| Author | Message | ||
     Socalbueller |
Tonight on my way home from work my Firebolt died on me for the 3rd time in less than a year. All 3 times it has been the charging system. First time in Dec at 7000 miles it was the stator, second time in May at 12000 miles it was the voltage regulator, and now tonight. I feel right now I can no longer trust my bike. Not what I was expecting when I was buying a brand new motorcycle 15 months ago. Is this typical of motorcycles? My car is an 88 5.0 Mustang and has only left me stranded once in the 10 years I have owned it. (Kind of my own fault since the fuel pump sounded like it had rocks in it when I bought it and I didn't do anything about it until it quit working 3 months later) I have driven it across the country 5 times, LA to Lake Powell, LA to Park City UT, camping trips all over California. I would not hesitate to drive it to Alaska. My Buell on the other hand... just waiting for that engine light to come on to tell you GAME OVER. Fortunately it didn't happen when I was in the boonies of NorCal by myself last month. Other than this charging problem I love the bike. It is almost the perfect bike for what I use it for. Gets great gas mileage, nice and small for lane splitting, handles better than I do on the track. So far I have been lucky and been in the city where help is just a phone call away. Now I feel like I can't take a ride to Wrightwood when I feel like it, I got to get somebody else to go with me in case my stupid bike dies again. I am seriously considering trading it for a more reliable bike. Is there one? I know any bike will have problems but to leave you dead on the side of the road 3 times in 8 months is a little too much. Only ones I can think of would be Japanese, which isn’t exactly my style, and don’t appeal to me. I want a bike that can do track days, torque without 150hp, and be able to ride it every day without worrying about the next time it will die. | ||
| Socalbueller |
Oh and BRAG roadside assistance tried for an hour and couldn't find any tow companies that could tow a motorcycle in Los Angeles.  So they told me to have the police take care of it. I called AAA and got a flatbed in less than 30 minutes. Cost $175 since I didn't have motorcycle coverage with them. | ||
| Seth |
AAA told me that my "Gold Coverage" doesn't cover motorcycles and suggested I call a local tow company who in turn quoted me a price of...and I sware I'm not making this up... $535 dollars to tow my bike home. Find yourself a different stealership who will fix your bike right the first time (not second or third) and keep on enjoying your Buell  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Carry a copy of the RAN with you. A number my friends knowing that I have a trailer, straps & spanners, have been known to upset my wife on a sunday afternoon or in the middle of the night. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
From what I've read here, you charging system failures are most likely related. I guess if the stator goes out, it has high likelyhood of damaging the regulator on the way out. BUT Not killing it all together; just weakening it. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Forget BRAG or AAA for towing bikes. These guys know how to move bikes and have one of the largest networks of tow vehicles around. One policy automatically covers every vehicle registered to the same address. 16 years of happy membership! They've always been prompt and they don't send some fleabag towtruck out, it's always been a nice new rig. I haven't actually had them tow my Buell but they have moved some of my other bikes and did an excellent job each time. ALSO, if you run out of gas they bring it to you for FREE. All part of the deal.  Good Sam Club, it's not just for RV's! (Message edited by pwnzor on September 02, 2006) | ||
| Chainsaw |
I feel your pain Socal (see my profile). Takes a long time to trust the Firebolt after leaving me stranded so often, yet I wouldn't hesitate to take my Sportster across the country, but it has left me stranded too. My advise: Fixing it will be cheaper than getting a new bike and taking a loss on a trade in. Carry a cell phone and towing insurance. Ride the piss out of it. Every time it gets you home without assistance will be a pleasant surprise. You'll build trust in it again. I'm a big fan of 'AAA Plus RV'. About $100 a year I've had it for 10 years. They cover any brand of bike I'm on or any car I'm driving or a passenger in in the US and Canada. You also get substantial hotel discounts and 'free' maps sent to your door. You even get 16% off an National Park Gift stores! My bikes have been rescued a number of times via flatbed, they've delivered me gas roadside, unlocked my dad's truck out in the boonies, towed a friend's broken down car I was riding in, etc, etc. Once in Mobile Alabama, the tow truck driver they sent didn't know how to tow a motorcycle, so they sent another truck out. That would be my 'worst' experience with them. YMMV | ||
| Chainsaw |
...did I mention AAA will tow me up to 100 miles without extra charge? | ||
| Diablobrian |
I had an interesting experience with AAA. Had my RV break down in MO (lived in CA at the time) I called the number on the card, and first they claimed I didn't have RV coverage. I asked why my card has RV and motorcycle printed right on it. They then said that they were not the club I was a member of , because I was in a different region, and I'd have to pay for the tow and have CA AAA re-imburse me. I was upset by this and asked why would you get RV coverage if you didn't intend to travel outside your area? They were very flustered by this point and confused by my use of logic and direct questions. I will never pay another cent for AAA coverage. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I have AAA Gold for my kids, because they constantly lock the keys in their car and I'm sick of rescuing them from that. I keep telling them, when you take the key out of the ignition, DON'T PUT IT DOWN. Teenagers. Anyway, with the gold service they can be just about anywhere and get towed home, and if they are in a friend's car it covers that too, so it's peace of mind on that level. I'll never let them touch any of my vehicles again for reasons I won't bore you with. Good Sam is different in one very important way: When you call, your calls always go to the same call center no matter where you are. They deal with the red tape and get the service out to you asap. AAA is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. I've had a ton of good experiences with them, but they burned me more than once and in life you're only as good as the last thing you did, so I fired them. They're very good at certain things. No denying that. | ||
| Socalbueller |
well it turned out to be a fine day today. Got up early to rent a uhaul trailer and bring my bike down to Glendale HD. Guess I should have called first but the dealership doesn't open till 8am and uhaul opened at 7am. Also Saturday is first come first serve for service so I was hoping to get it fixed today. Drive down there to find out they are closed all god damn weekend because it's Labor day. How is that for service? Thanks for the other towing options but I bought a new bike so I didn't have to get it towed. Wasn't expecting this crap for another 4 years, at least. Chainsaw, yeah fixing it is cheaper than trading it in but I could have bought a 96 S1 for less than 1/2 what I paid for my bike if I was willing to call a tow truck every 3-5 months. what I am thinking about doing is buying a cheap small bike for commuting, since it appears a Buell can't handle that, and save the Buell for weekends. I'll probably keep it until it's paid off in the winter and trade for something else. | ||
| Sshbsn |
I'm sorry to hear of all your troubles with the charging system. But I put a LOT of miles on my XB12R with absolutely no problems at all. Overall it was the most reliable bike I've ever owned, and my first non-Japanese bike. Once you get it fully and properly repaired, you may never have another break-down as long as you own it. As was mentioned, perhaps all of your problems are related. And really, the biggest problem is apparently not the bike, but the guy turning the wrenches. Why don't you get a service manual and fix it yourself? One of the many great things about Buells is their extreme simplicity. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Brian, I feel your pain buddy. That exact same thing happened to me at Laidlaw's except it wasn't even a holiday weekend. I used to go in for that 1st come 1st served crap too. I'd get there at 5:30am and be in line behind 5 other guys so I started getting there at 4:00am and brought my sleeping bag. ONE time there was some old dude ALREADY THERE AT 4AM! Back to the point, I got there one morning at about 4:15 and the gate was shut as usual so I'm laying on the sidewalk on my bag reading my book and about 7am rolls around I'm wondering, where's the guy that opens the gate at 6:30? hmmmMMmmmm 7:30.... nobody 8:00.... nobody 8:30.... guy shows up to get his car that he stores in the parking lot and he works there and he is astonished that he can't get his car, he tries calling other employees, nobody answers, and he got dropped off at the corner and then that person never answered the phone so he was stuck. He hopped the fence, got a helmet from his car and I gave him a ride home, making it the second and last time ever I will carry a passenger on the XB. (the first was my mom, how could I say no?) Do you think that favor got me any special treatment when next I took my bike in? NOT! They told me they opened at 10:am that day. No apology or any kind of acknowldgement that they were a bunch of jackasses. I'll stop ranting now, reading that just touched a nerve, sorry. | ||
| Seth |
A buddy of mine has a '03 XB9R that he bought new. To this day the only "issues" he's had was replacing tires because he rides the p*ss out of the thing. Eight years problem free. I really would be willing to bet that the reoccuring problems are all due to lousy work done at the dealership. | ||
| Lions |
"A buddy of mine has a '03 XB9R that he bought new. Eight years problem free." Huh?  Am I missing something here? I want my 5 years back! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
It was SO reliable that it actually ADDED some extra riding seasons. | ||
| Socalbueller |
Well I don't know if my problems are from lousy work. There is not much to the charging system. You have a stator, rotor, voltage regulator, and battery. Not much to screw up. Plus it takes 5000 to 7000 miles to fail again. Glendale does have a rep of being one of the better Buell dealerships but obviously it's still a Harley one. | ||
| Pwnzor |
You know, how you go to the supermarket and carefully select a dozen eggs? You look and poke and prod and take eggs from another container and put them all together so you have the perfect dozen, only to get home and find that two of them are cracked along the bottom.... same concept. | ||
| Kdan |
My Stator went out on me Friday Afternoon. Took it to Stone Mountain Harley on Saturday morning and they replaced the Stator & regulator and had me back on the road by noon. They also made me an appointment for this coming Wednesday because the tech heard a tick that he didn't like. I love my dealership. As an added bonus, because I was able to ride on Sunday, I got to -  | ||
| Socalbueller |
Had a fun day today. This morning called Glendale told them my bike died last Friday night and if they would be able to pick it up today. The guy checked and said they are not going to have a driver until Thursday morning and they could pick it up then. I asked if I got it in earlier if they would be able to get to it before Thursday. I got put on hold while he checked when he came back he said there was a cancellation this afternoon and they could probably get to it today if I brought it in before that. So I took time off of work rented another trailer and got it down there in there mid morning. While I was in the service area waiting to get waited on I over heard a service woman giving another employee instructions on picking up somebody's motorcycle and where he left the key. After they were done I mentioned I was told they didn't have a driver until Thursday. The lady said they didn't and they were just using him as a driver, whatever that means. The tech who wrote me up was a nice guy and I showed how the battery is dead and where the oil leaks are. We went back inside and he checked when they could get to my bike since I didn't have an "appointment" and he said next Tuesday. WTF! I informed him when I called earlier that morning I was told they would be able to look at it this afternoon. "Uh oh really?" he said. Somebody else in the room said, "Well we might look at it this afternoon but we won't be able to fix it." I proceeded to tell them how disappointed I am in the bike and that I guess I should have bought a jap bike if I wanted one I could ride everyday. Also that it's BS that I have to wait over a week to get my bike fixed. Probably won't make any difference, being in LA there are no shortage of RUBs and people that spend 10x more than I do in that place. I'll admit on the 2nd time it died they did a great job getting it fixed in a reasonable amount of time. Is it just me or do you think if you go in for warranty work they should treat you a little better than somebody coming in for an oil change? To me a manufacturers warranty is almost like a guarantee your bike won't have any major problems (not being able to move under its own power) for the amount of time it is valid. If they do they will take care of them in a timely manner. What kind of impression are they making on me? 3rd time it has died on me and now it is at least going to be a week and a half since I last rode it. Do you think I am going to buy another Buell or Harley product after this? Now I am stuck driving my car all week. Anybody that has been to LA knows the traffic sucks ass and I have been spoiled from riding a bike most of the time for the past year. I'm looking for a cheap commuter bike now and if I am going to have two bikes one is not going to be a Buell. | ||
| Ftd |
Ditto this story. My Uly (4 months old, 3500 miles) has been in the shop for 2 1/2 weeks for side stand recall and charging system (stator). 2 1/2 weeks!! Maybe I will get it back this week. Combination of not working on it and waiting for parts supposedly. Unacceptable in my book. Frank | ||
| Blake |
What dealership? | ||
| Cowboy |
Socalbueller.I wish some one would explain how a Motorcycle dealer ship is different from a car dealership. My wife is manager of a car dealership. We try to get as much warranty work as we can handle, AS WE CHARGE THE FACTORY BACK FOR THIS WORK AT $10.00 PER HR. ABOVE THAN SHOP RATE. It is very easy money. Damned If I under stand it. | ||
| Steveford |
Cowboy, Motorcycle dealerships get paid flat rate at the posted labor rate. Warranty work should be a priority at any dealership, not because of the money but to keep the customer happy and on the road. | ||
| Ftd |
Blake, My bike is held hostage at Seminole HD/Buell. Frank | ||
| Cowboy |
Now I understand MC dealers dont have enough competion. and chaarge above factory rate . where we are have so much competion we have to compensate and lower our shop rate. | ||
| Naustin |
Employees at harley dealers mostly ride harleys, right? So - maybe they just can't understand WHY it is such a big deal that our bike be rideable everyday. Hell, they only put a couple hunderd miles a year on thiers and spend the rest of the time polishing it. You should be glad when your bike breaks down and is stuck at the dealer for 2 weeks, because that's a break from the chore of polishing is all the time. | ||
| Xbduck |
Next time you call the dealer to get work done you must get a name and write down the time you called. That way when you go in you can say "so & so said when I called at 9AM that you would be able to do this and that for me". If after that you get no satisfaction go directly to A) the owner or B) the general manager. Keep a stiff upper lip and DO NOT get belligerent even if they do. This talk with the owner or GM works much better if you are standing in the middle of the sales floor with potential customers all around. I know my service goes much better when I can tell them who told me what and when. Call Buell and see if they can help. Keep us posted as to whats happening there may be others here who can help. Good grief, a week to change a battery and tighten some things.  Make sure they fully recheck the charging system, and it says they did on the final bill. Keep all the info about the repair after the work is done, you must have the name of the tech who does the job. Just in case. Oh, and if you can find the info from the first 2 times have it ready when you call Buell. | ||
| Kuuud |
About towing...I have AMA's MoTow...for all bikes. Haven't used it yet tho. Anybody used it? I have Buells and HD's. They (HOG and BRAG) require you to pay for separate towing policies for each brand!!! Yet BRAG and HOG have a reciprocity agreement for everything else. No Thanks. Bret | ||
| Sparky |
Also Re towing: I have RV Roadhelp through Allstate Motor Club (not associated with Allstate Insurance). It's less that $100 a year and applies to all the family's vehicles including motorcycles. The card itself shows a MC being towed. As a bonus, it includes membership with KOA for maps, discounts on camping reservations, etc. What XBduck says is good advice. It works for me at my dealer. I've had to talk with the service manager a few times when things didn't seem right. Every time he made sure I was satisfied. In the long run, when the top guy filters down through the chain of command that I won't accept shoddy workmanship, things just seem to go better. Finally, as far as stator failures go, I bet the case could be made that every model bike that has a stator is going to have a stator failure of some kind. It happens to Gold Wings, Harleys, and the big 4. Yes, Buells too. I've replaced 2 out of 3 of mine so far and my Harley too. Cheer Up! Welcome to the club. |
