| Author | Message | ||
     Lost_in_ohio |
what and the heck are they thinking......Is there a decent metal oil dipstick out there? thx in advance | ||
| Tq_freak |
yea I think american sportbike has a billet one for around $55 bucks, been meaning to get one my self just waiting till I needed something else to ship from him as well | ||
| Buelltroll |
Some people used white heat tubing to be able to see the level better. Dunno whatever happened with it if the heat n chemicals ate it or what. I just never check it n just change it every 1000 miles or so. | ||
| Bmwdavid |
I was wondering if anyone made a oil temp/thermometer dip stick for the XB's? David | ||
| Buelltroll |
I imagine if it'll screw in it don't HAVE to be FOR an XB | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
A couple of years ago I attempted to solve this problem by covering the dip stick with shrink tube. 13,000 miles later, it is still working. Here is the link to the description of it. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/63473.html?1096389948  | ||
| Buelltroll |
Thats what I was talking about. Got recent pic of it? Hows it holding up? | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I don't have a pic, but I looked at it just a couple of days ago, and it is EXACTLY the way it was two years and thirteen thousand miles ago.  | ||
| Cochise |
G-Jon, that's nifty | ||
| Pwnzor |
Thats a great fix, on the cheap. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Thx for the suggestion about American sport....but the dipstick they show says for all models except 06. any other thoughts | ||
| Teeps |
Not sure what the problem is with reading the dip stick. I have no problem seeing the oil level, on my XB12X, even without my reading glasses. Now, a stick that provides oil temperature would be great. Do XB Buells have a problem with oil temp getting too high? | ||
| Tleighbell |
Check the Nallin Racing web site. I believe they listed a metal dipstick. Don't know if it is any different from the American Sport Bike item or if it fits an 06 | ||
| Sokota |
Not sure but I think the reason the plastic stick ends up with a bend to it is because it hits some internal area of the swingarm,[at least on 05 9SX] Anyone with a metal dipstick have problem with this? | ||
| Snowhownd |
What exactly is the problem you guys are having with the plastic dipstick? | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Just seems really cheap and cheezy to me. I would like something a little nicer. Other than that nothing | ||
| 99buellx1 |
The metal dipsticks that I have seen have the stick part on a swivel so it fits correctly. | ||
| Midknyte |
I have no problem with the stick as is. If anything were changed, would like a sight glass instead, but the stick is fine. | ||
| Roadrailer |
I have no problem with the stick as is. If anything were changed, would like a sight glass instead, but the stick is fine. +1 on the sight glass, although, as dipsticks go, I don't see what's wrong with the OE one. | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
I don't have a problem with the plastic dip stick(I use the yellow shrink wrap because I'm old and my eyes are old). But I think what bothers people is it screams mass production part. The first time I saw a buell it was an S2 and it looked like a bike that had been hand built by a racer. I had never heard of Eric Buell, but I fell in love with his work.It may not have been as reliable as an XB, but every piece looked like some one person had took a piece of stock and made it. I love my tuber and my XB,but I miss that quality(hand crafted perseption) that I saw in the early years. Maybe not alot of us, but that's the way I feel...........Charlie | ||
| Earwig |
I think the problem with the stock oil dipstick is that it is BLACK and unless you have good light it is hard as hell to see where the oil comes up to on the dipstick. My eyesight is great and I still have a problem seeing where the oil is... maybe I'm retaded or something. | ||
| 984gasm |
I feel ya earwig.. the design sucks and as soon as I feel like pissing away $60 I'm going for the metal one from American Sportbike | ||
| Diablobrian |
a change of dipstick color was brought up at homecoming (second seminar) and Abe seemed receptive to researching a change in the plastic used. Grey was proposed as a solution. I wonder about crash vulnerability of a sightglass. (Message edited by diablobrian on June 19, 2006) | ||
| Bake |
Ok I used white heat shrink 2 years ago. It's holding up just fine. | ||
| Slickster |
Simple tip for reading any dipstick where oil film is hard to see. Use a shop towel/rag and roll the dipstick over a clean section of the paper towel while keeping the dipstick straight with the marking. The oil level will show up as a dark line on the towel surface. Blue and brown towels work great. Another tip is to use the reflected light to see the oil film line. Third tip is get someone under 30 to check as they do not need as much light. When they show off remind them that their day will come. Wayne | ||
| Lenb |
The '06 dipstick (introduced with the new swingarm) is way better than that on earlier models. Doesn't curl up for starters. | ||
| Twig |
The xb should have came with a truly readable dipstick. I'll be 47 in Nov. and still don't use glasses YET. Yes, I'll gladly pay for a upgrade that is worthwhile, but a $55 overpriced dipstick will never be one of them. |
