| Author | Message | ||
     The_wild_one |
hi, first off thanks for the attention to this post. and here are the details: i have a 1997 M2 that i bought on ebay 3 months ago, it has been bored and bumped to 1354cc ( at least thats what the last owner said) and a "mechanic" tells me its a 1420 cc, either way, i don't know this for sure. what i know is this: it has s&s cylinder heads, S&S rods, jE pistons, zippers performance pushrods kit, s&s carb etc... the bad: when i bought it, it ran, next day it didn't (i checked everything with no luck) anyways, i decided to send it to a "shop" near my house where they work on "choppers" (a friend of mine recommend me this hole in the wall) long history short it has been on and off that rat hole for 2 months and a half. and had let me stranded at least 4 times. the bike had straight pipes when i bought it, i bought an oem header with a 2.5 inch outlet and a new vance & hines exhaust , the bike was missing an exhaust stud in the front cylinder,and i took care of that. it wasn't running thanks to a broken rotor cap (they took a month to figure this one out at that "shop"). i picked up the bike after almost 2 months in that "shop", the next thing i know i'm doing 80 at the freeway and it died when i was riding in the carpool lane, thanks God the car behind me wasn't so close. it went back to that rat hole, the "needle" -thats what they called it ,this ignorants- (fuel inlet) in the carburetor wasn't spreading fuel (it was plugged) the carb is an S&S teardrop kit (mikuni carb, etc). anyways, then it ran but the rpms went up and down (i guess needs to be rejetted with the new exhaust system). yesterday (saturday, august 21st 2010) i picked it up, it ran ok, but the response at the throttle wasn't crisp and back fired a few times, then i took it for a spin and you guessed it right... it died again... the same way, at 80 miles p/h on the carpool lane and when that happened, i knew the drill already, kill switch on, and wait for help (my wife). this time wasn't that simple, there was oil everywhere, and next thing i know, i see a missing bolt in the middle of the cylinder heads on the left (just above primary cover) it seems that this bolt goes trough from left (cam cover) to right (primary) its an allen bolt and a buddy of mine calls it the "crankcase bolt") anyways it was missing. and oil spilled everywhere, on the pavement and the whole bike, it is missing the oil "overflow" hose, throwing smoke, and looking like crap. i've been riding for 25 years, owned all kind of bikes, you name it, ducatis, triumphs, japanese bikes (my last one a zx14), one softail, etc. and i always wanted a buell, but so far the experience hasn't been great. i bought the bike for $3000 (with some spare parts) i have spent another $1500 in parts and labor. i cannot sell it, because who's gonna spend $4000 usd on something running like this... and it saddens me to think in parting it, and selling it in parts. it's almost dead, i'm thinking to keep the engine, rebuild it the right way and built another bike around it, unless someone recommends me a knowledgeable mechanic or shop (i was even thinking in a hd stealearship). someone that really knows what's what,and honest. (if the shop has a dyno and the right attitude, even better). i'm a car mechanic, and i usually work on my own bikes, but i don't have the knowledge in Buells. so if you know about a real shop in southern california (L.A or the O. C.) please let me know. i live in the San Gabriel valley area. and i really, really don't want to kill another buell. thanks again and here are some pics... | ||
| The_wild_one |
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| The_wild_one |
those pics are from when i first bought it 3 months ago, the only "visual differences" today is that right now has the Buell oem header and a vince & hines exhaust. | ||
| The_wild_one |
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| Sycho |
I would say it'd be worth your while to take it to Glendale HD/Buell. | ||
| Langperf |
You didn't list many details about the repairs you had done. And it sounds like the bike has more than 1 problem. Electrical, jetting and some mechanical issues. You'll need to find you a good Buell mechanic with a performance background first. Bikes with multiple problems are the hardest to repair because you just have to fix one problem at a time and go on to the next($$$ if your paying someone good to do this). That can be frustrating for the customer because we're not psychic or magicians and when a unit comes in with a mish-mosh of parts on it and no service history it's hard to even know where to start sometimes. And as with any hot rod or bike it's not an investment it's a liability. You're not going to get the money back out of it you put into it. That will probably be an awesome bike if you get the bugs ironed out of it. But it will probably take patience and money on your part to make it happen. If you just want something you can put the key in and go ride you might want to cut your losses now and sell it, on the other hand if you want an american hot rod motorcycle thats light, fast, stops, and handles you have a good base to start from. I think the key for you will be to find the right tech that is knowledgeable and you can trust to get that thing sorted for you. I would advise to stay away from the chopper shops, although some of those guys are knowledgeable, its a totally different mindset. I wish I was closer I'd try and hook you up | ||
| Preybird1 |
If you don't mind taking the bike little farther. TAKE IT TO JTSPERFORMANCE. They will get it fixed right! They are also land speed racers and dyno tuners and custom mapping is available as well. I shipped them my bike from Utah and it was the best money i have spent yet on this bike. They are a sponsor here http://www.jtsperformance.com/ That is my bike on there home page, And this bike rips and never misses a beat. Terry and jim will make it work for you and they have extensive experience with the Buells. | ||
| The4ork |
isnt american sport bike in socal somewhere? | ||
| Preybird1 |
Yes they are but they sell parts. And i don't think they offer any services. But they are great people and buy all your parts from them! | ||
| The_wild_one |
hi again, thanks for the response. ok, here are the bad news... the engine blew up, at least that is what it seems...i need to rebuild it. anyone knows someone capable of doing this? around So. California? | ||
| Charlies_s1 |
You might want to call Eric at Bennett's Performance, They are in the Long Beach area. (562) 498-1819 Although he is leaving for Bonneville on Thursday, They have a dyno and specialize in performance work. May be worth a call before he leaves, Good luck. All they do is V-twins. | ||
| Al_lighton |
Bob's Garage in San Marcos has built a couple customers Buell engines from the block up and they've been happy with Bob's work... He's a big LSR guy too, not sure if he's gone right now as well. Al | ||
| Preybird1 |
If you want it done right JTS http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/171 43/465717.html?1248323253 http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/158 664/539362.html?1255549199 I am going to see if i can get some time off to go and see these guys race this year!! Last year i blew a crank seal on the way out to the flats. and terry loaded up my bike and drove back to salt lake city! | ||
| Bluzm2 |
What Preybird said. Jim and Terry WILL do it right the first time. When you get it back it WILL scare you. Both of the above is a certain guarantee. If you have to drive twice the distance to their shop, it's worth it.. Brad | ||
| The_wild_one |
thanks for the response, i will be making phone calls today!... | ||
| The_wild_one |
ok here are some quotes i got... so somebody in the same situation as me (screwed)knows, what to expect... at Bennett's performance, they were really straight forward and quoted me $4000 for labor plus parts. at Bob's Garage (really nice guy) quoted me between $2000 and $3000... at Glendale HD never called me back (the service writer), that's how they run a business, i guess... so as right, now i'm thinking to rebuild it myself, i'm a car mechanic, and know the basics of an engine. never rebuild a motorcycle engine to be honest, but hey i will try (wish me luck) anybody knows a dvd or book for this matter (engine rebuild), specifically for buells? thanks again, guys. | ||
| Charlies_s1 |
You may want to check out St. Paul Harley for the parts, They have a stage 3 kit on sale right now. They are on e-bay too. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Buell-Thunderstorm- High-Flow-Stage-3-Performance-Kit-_W0QQcmdZViewIte mQQhashZitem5adb40ebe8QQitemZ390225521640QQptZMoto rcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories Just a thought as this would give you something you could do yourself. | ||
| The_wild_one |
thanks, again, and again... you guys rule!, thanks for the support. i got parts from St. Paul HD before (header, exhaust and other knick knacks) and they ship fast but they're not really knowledgeable in buells, (they had to ship me 3 different exhaust for an example) they have the parts but don't know specifics. i have the s&s cylinders, rods, etc, etc. this heads (the ones on the link) are they standard 1200 cc, i see the SE cams, and rest, anyone tried or have this kit? it seems ok price wise, what about reliability and performance?... i'm speechless, you guys have an awesome forum! thats for sure. | ||
| The_wild_one |
found the problem, it's on the rear cylinder the piston seized. so i'm parting from here i'm ordering a piston set from s&s, and we'll see how it goes... any suggestions? the ones i have are +.030" (i measured them already...) | ||
| The_wild_one |
i asked the guys from St. Paul Hd the differences between this and what i have, (1420cc custom engine) in terms of performance and they don't have a clue... i had bought parts from them in the past,but man, even the simplest things they get wrong. they sent me 3 times the wrong exhaust header. anybody here have this kit?: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Buell-Thunderstorm- High-Flow-Stage-3-Performance-Kit-_W0QQcmdZViewIte mQQhashZitem5adb40ebe8QQitemZ390225521640QQptZMoto rcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories if so, what is your opinion about it? | ||
| Jim_d |
If your engine is truly a 1420 you won't be able to use that kit as the 88" kit requires the cases to be bored. You'll have to stick to the 88" stuff... | ||
| The_wild_one |
also ,what you guys recommend? between getting the pistons from S&S,JE or wiseco? any suggestions?. i'm really torn right now...at this point is as expensive to rebuild the engine as to buy another used tuber (around $3000-$3500 usd). i have spent close to $5000 in this bike, plus parts, plus "labor". man at this point i feel pissed. i love this bikes (tubers) but little i know it could be this nightmare. and again i need someone that really, really know about buells. in the L.A. - Orange County area. (Bennetts is too expensive, Glendale HD didn't even called me back and Bob's garage in San Diego is kind of far) please i really need help with this info... | ||
| The_wild_one |
somebody knows about an extra engine for sale? this situation is driving me crazy  | ||
| The_wild_one |
maybe this can help? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ewItem&item=170532133819&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT just joking, man... that's my dream to fit one of this engines on a tube frame... (wishful thinking) |
