| Author | Message | ||
     Thestig |
Thanks to the fine help of Mr. Skinner I know my Buell is one of the 28 that were made for the Cal market. What I don't know is where I fit into the over all run of the 1399 and what was different about the Cal bikes? I am guessing it was all EPA crap but I would like to know. My vin is 4MZRT56H4S3000007 Any help on this would be great. Thanks guys. | ||
| Thestig |
I need to get some better pictures of it.  | ||
| F_skinner |
Bottom line is it does not fit in the 1399 run of 95 S2s. Think if the CA bikes as a run by themselves. The main difference is the Quicksilver Carb vice the 40mm CV Keihn carb on the 49 state bikes. I am not sure if there were other differences... Great looking bike. Kitty looks like he wants to go for a ride...  Frank | ||
| Ebutch |
I think charcoal filter for gas fumes too.And as you said that carb Frank.Nice #Robert!!!  | ||
| Ebutch |
Vin # off frame steering neck only way of telling where made for I think Frank?Cal.or 49 State.  | ||
| Thestig |
Thanks very much guys. So it really is number 7 out of a run of 28. I am guessing that they were made at the same time as the normal S2s then. If that Quicksilver Carb is still on the bike (I will have to check) should I replace it? Is it costing me power? Mr Skinner are any of the other 28 listed with you? I find it very funny that a CA bike would end up in central Maine. Sure would like to know the full story behind that. We bought it in MA but before that I have no idea. Is there a place where I can see the S2 list? I was trying to take a quick picture to send a friend with my cell phone and the cat just jumped up there. No idea why. Made for a funny picture. | ||
| F_skinner |
Butch, it is a CA bike, you can tell by the 56 in the VIN. Thestig, yes, number 28 of 28 is on the list. I need to take a look at it again. I keep the list on a yahoo group. http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Buell_S2_Thund erbolt_owners/ I already have your info so you will not need to send me your VIN to get access. I only let people that own S2s on the group and they are the only ones that can see the list. I have not updated that list in a while. I also keep it on two Hard Drives at home. It is no where near complete and there are people on this site that have not sent me their info but I really do not ask for it anymore as I figure people that want to be on the list will send it to me. I think the Owners List thread fell into the archives but that is ok. I will post something in the future after I talk to a custodian if the site.. | ||
| F_skinner |
Thestig, one more thing about the yahoo group. It is not really for chatting as the badweb is better for that. It is more a place to keep files and info on the Thunderbolts. Download anything you want. | ||
| F_skinner |
Also, if you have not read Court and Dave's book "25 Years of Buell" I highly recommend it. Although they did not spend enough time on the S2s (of course only a S2 guy would think that) they sure did capture the feeling of Buell in the early years and the progression they made. BMC made so many pivotal bikes over their history it is hard to point to one bike and say "that is the bike that was Buells breakout bike". We all know it was the S2 of course.... | ||
| Thestig |
I went there but I must have missed it. Not a big deal at all. I want to be able to speak intelligently about the bike and where it fits in is why I ask. Thank you very much for the info Sirs | ||
| F_skinner |
Thestig, one more thing, I promise this is my last post tonight. If you have a friend at a dealer have them run the VIN, they can tell you where the bikes was originally purchased and maybe (if they are a good friend) tell you the name of the person that bought the bike. They can also show open recalls like your shock and the original front brake rotor. By the way, if you decide to get a different front brake rotor keep me in mind to purchase the one on your bike. I need one for the restoration I am doing.. Frank | ||
| Thestig |
I have that book and I like it very much. I am with you on the S2 (I think I have the same bias as you) being the brake out bike. I would like to own an RS1200 Westwind one day. Not sure that is ever going to happen sadly. Ok so I just need to find out if the CA bikes carb hurt performance and should I replace it? | ||
| Thestig |
I did not know there was a recall on the shock or the rotor. How can I tell if they have been done? I have no problems with them that I know of. I had to replace my rear rotor today funny you should bring it up. The pads went metal to metal on my last ride. Sadly I did not notice they were going bad. | ||
| F_skinner |
I do not know squat about the Quicksilver carb but seeing they only put that on CA bikes I would say change it. I am a big fan of the CV 40 on non-mofified bikes. For my hotrod S2 I run a 42 Mikuni. | ||
| Ebutch |
Dig in Robert. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/538288.html?1268014891 | ||
| F_skinner |
Robert, maybe Bluesboy will pipe in. He had one on his bike and switched. As a matter of fact I think everyone did. LOL It should be a straight up swap. You may have the CV 40 on your bike if it went through a couple of owners. | ||
| Ebutch |
Here is Your Bike New Robert. http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r200/ebutch/Sca n054January132009.jpg | ||
| Leftcoastal |
We had the Quicksilver carb on the '96 S2T I got for the wife back in '97. It was not agreeable to tuning, at least not by any attempt I did, and would tend to soak the air cleaner element with nice, fresh gasoline! After doing a wonderful job of ridding the air cleaner of any excess filter oil, it would then proceed to automatically do a nice solvent cleaning of the right side of the bike, and any errent pantleg or boot that was in it's vicinity. Just what the doctor ordered. When it popped back through the carb one day, and set fire to the bike and melted the CF aircleaner cover, element, vent hoses, etc. I decided that I'd just go all outlaw and brazenly violate all those Air Quality codes and put a non-CA approved CV on the bike. I hucked that piece of shyte Quicksilver over the fence and that was the end of THAT adventure! Her bike never missed a beat with the new carb. It ran better, got better mileage, and didn't spew fuel like it was pissing it's name in the snow. That was over 7 years ago, so the statute of limitations will prevent the CARB, AQMD, EPA and such from hunting me down and sending me to air jail. So - my (usually unreliable) advise is to carefully remove the Quicksilver, dust it off and give it a good spit-polish, and smash it with the biggest effing hammer you can find. Wear safety goggles and gloves. OK? You asked, after all. | ||
| Bernard |
Yeah . . . mutilate "one of 28" bikes and give next generations' collectors something to shake their head about. Makes the remaining 27 only more valuable . . . | ||
| Bernard |
Yeah . . . mutilate "one of 28" bikes and give next generations' collectors something to shake their head about. Makes the remaining 27 only more valuable . . . | ||
| Phelan |
IMHO, not all things are worth collecting. If it sits in your garage and you never ride it, then keep the carb. If you ride the thing like it was intended, swap it for a decent carb. Even if you paid $2500 for it and sold it for $5000 10 yrs later, you made $250/yr to keep a piece of junk mounted on your bike, and you can't ride it because the mileage would go up and you wouldn't make the same profit. Even if I give the bike away 10 yrs from now it's worth the $250/yr to me to do whatever the hell I want to with it and not worry about value. Why would I worry about value and originality on a bike that racks up 20k miles a year anyway? (Message edited by phelan on April 30, 2010) | ||
| F_skinner |
Yeah . . . mutilate "one of 28" bikes and give next generations' collectors something to shake their head about. Makes the remaining 27 only more valuable I am not sure the S2s will be collectable any time soon. The only reason I say that is there were just too many made. 7 of 28 CA bikes has little meaning except to identify an approximate run of bikes destined to CA that year. Why do I say approximate? Well I am not sure the numbers are accurate. You have to think what BMC was going through during this time period. They thought they would make around 300 S2 and ended up making a lot more. I bet those were heady times at BMC but the point is a lot of things were going one. We can approximate the numbers built but that is all it is. I see conflicting numbers all the time although I have never seen conflicting Signature Series numbers. BTW: HD holds much information that we will never see) SOOOO, I agree with Ross. I would ride it and modify it to suit your needs. NO ONE else has to be satisfied with your bike besides you. If you wanted to chop it and make it the way you want it that is ok by me because it is YOUR BIKE.... I think Robert is one of those people that really appreciate the bike and will be a good caretaker of it and its history. So, will the S2s be collectable? I do not know. I think closing BMC will accelerate that process but I just enjoy riding them. How many times have you run across another S2 on the road? For me it was only once. That says something about how many are left. I could ride a XB or water cooler and still be loyal to Buell but it says something about a person that rides a tuber every day. Your average XB or 1125 rider will not know what it is. They often guess S3, they are often wrong. A Uly rider I ran into once thought it was a Duc… Idiot. So ride your bike and maintain it. Do not worry about the number of the bike or the amount produced. We all have something special; we know it and do not need to prove it to the rest of the world. I like Roberts statement that it is nice to be able to talk about the bike to other people... That is what I do when they ask... Anyway guys, I tend to ramble in my old age. There is a S2 Gathering coming up and while I know it is a great distance for some of us the fact that there are a few great Buellers out there that love these machines and take vacation time away from their families to attend this just amazes me. How many other American made bikes have that kind of following??? The S2s are great bikes, the riders are better. (Message edited by f_skinner on April 30, 2010) (Message edited by f_skinner on April 30, 2010) | ||
| Bernard |
My comment was in reference to this statement: "So - my (usually unreliable) advise is to carefully remove the Quicksilver . . . and smash it with the biggest effing hammer you can find." I too would take it off, but I would carefully store it away so that in 20 years from now, when I'm too old to ride my $15,000 S2, could put it back on and have one of the very few remaining originals of its kind to offer to the next generation. | ||
| Phelan |
Sorry Bernard, I didn't mean to come off as cocky as I did, we just different uses and feelings about these bikes. I too appreciate the beauty and design of the S2, but it's worth more to me as unique transportation than a collectors piece. No hard feelings I hope. (Message edited by phelan on April 30, 2010) | ||
| Gowindward |
I only bought one because they look cool and attract pussy, as proven by the photo above. What else matters??? | ||
| F_skinner |
 | ||
| Phelan |
LMAO! | ||
| F_skinner |
unique transportation than a collectors piece I think I have always though about it that way but I was never able to express it. Thanks Ross. I just got the wheels in for the S2T restoration project. Brand new Charcoal Gray wheels on ebay. They are beautiful. Bernard, I do not think Al was being Literal.. But yeah, I would have a hard time destroying anything related to a S2. (I think my garage is proof of that. | ||
| Ebutch |
From 1969 to 1999 6 bikes one BMW,Five BSA,s.Tried S2T out and said to myself Handles like a British Bike,But tons more Torque!!!!!And Modern,elec start,hydrlic lift.,disc brakes,upside-down forks, solid state ign, mono shock,Radial tires,Whammo I,m in the 21st century + and a big + Euro-styling. Always was a twin man!!!!! And does not Leak! | ||
| S2pengy |
As far as the CA models the 96 S2/T parts book shows on page 93 a gas canister as well.. On a factory tour in early 95 before the release of the S1, I was told about the Edelbrock carbs on the CA S2 and how they were actually providing more power than the Keihin Carb and they were going to put them on all the bikes but Edelbrock could not promise that production could meet the demand.. |
