| Author | Message | ||
     Coffee_brake |
Haven't got a hundred miles on the bike before it's left me stranded. Seller says it has had a replacement stator from Rick's Motorsports Electrics. I have the receipt for $165. It says "Rebuilt Hot Shot Buell Stator." Well the bike seemed to be difficult to start when hot and I needed it for class (I teach MSF riding courses and the advanced classes request the instructor use their own personal bike). I swapped in the new battery from my Suzuki Bandit. No it didn't fit right, I had to leave off the tail plastics and run a tail pack over the battery, but it made it through class. Today I took the bike on a short trip to town and noticed the voltage on the voltmeter drop from 14.1, down to 13, down to 12.7, down to 12.1, all the while trying to get home. The bike died and stranded me beside a tour bus. Driver had a charger, far too big for a motorcycle, but with nothing to lose, I charged the battery at 30 amps till the charger said it was good (engine off of course). Bike started and ran about 20 seconds before chugging off. I got a cab ride home and got my truck. Seller said the bike's fuel light would come on sometimes. Not true. It stays on all the time, and so does the engine light. When I pulled the battery, I found broken tabs, missing fasteners, and the fuse box lid was broken with several fuses smashed flat inside. The battery leads look like someone picked them up out of the middle of a busy freeway, they're so mangled and beat up. Seller says the dealership did all work, so I'm not surprised that they tore up the bike. Rare is the mechanic who respects other people's motorcycles. So...I suppose this stator is fried too? Is the fan supposed to stay on the whole time the bike is running? Within 5 minutes of startup, the fan comes on and stays on till long after the bike is turned off. When I blip the throttle the bike shuts off. This thing seems to be junk. The ones I test rode in 2009 were new and wonderful. This one that I finally bought already left me on the roadside. At least it's not as heavy as a Harley to push... I really want to like this bike, can y'all send me in the right direction? Everything I've ever owned for any length of time has been carbureted and decidedly non-computerized, so I'm lost here. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Welcome! I have 22,000 miles on my CR. 20Kmi on a warranty stator. check ALL grounds. If you do anything at all, do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBYEYGJfyBw&featur e=youtu.be DO NOT buy a caged nut cheapo battery, buy the HD. Keep the revs up at 4000 or better, avoid 'stop and go', use a battery tender, and you should do OK. This is what I have been doing for the last 20,000 miles. If you want this to be a city bike you made a difficult decision. My city bike is my 96s1; it has a Penske, GP Suspension, dyno tuned w/ Crane Ignition and a Mikuni. The s1 is all sorted out. In 105,000 miles it has had 3 top ends, one clutch went bad at 36,000. I had the extra plate I put in at that time. At 90,000 I put another clutch in, it didn't need it but the new parts were right there. The S1 has 105,000 miles. The S1 is happy revved at 2500 putting around town, that WILL kill the CR. The CR is the perfect road bike fast, good handling, and fairly comfortable. Hope this helps. (Message edited by dannybuell on May 15, 2015) | ||
| Shawns |
The stator may have been replaced, but it may not have the oiling rotor. The regulator may not have been replaced as well. I agree don't buy a cheap battery, these bikes need all the amps it can get to start. Your bike may have the so called Harley fix, which was a relay that shuts off one of the legs of the charging system to keep the stator cool. The relay in the harness may be going bad.You can disconnect it for diagnosis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBYEYGJfyBw . This is the regulator that most of us use. CE605SB http://www.roadstercycle.com/index.htm This is not the shunt style that is on your bike now, these run hotter so need to be in airflow. These regulators should help your stator run cooler as well, as they do not shunt the excess voltage to ground. Here is how you can test the stator you have to make sure its working https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag9bKcJUM0 . With your battery going dead you should do a TPS reset http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Buell-1125CR/1125CR-TPS-ResetHow-To Once you get your charging system sorted you should be much happier with the way your bike performs. (Message edited by Shawns on May 15, 2015) (Message edited by Shawns on May 15, 2015) | ||
| Nikoff90 |
Verify with inspection what was done with the stator repair. You want: EBR rotor with oiling hole cut in it. NO HD relay harness Stator in good shape test with multimeter to varify I bought a bike with the charging issues did not change the regulator and have been issue free. That HD fix was the biggest POS fix I have ever witnessed. Don't follow the torque specs for the rotor in the manual they have changed. You will want a tender if you don't ride it almost every day. Other thing I noticed is if i don't shut down with the switch first than the key It seems the bike drains the battery. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sounds like somebody sold you a bike that needs some loving... The stator fix may be pricey, the rest just takes somebody that cares and isn't stupid... and you sound like just the person. | ||
| Sprintst |
Certainly sounds like the HD relay harness was left in, which would explain the voltage drop The wild card is if they did the EBR rotor or not | ||
| Coffee_brake |
I'm fairly sure no rotor was replaced. I have all the paperwork. I live in the city. My bikes have to do city traffic. If the bike can't even do what my air-cooled carbureted bikes do, that's a problem. Really, IS the fan supposed to stay on the whole time the bike is running? Thanks for getting me the links to get me started. Going to unload the bike now. This machine has a ton more miles in a pickup than it does on its own two wheels.... | ||
| Reepicheep |
An XB9S is almost embarrassingly fun on an MSF parking lot course, and is as reliable as an anvil. | ||
| Hughlysses |
It's not a lemon, it's just unfortunate you're having to do the "sorting" that should have already been done. The charging system can be made bullet-proof, you'll just have to spend some $$. With EBR currently closed, the drilled rotor isn't available. However, Twin Motorcycles makes an alternative unit that should be available from board sponsor 5-Odro. Yea, the fans will pretty much run all the time. The engine runs hot with the stock ECM. The race ECM (also from EBR; again Twin Motorcycles may have an alternative) is said to make it run significantly cooler. If commuting is your main use for the bike, I'd change the ECM. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Actually if you could probably have any machine shop with an EDM machine put the hole in. It shouldn't be any problem. | ||
| Reepicheep |
If I had sold him that bike with those issues without disclosing it, I would have been ashamed, so I don't actually disagree that he got a lemon. Given the cost of a replacement stator and machined rotor (if they are needed), that's a significant percentage of the price of the bike... so it's fair to be annoyed. We can debate about how fair it is for somebody to complain about how a 130 HP motorcycle behaves when you drive it around in circles in a parking lot all day long, but there are big bikes that can do it, and this is a naked standard, so the expectation wasn't insane. Sorry to editorialize all over your thread Coffee. We will help how we can, but the liquid cooled bikes are still a bit of a niche in the bigger Buell world. And seriously, have you tried an XB9 (the XB9SX is my favorite) on the MSF course? You can probably score a good one for $3k with a little careful stalking. | ||
| Nikoff90 |
The CR is not a city bike and will cook your leg off in bad traffic even if it doesn't completely overheat. | ||
| Shawns |
Once you get it sorted out you'll love it. I did my stator, rotor, and regulator last summer. It isn't that hard to do. It just takes a little time and patience. I ride mine in both city and on highway so have at it. | ||
| Coffee_brake |
I can't love the air-cooled Buell power plants, I've tried for years. They just don't do it for me, even though they are just fantastic bikes. I just have a hard time imagining a water-cooled street bike that can't hang in normal city traffic. That's no longer a street bike IMO. I only test-rode the bike in great cool riding conditions; I had no idea it was unsuitable in even average traffic. You're right, it nearly cooked my leg off getting me to an appointment downtown. If I only wanted something easy to ride for the MSF testing, I'd have a CBR250R or the Ninja 250/300. My old Bandit 1200 has been a great bike, as has my touring/grocery getting bike, a Concours 1000 "Ninja-bego." I had no problems putting the 1125 through even the Advanced levels of exercises, having only taken it out 3 times. It handles very well. So...what's the price outlay for stator, rotor, regulator...everything it needs? | ||
| Dennis_c |
The hole in the rotor is 1/4 " to start about 1/2 way through then #71 bit the rest of the way through. That's is very small bit #71 | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
My CR isnt hot in traffic. I dont know where anyone comes up with this. Is no hotter then my S1000rr or my Aprilia Caponord. I used to have a Concourse and it is 10 times hotter then the CR. I couldn't even ride it much in the summer during the day. Maybe you need to put a heat sheild inside the frame. | ||
| Sprintst |
Regular Harley's overheat in traffic Buell aircooled bikes make more power Don't they have an overheating issue in traffic? | ||
| Coffee_brake |
My Harley TC88 never overheated in traffic. In fact, I've never had a bike overheat...well not in traffic anyway. The thermostat failed once, and a radiator hose burst once, but that was failed parts, not a failing of design. Anyway, so I need to start shopping and get this machine back on the road. I'm in the middle of a move and finally found my multi-meter. I just checked the battery that I pulled first, the one where the bike was showing difficulty starting: 12.8 volts. Is that too low? The one that it had last night, when it wouldn't run, is at over 13. Why wouldn't it start with a fully charged battery? | ||
| Two_seasons |
You should be sitting at 13.4 for a startup. Voltage is only half, you need amps too. Regarding your last question, probably because the electronics aren't satisfied is my guess. I had the same problem with my original battery. | ||
| Rogue_biker |
Besides your Stator needing an upgraded one, the low fuel light and check engine light is due to the low fuel sensor going out. So the temperature range that it reads (when the fuel level is low) is incorrect so it sends out a fault light. That sensor, called a thermistor, needs to be replaced. That requires buying the part $15 from American Sportbike, pulling the fuel pump, and replacing the sensor. | ||
| Panshovevo |
12.8 volts is normal for a conventional lead/acid or AGM battery that hasn't just been removed from a charger, but as said, voltage is only part of the equation. A load test tells a lot more than just a voltage check. The only time I would expect to see 13.4 volts is if the battery was just charged and hasn't had time to normalize. My 1125 came with a Lithium-iron battery in it, which is something I have no experience with yet...gonna be a learning curve. Any other indications that the bike might have been wrecked, and not completely repaired, i.e. damaged parts re-installed? | ||
| Coffee_brake |
Sorry for the very long delay, I had foot surgery and during recovery I fell and screwed up one hand pretty bad. I'm back now. I can't work quickly, but I can at least pick up a wrench now. I appreciate all the good info, espcially about how to get the fuel light to turn off. But I don't see that thermistor part for sale at American Sport Bike. Stator passes this test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v2LtHlvcqI But I don't understand this test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag9bKcJUM0 When I measure ohms between the three wires I get nothing. But when I set my multi-meter to the place there this fellow did, where it can beep, it beeps on all three wires. So it's not supposed to beep? Mine does. But there's supposed to be no resistance according to Rick, the guy who made the stator? Well it passes that test of having no resistance between the wires. So I'm confused. I accessed the stator and it looks great. No burns, no rubbed wires, nothing looks amiss but I do understand that even one little wire rubbing loose from its coating can cause problems. Still, I see nothing obvious. Heck the cover bolts weren't even over-torqued. So...here are the new questions (with my grattitude): How do I tell if I have the Harley fix? There are a LOT of connectors under there. What are the specifications of a battery for this bike? So that I don't get one that's too puny? (It's starting on my Concours battery, a brand new one.) I can see the rotor with the stator off. I'm just looking for a pinhole on it? Many, many thanks for all the help. I'm really frustrated with being so slow without the use of my hand, but happy to be able to work at all. | ||
| Dannybuell |
the same three yellow wires leading from the stator to the VR. the square connectors, all else is the BS stuff. I am an idiot with a multimeter, I did just fine with harness video. Use 3 quarts of oil rather than 2.7. Amsoil, Motul, ester based oils are preferred. The 2010's use 3 quarts. I started doing this long before the EBR rotor fix knowing additional oil could help in the cooling of the stator. All kinds of ideas were explored and implemented before the rotor fix. The VR fix using the CE 605 has been explained by some of the engineers here for us non science majors. use google search at top of page.  | ||
| Shawns |
I believe this is what your looking for. http://americansportbike.com/newdir/Item/17490 This is the battery recomended to me http://www.batterysharks.com/Deka-ETX14L-p/ETX14L_M12-12-200-HD.htm?gclid=CjwKEAjws5CrBRD8ze702_2dyjYSJAAAJK9yup99jLxy2ni-8COG6MdOy_OGMFPtSLTTVKx0XYUaBBoCpOPw_wcB The rotor can't be seen unless it has been removed. There is a hole on the larger gap in the center where it goes on the spline. Here is the unfix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBYEYGJfyBw (Message edited by Shawns on June 23, 2015) (Message edited by Shawns on June 23, 2015) | ||
| 1313 |
The rotor can't be seen unless it has been removed. There is a hole on the larger gap in the center where it goes on the spline. I can see it on my CR with the rotor installed. I've got the '08 rotor with oiling hole that EBR offered as a kit with the '08 stator for a short period of time. It is more readily evident looking into the splines for sure, but you can see the other end of the hole just fine when installed:  Just my $0.02, 1313 | ||
| Coffee_brake |
Is the stator passing or failing the test? It's failing by one video's instructions and passing by another's. It starts out at 14 volts and steadily drops as it gets hot, so testing it on the lift might not be accurate. | ||
| Coffee_brake |
VR fix? Who brought that up? Is that more I should be looking into? | ||
| Coffee_brake |
My stuff doesn't look like what's in the Un-Fix, but I think maybe I DO have the Harley fix. There's two sets of 4-pin connectors with only three pins in them, so I'm guessing that's the relay mentioned in the un-fix.  | ||
| Coffee_brake |
So I unhooked the connectors and re-attached them without the relay (assuming that it IS the Harley relay). First I got a nice backfire complete with smoke, then the bike started. I get 13.4 volts at idle but at higher RPMs, the volts don't increase at all. | ||
| Dannybuell |
any more than 13.4 and you may be at risk! As the engine heats up the voltage will likely fluctuate downward. |
