| Author | Message | ||
     Ezblast |
LOL - sorry - wish I did! EZ | ||
| Guell |
At March Badness, there was a q&a forum with Jon Flickinger. A blast question was asked, and he said that for the time being it fits their bill for the beginner riders course. But, he said that when the time comes, the blast will not be upgraded, only replaced... | ||
| Ezblast |
Yeah - thats kind of what I got from Erik B. at a dinner in his honor. EZ | ||
| Reuel |
562.5B? B for Blast replacement.  | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Amazing what I find cruising around Badweb. I didnt know this thread existed! I must say that I'm awfully glad I took that picture of the XBlast at the track. If anything to prove it exists (though sadly I dont think its been raced in awhile). | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
FWIW or my 2 cents: I agree with the Buell enthusiast being the great salesman. Along that line I've spent a good chunk of money (relative term-I'm not rich) putting a Blast on the race track. I've never even ridden it on the track, somebody else more capable does that. I do enjoy working on it though. Its cheap fun to race. Too bad there isnt more of it. If it wasnt for the Blast (and this forum) I doubt if I'd ever have gotten out on a road course (even if only for track days). If not for the Blast, I doubt I would have considered buying any Buell. | ||
| Blake |
It'd be a real shame if Buell doesn't develop a kick ass air-cooled single cylinder sport bike. Something crazy lightweight and too fun to ride. | ||
| Ezblast |
I sooooooo concur! EZ | ||
| Court |
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| Reepicheep |
And give it a dual sport sibling... something you can use as a commuter with luggage, or throw a set of knobbies on depending on your mood. Kind of like my KLR-250, but without all the 25 year old technology, and a touch more then 17 HP at the rear wheel. | ||
| Luckyduck |
Hey, I was at the dealer getting my Blast dyno'd yesterday and there was an amazing amount of interest in the small bike with 60mpg and 30hp. The woman working in service had just bought one, 2 other guys in service have them as "back up" bikes and a couple customers were all checking it out and asking a lot more questions than I normally get when it is there. Maybe a 300lb Blast replacement with XB type tech, 17" wheels and flat tracker styling is the surprise at the homecoming this year? Now that is a rumor worth mongering. Paul | ||
| Ezblast |
Found it!  EZ | ||
| Strato9r |
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's GORGEOUS, EZ! The corruption continues! | ||
| Swordsman |
I'll admit, I didn't read through all 90 previous posts, so I may reiterate what someone else has mentioned. I was looking at a Blast when I 1st got started riding roughly 3 years ago, but through encouragement from my father-in-law, wound up with an Ss instead. After a year of learning to ride the Ss, I took my MSF course at the local Rider's Edge . I found the Blast to be a really fun little bike, with just a few drawbacks. Things I liked: Comfy seating position, easy power delivery, fun thumper engine (the bouncing was great!). Fuel economy, if I owned one. Things I didn't like: bad brake dive, the ginormous foot pegs that scraped constantly, rear brake pedal was so soft I couldn't tell if I was pressing it (counted against me on my test because they thought I was braking early!), and of course the look. Fun as the Blast me be, pretty it aint. I think they'd have a REAL winner if they'd jack the footpegs up another inch, give it normal sized wheels, and pretty-up the frame/tail section. That's all. The weird criss-cross design of the frame has always bugged me (I'm an artist, so things that don't flow properly drive me nuts!), and the tail section looks like a locust. I've actually mistaken Blasts on the highway for scooters (at distance) because of the small wheels. Just a few dress ups, and I think it'd be a jam-up little ride. I'd like to have one as a project bike, if I thought my wife would let me keep two bikes. ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on May 20, 2008) | ||
| Ezblast |
  Your right on looks, however, part of the fun of the Blast is because it is so inexpensive, it can be inexpensively modified - at least compared to other bikes. EZ | ||
| Sarodude |
For me, the BIGGEST problem with the Blast is the suspension. It just plain doesn't handle my mass too well. At least a preload adjuster for the rear would have been nice. I LOVE the Blast as a commuter, but me (maybe 220 lb with gear) and a backpack or some sort of luggage and I can't clear speed bumps. For the California Blasts, I really wish that the issues with the evap implementation could be addressed. And as long as we're talking, I'd say that, the Blast being a Parts Bin Special, could SO benefit from the XB parts bin in the head / piston / cams department.... I know the head would be a unique casting - but the current Blast head is also. I think these are reasonable requests. I'm not asking for 2x the power or a $9000 version of a $4500 bike. And, incidentally, I'd LOVE for the Blast to march through a couple of decades largely unchanged. We're too busy discarding designs for reasons we think are important. Bikes like the KLR, the classic Concours, and the Savage (is it an S40 now?) are some examples of that. -Saro | ||
| Davegess |
The small wheels on the Blast are the result of the target market, short people! Seriously the marketing research done indicated one of the biggest obstacle to shorter women buying a bike was their inability to get both feet flat on the ground. When they can do that a beginners confidence level goes way up. The second part of the small wheels was they they wanted a small bike that didn't look that small. From 20 feet away the proportions are right and the bike does not look tiny. | ||
| Jlnance |
Is this the closest we will get to an official statement that it really is a girls bike? Seriously, I assume women riders were the target demographic, but I've never had anyone in the know actually confirm that. | ||
| Davegess |
Well it is far from official as I am not official in anyway. It was always called a beginners bike but clearly aimed at women. I has been a huge success, not much of a financial one but certainly met its goal of introducing new people to biking. The numbers of people who have trained on them is over 100,000 and growing. | ||
| Sarodude |
I can tell you that a huge part of Loli's confidence riding came from the Blast's friendliness. No arguments on the small wheels & the low seat. Dave, funny you mention the proportions... Not only does the bike look right, but smaller people look right on the bike. And, BTW, a huge part of the Blast's handling is the 16" wheels everyone seems to want to ditch. Go bigger and the bike WILL lose agility. One other thing.... I think the heavy flywheel, low revs, and general automotive feel of this type of driveline makes the power management aspect of motorcycling easier - given that most of the people trying to learn to ride on these bikes probably know how to drive. -Saro | ||
| Reuel |
I'm 5'11" around 215 pounds, and I started on a Blast in 2001 at the young age of 32. I'm still Blasting, and there's no end in sight. | ||
| Ezblast |
I also am no puny person - saro - shim the shock and forks, go to7.5 oil and enjoy! Lance - as tall as you are - most any bike looks like a girls bike next to you - lol EZ | ||
| Sarodude |
We shouldn't have to shim ANYTHING. If a bike isn't designed to properly handle a 200 pounder, it'd be nice if it said so someplace. We shouldn't have to butcher the CA Evap system to keep the bike from dying. Yeah, someone's gonna chime in here and say something about the cannister being full of fuel or water or something. My only answer to that is that it is obviously too easy for normal folks under normal circumstances to cause that system to malfunction - leading to stalling in unfortunate situations which can result in "death or serious injury". The sort of oil consumption our Blasts have displayed with stock internals is dismaying. It's been bad enough to warrant topping off oil from fuel fillup to fuel fillup. Again, something I don't know a beginner should be saddled with. The mirrors are ludicrously unfriendly to adjust. No big deal for a seasoned rider with a tool pack. Maybe not the greatest thing for an unsure newb who may not even know what to look for in a well adjusted mirror. Also, something to consider... Many folks on many Buells (not just Blasts) have all sorts of troubles with various safety mechanisms which can kill the motor if they malfunction. It would be REALLY REALLY REALLY nice if there were a legitimate bypass system. Yeah, no big deal for a mechanic type with tools and experience. BUT this would leave many newbs stranded. I'm just speaking to things that have affected me (both as a newbie and as a more seasoned rider), the newbs who I know who've ridden Blasts, and occasionally stuff that hits other Buells too. I know we like to think of the Blast as bulletproof. Well, maybe the motor and tranny are, but last I checked, a malfunctioning fuel system (hindered by malfunctioning evap controls) or a malfunctioning ignition system (hindered by malfunctioning safety systems) renders the allegedly bulletproof bike little more than a road hazard. Lowest warranty claims...... Blasts do tend to not be ridden much. My personal experiences with dealer techs led me away from allowing anyone to touch our Blasts. We had warranty issues that never reached Buell - because I'm not letting people who don't respect me or the bike I ride work on it. I love the Blast. It is one of very few honest, elemental motorcycles. Not every change requested is trying to change the character or intent of the bike and not every change requires a retool of the whole production line. Just make some small improvements. I also love Buell. Neat company, people, founder, etc. Even if Soichiro Honda was still alive, I don't know that I'd ever get to shake his hand or talk guitars with him. -Saro | ||
| Ezblast |
I would like to point out that formula bikes have also used smaller wheel/tire combo's for better handling, and I've often thought that that is one of the reasons that the Blast hangs so well with its bigger brothers in the twisties - in fact I'm sure of it. If you wanted something able to do all things very well from the factory without modifications, then the price point you looked at in buying the Blast is way too low - double it, and that is the bike price range you should be looking at. The Blast is a great all around motorcycle, but of course should be modified to fit different riding styles and sizes - nothing fits everybody - thats why we have tailors still - lol - the only reason I went to a slightly larger profile tire was for the better selection of rubber - its worked for me. Buells can be all about modifying, however, they can also be perfect right out of the box - there is really nothing I would change on the current XB12R except perhaps better reflectors for the front lighting, and I wouldn't do that till it needed it - another thread - still in my eye its an almost perfect bike. EZ | ||
| Ezblast |
Dave - triple that number and you would be closer to the truth - Blasts go through more hands than.....you know the jokes - lol EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Saro, nice to see you here. I'd have to disagree with the shimming point though. If you want to fine tune the suspension shimming is needed, but for the Blasts intended purpose its fine unshimmed. The evap charcoal canister piece is Cal only but the same thing happened on my 'Softail'. Filled it up with gas before parking it in the sun (a mistake I rarely make and it wasnt planned that way). Thanks to the Blast (and having 2 cylinders) I knew what was going on and took the steps to correct it. So I'm doubtful its a Blast only phenomenon. | ||
| Kmbuell |
This is most likely the wrong place to address these issues, and I'm most likely not the best at doing it, but. Did you ever wonder why we have so many choices in almost everything we do or buy? It might be because really nothing is perfect for everyone. I have three Buells, a highly modified S-2, a slightly modified M-2 and a work in progress Blast (rearsets, cams, exhaust, intake, going to 17" wheels and tires with chain drive, etc). I might be lucky, but none of the bikes has every left me stranded away from home. Yes I do check the bikes on a regular basis, and yes I do my own work. But to slam all dealer mechanics is plain wrong. There are many good one who understand it is their job to get your bike fixed right, the first time and they do. I don't really believe that every blast owner has given up on the warranty and not reported issues. The CA evap deal is really a no brainer. Stop filling the tank to the top, leave it down an inch. Common sense for many of us. Especially after it gets you once. But it is different, and different is what make us all go around. Embrace it, or buy something different. Lot's of choices. Flame away, but think first. | ||
| Sarodude |
EZ and Erik- I'm not talking about FINE tuning or about hauling posterior. My point about the rear shock from earlier was that it should have a preload adjuster. Not asking for premium Ohlins 4 way stuff with remote preload and ride height. Just simple preload adjustment. For an end user to replace the shock it is a serious expense. I think if the Blast became just a touch more useable the few dollars it would cost the factory (likely passed on to the consumer) would be justified. Maybe marketing folks really believe that a $4425 bike will sell less than a $4399 bike. Maybe it's even true. I dunno. Honestly, I'd question whether I'd want Mr Nickle Dime as a customer... And, BTW, when I bought my first Blast BRAND NEW, nowhere in any manual did it state that the intended purpose of the bike did not include a fairly typically sized American male who would use the bike for more than MSF parking lot shenanigans. In fact, the continual touting of the Blast's awesome gas mileage plus passenger accommodation seem to imply that the bike is more than just a beginner toy. I may never have embarked on the Blast journey if I'd been made aware of the bike's intended purpose (trainer and nothing more) and unsuitability for my mass. Again - I'm not asking for the moon. Not an XB Chassis. Not 17" wheels. Not 3 & 4 way premium adjustable suspension. Not more power or a different motor, full bodywork, built in GPS, or a freakin' rear view camera with a universal AnyHelmetHUD system. I get that higher quality cylinders will add SIGNIFICANTLY to the cost of the bike - so maybe I'll take the oil consumption as it is. I'm mainly asking for bug fixes and ONE minor refinement - a freakin' preload adjuster (ONE way adjustable rear suspension). Just my thoughts. For now I'm commuting on my Dyna (well, until it gets fixed, I'm commuting on my S2 (well, until THAT gets fixed, I'm commuting on Loli's Sporty)). I'd rather commute on the little single that could but the squishy suspension kinda sucks on San Francisquito. Yeah - I'm saying my butt gets hauled around corners better on a stock 2002 FXD than on the Blast. And that, folks, is what bugs the crapola outta me. That some gargantuan "cruiser" from Milwaukee outhandles the allegedly nimble, fine handling Blast. I'd be less inclined to say that if said preload adjuster (which is set to max on the Dyna) was available on the Blast - or maybe if instead of Pro Series Tassles, there was a $20 Pro Series Rear Suspension Shim Kit. Instead, we need to Kuldge up something. -Saro | ||
| Ezblast |
I dunno - you know my size, and I work it just fine. EZ | ||
| Sarodude |
EZ- Point is that you'd work my FXD - a worse handling bike(?) - better. Tell ya what - I'll ride the Dyna to the next Blast ride and you tell me. Seriously, this amazes me. Everyone feels inclined to ask for drastic stuff for the Blast. I'm asking for the most reasonable stuff I can possibly think of to keep the Blast pretty much where it's at WRT cost and not alienate the existing demographic - unless someone can convince me that a sub 1% change in the bike's price is going to demolish that demo.... Mostly it's to get existing systems to work bug free! No change in performance - just reliability The ONE performance or USEABILITY change I'd like is so freakin' minor it's nuts. It doesn't matter. Seems like development time & money will go to much higher profile products and a redesigned tank cover sticker every other year. -Saro |
