| Author | Message | ||
     Donl |
Bought the bike in January and decided to check the spark plugs today. The front according to the manual is running too rich. The back according to the manual has balanced combustion. Is there any reason why a new bike would have different plug deposits? | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
This seems to be a common condition, not to worry. New bikes are often started, blipped a few times, and then shut off. This fouls the plugs, Perhaps because the rear cylinder often runs a bit hotter, the rear plug may get cleaned up. Just a guess. In any event, as you know by now, changing the plugs on an XB is a bit of a pain, so you might want to think about replacing the plugs with the best available: only cost a few bucks more. I had the same condition when I got my bike with 350 miles on it. I put in Denso Iridium IUX24's and it has run fine since. The plugs are available from several of our sponsors, I got my from Appleton HD. | ||
| Donl |
I put in the same today. The bike seems to run a little better, but it may just be wishful thinking. Getting to the rear plug was more difficult than I thought it would be. I read the manual, but I didn't have any hose. I guess that will be on the list of things to buy. Thanks for your help. | ||
| Dongalonga |
the rear plug is a piece of cake if you have the following: plug wire removal tool, universal joint, 5/8" spark plug socket, and a short extension. I get to the rear plug by removing the air box plastic and the top half of the airbox if you dont have an open element. After that there is a little slot that is just the right size between the lower part of the airbox and the frame. Slide the plug wire remover over the top part of the wire and gently pull up until it disconnects. Pull the wire out of the slot completely and push to the side so it is out of the way. Then have at the plug with the wratchet. This is the easiest way I know of and it takes me about 10-15 mins to do both plugs. (Message edited by dongalonga on March 24, 2007) | ||
| Donl |
I tried to remove the air box, but it was move labor intensive than I thought it would be. I have the Japanese model Buell which has a solenoid in the air box to control exhaust noise (it's in the service manual). I plan to go open air box soon, but I need to figure out how to remove the solenoid first. If anyone has advice on how to remove it I would appreciate it. | ||
| No_rice |
unless yours has something completely different all the 12's have that in the airbox lid. it isnt for noise its for a smoother power band and you shouldnt have to do anything with it. i could be wrong though. | ||
| Metalstorm |
For the rear plug I use a wobble extension that I got from Sears. Instead of moving all over the place like a universal joint, it allows only about 5 degrees of movement. Just enough to easily reach the rear plug and is much more stable since it doesn't flop around. The front plug is more difficult in my opinion. You need either an open end wrench or one of those ratcheting flat wrenches. | ||
| Donl |
Page E-1 of the manual: Active Intake System (Japanese Models Only) The active intake system utilizes a solenoid in the airbox which is connected to the throttle valve via a cable. The throttle valve is automatically closed by the solenoid under certain conditions to reduce engine noise. A code 22 will set if the ECM detects that the output for the active intake control is not in agreement with the feedback circuit (minimum TP sensor voltage when actuated). I'm not a mechanic or an engineer, but I'm sure that if I remove it, it's going to cause some problems. I just love the way the Japanese take something and **** it up. Thanks for all the advice on removing spark plugs. I actually got a tool kit from Buell Brag when I bought my bike over here. It has a lot of useful if not cheaply made tools. I've also gone out a bought some more to add to it. Finding standard American size tools is the biggest problem. I've been thinking about changing out all the bolts that I can get my hands on to metric to make it easier to work on. |
