| Author | Message | ||
     Metaldude |
I'm new to the Buell line, having ridden antique bikes for the last 20 years. So I guess it was inevitable that I flipped my Ulyssess within 24 hours of riding it off the show room floor. Twisting the throttle hard at a stop light, it flew 15 feet and landed on its top. So... the bike runs great. I replaced all the cosmetic stuff that was broken (windscreen, mirrors, handlebars...) BUT.. there is now a terrible noise when I go over 2K RPM. It sounds like hammering and is very loud. It corresponds with the RPMs on the bike (it gets quicker as they do). I replaced the front motor mount / isolator today with no effect. Has anyone flipped their Ulysses and had bad engine noise afterwards? If so, what was your specific problem? (Message edited by metaldude on August 19, 2009) | ||
| Hughlysses |
You just need to go over the bike with a fine-tooth comb. Sounds like something is loose that shouldn't be. One thing to check are all three muffler clamps. The front one is a one-use item and they can break when stressed, allowing the muffler to rattle against the mount. Loose muffler can lead to other worse problems. If you don't find anything, I'd remove the airbox cover, inner airbox cover, and baseplate and make sure nothing's loose under there. | ||
| Itileman |
You may also want to check your right wrist. | ||
| Debueller |
DUDE.......that is a harsh way to discover how easy the front end of the Uly comes up.  Check for the horn vibrating against the flyscreen. My '06 and '08 required a slight bend to the horn mounting bracket to move it away from the flyscreen. | ||
| Ratbuell |
+1 on the horn. Some have used sections of mousepad to pad the horn/flyscreen contact area. Easy way to find a rattle if its not internal engine? Turn the bike off, make a fist, and hit areas of the bike like you're knocking on a door loudly (using the butt of your hand not your knuckles). That will bring out the rattle. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Doh! I had totally forgotten about the fan rattle. I fixed mine shortly after delivery of my 07 by "tweaking" the bracket slightly. If that is the problem, you'll find a scar on the backside of the flyscreen where the horn's been hitting it. | ||
| Hardlya |
If it ran for very long upside down, you may have knocked out the rod bearings in the motor. Hope not!! | ||
| Hooper |
That must have been something to see. Any injury to yourself? With a bike as tall as an '06 Uly, it must have been a wild get-off. Any way to isolate the location of the noise? "Hammering" sounds like engine or transmission to me. My mechanic rode my Uly awhile ago and heard a primary chain rattle and tightened it, but it didn't sound like hammering. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Check your air filter cover. It may have come undone during the mishap. I only mention this because if that was displaced and the air filter shifted then it would not only make a hammering intake noise that increases with rpm but it would also leave your engine unprotected from airborne particulates. Just something you should check. After swiss cheesing my air filter cover the noise level of intake hammering have greatly increased on my bike. I always wear earplugs so I don't worry much about harming my hearing. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The horn rattle does sound like hammering. I don't think I'd be worried about the rod bearings; the BAS should kill the engine well before rod bearings could be destroyed. Besides, those roller bearings will go MUCH longer with no lubrication than insert bearings. If they were toasted, it'd be hammering at start up. | ||
| Metaldude |
Thanks everybody for the tips, I now have a lot to go on. The horn! I didn't think of that. The metal shroud that holds the gauges and the ignition switch got cracked in the accident. Not much, but reattaching the bug screen was a real pain so I know it's warped. The other day I used the horn for the first time and thought "dang, that's a wimpy sounding horn." I totally betcha that is the problem... Thanks again everybody! I've been riding a '71 Triumph for 20 years and also a '67 Sportster for the last 8. I'm completely unprepared for the Buell power and the high Uly seat. But now with a busted wrist, I've kept the front tire on the road (mostly). It's harder to snap the throttle with this wrist brace on.. | ||
| Glenn |
Hey, that's no fun. BTW you can shift your weight up over the air box and that with reasonable control with the throttle, you can still get a nice quick launch! | ||
| Metaldude |
The horn turned out to be the problem! Thanks everybody! It sure is a cramped compartment, even without the bending from the accident. But with a rubber mallet and a piece of 2x4 I was able to persuade it back into place. I've ordered the parts to fix it permanently -- but that looks like a job best left for the winter. Now that the horn rattle is gone (man, was that a loud noise!) I can hear how much noise my primary chain is making. Ah well, another day, another project :-) | ||
| Metaldude |
and oh yeah - it was a pretty unbelievable sight. I came up to a stop light with my brother on his Victory Hammer and said "wanna race?" (famous last words) The light turns green and I goose it and... next I'm laying on my back watching my bike fly end over end through the air. It was a pretty amazing flight - maybe 15 feet in all. Kinda neat with all the exploding tail light, mirrors, wind screen flying off... doh! | ||
| Ulynut |
Kinda neat with all the exploding tail light, mirrors, wind screen flying off... doh Yeah, maybe. If it wasn't your bike you were watching. That Hammer is a pretty quick bike, that would be a good race. Even though the Hammer is more suited to drag racing than the Uly with its longer wheelbase, with a good launch you could probably smoke him. | ||
| Firstbatch |
WOW....  ......That had to be be quite an amazing 2 seconds when you launched the Uly compared to your previous rides. Hope your wrist heals up fine. The image of it flying away from you is just eye popping. | ||
| Paralegalpete |
I dropped my Uly within the first 10k, not as spectacular as yours, I was a little to agressive with the front brake. | ||
| Riding_tall |
that had to be something to see .. least for your brother!! Glad your mostly all right. dropped mine the first week I had it in in the slowest crash I've ever had, Uly was the first bike back after a regrettably long time of not riding. got the bike .. got the gear .. now I need to get the skill back. went to a big parking lot near by that was under construction .. spent a good hour doing starts, stop's turn's and figure 8's as sharp as I could.. feeling good .. It's all starting to come back. Feeling good in my new bike and all new gear I go to leave out. Parking lot exit is on a slight hill .. did I mention under construction .. get to the top and stop. Should be a quick, stop .. look for traffic and go, except. The top of the exit is covered in loose pea gravel over the pavement. I stop, put my foot down and .. slide, slip .. son-of-a .. slip .. slip OUCH .... crunch. I look down at the bike and and think crud. Look up and in the parking lot across the street, a car, full of teen-age girls laughing and pointing as they pull away. Not the I really cared but still, it sucked and I lost any cool point I ever had right there !! That said .. if you did that by yourself be very careful if you ride two-up .. did a accidental wheelie with my wife on an on-ramp that she still thinks I did on purpose. | ||
| Petereid |
+1 on the two up wheelie.....I still have hand prints on the back of my helmet from where the wife was slapping me  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Glad you found the noise. If you want to adjust your horn, you can. There's a spot on it that looks like a dab of black RTV. There's a screw under the RTV, I want to say its a phillips. Start the bike (so you have "proper" voltage), set your screwdriver in the screw, hit the button. Turn the screw in or out as required to get it to sound right. It takes some fiddling...but can be done in about five minutes (including r/r the flyscreen). | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I've been riding a '71 Triumph for 20 years and also a '67 Sportster for the last 8. what Triumph did you ride? also the horn on my new 2006 Uly rattled against the windscreen and it wasn't even in a accident. |
