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Buell Motorcycle Forum » XBoard » Buell XBoard Archives » Archive through March 29, 2005 » Major scary event last night « Previous Next »

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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 12:11 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I was on the highway last night and all of the sudden the neutral light came on. I checked the gear position and I wasn't in neutral - in fact the neutral light stayed on no matter what gear I was in. Then the bike started getting really sluggish and the rear end was all over the place so I nursed it over to the shoulder. To my horror, the rear tire was obliterated!! The bike only has just under 2000 mile on it. Any ideas what gives with the neutral light?
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Reepicheep
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 12:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Space aliens?

Was the tire just worn out? Or was it some sort of other damage?

The neutral light is just run from a little magnetic switch, that I think is all the way over on the belt side of the engine.

Not impossible that it is just coincidence. Check the wiring / sensor for the neutral switch, it should be easy enough to get at.

No way the scorpion syncs should be toasted at 2000 miles unless you are doing burnouts, or all 2000 miles were going nuts at deals gap.

Did the rear wheel lock up? Or did the tire just go flat?
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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 12:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Tire was no way even close to being worn out - have never done a burn out - have locked the rear wheel during heavy breaking but that's the extent of it. I'm not completely sure what happened - just know that it started getting sluggish in terms of speed, then the rear went nuts and it was like riding on ice till I got it to the side of the road. Tire was smoking and treads pattern pieces were missing - metal wires were visible the entire circumference of the tire. No sign of puncture that I could find but the tire is such a mess. Wheel is probably wasted too.
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Xb12scg05
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 01:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I would think that a piece of tire knocked the wire off your neutral switch and it grounded and caused your light to come on.
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Chainsaw
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 01:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Nail or screw picked up in the rear tire could cause air loss, the subsequent handling problems, loss of bead lock and tire trashing (happened to me once).

The neutral light is a mystery to me!
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Reepicheep
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 01:25 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Wow, a catastrophic tire failure. Look closely at the top of the inner rear wheel hugger for notches, or other damages. My Cyclone picked up a screw, and it left a nice little V notch in the rear hugger where it ripped out of the tire.

Why would the wheel be damaged? Did it hit metal when the tire chunked?

The neutral light thing is probably just a loose wire, unless something let go in the tranny and the rear wheel was actually locked. Can you still turn the wheel, or is there too much tire debris everywhere?
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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 01:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Didn't find evidence of any screw or similar foreign object. No visible damage to the hugger but did find a few pieces of tread in the area where the belt guard and transmission meet. Can't say for sure if the rear wheel will turn because of the debris. The wheel got scuffed up while trying to push the bike on to the roll-back so I could get it home. The more I look at it, the more I think it can be fixed by one of those shops that repairs aluminium wheels. Debris damaging the neutral connection sounds most likely but I'm trying to track down where that is so I can at least eyeball it.
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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 01:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Nevermind about that switch location, found it.

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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 02:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Couldn't find anything visibly wrong with that neutral indicator connection.
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Ingemar
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 03:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Nothing rubbed the tire?

If you didn't find any debris near the neutral switch I would say it's pure coincidence.

Be glad you didn't go down. I really hope your wheel isn't trashed.
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Joele
Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 05:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Actually, looks like the belt came in contact with the tire. Not so sure I like the way this tire pitches its tread paten during failure. The large sections of tread on the Scorpion Sync just fly everywhere and that could really be trouble for the belt drive. I think I'll opt for a different tire to replace the OE one.
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U4EUh
(Ditch Digger)

Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 12:52 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Anyone else hear the music to Twilight Zone? Glad you got it stopped safely. Have you contacted anybody about this?
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Joele
Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 03:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Dealer came and got the bike today - I'll find out more Tuesday next week.
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Charlieboy6649
Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 12:44 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Really sounds to me like you hit something and the tire came apart. Glad you're ok. My wife's neutral light came on once at 50 mph. It was indeed the sensor. Prolly a coinkidink.
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