| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
In December of '05 I bought an '06 Uly. I kept it until this last May when I traded it in on an '08 XT. The '06 had 34,640 miles on it when I traded it in, and my XT currently has 8,153 on it. After reading this forum for a while (like since the inception of Big, Bad and Dirty) I'm wondering what kind of Lemons I've been riding. I mean; the wires haven't been chafed through, my charging system has been trouble free, my wheel bearings are fine, my bikes didn't knock, the belts didn't snap, the engines carbureted cleanly and didn't foul plugs, my sidestand bolts never broke or backed out and my B.A.S. never acted up. I did have a wireform clutch cable bracket break at 8,000 miles, and the fan died around 24,000 miles on the '06, but both were replaced under warranty. What am I doing wrong? | ||
| Hughlysses |
You need to hang out at SacBORG more often so they can tell you how awful Buells really are.  | ||
| Froggy |
You need to go off road so you can bitch about tires and gearing.  | ||
| Bienhoabob |
You are probably babying the bikes. Like running over 100 mph on the parade lap at Homecoming.  | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Crusty I'm having problems with my 2006 Uly also. I had to replace the rear tire at 10,000 miles, the rear brake pads at 16,000 miles and damn if I didn't have a headlight bulb burn out at 19,000 miles! That's just not right having to replace all of that stuff before I even get 20,000 miles on my motorcycle. I won't count the rear flat tire that I had to plug just after the 1000 miles service because that was because I ran over a screw. It's just a good thing I enjoy riding my Uly so much since all the problems it has caused me. p.s. it's NOT for sale!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Tstone |
I'm having similar reliability issues. Mine burned out a turn signal bulb when it was only one year old, and it continually wears out tires. Strangely, the tires exhibit this odd wear pattern where the outer edges - right where the tread meets the sidewall looks like somebody is going after it with sand paper or a file. It's like it's all roughed up and the rubber wants to sluff off. I think it's that TPS thingy - or maybe wheel bearings? Even the rear-views are junk. It says images are closer than they appear but, for some inexplicable reason, other motorcycles in my rear-view tend to SHRINK until they are no longer visible. JUNK! I don't know, man. I'm starting to think about a Beemer. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Tstone, The BowelMovementonWheels is just a subliminal suggestion cause by too many of them shrinking peripherally in your convex mirrors. Quaff a beer and clear thy thoughts young grasshopper. | ||
| Xbimmer |
Don't mean to add insult to your injuries guys, but I'm glad I didn't get one of those lemons you got. 10/05 build '06, purchased 05/06, currently 50k, let's see now... Discolored original seat, warrantied. Piece missing from tail light lens but installed anyway by factory, warrantied. Side case racks didn't fit, parts guy actually gave me two new ones but they didn't fit either so I took my old ones back, still tweaked. Top case rack visibly welded crooked. Side case latches both broke, warrantied. Pinger from Day 1, purchasing dealer pronounced it "OK" at 1k service. Another dealer out of state pronounced it "too advanced from factory" two months later. Neither dealer ever reimbursed me my $85 for what should have been warrantied. Blown oil cooler, warrantied. Clutch cable wireforms, three replaced out of pocket, not worth fighting with the service department. Stator/VR, stator warrantied. Not the VR, they said it was fine... until the new stator didn't work either. Replaced the VR out of pocket and told my dealer goodbye. Fan, warrantied. Fuel pump, warrantied. Instrument cluster, tach sweeping erratically and randomly. Warranty pending, got it in just before the 2 years. Still need to get it in there for final diagnosis. Yep, sorry to hear you guys got those lemons. (Message edited by xbimmer on August 16, 2008) | ||
| Bartimus |
you can come and trade me for my '08 XT with 8400 miles. It shifts worse than my '93 Harley, and surges terribly between 2500 and 3500 RPMs. This is one Buell I'm wishing I left at the dealers!!! | ||
| Xbimmer |
you can come and trade me for my '08 XT with 8400 miles. Not a chance bro. I didn't post my woes for sympathy but just to remind others that some of us have had to pay for our Smiles for Miles. I'm very glad that some Uly riders are having a great ride. Truly. I'm also glad that this past crap is outta the way for me. I own the bike, it's out of warranty and I can fix it now when needed, and I love the beast. I still like how people ask "What is that?" and I get to explain what Buells are about. My Uly is a keeper. | ||
| M_singer |
It seems that opinions and experiences vary on how reliable Uly's are. Nearly everyone seems to love riding them. I was planning on taking mine to a local dealer yesterday to see about trading it in on a supper clean used '08 V strom but, they had sold the bike. I took the Uly on a nice ride instead. I love riding this bike! Mine runs awesome I have just been worried over the problems that I have seen other have here. I am leaning towards keeping her now and waiting to see what BMC comes up with as a solution to the wheel bearing issues. I still have plenty of warranty left. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
I come to this board so that I can find things out about my bike, as well as other group experiences. But the amount of whining from a few guys on here makes it sound like Buell's are a non reliable piece of crap. Mine isn't. 4K mile's on a 08. Runs fine. Doesn't break. But the negative vibes I get off this board, have me worried. If you have something constructive to say about the bike, then please do so, and if you have something negative to say - please get it off your chest, and do so - ONCE. Otherwise, sell your Buell, by another bike and enjoy yourself, just don't bring the rest of us down. The constant whining is getting ridiculous. | ||
| M_singer |
Gsilvernale I must have missed the memo that made you the judge over what is an isn't OK to discuss here. I'm glad that you are impressed that your bike has not broke in 4k miles. Mine didn't make it to 2k before the writing harness rubbed though. | ||
| Bpt |
It appears that any board you go to is about complaining. My cousin has an Aprilia, and while he has had no issues and loves the bike, he is terrified by the comments. The H-D forum is the same way, negative comments all the time. You have to take it with a grain of salt, ride what you love and deal with the issues, because everything has issues. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
Each of us is free to judge whatever we want. Its called free will. My opinion is that whining does not improve the situation. I try to teach my kids not to whine about stuff (and here I am whining about not whining....) I am not saying that the Uly is perfect. It's a machine - with lots of moveable parts. Some stuff will break. As Bpt says, ride what you love and deal with the issues. Every bike I have owned has had some issues. If I didn't like the bike, I sold it, moved on and got something I liked more. | ||
| M_singer |
Gsilvernale, Let me be more clear. You are certainly entitled to your opinions and to express them. The same goes for me and everyone else. You are NOT entitled to tell others what they can or cannot say. You do not own the forum. You do not make the rules here. Most of the whining I here on this forum comes from people who seem to get offended when someone suggests that there are some reliability issues with these bikes that are above what is the industry norm. | ||
| Hooper |
My '06 had the flaw of being attractive to a 10-point buck. The dealer could do nothing for me under warranty. Other than that, I'm rockin'. I've been adding lots of farkles to try to change its appearance, bit by bit, in order to make it less attractive to Bambi. I understand the repeated posting of flaws of the bikes, but I've learned to identify the posters and the issues, so I have a fairly realistic idea of the potential problems to watch out for. Tonight, I did a loving once-over on my Uly, after installing the Touratech handguard extensions, and made sure to check all the usual places. I feel pretty good, and appreciate all the extra info. (Message edited by hooper on August 17, 2008) | ||
| Metalstorm |
My condolences go out to those who have has trouble free bikes. You will never get the full bonding effect that comes with nursing your baby back to health. My S had a whole bunch of electrical problems but I made lemmonade. Because of my bikes quirks I am now a self taught 12 volt electrical technician. It has made me more intimate with this bike than with any other. Mainly because this is the first bike I've ever owned that I could do my own work rather than take it to a dealer (like my previous two Kawi's) After all I've dealt with. After all the tribulations. I never gave up on my bike. My bike never gave up on me. We now have a beautiful relation ship and are looking forward to our fourth anniversary next May. So I'm sorry you will never get to experience the beauty of this. Perfect, absolute trouble free bikes can be so.....boring.  | ||
| Pso |
I think the "whining" has been helpful to me. As problems are found usually the person also comes up with a fix, which I then either do (wires rubbing on heads, throttle cable adjuster cable, clutch cable wire form etc), or print out and file in case I need to use the fix later, eg fuel pump, wheel bearings, #77 plug inspection and fix,etc. also when I engaged in whining about the dealer 1K service and then how poorly the bike ran, I got lots of input from the board as to the fix and got the problem straightened out. | ||
| Red_chili |
My horn quit working. Good to know I don't have a lemon. Ground lug behind the headlight again. This time I put shrink tube on it as a strain relief. I must be turning the handlebars too much. I *think* I have fixed my BAS issue. We'll see. Clean all the BAS wiring connectors, dielectric grease, all good. Hit the connectors in front of the pulley too for good measure. Less voltage fluctuation now. Headed off an issue due to some strategic whining on the board. So far, everything I've had to fix has had a buck-two-ninety-eight solution. None of my other bikes can claim that. OK, I guess the surging and occasional coughing when taking off, and the excessive engine heat, cost me $50 or so. For the ECMSpy cable. They are gone too now. It's easier to fix this dang thing than it is to take it to the dealer to get it fixed under warranty! Regards waiting for BMC to change the wheel bearings (which they will), just change them every tire change, or every other. Grease them on the times you don't change them. They are not expensive. Problem solved. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
M_singer, I have read some of your other posts, and your opinions come across real clear. So no need to be more clear. I envy the fact that you live in the greatest riding area in the United States (opinion), and if we ever met face to face, we probably would hit it off and have some good times. But since we have not met yet, I would like you to know that I am slightly insulted by your postings. Not sure if you meant to be insulting? If I offended you in my first posting about whining, then I am sorry. I'll make sure to put the word "opinion" into every posting I make from now on. | ||
| M_singer |
Gsilvernale I apologize for insulting you. If you are ever in the area look me up. I know lots of good roads. | ||
| M_singer |
>>>>>Regards waiting for BMC to change the wheel bearings (which they will), just change them every tire change, or every other. Grease them on the times you don't change them. They are not expensive. Problem solved. how many wheel bearing changes would you expect before the wheel-bearing fit becomes too loose? I don't see that as a solution. | ||
| Court |
Having ridden my Buell through 44 states . . . I just know that sucker is going to give me trouble someday . . . and Mr. Buell's own Buell, this very week, is in Montana being abused (please keep this quiet) and seems to just keep on percolating . . . . . but I'm sure he'll get his someday! I'm heading back to the Porsche board where they are arguing about Porsche failing to step up to the plate and address the heat issues in the 2008's. . . . | ||
| Xbimmer |
I'm heading back to the Porsche board where they are arguing about Porsche failing to step up to the plate and address the heat issues in the 2008's. . . . Maybe those Porsches need a RSS...  | ||
| Red_chili |
how many wheel bearing changes would you expect before the wheel-bearing fit becomes too loose? I don't see that as a solution. Enough to carry you past any mileage you ever hope to put on the bike. |
