| Author | Message | ||
     Ezblast |
It looks to me as if Buell has pretty much answered a lot of problems the air-cooled engines where having - are the 2008 really that good? Are the known issues now all addressed? EZ | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
No issues with 06 | ||
| Jaimec |
Absolutely untrue! Why, in 20,000 miles I've had to replace my headlamp bulb TWICE! The Horror! The Horror!! | ||
| Spike |
My '04 air-cooled engine must be defective- it doesn't have any issues. It only has ~32k miles on it though, it might just take more time for them to show up. I sure hope they've engineered some issues back into the '08 model. If Buell keeps up this "reliable" stuff it'll kill the reputation for quirkiness that makes them so exclusive. | ||
| Chrisrogers3 |
No matter what the vehicle (or motorcycle in this case) there will always be some issues. It is just not physically possible to have a 100% product 100% of the time. The key is in the customer service, for the most part I have been blessed with good customer service from Buell, but of course there only takes one bad time and thats enough to keep you bitter for an indefinite amount of time....Yes I am still bitter. | ||
| Mainstreamer |
Seems R owners are reporting issues with headlight failure or I should say failure of the reflector. I would say this is an ongoing issue that has not been addressed by BMC. I'm a Uly owner and have an issue with heat management. Here, in SW Florida the heat on my right thigh makes the bike very uncomfortable to ride during the dog days of summer. So hot in fact I consider it a safety issue because it becomes difficult to remain focused on riding. Also stock lighting on the Uly is inadequate but can be easily fixed with upgrade to bulbs. Can't speak to the other models on lighting. Just one riders view..... YMMV.. | ||
| Mainstreamer |
Chris, I respectfully disagree. I have owned many vehicles that were without issues. I ride a Duc and an FJR that have not had any issues. My '04 Miata Mazdaspeed has had no issues. Yamaha just offered to replaced the ECU on my FJR because riders at altitude were have surging issues at constant throttle. Throttle needed to be opened beyond 1/4 for ECU to resample. Yami did this as a 'customer satisfaction' service, not a recall. Done free of charge only if you choose to have it done. Now that's customer service at it's finest! Would't it be nice if Buell did the same for the lighting issue or the heat management issue on the Uly. They did in fact add air deflectors to the '08 Uly to help the heat problem. If they made those deflectors available free to all Uly owners as a 'customer satisfaction' service it would be a good thing. | ||
| Chrisrogers3 |
Mainstreamer, Fair enough, but you are using one word in there that defines your argument. You have used the word "MY" several times. You are looking at the small picture of just your ownership. What I was getting at with my post is, someone somewhere will be affected with some problems along the way. Take for example in "MY" experiences... Oil leak on my Uly 500 miles after I bought it, not a big deal, Buell replaced some seals under warranty. Oxidation of some sort on "my" Uly frame, Buell says no one has ever reported an issue besides me,so there is no problem. It showed up within 1000 miles of riding it (less than a month period after it rolled out of the showroom doors). Which is why I am bitter still. Poor kickstand design (how many of us have had our precious Buell's just tip over on us. +2 for me (yeah you would think I would have learned after the first time). The leg heat thing has been an issue with XB's since they came out, and it took till 08 to come up with a 15 dollar patch. XB_R headlights, well enough said there. The mirrors suck (who can honestly say they can see anything behind them) the only fix there seems to be expensive bar end mirrors. Numbness in your hands, never had the issue until I switched to Buell. i have been told the Bar Snakes work well. And I am sure there are just freak instances where many other guys have had problems with their Buells. Buell is not a perfect company, because there is just no such thing as a perfect company. This isn't a slam on Buell by any means, its just a reality. Now don't get me wrong, I still ride Buell, and they are the best motorcycle out there for my needs/wants. I am just saying that there is ALWAYS going to be a product flaw. It doesn't matter if it is human error at East Troy, or a mechanical flaw at one of the multiple countries we get our parts from for Buells. So I go back to my original post...You CANNOT build a 100% product 100% percent of the time. Now think of that comment, that would mean that EVERY bike that leaves East Troy is PERFECT. That is simply just not the case, and its not only Buell, its every manufacturer from Kia to Ferrari. There will always be some flaw, whether it be large or small. Thats why everyone sells extended warranties. | ||
| Swordsman |
Aaaactually I think EZ was probably making reference to: Kickstand issues. Timing issues. TPS issues. Plug fouling on short trip issues. Noisy fan issues. Headlight issues. You know, all those things people keep complaining about. I think all but the fan and headlights have been addressed. As for how well the new stuff works... well, it's still too new to know for sure, I think. ~SM | ||
| Rainman |
The only problem I've had on my Blast is that they didn't put a second cylinder on it and the factory flat out refuses to do a damn thing about it. | ||
| 07xb12scg |
The only problem I've had on my Blast is that they didn't put a second cylinder on it and the factory flat out refuses to do a damn thing about it. Haha! That's hilarious. | ||
| Sloppy |
If you think your non-Buell bike brand is perfect, come have a look at the recall history of your favority brand... http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch. cfm BMW has steering bars that are defective, Kawasaki has cams that pit and ECM's that suddenly turn your head lights off, Honda CBR's have issues with breaking fuel lines and clutch levers that can cause the clutch to self destruct and lock your transmission! I bet you NEVER read about these in your favorite bike mag (even though anyone with a computer can get all the recall information they need)! I don't think that the non-HD failures are advertised in bike mag's because they get paid way too much money in advertising... I've owned Suzuki's, Kawa's, Honda's and Buells. My best, most reliable one is: Buell! | ||
| Ezblast |
Actually - I wonder if they have stepped the valve guides so they won't get sucked through, I see they have redone the oil pump and beefed up the main bearings, engine cooling is now much better though people may roast a leg - lol - Timing/TPS was always a question - also looks like it was pretty much solved in the 08 - I'm a very big Buell fan but I'd like not to buy a quirky bike - since I wish my next bike to virtually mod free except for cosmetics - mirrors and such - and wish to spend a world less time wrenching and more time riding! EZ | ||
| Swordsman |
What's the problem EZ, wear yourself out suping up those Blasts?  ~SM | ||
| Bombardier |
They have built in flaws I reckon. Just like wives. The flaws are there just so you will pay them attention and get to know and love them more. Smart man that Mr Buell. Never ridden anything as exciting before and do not think I will. Buell for ever. | ||
| Ezblast |
Naw - the wife thinks I spend too much time on my hobby - and I do - lol EZ | ||
| New12r |
Naw - the wife thinks I spend too much time on my hobby - and I do - lol +1 | ||
| Jaimec |
Well, I just shot my Buell and I can tell you unequivocally that they are NOT bullet proof. Now I need to explain to the mechanic why the bike has a bullet hole in the frame...  | ||
| New12r |
Well, I just shot my Buell and I can tell you unequivocally that they are NOT bullet proof.  | ||
| Eicas |
All bikes will have some issues! At the time that I bought my '08 XB, a friend bought a Ducati Monster. With both bikes having about 500 miles, he has taken the Ducati back to the shop twice for oil and electrical problems, another friend has an '07 BMW that also needed some work to make it right. Both of the above are fine bikes, but all mechanical things will give problems at all times. My '08 Buell has a bit of vibration at just below 3K RPM - but vibration should be expected from a twin. My '04 Honda V4 vibrates also, but at a much higher RPM. It is the nature of the bikes. Yeah, sometimes it coughs a bit at low RPM, the mirrors are not the best, I wish it had better lights, but those are all minor issues that may not bother other. Only big problem with my '08 is that the more I ride it the more I have to keep filling the gas tank or the bike will stop running. | ||
| Ezblast |
Thats the kind of problem I don't mind having  | ||
| Mainstreamer |
Sloppy, thanks for the link to recall info. '06 XB12X = 3 recalls '06 Duc Classic = 1 recall '06 FJR = 0 recalls (Had an optional 'customer satisfaction' service to replace ECU.) It seems to me Buell has a long way to go to match the quality of my other two rides. I know they can do better. You draw your own conclusion. Didn't Buell stop delivery in 2001 to correct issues with all bikes on the show room floor? | ||
| Aldaytona |
03 XB9R no issues, warranty claims 04 XB12R no warranty claims only 1 issue: POS headlight reflectors. Replaced 1 set and refinished one set, both at my expense. Been using 00 M2 for night duty, not as magic as the XBR in the daylight, but becomes way more magic at night. In almost 8 years had the first real issue with the M2, found the left head bolt sticking out of the top motor mount when washing it, you guessed it, snapped off flush with the head. Glad I found it in the driveway. It's probably going to be down for a while. Good thing the Sporty has a good headlight. I've always trusted Harley-Davidson with my transportation needs and have been let down only a couple of times (since 1968). That's a better track record than anybody I know, no matter what they ride. You can probably guess what brand I will buy next. | ||
| Pwnzor |
My 2004 XB12R has zero issues apart from a few minor things like the kickstand bolt that sheared off and my shifter linkage bolts that fell out on the freeway. Loc-tite fixed all that, and mechanically, the bike is as sound as any vehicle I've ever owned. Including my Peterbilt. I bought a 2003 Ducati 749S about three weeks before I bought the Buell, and it was back to the dealer five times in the first year I owned it. Gears, electrical problems and other various gremlins plagued that bike. I sold it and took a beating on the price. Other people I know who have the same year 749's and 999's love them and swear by them. Hard to say from individual ownership that one thing or the other is "bulletproof". Mine is. | ||
| Ezblast |
What about the valve guides - anyone know if they have improved on them? Either stepping or widening one end just a bit? EZ | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Oxidation of some sort on "my" Uly frame, Did you apply some sort of wax to the frame? Don't do it. Use Armour All.. | ||
| Sloppy |
Suzuki had 10 recalls over their motorcycle product line in 2006 for a variety of issues; fuel system failures, poor visibility of rear brake lights and electrical. And as pointed out, Buell has 3... Looks to me like Buell's quality is pretty good, no? Perfect - of course not because no one could afford them (even Ferrari has recalls!), but compared to the competition, Buell holds well as a competative choice. IMO, Buell's quality issues are over exagerated and the imports are almost completely unreported... How many magazines reported on Suzuki's major quality problems for 2006??? | ||
| Jaimec |
In reality, the magazines haven't really reported any major quality problems with Buells either. Not since the dawn of the XBs, anyway... In fact... every review of an XB I have read mentions somewhere that they are MUCH more reliable than the tubers ever were. They also mention better quality control and finish, as well. Of course, many here take that as some kind of slam at the magazine for always having to bring up the poor quality of the tubers... (Message edited by jaimec on December 14, 2007) | ||
| Paint_shaker |
My 2008 is running strong. Only issue is a clutch cable spring that keeps breaking, causing the boot to touch the header (situation is being resolved). Oh year, not having much problems with my "poor quality" tuber, even with 40,000 miles on it!!! | ||
| Etennuly |
as sound as any vehicle I've ever owned. Including my Peterbilt. He-he-ha-ha, back in my day....I had a big Peterbilt too! It was a Whopper! It took both hands to handle it!(manual steering you know) |
