| Author | Message | ||
     Buzzie |
yes some electircal issues still exist with the charging system even after the recall upgrade. the early stators and regulators have continued to fail. i have seen them both upgraded. the clutch weep has been resolved with the new piston assembly and seals. I am a tech and I still have mine. Its your choice. | ||
| Pizzaboy |
how much do you want for your bike!!!??? sounds like a perfect track bike in the making!! ive had 20k relatively trouble free miles on my '08. broke 2 belts now, had the ECM reflashed 3 times since buying it in may '08. had the kickstand fixed, the clutch weep fixed, and the instrument cluster replaced all under warranty. the bike is what id call 'unique' but its never left me stranded... and thats saying a lot since atleast 7k of those miles were all on a racetrack! i beat the piss out of my bike as though i have zero regard for its well being... which is mostly true. | ||
| Jules |
Problem is as soon as I take it off the tender and hook up a volt meter, I can watch the voltage start to drop That sounds like something is draining it, most likely the IC as it definately one of the older ones that the service butteltin was aimed at correcting. The dealer should know about it and in theory should offer to replace it as it was a known issue during the warrany period....but different dealers look at these things in differnt ways. You could just unplug the IC when and test the voltages again... that plug is a PITA though... | ||
| 1125chick |
Ditto to Rocketsprink: All the same issues experienced since 08'. Tried to hang in there keeping in mind "production bike." Probably would still remain committed as this is my 3rd Buell but now I can't even get replacement parts within a reasonable period of time. Bummed..really love my bike but I too am considering parting ways. All geared up several times and denied..... | ||
| Milt |
RocketSprink, I hope you're just frustrated like the rest of us. Do electrical problems suck? You bet. However, through shared experience, a solution to the electrical problems will be found, and it will be reduced to a simple formula: buy this from here, that from there, connect so and so to whatever. I have not been following the weepy clutch issue closely, since mine appears to be fine. But I'm sure there will soon be another formulaic fix available. My question is this: If you do buy another brand of bike, will you still organize Homecoming 2011? I hope so. | ||
| Fireboltxb9r |
"This forum makes me feel sorry for Erik. With friends like this...well, you know the rest". Well said Black | ||
| Rocketsprink |
"This forum makes me feel sorry for Erik. With friends like this...well, you know the rest". when you've been around here for 7 years and plan and execute the most attended Homecoming, then throw stones. Funny part is I know Erik and still have no problem voicing my disappointment when something I spent my money doesn't perform as it was supposed to. I'd be willing to bet he's not really happy with the bike issues either. You're looking for the kiss Erik's @ss site. I have yet to find that one. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Black - The issues being addrssed here are the state of the art for Buell motorcycle evolution. We hear from people in the know about issues before the dealer-service writers. I enjoy seeing folks address issues in their own way. In the absence of support, leaders rise above the ranks using creativity, knowledge, and intelligence. Those BWB'ers rewinding their stators and getting the new school MOSFET regulator-recitfiers pushing forward, are leading the way for all of us. Look at American Sport Bike Al and the shootout. That's about as good as it gets. The answers will come, Buells will be able to ride around the city at low rpm's and not burn up. Exhaust system sales will surge when that happens. I rode by 3 motorcycle cops in less than 5 minutes today, they were all sitting on their bikes watching and waiting. We all have to be able to putt around @ low rpm's and not arouse attention. Take a look around I keep seeing 'installed a battery tender' and similar comments on CL with many makes of bikes. The grass is always greener.... (Message edited by dannybuell on August 16, 2010) | ||
| Thedavyboy |
Rocketsprink get rid of it if your not happy , I did and I'm not looking back . I do however like this site and there's plenty of interesting read , but if your not riding because of bike issues enough said ! You should not have to worry about loyalty when you have no real dealer or parts support any more ! | ||
| Bads1 |
Rocco, Is a good friend of mine. Both of us very Pro Buell.I just went and bought a different brand. Reason being the 1125 is just not my thing but secondly the dealers that were are not easy to work with now. So I decided to go to another Brand. I think Rocco has mauled this over and probably hasn't made a decision just yet. Maybe one day Erik will be back if and when has yet to be seen. When that time comes I probably will come back.... not till. I think Rocco will make up his mind more after seeing if his bike is repaired once and for all and in timely fashion or maybe he'll opt for a different brand. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I hope Rocco gets his problems sorted out. I've had most and more with Loretta, but the problems were spread out and resolved quickly. I still feel she's the most fun to ride of any I've ridden. bad camshaft found @ 12k service - warranty fix - 3 weeks down bad switch in IC - warranty replace w/ 09 - gear indicator!! - no downtime clutch dribble - warranty R&R - down 2 days fuel sensor out of cal, LFL/CEL - warranty replace fuel pump - down a week fuel pump bad 3 months later - warranty replace - down 2 weeks broken wire at key-switch - 2X both self-repaired, second instance also Dremelled fairing support to relax tension on wire harness when turning. 25+k miles No problems as of yet on the Beast, a 2009 Uly other than a burnt out headlight bulb. Acquired with 12k, 17k miles on the clock now. Rocco - THANKS for Homecoming, I had a blast. Zack | ||
| Pizzaboy |
dang zack youre only at 25k miles?? im catching up to you... but really- youre slowing down. why?? | ||
| Harnish |
I made the choice to switch brands about 3 weeks ago. Went Jap, not looking back. If you were as aggravated as I was with Harley, the part delays and reoccurring issues then trust me, you will be happy. Owning a bike should not be about problems and warranties, it’s about riding. Have two friends with Buell, so I will still read these posts for time to come. Ride on! | ||
| Dannybuell |
Harnish - The issue's will be the same for almost every bike; ignition, exhaust, intake, and battery tender. A partial commitment to American goods/jobs is better than none. :-) | ||
| Sekalilgai |
Rocco - THANKS for Homecoming, I had a blast. Hope you get your problems sorted out FWIW, they're great when running....had mine 'off tender' for 2 weeks recently...started right up...but she's only got a few miles on | ||
| Milt |
I don't own a tender. The winter layoff didn't impact me at all. It was the combination of hot weather and bad traffic that killed my bike. | ||
| Harnish |
Dannybuell, Love it! I myself can’t agree with you. I’m 41 and have had more bikes that I can even remember. Buell and BMW are the only two that stick in my mind as problems. I swear on the bible, I have not had a Japanese bike in for warranty, and that’s quite a few bikes. My brother’s ride Japanese bikes from the late 90’s, nothing but rubber, breaks and clutch. Sorry if that has not been your experience. I have made that partial commitment to American goods/jobs and so far has not worked out well for me. Sorry..... | ||
| Baggh |
Harnish... +1 I did happen upon what appears to be a... well... not a fix for the electrical problem but something that surely seems to keep the bike operating properly. I started a thread about it here... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/588054.html?1282236238 I fully understand your situation and decision. I agree with you as well. No matter how much you luv something if it continuously lets you down and there is no fix in sight then... well.. you have little choice but to throw in the towel on it. I am not happy to "have" to ride without using my high beam (details in the thread I attached).. and I still want Harley to find a fix but... its ok for now. You are right as well that buying a brand new bike is about riding.. not stressing about "am I going to break down?"... needing to put the bike on a battery tender every night (if I wanted that I would have bought an electic power plant), keeping it at a certain rpm... etc etc etc its about riding... not worrying about "omg what am I gonna do when my warranty runs out!?!?" etc etc etc anyway... +1 | ||
| Dannybuell |
Harnish - When you said "I swear on the Bible" you made me remember a preacher I met a long time ago great guy, Les Harnish. I blew up my last Honda at 9000 miles and Honda tried to get out of their warranty responsibilities. Good luck with your next bike! | ||
| Bextreme04 |
The only problem i had with my 09' R was a system voltage message accompanied by a jump to about 19V... brought it into Antelope Valley Harley and they did the harness recall, fixed a heat shield issue with the lower fairings, and re-flashed the ECM... I brought it in at 1:30PM and had it back at 9AM the next morning.. been riding it around town all week and with the high beams on, sitting at a light idling in 100 degree weather I haven't seen the voltage drop below 13.2V. I've never used a tender and it always fires right up. | ||
| Black |
Rocketsprink, Sorry about my comment. Sorry about the trouble with your bike. Yes, I was throwing stones. Didn't mean to throw them at you. I know how you feel. I am luckier than most in that I have two dealers near me who love (and race) Buells. So, I don't have the problems a lot of folks have. I forget that sometimes. If we ever get together, the beer is on me. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
No harm, no foul. My beef is more with H-D and their pathetic way of dealing with the issues they know are happening. Rather than head them off, they act as if it's a new discovery for every costumer. I can't blame the dealers, unless you're dealing with morons. If I decided to get a different bike, I really don't know what direction I'll go. | ||
| Jules |
If I decided to get a different bike, I really don't know what direction I'll go. Much as I'd hate to suggest another brand I'd suggest you look at the Triumph Speed Triple 1050, a few of my friends have them and they're awesome. My 1125R can run rings around them in performance, but only if we're playing silly b*ggers. In Matt Black with a few carbon goodies they look awesome, with a shorty pipe they sound like a spitfire! Get a couple of them together and it's like a Lancaster bomber taking off! It was a toss up between one of them and the Buell, I've loved the Buell brand for years so it was a reasonably easy choice, but the Trumpet was a close second. | ||
| Kaotikevo |
I was hoping someone would bring up the high beam thread, just a continuation of troubleshoting measures that will eventually lead to a solution. You gotta keep in mind that when WE get all this stuff sorted out and have ironed out all the kinks, the 1125 will be a true pleasure to OWN as well as ride. | ||
| Jules |
Personally - I don't actually see any value in that thread, but that's just my opinion. The bike wasn't "designed" to run with high beams on, I'd certainly never do that anyway as it's annoying to car drivers and they're easily annoyed. If someone shows a direct correlation between stator/RR failures and people who ride with High beam on I'd see some value in it - but without that it's like saying the bike runs better without a toaster on the rear seat. | ||
| Baggh |
@Kaotikevo... glad to hear it. I agree... any sort of ideas\troubleshooting as to how we can alleviate some of these charging issues is a good thing. Some may not find it useful... others like myself... these ideas save a ton of frustration.. and like I said.. enable me to luv my 1125 once again. "... a true pleasure to OWN as well as ride"... well said! Thus far the bike has been fantastic to ride but actually owning it... well... HD has been making that dept. less than enjoyable. Hopefully many of these ideas posted on this site will help in the owning dept. @Jules... ... *sigh*... Not "designed" to run with the high beam on? This is a bike made for mass street sale production correct? Any bike i have ever rode... any car or Army vehicle I have ever driven has High Beam operation capabilities. and yes... at all times they can be on. In fact... it is encouraged to operate bikes with their High Beams on by day. You are once again falling into that "just accept shabby engineering dept"... if the salesman or any other literature stated that "the High Beam will kill your battery... we suggest you use it verrrry minimally" I prob would have walked away in fear that there might be other problems with the bike then. Any info in regards to helping our bikes operate properly is useful. I have service\warranty printouts, service calls, and outlined some voltage reading measurements that were taken under actual operating conditions that point towards the High Beam creating a strong draw on the charging system. I think that has some merit and may be useful to some. I dont know of any modern mass production vehicle that is specifically "designed" not to use the high beam. I like to hear some "value" in that. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Milt Posted on Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 01:01 pm: I don't own a tender. The winter layoff didn't impact me at all. This isn't sound thinking. Spend the 25 bucks on a tender and use it regularly. You and your battery will be glad you did. | ||
| Jdugger |
> This is a bike made for mass street sale production correct We could have this argument all day. You can 1. *RIDE* the thing, HARD, and the problems will go away. 2. Sell it. 3. Fix it with an after market stator Either way, geez guys, quit your bellyaching. It is what it is, and that happens to be not perfect. So either deal with it or suffer from it, but either way no one is going to come baby powder your backside and paint a rainbow in your world, so get over it. | ||
| Baggh |
or.. 4. demand that HD fix the problems with the bike. I really don't get why so many people just accept the charging issue. Maybe many of you are fortunate enough not to have experienced breaking down a couple times... having your bike in the shop 2+ months out of the first year you've owned it. Maybe many of you purchased your bike during the firesale and just think the problems are acceptable because they are par for the course with a 5K purchase...? If I bought my bike off of craigslist or something I would expect to have problems... but I didn't so I expect my bike not to leave me stranded or worried that it will again. Once again.. I paid full price for both of my Buells which I would think proves I luv the bikes. I have nothing but praise for my XB because it operates immaculately... the 1125 has problems that should be addressed by the manufacturer. I do not understand why these problems are being accepted. Oh well... many of you that are accepting the problems will no doubt be thankful that some of us are sharing our experiences, ideas, and even demanding fixes for the issues. Heck... you'll prob be the first in line at the HD dealer requesting the fix (if there is indeed one) that many of us forced. | ||
| Baggh |
btw... there is no argument or debate about the whole "made for mass street sale production" they are made for the street (or supposed to be)... period. I don't remember seeing "track only" on any literature regarding the 1125CR... ... ever... unlike Erik Buell Racing's current mean machines... these are race only of course. I bought my XB at the Garland shop... and stop in frequently to have my bikes serviced.. maybe we'll run into each other sometime and debate this non-debatable issue. Or we could just talk about our experiences with the bikes and go riding  |
