| Author | Message | ||
     Highlander51 |
I have not posted here for awhile as I had sold my 06 Uly, and bought a 08 1125 but need advise. I have a deal working on an 07 Uly with build date 4/07 that has 2,100 miles on it for $5,800. Bike has the later hard luggage and looks like new. Here's my problem. I just spent the last few hours reading all about the crank failures and now I'm concerned. Has there been any ID of the offending cranks? I love these bikes and would like to pull the trigger but I hate having this in the back of my mind. I guess i won't have to worry for 20-30k Right? | ||
| Windrider |
I wouldn't worry about it at all. I rode an 06 Uly almost 30K miles and it did not explode even once. I rode over 40K miles on a couple of Kawasaki KLR650s and I never worried a bit about the famous DooHickey. My riding companions who had all tore down their KLRs to modify that part would recoil in horror when I told them that I was completely unconcerned about imminent Valve train failure from DooHickey meltdown. I also rode my bikes to more remote locations and put on more miles than my riding buddies. The way I looked at it, I would rather spend the time and money to modify the doohickey riding than wrenching. My bet paid off: I never experienced a failure and I had some great rides instead. Motorcycles are just machines and some of them break and then you fix them. Think positive thoughts and ride on. | ||
| Reepicheep |
A few failures in there, but a few 100k bikes as well. If you can find an 08 or newer, you get a better crank, which is probably worth $1000 easy. If not, lots of people are riding 07 and earlier bikes, and only a handful have lost cranks. So if the price is right, go for it. I have one right in the middle of a cluster of failures. I'm not loosing sleep. It'll break, or it won't, and I'll fix it or replace it if it does. | ||
| Highlander51 |
I guess I'm wondering if any more has been discovered about what build dates or vin#'s were suspect. I do like the new style luggage on this bike. Bigger top box but the side box's seem narrower in width. How are the parts supply's from HD holding up on Uly's? I have 2 Buell dealers here in SoCal that I ask this question, but they are a bit vague about if things are slowing down as far as availability. | ||
| Swampy |
How are the parts holding up for the Uly? I can now get parts from my local never been a Buell Dealer H-D dealer simply by walking to the parts counter and asking for them. I don't even have to tell them it is for a Sportster or make excuses. I am thinking that H-D has given access to the Buell parts system to any old H-D dealer now. They don't even treat you as some sort of disease, they actually treat you as a person that needs parts. | ||
| Highlander51 |
That's good to hear about the parts. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I totalled my 2007 Uly. Well, somebody else actually totalled it, I was just on it at the time. And it wasn't really totalled, just adding up the costs of all the scratched and dinged parts was higher than the value of the bike, so the insurance company salvaged it back to me. Local Harley dealer had a few parts in stock, and had most of the rest within a week. The airbox cover in the right color took about a month, and didn't come with stickers (which I thought it would). Aside from the airbox (which being a color matched part, I'm willing to give some lattitude on), I got my parts about 4x faster than my riding buddies with the KTM's got the parts they ordered about the same time. | ||
| Bike_pilot |
If it were me (and it recently was) I'd hold out for an '08 or newer. No crank worries, lots of other upgrades, a few hundred desperately-needed rpms on top, etc. Well wort the ~$500 extra you might pay for one. Personally I'd rather have an '08+ with 20k miles than an '07 with 2k and that might put the price about equal. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
We will see how many 08/09/10 bikes make 100K miles like the 06 and 07 bikes already have. Given a choice of a low mile 06 and an 08 bike, I'd take the less expensive 06 any day of the weak. Way better off idle response on the 06/07 bikes. Yes I've ridden 06/07/08 bikes. Plenty of ECM gripes with the 08/09/10 bikes. Many feel compelled to to purchase EB.R ECMs to replace the stock. Forget the 07 bike and look for an 06 for many dollars less. | ||
| Uly_man |
Well for what its worth Highlander51 I have been reading XB and Uly posts for 5 years now and seen very few crank fails. There are many reasons why this can happen but it goes along the line you would with any IC engine. The only thing I would say on this issue is that the basic engine design is a VERY old, but sound, and needs to be run in with care if you want it to last. People do not "run in" things anymore but its a must with an engine like this. It needs 4 to 6k miles. Parts? I would not worry to much. I have had lots of old bikes with no problems. The main ones are plastics, because they become rare through accidents and an odd ball part, that only you are unfortunate enough to need so not a high stock item. How will the bike last? If you damage the frame or the engine goes its toast but thats the same with any modern bike. Apart from that I see no problems. You can get around most things if you have to it may just cost a little more. Ulys are great bikes and they got better as they grew up. They are however not for the average bike consumer. All Buells are "bikers bikes" and need some rider input to make them what they are. And yes buying one could be a risk. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I agree. If I was looking at an 07 or earlier, and an 08 or later (whenever they switched to the cam cover oil pump), I'd have the following thresholds.... $500 difference and within 10k miles, buy the 08 or later without a second thought. $1000 difference or more than 10k miles, hmmm... have to think long and hard about it. $1500 or 20k miles difference? Forget it, I'll take the cheaper 07 or earlier and take my chances with whatever adventure comes my way. Note that I would also value the hard luggage at $500 easy. | ||
| Schwara |
I have little or no history with the older Uly, but am very happy with my '09 XT. Any issues that I have had has honestly been easily addressed with help from others and previous posts out here on BadWeb. I have not had any issues finding any of the various parts that I've ordered and it is generally more of a question of who can get it to me fastest, most reasonably, & which are supporters of BadWeb. The crank issue would give me some pause to think as well, but if you've found a great deal on a bike you like then just keep in mind that nothing lasts forever and any bike could potentially die for a multitude of reasons. Ride them while you can, and when you can't start figuring out how to get back up and going once again. Good luck and have fun. P.S. - I'll add a +1 to Reep's purchase year eval above. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Remember, Highlander, there can be only 1. One of my all time favorite movies. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq4SqgxIKM0 | ||
| Highlander51 |
EG97, mine too! My screen name comes from me being a Scot and that I threw the heavy weights in the Highland games for many yrs. retired now from the games as I'm to old, but trowing a caber is still one of the skills I'm most proud of. Back to the Uly,this will be my second one so I'm up to speed one all the fix it's and upgrades. It's this crank thing that bothered me, but I'm over it. I mean the bike only has 2k miles on it, never down,never in dirt and 1 inch chicken strips on the tires. Great advise from all and good points to consider. Thank you i |
