This naked Lightning nameplate was introduced for the 2004 model year as part of Buell’s XB generation, bringing the company’s compact, sport-oriented streetfighter formula into a larger-displacement package. It followed the earlier XB Lightning concept and became the mainstream big-bore street model in the XB family, positioned as the sharper, more upright alternative to the Firebolt and aimed at riders who wanted Buell’s trademark handling and unconventional design in a simple, aggressive roadster layout.
Across its run, the model remained closely tied to Buell’s aluminum frame, fuel-in-frame architecture and distinctive under-engine exhaust packaging, which helped define the XB series as something different from conventional American motorcycles. It was also one of the core XB models that carried Buell through the middle of the 2000s, alongside related variants such as the lower-seat-height and long-wheelbase Lightning derivatives. Over time, the bike received the usual model-year refinements in colors, chassis details and component updates, but it stayed recognizable as the original short-wheelbase big Lightning.
Production ended after the 2008 model year. For 2009 and beyond, Buell shifted away from this exact nameplate as the XB lineup was reduced and the company’s product direction changed, making the 2004–2008 run the clear continuous production period for this model. Among Buell enthusiasts, it remains one of the defining street models of the brand’s XB era and a key example of Erik Buell’s unconventional approach to performance motorcycles.