| Author | Message | ||
     Blasterd |
Or at least I felt like I could have. What happened was that I was heading back home from Gainesville (FL) and had just passed Ellisville when I thought something had hit my foot. I looked around and didn't notice anything on the road and could not see anything missing off the bike. About 5 miles went by and I had to switch to reserve and since for some reason it doesn't last very long on reserve I decided to pull over at the next exit, which was about 5 more miles up(hwy 47). When I was coming down the exit ramp I heard a very loud clanging noise and I knew right then exactly what happened. Yes, the front exhaust bracket bolf came off. Any chance that was what hit me in the foot? And to top it all off, my wife and kids were behind me which would not have been good to watch daddy get scraped off the pavement. I told her to go on and that I was just getting gas but she did make the comment about the bike sounding like shit when she pulled up. Anyway, thanks to the old man that had heavy duty zip ties (the ones like the cops use) so I could at least make it hold until I got home, which took a while going 40mph on the backroads. The next thing everyone is thinking is how I should've checked it before I left. Well I did, so don't go there. I just checked it along with everything else Wednesday afternoon like I normally do before I go down once a week.(40 miles there 40 miles back)And to make it even worse, I was just told Wednesday that Buell would not replace it by the dealer in Gainesville. I had stopped by last Wednesday to see if I could get the better bracket since I still had the old style on there. I cant believe that it shakes so much that bolts fall out, gas tanks come loose, butterfly from hypercharger is worn at the connection to the vacum line, all in 6000 miles.(hypercharger has been on since 2500 miles) Whats the deal? Can anyone help me get the better bracket before I loose my life? I love my bike but if I have to get rid of it because of stupid things like this I will. I don't want my kids to grow up knowing that a bolt or exhaust pipe or motor mount or something took thier dad away. I'm sorry everyone, I am just letting off steam. Ken | ||
| Blake |
Ken, It sounds like you have a severe vibration problem. Does it vibrate all the time or only at certain engine speeds? At what speed are you typically traveling when you shift into 5th gear? I missed the part where you "almost died." Did the front of the muffler come completely loose at the collector and drop? | ||
| Blasterd |
Blake, Please don't take it the wrong way, I was just letting of steam. Yes it vibrates all the time but worse at lower engine speeds. 5th? lets see, I guess maybe 50 or so? It did start to work its way down but no it did not come off, it was just the thought of it. Again, just got me nervous.. Ken | ||
| Blake |
Ken, 5th? lets see, I guess maybe 50 or so? There's maybe one of the possible problems. Try revving the engine more. It will run much more smoothly at higher engine speeds, above 3,000 rpm. I rarely shift into high gear before 60mph. Follow suit for the lower gears too (2nd at 30mph, 3rd at 40mph, 4th at 50 mph). Ever run it to 70mph in 2nd? Fun stuff. ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) You also might check your primary chain tension. Remember to check it at its tightest position. A loose primary chain can really raise a ruckus vibration wise. | ||
| Blasterd |
Will do Blake, but again 50 was just a guess, I actually go by the sound of engine speed. Ever run it up to 80 in second? I have done that before because I was seeing how fast I could do a wheelie. By the way, the dealer ordered me a new bracket at no charge today. Ken | ||
| Cyclone8u |
Ken, Here's a couple of things you might want to check. Number one is go with Blake's advice. Erik Buell himself said (Laconia '99) that the Buell engine "likes" to be running at about 4000 RPM. That equates to about 80 mph in 5th, and things are nice and smooth at this speed. I use the mirror tach. Usually about 65-70 MPH I can start to see out of my mirrors in 5th, this appears to be where my engine is reaching resonance. Number 2, Court I believe had a recomended tightening sequence for the exhaust system. I believe it was to start with tightening the rear hanger, tighten the header bolts, then the collector last after giving everything a good shake to settle things. (Correct me if I'm wrong and if I'm putting words in your mouth Court I appologize.) Number 3, two words...saftey wire. Yes it's over kill for a street bike. On the other hand, a couple of hours spent drilling bolt heads and stringing wire can make the difference between a fantastic solo ride through the twisty roads of the Northern Maine woods and being broken down and/or laying on the side of a road that may not see another vehicle for a few hours, 40 miles from a phone...cell phone? Ya right. And this goes for any bike I've had, it's not just a Buell thing. Having been stranded in the woods on a dirt bike tought me this harsh reality. Hope this helps, I've had 17,000+ miles of trouble free exhaust system on my bike using these guide lines. -John | ||
| Pilk |
Once you change to the updated exhaust mount, and keep the engine revs above 3 grand you shouldn't have more problems with the exhaust. Overall vibration problems will go down just by making sure the primary chain is adjusted properly and keeping revs up. Oh and make sure to ground the regulator after updating the mount. If it doesn't have a GOOD ground it will fail. Don't ask how I know. Pilk |
