| Author | Message | ||
     Eboos |
As weird as sounds, I was kind of looking forward to my first crash. I knew it was going to happen, I just wanted to get it out of the way. I trusted my gear, and it did a remarkable job. My first crash took the fear out of it for me. Now I know what to expect (in a sense). It's all a matter of what it's worth to you. I suppose that I am used to taking the risk. I skateboarded, raced XC MTBs, and rode freestyle BMX for years. I had more then my share of "close calls", and even more actual injuries. Personally, I don't think that I can stop riding right now. I need this, or else I would just be too bored with everyday life. It is the passion of the hobby that makes the risk worth it for me. You can better manage the risk by learning everything that you can about riding and motorcycle maintainence. I have only been riding for a little over a year, and I now have a pretty desent library on riding techniques. I have try to apply what I've learned whenever I am out on the road. I also try to get inside my bike and find out how it works as much as possible. This way I know when it's not right, and how to fix it. Motorcycle Safety Foundation teaches courses that are geared towards beginning and expereanced riders. They are worth the money, and the formal training may give both you and your wife the confidence needed on the road. | ||
| Buelluk |
My wife would prefer that I did not ride, she likes me the way I am , but she also recognizes that I love to ride and will not stand in the way of that with only one caveat - she does not want to hear from me about how I am riding, speed etc. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I also understand the anxiety people have about crashing. For those that don't know my left leg is paralyzed. Every single time I go out riding I do so with the knowledge that low speed left turns are my achilles heel. If, say in a turn lane the person in front of me stops short, while I am mid-turn, I WILL fall over. it has happened. At homecoming, while riding 2-up with my 13 year old son on the back, he leaned left at a stop to see what the hold up was. Over we went. I live with the knowledge of my limitations, but riding has been a driving goal for me. It horrified my friends and family (at least the non-riders) that i would want to ride again after a thoughtless 18 year old driver hit me head-on pulling out of a blind driveway. My view was that it wasn't my fault, or the bike's. I LOVE riding. I'll never be as fast as i used to be, but I can still get out there and ride. The doctors told me to get used to being in a bed, wheelchair etc. after my accident. I guess a lot of people accept that and give up. That's just not how I'm wired. Every day of your life is risk management. You continually weigh risk versus reward. Is riding too high in the risk category for you personally? It has no bearing on how "manly" you are, or even how welcome you are on this forum. If you have decided that the risk is too great, and you take no joy from riding then it is time to put it away, or sell it. I just hate to see people walk away because a perfectly natural "knee jerk" reaction. It is a self preservation reflex kicking in. That's a good thing! The truly fearless don't live long riding motorcycles. I've rambled on enough.  Take this post for whatever it's worth to you. | ||
| Jon |
Diablobrian, My 13 year old son did the same thing two weeks ago on the back of the X1. We didn't come close to going over, but I did have to act quickly to counter his significant weight shift. Low speed curve due to posted speed and he leaned way out to see something. How long has your leg been paralyzed? | ||
| Diablobrian |
Jon, It has been paralyzed 3 years this september 3rd. | ||
| Curtyd |
I forgot two or three things, 1. Full-face helmet, makes "open casket" still a possibility, 2. Good Term Life Insurance, at least pay off the mortgage on your way out, and, 3. Full Guest Passenger Liability Insurance so you can cover the medicals of the person on the back, or NEVER, not even ONCE, carry a passenger. | ||
| Court |
Escham: I left messages on your home and cell phones yesterday and will try to contact you again today. Court | ||
| Escham |
I got your message. I will try to be closer to phone today. I picked the bike up yesterday for fear of accumulating "storage" fees. I did not want to do it, but felt I had no choice. The bike runs ok, but the bolts on the primary look like a bike that has been torn down and rebuilt. The bike also seems to require alot of pressure on the back brake to get it to slow quickly and then it just wants to lock up. I also noticed that some of the replaced parts have the chipped finishes. So, I will be taking it back once again. Escham | ||
| Skyguy |
Escham, There should be ZERO evidence that the bike was down. If you had never removed the primary before those bolts should look new. Chips are unacceptable. Sounds like your dealer is a POS hack. Good luck getting it sorted out. Don't forget to be nice to the folks at BMC it is not their fault the dealer bites. I do have issues with BMC myself though. Erik is a way cool guy but the mothership does not have any of my respect. Mostly due to the belt and headlight issues. They should have come clean on those items rather than pissing off their customers. I plan to buy any future Buells used to avoid BMC garnering any profit off of me. They proved they don't care about me so I no longer care about them. I will buy Erik a beer though if I ever meet him. | ||
| Glitch |
DiabloBrian, could you please send me a picture of yourself to me? I need to add you to my book of heroes. No, I'm serious, really. glitch @ badweatherbikers . com | ||
| Diablobrian |
Hey Glitch, The check is in the mail...er, I mean I've sent an email, even though I don't think I really fit the "hero" archetype. I was just relating my story so that Eric (Escham) would know that I really do get where he's coming from. I have been there. It's also why I constantly push for people to wear all of their gear on every ride. I was 2 miles from home, commuting to college. I'm alive because I live by the same standard I keep repeating to everyone who'll listen! ATGATT: All The Gear All The Time. | ||
| Court |
>>>Chips are unacceptable. I agree and was thrilled when they took it off the air. I spoke to Eric, nice as can be. I'll leave the beatin' up the dealer to you guys, I'm gonna set about seeing what I can do to help. Hey. . . I have a picture of Brian with a friend. . .  | ||
| Steve_mackay |
Also look in the latest Fuell magazine. The Homecoming 2006 page has a pic of Brian and his son on Brian's white full fairing firebolt. I can tell ya, he's one determined individual that I am proud to call a friend. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
//slight hijack//// only recently have i come to the conclusion about wearing gear. i WAS the type to NEVER wear a helmet, and if i did it was just a skid lid.(still wear it every so often but i am getting better only 2 times this year) last year bought my first REAL helmet.(weird doing tricks with it on compared to a open helmet) then this year i got some good gloves, now sidi boots are comming, soon to be followed by an icon jacket(1-2 weeks due to $$$$)i have always herd brian preach on the gear and NEW i should get some but NEVER considered it.you know ..wont happen to me plus it is soooo expensive. until recently. had 2 friends go down this year. one not to bad..the other not to good. opened my eyes you could say. you can get hurt real easy out there and the cagers ARE aiming for you! i swear they are! i also have 2 young boys 6 & 10. both love to ride anything w/ a motor. they have full motorcross gear. i preach to them constantly on gear. they asked why i don't have to wear it & they do.and that they want me to be safe.i'm like there hero, take them to every car/bike show i can.kill my tires cuz they LOVE burnouts.(how can i say no to them..lol) but they had a good point huh?!.(i owe it to them to come home EVERY time i ride).. so that was the last straw. now i am convinced i NEED gear to ride.i think between brian in the back of my mind and all his posts and the kids in the front of my mind with come home safe it worked. wife likes the idea of gear also as i love to do silly things here and there. cant help it..well i wont ramble on here...just thought i'd throw a quick experience out there..STAY SAFE GUYS! LOOKS LIKE THE "GEAR PUSHER" managed to get someone else "ADDICTED" to the stuff..lol holly $h!t did i write all that....SORRY!! //slight hijack over//// | ||
| Glitch |
I can tell ya, he's one determined individual... Hero material in my book. Thanks for the pic Brian! What season do I dress for? I dress for the Fall. or something like that, I think I heard it from a guy named Court. Sorry for the hijack y'all. You'd think I'd know better. | ||
| Court |
>>>>I think I heard it from a guy named Court. It occurred at Lombardi's Harley-Davidson/Buell when a guy came in, said the brakes on his Buell didn't work and asked me to take it around the block. It was hot and steamy (like today) and he laughed as I was putting on FULL GEAR and said "you look like you're dressing for winter". I replied...."Wrong, I'm dressing for fall!". Went around the block, came down the hill (advantage to Court) and rode the bike down the hill on the front wheel, got off and told him I'd adjusted them. He sheepishly left with his "fixed" brakes. The following week was the "incident" testing that custom made "gift chopper" for that pitcher guy from the Yankess. I don't recall his name (they called him "boomer" and that's what they painted on the bike) but I had to test it so Fossil Watches could present it in some mega-ceremony at Macy's in Herald Square. (Message edited by court on July 13, 2006) | ||
| Glitch |
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| Escham |
I took the bike back to the dealership and spoke with the Store manager again. I showed him the parts and he agreed that it was unacceptable. Also, I also had to return pucks because they ordered the wrong ones, hmmm. We talked and discussed how to move forward. He apologized again and we shook hands. He is going to order new parts again. I am trying to be patient guys, thats just who I am. I took a whole roll of pictures to document current problems. I just have such a hard time figuring these guys out. They fix it, tell me its ok and it leaks. They pick it up, tear it down torquing everything on the way down and back up, don't find a single problem,fix it again, best techs on it, go over it with a fine toothed comb, test it, ride it, look it over, say its back to original and looks great. I pick it up and BAM same ol garbage. Scabbed up parts and bike that just looks "worked on". I am dumbfounded. As Court mentioned, I spoke with him this morning. Great guy with some great stories. I suggest you guys introduce yourselves if you get a chance and just listen to him. You will get a great idea of what these bikes were born out of. There is another individual that has gone out of their way to help me, but I don't want to name them. Just know that if you have a problem with Buell and service, there are people here that will help. The parts are on order and they are going to fix it again when they come in. Meanwhile I have been riding today and have had no problems so far. I just wish none of this would have happened, it has been such a downer. Escham | ||
| Diablobrian |
Aww shucks, Guys. Determined is one word, obsessive would be another  I've also been told I just don't know when to quit. I just think people give up too easily. And Court, I'd be proud to call Erik a friend, but I want to eventually call him "Boss"! (another of my driving goals) | ||
| Diablobrian |
Eric, I'm glad you are riding, that's a good sign in my book. I'm also glad the store manager is working with you on this. Maybe things can still be put back the way they should be. We too wish this had never happened to you. We're all rooting for you. BTW does the Dealer know that they are under a magnifying glass right now? It's better if they don't so that they can be seen for who they really are. Court's stories are legendary on badweb. Plus he's an all around good guy. Quick Glitch, get Court in your book. He deserves it more than I do! | ||
| Blake |
Eric, That rear brake performance you describe is as it is for all sport bikes. Please use primarily your front brake to stop the bike. Good to hear you are getting the help you need. | ||
| Court |
Eric: Sound familiar? | ||
| Spiderman |
Speaking of rear brakes...  | ||
| Jon |
Diablobrian, You are a man's man, my friend. I'd like to share some generous hospitality with you someday. Meat, suds, and cigars....oh and bikes. | ||
| Sarodude |
Escham- I had a downward spiraling Buell incident with a dealership. Unfortunately, mine was a Blast - so I REALLY got no respect. I found that with this shop it didn't matter how nice I was, how accommodating the service manager was, and how embarassed the dealer principal looked (who one day picked up a wrench and went to fix one of the problems himself). At the end of the day, the inconsiderate imcompetent(s) turning the wrenches were just lame at best, and malicious at worst. Six months of me trying to get them to fix their own problems (plus stupid things like someone at the shop swapping out my mirrors!!!!!! WTF!) and I eventually got myself a Brand new Blast - which NEVER AGAIN went in for warranty repair. I got lucky. The shop didn't actually buy back my bike in a traditional sense. At the time there was the "full trade in value" deal happening for non-Blast Buells and Sportys. They got on the horn with someone at BMC or HD and essentially let me do a purchase price trade-in on another Blast. These guys just did not care. They never followed the manual when torquing the isolator bracket bolts (broke on two different occasions). They routed the clutch cable incorrectly and caused it to melt against the pipe. When they swapped mirrors, they didn't even have the courtesy, decency, or aptitude to steal properly to keep 'em from flopping about. I can't even remember all the stuff they screwed up. Seriously, every time I had 'em fix a problem (which they caused) they CAUSED another. Insane. It gets better. When they gave me my new Blast, they sent one of their techs out to "test ride" it. He kept bringing it in and checking something out - 'cause it had some kinda hesitation and was down on power. Turns out that genius boy could not figure out that a bike with less than 1/2 the motor of the tube framers might have a touch less power. Jackass. The floor manager and service manager came to hand over the bike & keys and they offered me a certificate for a free oil change. I told them in the least condescending tone that I could possibly muster, "Do you really think I can ever let one of your techs work on my bike in good conscience?" I could NOT possibly let it go. It was insane. I applaud your efforts at patiently trying to get your bike fixed. Personally, if they can't get your bike to be absolutely indistinguishable from new (or whatever condition it was in when you took it to 'em) this next round then it's time for a new bike. I know EXACTLY what you're going through and I fear the shop working on it just can't quite make it right with their wrenches. Note: I own a couple of Blasts and an S2. I'm not bashing Buell - or even Buell Dealers necessarily. I just know that reality sometimes intervenes when you try to get your bike fixed by the people who are supposed to be able to fix 'em. I've found the best Buell service department. Also the best Ford, Chevy, Saturn, Harley, and VW, and Porsche service department. Funny - regardless of where I live, I always find it in my own garage. The big hairy ape that works there actually seems to care about my vehicles even if he occasionally makes a lame mistake (like leaving out the reverse idler gear from an 85 CRX Si) - but that's another story. -Saro | ||
| Sanchez |
> DiabloBrian, could you please send me a picture of yourself to me? Maybe it's the engineering geek in me, but I'd rather see pictures of the bike. How's the shifter set up? | ||
| Diablobrian |
Ask and ye shall receive. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/148689.html I still need to get around to building a cleaner front mount. I'm still using the prototype because it works Anyway that should answer the questions Sanchez. If you have more to ask don't be afraid to PM me. | ||
| Escham |
Just when I think it couldn't get any worse..... I was looking at some pictures from the "leak" and comparing them to the pictures of the more recent "repairs" when I noticed something odd. The inner cover that is circular in shape and located just right of the shifter is missing a bolt/screw. I tried to attach picture but it is too big and I can't get it to work. According to the dealership, they took it apart piece by piece, making sure each piece was tightened to specs as they took it apart and looked at every piece to insure there was no problems with workmanship. According to the Service Manager and the store manager there was not a single thing they could find wrong with it and attributed it to a 1 in a 1,000,000 bad gasket. They had to have noticed the screw was missing when they disassembled it. I can't believe they did not tell me the truth. These guys have done nothing but be dishonest and misleading this entire time. When will this nonsense end? I am going to the dealership tomorrow and see what the Store manager has to say about this. Escham | ||
| Diablobrian |
I really hope this whole episode has not soured you on riding, or Buells. The main issues here are dealership issues, and I'd start looking around for a different dealership for service/warrenty work. I'm sure they've done their best to accommodate you and meet your expectations, but obviously their standards are not on par with your expectations of what they should do. A parting of ways would probably save more trouble for both of you down the road. Do you have another dealer somewhat close to you that handles Buells? Maybe someone can suggest a good one in your area to save you trouble. You should start a thread, or find a storm fronts thread that is in your area. Word of mouth is the best way of finding the GOOD dealerships. | ||
| Wes12185 |
just to throw this out there, NC Lemon Law is something like three time in for the same problem gets you a new car. Not sure if its the same for bikes. So have they been fixing the same thing each time or are they just breaking something new? |
