| Author | Message | ||
     Airbrushjohn |
I really wanna keep my 98 s3t and trick it out, but i keep reading all these articles , pretty much slamming the tube frame buells. I only ride a few hours a week, I like to go blast thru the dessert here in Las Vegas. Should i be worried that my bike will leave me stranded? What kinda problems are all these moto writers talkin about? Or should i go trade it in on an XB? | ||
| Lake_bueller |
This is just my opinion but....most of Buell's reliability problems are with the 1999 models. They had some EFI problems and bad oil pump pinion gears. Most of the other Buell related issues are owner/dealer induced. People (including me) love to accessorize their bikes with performance modifications. Without the proper tuning/adjusting, you'll have issues down the road. That being said...I have 2 1998 model Buell motorcycles. I have not ONCE been stranded at the side of the road. Keep the old tuber and ride the SH!T out of it!! | ||
| Court |
>>>>This is just my opinion but....most of Buell's reliability problems are with the 1999 models. Remind me to tell you . . . . . | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Remind me to tell you . . . . . Don't tell me now Court, I bought a 99 last winter!! I had the same concerns (after reading here) about buying ANY Buell, much less a tube frame with FI. After reading further into it though, it appeared that while the original owners may have been put through a lot, the bikes are by now either already sorted, or the required upgrades are known and documented. Their loss has been my gain as I purchased a low mileage bike in great condition for very short $$. I have only put about 3500 miles on mine, but have used it for everything from commuting to work and riding two up to about 2 dozen runs down the dragstrip. So far I have only done maintenance and those upgrades required to prevent problems down the road, and have experienced 0 problems. It starts instantly, gets great gas mileage, attracts a fair share of attention and has been as much fun to ride as I hoped for when I bought it. | ||
| F1johny |
my 98 was a complete lemmon disaster and stranded me on the last day (thank god) of a 6k trip. Great bike though. I love it. been to ND from seattle many times on it.Just lsot ability to shif down from 5-4-3 though last month on atrip to Mt. Ranier...... still love it but geeeeezzz | ||
| Airbrushjohn |
F1johnny, what other problems should i be looking for? what model is your 98 | ||
| Dfbutler |
My 99 left me stranded just a week ago. It was pretty exciting, starting with what felt like a tire going down, progressing rapidly to a serious wobble and some metalic sounds. I was traveling about 80 when it started. Turns out it was a rear wheel bearing having a catastrophic failure - the large single one on the left side as opposed to the smaller, dual ones on the right. Funny, just that morning I was thinking that here couldn't be much else that could go wrong... | ||
| Chasespeed |
Sometimes, I look at these posts, and consider how luck I am. I have a 99 X1, and thankfully it has been stone reliable, other than a couple oil leaks, which dont really bother me too much... Chase | ||
| Easy_rider |
I must admit that my '99 S3T has given me more problems than any other bike I've ever had, but I've never been completely stranded. I've either had plenty of warning that something was about to go south, like the rocker box leak, or I've been able to get it home, though running pretty rough. (Still haven't pinned down that intermittent problem.) That being said, I'd still take off and ride it anywhere! | ||
| Tunes |
I have 22K on my '99 S3T. Problems have not been any more frequent than any other motorcycle brand I have owned. The EFI was not setup properly when I bought it... Buell flew out two tech's and they tuned my bike! Easy_rider... It wouldn't hurt to recheck/zero the TPS again. That might be the prob. Also, I've had an intermittent prob that I just nailed down. It was my voltage regulator. I was charging but just barely, like .2 volts above the existing battery voltage. Battery was at 12.3 volts. Start the bike and rev to 3K and voltage jumped to 12.5 volts. New regulator gave me 13.5. Problem fixed. This charging problem gave me all sorts of different feedback as to what the problem was, like saying the O2 Sensor was shorting to gnd. I replaced it anyway. I didn't feel any difference but sensors are cheap, so I don't mind replacing them. | ||
| Airbrushjohn |
I guess i'll hold on to her for a while, i do look forward to coming home late at night and takin her out for a blast ( too hot here in vegas to enjoy any day time riding) I test rode a xb12 the other day, it was great ,but lacked that "character rumble" that my 98 has, ill post some pictures of the bike soon, thanx guys, your opinions and stories really helped me make up my mind to keep her, BUT IF I DO GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE...ANY OF YOU GUYS LIVE CLOSE TO VEGAS SO YOU CAN COME GET ME? HAHA | ||
| 89rs1200 |
I have a '97 S3 with 50K miles, and a '98 with 20K miles. Be sure to upgrade the rear motor mounts and use the proper Torx head bolts. Replace the rear shock with a Penske or Works. Don't waste your money on another stock shock. Ride improvement will be quite noticeable. A VANCE&HINES muffler, or the Buell race muffler will really improve mid-range torque. Replace the air filter with a K&N. Keep am eye on the 2 front motor mount bolts that hold it to the heads. I have had one break. Easy to spot, as the head of the bolt falls off. The right fork leg seals fail before the left. Keep the tube clean. This is all I have had to do. You may want to replace the primary chain tensioner as the early ones had a thinner metal plate that could fail. (Listen for noise from the chain.) I love my tuber Buells and would never think of selling them for anything else. I can ride the canyons, or tour cross country. | ||
| Jreichner |
Hey guys I have a 99 S3T and 89rs1200 says to be sure to upgrade the rear motor mounts. How do you know if the mounts either have to be upgraded or have been upgraded? Just curious.... | ||
| 89rs1200 |
Hello Jreichner: Did not mean to startle you. Upgrade to the new rear mounts when or if the old ones fail. The point is to NOT use the old style, as the new style are stronger and also give you a better ride. | ||
| Jreichner |
Ok...Gottcha! Thanks 89rs1200! Hey just looking for ways to improve the ride! I already have a Works rear shock and it is a huge improvement over the Showa stock shock. The stock shock died on me in apx 15k miles. | ||
| Luftkopf |
I hear horror stories all the time. I just don't get it. Ride almost every day, taken it across the country 3 times, including some 1k days. This bike has only needed rocker box gaskets, ignition switch, and replaced the drive belt (it had a hole through the center of it when I bought it in Boston, and still rode it to Florida and California before replacing it). Not only has the bike needed minimal repairs, they were all easy to perform. Al over at American Sport Bike (Great guy)turned me on to a tool to change the belt, and it only took 45 minutes. To have a bike that can haul all my gear, and still get 50mpg used to be just a dream of mine. Your '98 has a carb, but other than that, it's pretty much the same bike. Will it be as dependable as mine, or problematic like so many others? The only performance modifications on my bike are aerodynamic oriented. Must have been built on a Wednesday. | ||
| Impulse_101 |
I've had to replace the Swingarm isolators, The intake manifold seals and the primary chain tension adjustor. I'm thinking that I'll be dropping it off at Hal's pretty soon because the back end is feeling a bit loose when I'm cornering. I've put over 25,000 miles on my 1997 S3T in three years but I'm going to be getting a new bike this winter. Either a ULY or a Lightening Long. JT | ||
| Bikerjim99 |
I also wonder about all the horror stories about the 1999 F.I. Buells. My 99 S3 has had the new style rear isolators, and the usual rockerbox gaskets, which were replaced only for a small seepage. That's all the problems I have had in 23,000 miles. Perfect idle, smooth running at all speeds. This is the only time I don't wish to hear the rest of Court's story! I may get worried. Bikerjim | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I have a 98 S1W with 30,000 miles and a 97 S1 with less than 5000 miles (for sale by the way). The only problems other than recall; ignition switch internals went bad and I could not get the key in at 12,000 miles, and blown fork seal at 29,000 miles. The S1 was bought sight unseen and arrived with a loose negative battery connection causing a rough running motor (easily fixed). No other problems to report. | ||
| Josh_ |
I put 44,000 miles on my 99 S3 by March '04 when I sold it for a FJR1300. While I had a few problems, most were aftermarket related and the rest were minor. Took it commuting, drag-racing, high-speed-sport-touring, even had it on Road America with the crotch rockets several times. Great bike. | ||
| Naustin |
I just bought an 2001 S3T. It runs crappy. The dealer thinks the IAT sensor is the culprit as the prior owner fubar'd the airbox...now waiting for parts. That I'm not real worried about, however, I've had it a week or so and just discovered both saddlebags are cracked. I'm upset, but I'm the fool the bought a buell  so I guess its my own fault.  Anyway, I've never done any fiber-glassing before, and I don't care to make something this important my first attempt. I'm calling around to some auto-body and custom car shops to see if I can find a local guy that can do this for me reasonably. I'd gladly pay somebody for his time to make my bags good as new - and better than original. Pretty damn disappointing though. I don't care if they charge me for it, but they ought to be able to sell me a inner bag moulded out of some other type of plastic that is more durable and/or reinforced. I'll pay for it - but the part I need doesn't even exist....  | ||
| Josh_ |
Also check any local boat/marine shops as they'll do water-tight fiberglass all day. reset TPS, check the plugs, clean the injectors, make sure it has the RaceECM ... | ||
| Naustin |
Josh - TPS reset done, Has Race ECM, Plugs replaced. Airbox is messed up and IAT is zip tied to one of the breathers, so that's the current suspect. Also O2 sensor, injectors, exhaust leaks, and intake seals on the list of candidates... Like I said, that issue is a matter of time and money to put right. The poorly designed bags bother me more. The only local marine places are not the type of place I can see doing any kind of fiberglass repair work, but I'll call them. | ||
| 89rs1200 |
Naustin - you can do a very good repair on the saddle bags with Goop "SuperMend" 2 Part Epoxy Paste from Ace Hardware. It goes on thick. Sand and clean the area well first. I also reenforced the area with a piece of PVC pipe glued in with the Epoxy Paste. My repair has lasted 5 years. Also note that my saddle bags have never been water tight. (Message edited by 89rs1200 on August 30, 2006) | ||
| Kinger |
Look in the knowledge vault for repair instructions for the inner case of the saddlebags. I assume that yours are cracking at the mounting points? The instructions are clear and the job is easy. I did it about 2 years ago and no issues yet... | ||
| Naustin |
89rs1200 - Thanks for the suggestion. That would eliminate the task of removing and reinstalling all the hardware, as well as the concern of building the fiberglass up too thick and compromising the ability of the retaining hardware to engage the frame. If it lasted 5 years, I say it worked as good as anything... Watertight... Cripes - I'll just be happy if the bags don't fall off the bike.  (Message edited by naustin on August 30, 2006) Kinger - Yeah I saw Al Lighton's write up. That's probably the route I'm headed. But 89rs's method is a lot less work... It'd be nice to know how many guys did it Al's way and how many just used 2-part epoxy and what the long term results were... (Message edited by naustin on August 30, 2006) | ||
| 5liter |
I had mine done at a local marine repair shop. They did a very good job on the inners. It was a little pricey, but worth it. The bags have always leaked for me. | ||
| Dave |
Yeah like they said. It's pretty well known that all the inside/mount part of the S3 bags seem to crack eventually (99 and up). I used nylon rope from a hardware store, some fiberglass mat, and resin. It's not really pretty but with the bag liners in nobody knows. Make sure your battery is 100%. A TPS reset may be on the mark too if it wasn't done correctly. No engine codes? DAve | ||
| Dark_ninja |
I have a 98 S3T with 30K on it. It's seen everything from around town riding for work, track days, 600 mile one way runs in extreme heat, 400 mile one way runs in extreme could. It's never left me stranded and has rarely had an issue I couldn't correct myself with a shop manual, basic tools, and a couple hours of time. Although I am starting to get tired of her now I still love this bike. | ||
| Naustin |
I found out that 1 replacement inner half of an s3t saddle bag now lists for $450+ (according to the dealer). So that's $900 for both sides - and that's just the inners! And as far as I know, they're still made of the same defective PVC plastic and just as likely to crack as the old ones?? That's really disappointing. For that kind of money, they should include the outers and come with their own lifetime warranty against stress crack failure. Josh, 5liter I found a boat repair shop in my area and may drop my bags off there tonight - I'm going to check the place out and see what they quote me for a price. They sounded good on the phone...  5liter Did the Marine shop do the rope thing that Al did for yours, or did they just put down a doubler? Glassing a hunk of rope in there is not an elegant solution IMHO. I'd rather just have them add a few extra layers of glass in that area if its necessary...} (Message edited by naustin on September 01, 2006) |
