| Author | Message | ||
     Phillyblast |
I rode 3600 miles last week, Philly to CO and back, the long way - okay, I did trailer through Kansas with Josh, but only because he needed the company  . Only used a half quart of oil the entire trip. That included approx. 15 dyno pulls at Aaron's place and the majority of the riding was well above the posted (75 mph) speed limit. Sum total broken parts? None. 'Course, it's an S2. | ||
| Rick_A |
There seems to be a lot more people without major problems than with. Worst thing to happen to me is a broken battery cable...and I still made it home. Ride long enough with a minor problem and it becomes major...but still, I hope it never happens to me! | ||
| Mikej |
No problems I would consider major, a little over 21,000 miles on the 2000 M2 (all my miles), and almost 20,000 miles on the '95 S2 (7,000 of them mine). That and 25 cents still won't get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks though. | ||
| Court |
Geeesh...are we keeping you from an Optimist Club meeting or anything? I mean, the comment seems a bit incindiary considering the fact that the word "trailer" had not so much as been mentioned in this thread until you did so. It subsequently occured twice in response. For a fella who seems so genuinely digusted with Buells, I wonder why you choose to stay and subject yourself to this. I had a car, several years ago, that was a pain in the ass. Dealer support was lacking, reliability didn't inspire confidence....ad infinitum. I took my billfold to, and purchased another brand from, another dealer and have been thrilled since. I'm well aware that most folks never experience the problems I did. I guess, in the end, the bike that concerns me is the one in the driveway. It's had the piss ridden out ot it by over 1,000 riders as I took it through 44 states (30 of the 31 days were >100F) and I can't make the damn thing leak to save my ass and I'm starting the get the buying urge again!  Oh well...... | ||
| Newfie_Buell |
Apart from 1. Rocker Box Leak 2. Rear Shock Recall 3. Battery Replacement _ Warranty 4. Rear Fender Wiring 5. Front Exhaust Mount Replacement I have 19 000km on this thing in two short seasons (only really can ride from June to Oct) I love this thing. I have also come to rely on myself for the service work and with the manual there is not a thing I would not attempt myself. I have no servicing dealer here on the island and the closest Buell Dealer is approx 1500km by road then a 6 hr boat ride to get out of here. I do however have a good Harley Dealer who understands the workings of these machines. I would have another in a second. | ||
| M2cyclone00 |
I have 24.5k on my 2000 M2. I don't have any intentions of ever getting rid of it. It's perfect for me. I do simple stuff like oil & tranny fluid changes. I've had great results with the Orlando Harley/Buell, so I'll keep going there. Besides, they give me a loaner every time mine or my girlfriend's Blast is being serviced! My M2 has stranded me twice. Once due to a short in the battery which was replaced under warranty. Once due to rear wheel bearings. One rocker box leak, one primary gasket leak, chip in the speedo, problem with front caliper, warped rotor (probably because of the caliper problem). Heads, pistons, & cylinders were done by Wes Brown @ Cycle-Rama 10500 miles ago & it's been great since then. I've never had any problems with exhausts breaking or other vibration related problems even simple ones like bolts loosening. Eventually I'll have the frame nickeled, maybe an S&S motor? Dave | ||
| Pilk |
I love my X-1, and will most likely keep it to the end of my days. I will have many other motorcycles in my life but I will keep my X-1. Of course it is for sale, but who in their right mind would pay me what it would take to buy it? Pilk | ||
| Libnosis |
Court - You read my mind.  As most of you know, I am VERY fond of BOTH of my S1s. Yes I have had a few minor problems. So what. They get ridden and ridden hard (I said ridden hard) The left side of my nuke S1 can atest to that after Hwy 28 chewed on it. That's what they were made for IMHO. They aren't museum pieces. Hell, my 49 Pan doesn't even qualify as a museum piece. Come to think of it, I hope I never own one that I'm afraid to ride. lib 98 S1 98 S1W | ||
| Archer |
I have had my Firebolt of a little over a month and a half. I just ticked over 3800 miles. I have never owned a motorcycle this fun. It has litterally made me a better rider because i am very confident in what it can and WILL do. The fit and finish of the overall package is just as good if not better in some aspects than some Jap bikes i've ridden. Never had a hint of a problem and I have run the piss out of it. Next step is Nallin heads and power commander. Just replaced my rear tire too . Oh, by the way this thread is for people who are happy with their bikes. If you want to talk shit go somewhere else. Not our fault you are bitter cause yours has problems. Thanks Ross Republic H/D Buell (281-295-1000) ext. 109 Ride Hard!! | ||
| Snowdave |
I love my Buells more than any other bike I have ever had. Although I will be the first to admit that it is not a bike for the non-mechanically inclined person. Now if only they would add about 30-40 more horsepower and lose fifty pounds. | ||
| Blake |
Here's my Buell history... 1997 Cyclone purchased new in January 1998 for $6,500 Crashed it bad in April 1999 at ~18,000 miles. That bike was thrashed throughout the 100oF Texas Summer and ridden round trip from Kilgore, Texas to Denver, to Sturgis, all around the Black Hills and Wyoming, back through RMNP/Trail Ridge Road and home to Texas for close to 4,000 miles in eleven days. The one and only problem that bike ever had prior to me throwing it off the road into the trees at 70 mph was a faulty kickstand safety switch. Aside from a 45 pilot jet, it was bone stock. I loved that bike. It took me on many 1,000+ mile adventures far from home as well as to work and around the East Texas countryside. Unfortunately, my stupidity and lack of concentration led me to run out of pavement on a posted 25 mph decreasing radius left-hander on Oklahoma's section of Skyline Drive. I repurchased the totalled '97 M2 from the insurance company and sold it for a quick and easy $1,000 profit. The insurance settlement and the profit from the sale more than paid for a brand spankin' new '00 M2, courtesy of Brian Nallin and Shreveport HD/Buell. From October '99 through September '00 I put ~14,000 miles on the new '00 M2. This included a round trip from Kilgore, Texas to Chautauqua, NY via the Blue Ridge Parkway. Total '00 BRP Adventure travel totalled close to 5,000 miles. No problems whatsoever. I also did a couple of four day weekend trips to OK/AR and a trip to San Antonio and back. I replaced the rear rockerbox gasket at around 2,500 miles. The dealer upgraded my rear isolators at ~7,000 miles. Other than that not a single problem. The bike was jetted and had a Bartel's CF intake and K&N filter. Other than that, it was bone stock. From late September '00 through July '01 I lived virtually full time in Rockaway, NJ while on an interesting SatCom consulting job. Sorely missing being on two wheels come springtime, I found a customized low mileage '97 M2 on ebay and was lucky enough to win the auction. I retrieved the bike from Queens, NY during a 90+oF day in mid-May and rode it back to Rockaway while learning the finer points of lane splitting in NYC traffic. I enjoyed exploring the northern NJ twisties solo, rode with and got to know a bunch of the characters that I had met here on BadWeB, including the infamous Cecil, MikeyP, and Sleeper. Two days of hard riding with the wild bunch known colorfully as the "Tri-State Trash" and one spent at more sane velocities with Sleeper revealed no problems with my now proof tested '97 Buell Cyclone. I have to admit, in case MikeyP is reading, that I thought I had the start of a burgeoning leaky rockerbox gasket prior to the first Bucks county blitz with the Tri-State Trash. I noticed a little seepage at the left rear of the rear cylinder head's rockerbox gasket. I washed it clean when I returned to the apartment. It never showed any other signs of leakage, anywhere. The oil had been overfilled when I picked up the bike. That was likely the cause of the slight seepage that in the following 6,000 miles and three track days never reappeared. Took a four day weekend and met my dad in Lock Haven, PA for some outstanding all day adventure riding through the central PA mountains then back to NJ via Catskills SP. Total round trip mileage was over 1,000 miles. No problems. By August, I had finished my work in NJ, shipped all the trappings of professional life home via UPS, loaded up the M2 and took off on the bike to visit mom and dad in Chautaqua, NY. While visiting, mom and dad on dad's 1980 Honda 750 joined me for a day tour of the PA countryside through Allegheny National Forest. A few days later I packed back up and aimed the trusty Buell home towards East Texas via the Blue Ridge Parkway, SMNP, Deal's Gap, the Cherohala Skyway and a long triple digit blitz along I-20W. It rained every single day of the week long 2000 miles trip except for the very last, which saw 100oF temperatures. Not a single hiccup the entire trip. Once home, I made the easy decision to sell the '00 M2 in favor of keeping the '97 Cyclone with its lean and mean good looks, not to mention the SS S1W header, Borla CF can, CF Race Intake, Banke Rearsets, Telefix Profi Clipons, and other goodies that agreed with my personal preferences. Back in Texas I rode the M2 to/around Arkansas and back and also flogged her around Oak Hill Raceway at least three times prior to Nallinization. More proof testing with not a single objection. A pre Nallinizing dyno run showed 74/74 RWHP/FT-LB Torque Since Nallinizing, now with 100/89 RWHP/FT-LB torque, my trusty M2 has seen three more track days at OHR, a round trip to/around the Texas Hill Country and a night bouncing off the 7K rev limit at the drag strip. It sits outside all year, usually covered by its Buell Armor Cloak cover. The only trailering it has ever seen are the 20 miles rides in the back of my truck to and from the local tracks. No problems. Total mileage by me on Buells is 18K+15K+8K=41,000 miles plus the 7K miles already on my current Cyclone when I bought it. So, that's ~41,000 miles, much of it in the severe Texas summer heat, and over 500 miles of rev limit flogging on the racetrack, on three different Buells with the worst problem being a faulty kickstand switch. A sample size of three is actually a significant statistical base. Based on that sample I can tell you with some certainty that a Buell Cyclone M2 is a very reliable motorcycle. BTW, the well mannered and thoughtful young man who purchased my '00 M2 ran into some bad luck (car accident) and is having to sell it. Check out the classifieds. TexasPledge is offering a real bargain deal on that reliable 83 RWHP stock '00 M2 with the Bartels CF intake and Ventura rack. | ||
| Rocketman |
So that's where I've been going wrong............ As most of you know, I am VERY fond of BOTH of my S1s. ....the secret to Buell reliability ?: Get two !!! Rocket | ||
| Bcdaum |
I still love my 1998 S-1W(The Original in white),the only "True" White Lightning. Two weeks ago I purchased a brand new 2003 BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Replica and it is a great bike, but it is not the brute force hooligan bike that my Buell is. I have over 15 K on my Buell and it is a truly awesome streetbike. The Beemer is a great highway bike and is somewhat similar to the Buell in that it is designed along the lines of the old BMW "S" bikes. Fast, comfortable and good handling. It is still not quite the same as the Buell. Any problems that I have had with the Buell were only caused by trying to make it perform better than it already does. That is to say I have only been stranded once and that was not even Buells fault. It was from a set of cam gears that fused together because ofimproper heat treating by the cam's manufacturer..not Buell. So I am honestly able to say that I am a very happy Buell Owner and will continue to be one for quite a while. Bob AKA FUBOB...Probably going to be the vanity tag on the Beemer | ||
| Court |
Perhaps, dare I say, "one of the best motorcycles ever built". | ||
| S2pengy |
OH GOD Court it starting IT AGAIN!!!!! Why not just bring up tire patch...... I think the S@ is one of the finest motorcycles ever buildt | ||
| Court |
Hey...say what you will...did I NAIL it in 1997 or what? I vigorously stand behind the M2 and time and tide has backed me up. The M2 was the product not only of "good thinking" but of a corporate anomoly that had the budget eyes diverted, watching the S-1 Lightning which drew much more interest, and allowed the M2 to be very well thought out, tested and developed. By the way....this type of thinking influences my affinity for the Honda 919 as well. I mean, Honda America, gave us what we asked for. a basically BARE bike, killer power and $3,000 less than an S-1. I know a couple of the folks at Honda and continue to be impressed with their focused devotion to total quality in product and support. Big they are, but they keep their eye closely focused on the customer. If I were going to own ONE (perish the thought)bike...the M2 would be at the top of the "do all things well" list. Court | ||
| Bykergeek |
Just got my Buell Rider Survey in the mail. Overall, I gave them pretty high marks; mostly 8's and 9's. They enclosed a new dollar bill | ||
| Spiderman |
My Favorite question on that survey; Do you do a procedure known as a "wheelie"? There was no Hell Yeah as an answer. | ||
| Court |
I find it statistically significant that in ALL these years the "John Lowry Customer Satisfaction and Opinion Unit" has been able to consistently avoid soliciting my opinion on Buells.  | ||
| Libnosis |
Hey Rocket, you and José_Quiñones can start the "Any Unhappy Buell Owners Out There?" thread. I'm sure yall have a lot to talk about. Man, that updated profile is harsh. Like Lays tater chips!  | ||
| Bomber |
Got my survey last night as well . . . .I found the lack of questions regarding dealership perplexing . . . . . hmmmmmmmm | ||
| Blake |
Wife is going to be away for weekend. I'm ditching the honeydo list and heading back to the track. I am NOT a happy Bueller. I am a shyly ecstatic Bueller!   | ||
| X1glider |
Party at Blake's!!! | ||
| Black_Lightning |
I love my big 2001 Black X1 with its polished PM wheels. It's still "new" as I only have 5600 miles after 16 months of ownership. So far it has been mostly gas and go. Of course, I do all the preflight stuff (being an ex A.F. crew chief it's hard not to). I did need a TPS reset once. The first 500 miles of break-in was by the book. Soon after that I let her rip to see what she'd do. Unfortunately, the front tire valve stem broke off at about 110 mph, losing all the air in about 30 seconds. At first I didn't know what was going on since the bike was pulling to the right somewhat, as if telling me to pull over. After stopping I could see why and watched it go completely flat. I called the non-Buell HD dealer in town (Heritage, FWB, FL) and they came out with a truck and trailer, took me home and hauled my bike to their shop. My Saturday riding was over for the day but my bike was ready on Tuesday (they're closed on Mondays). | ||
| Two_Buells |
yes I'm happy.....or I wouldn't buy another one. | ||
| Ironheadjay |
00m2 bought new dec 99. i'm a slacker only got 3487ml. on it.dairyland won't renew my insurance next year.a weekend in vabch.city jail and 40 hrs comunity service.been on probation with my drivers liecense for the last 12mths 6 more to go.no problems with the bike.o yea back tire is spent and the front brakes.i think something wrong with my wrist. | ||
| Mark_In_Ireland |
When its running, love it, when its broke.......check my profile for list of problems!! | ||
| Xb9er |
Happy problem-free Firebolt owner here. 2500 miles and no problems (not counting H-D mechanic overfilling primary/trans case). | ||
| Lornce |
I'm happy and I own a Buell. In fact, I recently bought another, making it my third. Been riding on the street since '79, logged over 300k miles and owned 30 motorcycles. BMW's, Can Am's, Ducati's, Honda's, Moto-Guzzi's, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha's. Can say with honesty that the '98 S3T may be the finest bike (for me) ever owned. The '97 S1 gave me flutters I hadn't known since being 17 on my SR500. Bigger, faster flutters. These are neat bikes. Lornce | ||
| Stormfool |
It runs till it doesn't--even when it leaves me stranded (twice) waiting for the nearest dealer to arrive trailer in tow it makes me happy. I swear it's like a mental illness or a desperate addiction-- Even now as I await that phone call from the WPB HD/Buell service telling me to "Come'n git it" I'm basically happy-- Even as I continually replace exhaust and chinfoil brackets I'm still happy... 11.000 miles in since 08/02/02--I can't hardly make it through a day without a good long ride-- Even after all the poor service and long waits--I just can't help but admit I still like/hell no/Obsessively Desire communion with my X1-- Even after hearing from quite a few in the know that the X1's have "a curse" (perhaps an unforseen harmonic of vibration peculiar to that frame design) I will never get over this bike-- It has everything I want and nothing I don't! Still have to say this bike works me over as hard as I work it over--no Honda this... |
