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Froggy
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2011 - 06:02 pm: | 
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quote:Any advice on the best next-step in keeping it cool?
Trade it in for a 1125R  |
Whisperstealth
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2011 - 06:04 pm: |
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Closing the gap between the frame and the seat/airbox cover will help. Taking the seat off and sealing all the gaps between the engine head and the frame and braces helps a lot.
Or you could just take the airbox cover off and leave it off. It creates more space, more gaps that allow the air to flow better. A jet of hot air doesn't hit your leg that way. It's what I do, and I like it. The increased air flow around the head keeps the engine cooler as well, plus it allows more air into the airbox.
In the winter I put the cover back on and enjoy the a little free warmth. |
Schwara
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2011 - 06:11 pm: |
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Can an 1125R be set up with a more neutral riding position and have a back seating area that a significant other would find comfortable? If not then it is not a trade I'll make. I know it sounds like a great bike, but I need a comfy bike for 2. |
Buewulf
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2011 - 06:23 pm: |
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Trade it in for a 1125R
Ha ha. I am about tired of this air-cooled crap, and if there were such an animal as an 1125X, than would be worth considering. I'm not really interested in upgrading from the quirkiest "adventure" bike ever made to the ugliest sportbike ever made, though.
Hmmm... I guess Triumph and Ducati do make an 1125X. |
Bike_pilot
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 05:04 pm: |
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Thanks so much for all the great info!
Wisper, the airbox cover? Is that the faux-tank thing (painted red on my red uly)?
I will definitely set about sealing up the gaps and will get an '06 seat. I think that is where most of the hot-air blast is coming from. I think I'm tall enough to still reach ok with the '06 seat. Also, I ride trials so I'm not big on putting my feet down anyway
I will also consider switching from wrapped pipes to ceramic coated. If I were starting from scratch I'd definitely go with ceramic, but since they are already wrapped the lazy part of me wants to leave them alone...
The triumph and duc are a lot longer and more plasticy than the Buell, I didn't care for them, though the ducati is particularly impressive in terms of performance, comfort and handling - very smooth and pulls really hard. The ducati Hypermotard is actually probably more similar to the XB12X than is the MTS1200. Its a lovely bike, awesome motor, great handling. Not great 2-up and luggage is limited though. Pretty comfy for just one person. The MTS1100 is a bit closer to the Buell as well. The KTM SMT 990 is pretty darn close to a 1125X - light, simple, raw, handles awesome. I'll probably swap out the Uly for one when prices come down or I get my student loans paid off - with luck by then it'll be an SMT1200 with the RC8R motor
I've got a TL1000S and Ducati Monster in the garage as of now, a 1125 as it currently exists would be a bit redundant. BTW if you've never tried a ducati air cooled motor, its wildly different from the HD motor in the buell. Much more responsive and wider rev range. It also stays pretty cool and doesn't cook me. Probably blasphemous here, but imo its a real shame Eric didn't snag ducati twins over the HD twin to use as a powerplant (like Bimota). He's done amazing things with the HD motor, but the Duc motor is so much better to start with (imo) I'd love to see where he'd be able to take it. Anyway, that's my ramblings, for now I'm excited to see what I can make of the Buell! |
Froggy
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 05:16 pm: |
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quote:(painted red on my red uly)?
There is no paint on your bike. Plastics have molded in coloring, which means you can easily buff them back to new condition after a few years of tank bag abuse. Frame/Swingarm and other hard parts are all powder coated, which is more durable than paint. |
Schwara
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 05:34 pm: |
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I nothing about buffing plastics but I do know that I have tank bag scuffs from the previous owners tank bag that I don't care for. Very interested in what equipment & products I need? Also, is this a job a newbie can attempt (without major damage) or should I try to find somebody with some experience doing this to walk me through it 1st. I don't want to make it worse than it already is. |
Schwara
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 05:36 pm: |
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Sorry ... it's been a long week already. What I meant to say was that I know nothing. I guess that is pretty obvious at this point. |
Buewulf
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 05:58 pm: |
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its a real shame Eric didn't snag ducati twins over the HD twin to use as a powerplant
I've always thought the same thing, though I'm sure he didn't have much choice in the engine snagging department. By the numbers, it isn't really any faster, but the air-cooled ducs somehow feel twice as fast as the XB. The character of the motor is so much more exhilarating. I can say that I really enjoy not having to check the valve lash, though.
Good luck making the Uly your own! I give mine a hard time, but I really have enjoyed the bike warts and all. |
Bike_pilot
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 06:17 pm: |
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Great info Froggy, I hadn't looked at the plastics closely and assumed they were painted. Color all the way through is nice, I wish all bikes were made like that!
Yeah the duc motors feel a whole lot faster. Even my wife's 620 2-valver feels faster than my Uly. I think a lot of it is the comparatively light weight flywheel/crank and ability to rev. Also ducati tends not to be as widly optimistic about its power figures so although a 1100 desmo is rated 3hp less than the XB12 motor, it actually makes approx 10hp more to the wheel. Valve checks are a pain, but it looks like I'll spend as much time trying to make the Buell cool and pre-fix its trouble spots as I will swapping ducati shims so it all evens out I suppose. In any event, I like the variety that different motors and makes provide.
Has anyone messed with reducing engine rotating mass in the Buell? If I'm not mistaken the XB motor uses heavy crank circles rather than a relatively light crank and then a heavy flywheel bolted to it (like ducati) which I suppose makes reducing rotating inertia more work.
Schwara, PJ1 and probably others make kits for polishing/buffing dirt bike plastic. I don't know if these work on Buell plastic, but might be a start. |
Dennis_c
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 09:54 pm: |
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Headlight buffing kits works good. |
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