| Author | Message | ||
     Ezblast |
Are you running Dunlop tires? If yes - those could well be the culprit. Switch to anything else and you'll be fine. EZ | ||
| Blastlvr |
Actually, I just replaced my rear tire a few weeks ago. It was a Dunlop. hmmm... thanks | ||
| Ezblast |
Ditch the Dunlops - lol EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! | ||
| Swampy |
Ditch the Dunlops I am suprised they are still being made... | ||
| Fast1075 |
Yup...get rid of the dunflops...and also make sure the triple clamp bolts and front axle are properly torqued and the steering head bearings are adjusted properly...the only times mine acts unsettled is when I run diagonally at a shallow angle across paint stripes, or hit a bad spot in the pavement while heeled far over...but it is generally just a single deflection of little consequence...one of these days I will mount a steering damper... | ||
| Reuel |
Mine did the same thing in a similar scenario on a Pirelli MT-75. I hear that a fork brace (EZ has a line on some good ones) will prevent that. | ||
| Ezblast |
http://www.superbrace.com/proddetail.asp?prod=4431 -01 EZ | ||
| Ezblast |
Thump - moved post to trouble shooting section. EZ | ||
| Grantl |
Hello all, new to the site, and think its a great place to find out about Buell issues and potential upgrades. I don't own a Buell, my son does--a Red 2001 Blast with 5200 miles that has been sitting for about 4 years. We recently got her running again after pulling and cleaning the carb (several times). Now it fires right up and idles well, although it does tick on the left front of the engine case for about the first minute or so. It rides okay but seems to lack oomph from throttle mid-range on upwards. I must admit that I'm used to Kawasaki inline 4's (KZ1000 and KZ750) so maybe the powerband is okay, I'm just used to a different feel. I also have noticed a ticking noise when trying to accelerate... Is this timing related or valve noise? Change subject... My son is scheduled to take the MSF course in a couple of weeks. I'm proud that he values his safety and wants to ride responsibly. I look forward to spending time riding together with him. Thanks for hosting a great site, look forward lots more good information. Regards, Grant. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Grant! The tick could be normal. Are you using 20w-50 oil? The Blast is slow revving (it doesnt have 3 other cylinders to help it along) and certainly much less power than an inline 4. However, the problem listed in your profile can be attributed to several things. Not the least of which is the charcoal epa canister. You must disconnect this (and NOT reconnect it) before we can further diagnose any problems. This little gem can kill a Blast quick, die on the highway, leave you stranded. Dont be fooled into thinking that if it came from the factory this way it must be okay. Its not. If its already been disconnected then nevermind, but its futile to try and solve any problem if it is still hooked up. Next on the list would be carb jetting and the primary chain adjustment. PS I've moved this to the New Blasters FAQ section. | ||
| 08obpwrx |
Hello, I just bought a new 09 yellow blast... I have one problem, riding 2up I came back from a ride to find a smoking rear fender... we bottomed out so bad the rear tail pushed the fender into the tire and MELTED right though! The fender was super hot and so was the tire. Now I have a massive hole in the rear plastic/fender/top belt guard thinggy! We are both 180lbs and I thought the blast could handle 390lbs load? Anyone ever have a problem like this? Thanks for any input - Josh (Message edited by 08obpwrx on May 01, 2009) | ||
| Krjoseph |
Can you get a picture of it? I'm not sure how that would even happen. Good new is you can find them on ebay regularly. | ||
| Ezblast |
That should be warranted. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Josh! That shouldnt happen and I would definitely ask the dealer about it. A Fellow badwebber did have a problem with the license plate holder hitting the tire and that was because the plate holder popped out of its mounts and was swinging down and hitting the tire. But you say your problem is with rear inner fender? You are the first owner and its not a Riders Edge bike? You've never dropped it? I've never checked the clearance with a disassembled shock, maybe its time. Usually they dont engineer it so its possible that the fender will make contact with anything at full travel. I've never heard of this problem unless it associated with another problem. | ||
| 08obpwrx |
I'm gonna check with my dealer, less than 900mi and I bought it brand new with 4mi on it... I already got another belt guard for 25 on craigslist. But it just bummed me out that I am replacing parts before 1000mi :-( | ||
| Ezblast |
If its new it has a 2 year warranty - use it! My bikes where first year bikes and the warranty on both bikes paid for themselves. Because the Blast is so reliable, people forget they are with a warranty as well. I don't know what happened there - unless you hoped a curve with her on it also, but then no one does that, so you got me - that spring is rated at at least 900lbs - so actually any hard dip could have produced that result - but that shock was new and never went full travel, you could have them shim it a 1/3rd an inch, Hagon or Works is another option, Penski is also a forgotten option, as is Ohlins - both do customs. Two up riding is a specialized form of riding, with higher standards to be looked at if being done with regularity, still it should be able to handle the occasional as well. EZ | ||
| Andychang |
Hello from a new Blast rider! (And some input, please) Hi All, I'm excited to have found this forum. I was referred here by a fellow student in my MSF class who had purchased a Blast off the classifieds forum. Prior to my purchase, I had done fairly extensive research pertaining to "decent first bikes" and it seemed as if the Blast made the lists fairly frequently. Due to my short stature (5'2"), I was immediately turned on by the availability of such a low profile seat. Not to discount UJM's, I searched the inventory at Road Track and Trail in Big Bend, WI; however, as they do not offer test rides on weekends, my options quickly dwindled. I ended up choosing a 2006 Blue Blast that had been used in a Rider's Edge program. It was actually the second Blast that I test-rode: the first one had the standard seat height, and 'just didn't feel right.' I know that's a terrible description, but the second one that I rode had a much better throttle response, a more defined friction zone, and the vibrations were markedly less. The bike I chose had 561 miles on it, and I paid a fair price as defined by KBB, even by a dealer's standard. Visual inspection showed very few scratches, and looked extraordinarily clean. I am keeping it at the dealer until I move into my new apartment this summer where I will have a residential parking garage to store it. I do have some questions regarding certain aspects of the bike, and any well thought out input will be greatly appreciated. I would prefer first-hand experience as opposed to hearsay or speculation. a) The extended warranty. I have an option of purchasing a 2 year extended warranty through the HD dealer I went to for 895 (including wheels and tires). Although this is attractive, I would like to purchase upgrades for the bike in the first year, i.e. a full Jardine exhaust system. Is there a break even point on my warranty return on investment? Put another way: with proper care and all scheduled maintenance, is it feasible and reasonable to accumulate repair bills (excluding scheduled maintenance, normal wear and tear, etc) of 895$ in the first 6 - 12 months of ownership? I speculate that it would not be possible to do so, and I am leaning towards skipping the extended warranty. As I mentioned, although the bike was used in Rider's Edge, it performs and feels "new." And it's a perk that it's cosmetically sound, too. b) Break in Period. I consulted with the owner's manual and noticed that there are break in provisions for 50 miles, and then 500 miles of riding. Although the 500 mile point has passed, I assume that most of the mileage accrued on the bike was due to low speed/low rpm riding. Should I institute a break in period as if the bike had "0 miles" (even though it has 561 in reality?) c) Security. Having moonlighted in the cycling industry for a few years, I know that there are a few options out there made by Kryptonite. Has anyone tried using their disc locks? I noticed that Buell Parts sells something similar for 46$, but the Kryptonite looks a little more durable. I am also looking to purchase a Kryptonite NY faghettaboutit chain lock for the rare occasion that I would be locking up the bike outside of my field of vision. Has anyone used something similar? My intent is to wrap the chain around the frame, but wasn't sure where to do that. d) Active GPS tracking. In corollary, I was looking to get a gps tracking system that did not rely on Lo-Jack. I have read good reviews about the Zoombak Universal Locator and wanted to get opinions on this. Any help you may have would be greatly appreciated. You can email me at the address listed below. And once again, it's good to be here! | ||
| Ezblast |
Buy the warranty. For an RE bike it could well be worth it. Ride it like you stole it, feed it oil regularly and you'll be fine - break in is over. EZ | ||
| Ezblast |
By the way - Welcome! EZ | ||
| Andychang |
Thanks. I think I will take your advice and get the extended warranty and forgo the add-ons that would void my warranty. In terms of re-selling the bike, I think that having the option of transferring the warranty (if the 2 years isn't up yet) would be attractive to the buyer. Also, for my first bike - I think the "responsible" thing would be to keep it entirely stock. Have a good one! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Andy! Concur, get the warranty. Not that you'd normally need it, but it being a Riders Edge bike it may have seen a lot of abuse in its first 500 miles. Keeping it stock maintains its reliability (and may keep the warranty intact-usually at the discretion of the dealer). Many problems are caused by modifications. Modifications are not necessarily bad, but your bike is only as reliable as the last person that worked on it. If you've never turned a wrench and start modifying, you're at a high risk for mistakes. I would take it easy for the next 400 miles and then get the 1000 miles service done. Its good to let them get a good look at it and warranty any items that may come up (mostly due to your lack of ownership for the first 561 miles). We'll let you know what to look for as they normally ignore the primary chain adjustment. Security-a good lock is beneficial and peace of mind. I've parked my Harley in many suspect places with only a fork lock and no alarm. This includes N.Y.C. A Blast is much less a target for theft. Its not worth much because when stripped for parts, most are only good on the Blast. Its not a high dollar resale either and a professional mc thief with a brain will see its only a single cylinder and not worth much. Any bike will get stolen, just make it difficult to do so. Lojack or the like is a waste of money for the Blast (but its your money that you paid for it, so thats up to you). If you've worked in the cycling industry you know a good lock from bad and what makes a bike an easier target. | ||
| Andychang |
Hello from a new Blast rider! (And some input, please) (sorry for the duplicate posting - I put this in the FAQ's section as well) Hi All, I'm excited to have found this forum. I was referred here by a fellow student in my MSF class who had purchased a Blast off the classifieds forum. Prior to my purchase, I had done fairly extensive research pertaining to "decent first bikes" and it seemed as if the Blast made the lists fairly frequently. Due to my short stature (5'2"), I was immediately turned on by the availability of such a low profile seat. Not to discount UJM's, I searched the inventory at Road Track and Trail in Big Bend, WI; however, as they do not offer test rides on weekends, my options quickly dwindled. I ended up choosing a 2006 Blue Blast that had been used in a Rider's Edge program. It was actually the second Blast that I test-rode: the first one had the standard seat height, and 'just didn't feel right.' I know that's a terrible description, but the second one that I rode had a much better throttle response, a more defined friction zone, and the vibrations were markedly less. The bike I chose had 561 miles on it, and I paid a fair price as defined by KBB, even by a dealer's standard. Visual inspection showed very few scratches, and looked extraordinarily clean. I am keeping it at the dealer until I move into my new apartment this summer where I will have a residential parking garage to store it. I do have some questions regarding certain aspects of the bike, and any well thought out input will be greatly appreciated. I would prefer first-hand experience as opposed to hearsay or speculation. a) The extended warranty. I have an option of purchasing a 2 year extended warranty through the HD dealer I went to for 895 (including wheels and tires). Although this is attractive, I would like to purchase upgrades for the bike in the first year, i.e. a full Jardine exhaust system. Is there a break even point on my warranty return on investment? Put another way: with proper care and all scheduled maintenance, is it feasible and reasonable to accumulate repair bills (excluding scheduled maintenance, normal wear and tear, etc) of 895$ in the first 6 - 12 months of ownership? I speculate that it would not be possible to do so, and I am leaning towards skipping the extended warranty. As I mentioned, although the bike was used in Rider's Edge, it performs and feels "new." And it's a perk that it's cosmetically sound, too. b) Break in Period. I consulted with the owner's manual and noticed that there are break in provisions for 50 miles, and then 500 miles of riding. Although the 500 mile point has passed, I assume that most of the mileage accrued on the bike was due to low speed/low rpm riding. Should I institute a break in period as if the bike had "0 miles" (even though it has 561 in reality?) c) Security. Having moonlighted in the cycling industry for a few years, I know that there are a few options out there made by Kryptonite. Has anyone tried using their disc locks? I noticed that Buell Parts sells something similar for 46$, but the Kryptonite looks a little more durable. I am also looking to purchase a Kryptonite NY faghettaboutit chain lock for the rare occasion that I would be locking up the bike outside of my field of vision. Has anyone used something similar? My intent is to wrap the chain around the frame, but wasn't sure where to do that. d) Active GPS tracking. In corollary, I was looking to get a gps tracking system that did not rely on Lo-Jack. I have read good reviews about the Zoombak Universal Locator and wanted to get opinions on this. Any help you may have would be greatly appreciated. You can email me at the address listed below. And once again, it's good to be here! | ||
| Indybuell |
The standard two year warranty should cover you on a Rider's Edge bike from the date of purchase. | ||
| Reuel |
An extended warranty usually benefits the seller of the warranty. You're buying an insurance policy that has a low chance of paying off, basically. $895? Including being run off the road, my 2001 hasn't cost that much in the 35K+ miles I've had it. I do my own work, though, since dealers tend to be better at messing up my Blast than fixing it. Break in: The best thing you can do for it is ride it like you stole it. You still may be able to get the rings to seat better if you do frequent throttle twists and hard accelerating. The factory suggested break-in tends to be counter productive for longevity and oil consumption, however, the other extreme on a new engine (500 miles is not new any more) can cause a premature failure in extremely isolated circumstances. (Message edited by reuel on May 04, 2009) | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
True on the extended warranty, but I'm assuming he's only going to get a 2 year warranty. Break in: What Reuel suggests is controversial and you'll get many arguments for and against this method. However if you tell the dealer doing the warranty work that you 'rode it like you stole it', they'll be less than sympathetic. Use synthetic oil after 1000 miles. Posts move to the "Questions from New Buell Blast Riders - ThumperFAQ" as this is a duplicate posted question. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS Warranty is for the big ticket items and for other incidentals like mirrors that fall off. | ||
| Andychang |
Thanks for all the help. I inquired about getting the 2 year warranty standard with purchase due to the reasons listed above (non-titled "new" bike only used for RE), but the dealer informed me that they aren't a Buell dealership (HD only) and thus can only get the Blasts used from other dealerships who are liquidating them. In terms of average cost of ownership, I have seen an extremely varied set of ranges. Here is one that I first saw: http://www.whybike.com/images/cost_of_operation_mo torcycle.xls?PHPSESSID=fde2ea01af314466b4aaf765662 15282 Training, licensing, insurance fees are reasonable and are commensurate with what I have been quoted or have already paid. But 2500 seems a little high for safety gear: I was thinking 125 for pants, 125 for jacket, 125 for helmet, 60 for rainsuit, and 30 for knee guards. (I already have boots). What can I expect to pay in basic maintenance fees in the first 10,000 miles (1 year, give or take) if all the work is done at a HD dealership? Also, if what this person has listed for "repairs" is accurate over a 5 year period, then the extended warranty for 2 years at 895$ seems steep. Sorry for all these trivial questions - I hope to be more useful down the road. Though not literally down on the road due to a crash. Ha. | ||
| Ezblast |
This stuff is easy - if you can maintain your lawn mower, you can maintain a Blast. Do it yourself. EZ | ||
| Andychang |
That send simultaneous shivers down my spine as well as a rush of adrenaline. |
