| Author | Message | ||
     Jasonxb12s |
anyone can give me an idea of how much the 12 firebolt front fairing is and if they have one in black? Also, I know a couple of you converted to the R front. Is it any easy swap? Do I need to change the bars out too? | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Yes you will need different bars. The stock bars will not work with the firebolt fairing.  These are the woodcraft clip ons as supplied through American Sport Bike . I will WARN YOU HEAVILY, you will need to switch to the "R" top triple clamp. edited by blake on June 03, 2004 | ||
| Ingemar |
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| Darthane |
That's the one thaty crazy fool hangs off the front forks on...talk about trust! | ||
| Anonymous |
Wycked, Raising the tubes up through the triple clamps is a very bad idea. Not only does it disturb the handling, but it reduces ground clearance and could cause the front tire to contact the front tie bar and bracket under extreme braking loads. PLEASE get an XB9R triple clamp, or modify your fairing for clearance with the clip ons below the upper clamp! THANK YOU for catching that anon.. I've edited wycked's post accordingly. edited by blake on June 03, 2004 | ||
| Daves |
Yes, the fairing is available in black. I'll look up a price and post when I get back from picking up a bike. Dave | ||
| M1combat |
I AGREE WITH ANONY even though Wycked had NO trouble keeping up with me this weekend (not that I'm that fast or anything...). | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Already on its way, thanks to Rokoneer. As to a clearance issue...have had the front forks heavily compressed with tiedowns and haven't seen much of a difference in clearance between the tire and any of the frame/engine/chinfairing components. The forks can flex back that much to be an issue? | ||
| Austinrider |
Wyck - I saw Englishman's Woodcrafts and he actually mounted them below the triple tree, just a quick cut with a hacksaw to provide clearance for the front brake fluid reservoid. I know when I get to upgradin my bike again thats one of the top things I want to do. It will lower your body position up front, so the added control at the track will be nice | ||
| Boulderbiker |
Hey Wycked, what are you doing with your current triple clamp? I might be interested in going the other direction R position to S position and come up with something creative for the ignition. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
After the last mishap Boulder I am going to hang onto it just in case. Austinrider it isn't the resevoir that is the problem, its the lever itself. Adjusted down far enough that it lets my wrist stay inline with my forearm, its no longer just the fairing itself but the fairing support that I would hit. I understand everyones concern about my safety and I spent several days riding the bike and checking things. Other then a little bit of twitchyness on rough corners there has been no problems what so ever. Admittedly I would like a thinner or dropstyle top triple to let me level the fork tubes out some more.and get them back to stock. edited by wyckedflesh on June 01, 2004 | ||
| Ingemar |
Wycked, I'm just curious, that's all; Why don't/didn't you put an 'r' style top triple on it? | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Ingemar, when I went to readjust my headbearings, when I released tension on the steering stem clamp the triple cracked at the bolthead on my firebolt triple. When I went to order a new one my really good local dealer couldn't track one in stock and had it listed on the network as back ordered. | ||
| Court |
>>>This will make your bike VERY Can you say negative dynamic stability ? Remind me to tell you the physics tale about what happens when the **** hits the fan and then commences hitting, both in magnitude and velocity, as a rate that increases as a square function of speed. Airplanes use tricks like dihedral (unless you are an A4 Harrier with anhedral and have a sophisticated stability augmentation system) to contribute to POSITIVE dynamic stability. Ergo, If'n I take a Piper Saratoga to the proper altitude and simply loft it from an unusual attitude, it is DESIGNED to return to straight and level flight through a series of decreasing oscillations. Guys and gals at Buell, with more mental fire power than I ever dreamt of having, worked long and hard to make the XB smarter than us and keep us from doing stupid things. Treat your XB, with the above mod, like a Pit Bull...cause it's prone to bite, unprovoked, at any moment. Please change that geometry. Court | ||
| Glitch |
Can you say negative dynamic stability ? Hell I can't even spell it! Don't want to experience it. Court, I put the XB9S to a pretty good test this past weekend. Some of the roads weren't very well maintained, broken, but not (thank goodness) loose. I came down a hill into a curve and up the hill out of the curve. The broken pavement was in the apex of the curve. The XB was solid and held it's line no problem. Just like an airplane, the XB wants to do what it's made for, I wouldn't change the geometry either. It was a great ride up in the Great Smokies, Pisgah Forest, Biltmore Forest, and parts in between, remind me to tell you about it sometime  | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
And if you notice Court that is exactly how I have said I am treating it. I do expect it to turn around and bite me. And honestly I treat it that way with or without the above mod. The bike is so easy to ride over my head its not a joke. However, I can say that I have found it to respond in much more positive ways then it did before. It responds much more positively to trail brakeing, it responds more actively to my inputs. The down side is yes it responds more actively to my inputs. I do understand I am staring a highspeed rough corner headshaker square in the face and ride appropriately. I do understand the risk I am taking. I knew it the minute I lowered the triples down the fork tubes. However my confidence in how the bike responds to what I have done has been increased by the way the bike has handled the change. I also had plans in the works for the firebolt triple as soon as I could land one, and Rokoneer's timing was such that I had it on order BEFORE anyone started in on the danger aspect of what I had done. I couldn't deal with the problems and clearance issues of the crossroads and really couldn't wait out a back ordered part. I made a decision with the full knowledge that it was MY decision. I did check clearences, and if there is the possibility of hitting any of the hardparts with the front under extreme braking...damn thats alot of flex in the forks...I spent several days taking it up a little higher notch each day. I didn't make the change then just jump on the bike and take off for canyon carving. I took it to a big parkinglot and rode it much as I would for an MSF course. If I had felt anything that made me question it at all, I would have doen it differently, but instead it handled EXACTLY how I expected. I know my personal limits, and though I may brush that line, I prefer to leave myself a cushion. I have yet to have this new set up push on that cushion. | ||
| Anonymous |
Yes, the forks can flex back under hard braking more than you think. Don't risk it. What happens when the fork flexes and the tire contacts, is that you lock the front wheel, which continues the max braking, therefore self energizing 'til the bike comes to a stop or you fall off. I had this happen once on a bike I dropped the front end on (not a Buell), and it was one unbelievably terrifying experience. And that was on a race course with little to hit...unlike the road. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I understand the forks can flex back, but flexing back a full inch and a half minimum? I too have had flexy flier forks. Or maybe that is the problem, I am so used to flexy fliers that this very little flex chassis is giving me too much confidence. | ||
| Slowby |
hey wycked, the triple trees on english's bike was cut for the resevior. he ride's a 9r witch has extensions for the handlebars to mount inside. and we both raised our ride height front and rear. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Guys, the part's on order... I waited SIX weeks for mine on back order. (Yes, I now believe with others that the Buell parts system SUCKS). If I had the chance to get my scoot under me in the mean time; believe me I woulda! Let's give em' a break already. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Slowby if you look, you will notice I have the S triple which doesn't have those extensions, if you read my post you will notice it wasn't the resevoir that was the problem but the lever hitting the fairing. | ||
| Blake |
Wycked, You seem to be determined to learn the hard way. I advise taking the easy route instead; install the R clamp. In my personal book of life, "smart and alive" beats "stubborn and dead" almost every time. edited by blake on June 03, 2004 | ||
| Gonen60 |
plus..the R clamp sure looks a lot better with the Clip ons!  | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Gee if I wasn't planning on installing the R clamp then why did I buy one from Rokoneer? I don't know maybe I thought it would make a good paperweight. | ||
| Misato |
bike parts always look cool on the coffee table, or anywhere in the living room. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
thanks Misato I needed that  | ||
| Misato |
 the g/f doesnt think they look as cool as I do tho.. and now that we bought a house, I can't use the 'no garage' excuse... soo anyway, just make sure the front tire is never on the ground and you wont have a problem. | ||
| Dyna |
I dont screw around with the front end geometry of my bikes. I figure they paid someone big $$ to figure it out & make sure it works the way its supposed to. Not worth the risk to my body. If im a tenth of a second slower going thru a curve or whatever..so what, at least I know I will come out the other side ok. | ||
| Gonen60 |
paper weights do come in handy  | ||
| Blake |
Glad to know it Wycked. Just looking out for a fellow BadWebr. |
