.

Couple that with the single piston and 240mm disc on the rear and you have a recipe for happy stopping.

Manoeuvrability and handling have been a constant source of enjoyment for me - bends and roundabouts are bread and butter to this bike.

The low dry weight of just 175kg became ever more apparent as I became accustomed to the bike.

The reasons to own a Buell CityX are legion - it's a svelte racehorse of a bike with inspiring handling and stopping.

But more than that, what has shone through for me is simple good clean fun on two wheels.

The Buell Lightning CityX XB9SX is available from Dockgate 20 for £5,995 on the road with a two-year unlimited warranty and totally free first service. To book a test ride or for more information call 0870 4170 170.