| Author | Message | ||
     Swordsman |
Despite my best efforts, I can't get my 1203 to run the way I expect it to (see http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/354820.html). After this morning's commute, I'm just about fed up with this love/hate relationship. One day I love the fact that I have a rare, fantastic-looking machine that gets great fuel economy, the next day it has me climbing the wall because I can't stop it from stumbling around. I love the roar, but you just can't roar all the time. Commuting requires a bit of purring. If this bike can't roar, it coughs instead. The more time I have in the saddle, the more I'm convinced the 1203 just isn't for me. And yeah, it took me just over 10k miles to figure that out. Maybe that makes me a little slow on the uptake... I dunno. Considering it's my 1st bike, I don't think it's that bad. Unfortunately, I've been perusing ALL the bike sites, and I haven't really found anything else that tickles my fancy. I have a penchant for the unusual, which is one of the things that really drew me to Buell in the 1st place. The only thing that has piqued my interest is the brand-spankin' new Kawasaki Versys. From a technical standpoint, it looks like exactly what I need, and it's just "different" enough for me to like it. I think I'm gonna' go test ride one.    ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on April 29, 2008) | ||
| Greenlantern |
Hope It works out for you. No point in riding if your not happy with your mount! Good luck.  | ||
| Aeholton |
The Versys looks like a fantastic bike. It looks like it would be comfortable in a Uly sort of way. Small enough for my wife to handle. We are waiting to see a few show up on the used market. Then I think we will pull the trigger on one for her. | ||
| Chihuahua_stud |
Its a fun bike, very easy to ride. The seating position is extremely upright like sitting at your dining room table. You can ride that thing all day. It does need an after market pipe to make it sound like a motorcycle. | ||
| Blake |
"Despite my best efforts, I can't get my 1203 to run the way I expect it to" How about your dealerships best efforts? Let the experts have a go, or another go? | ||
| Blake |
My thinking is along the lines of how do you expect to sell a bike that isn't running well? | ||
| Djkaplan |
I know an ex-XB, ex-SV650 rider who loves his Versys. He posts here under the username Mountainrider. He says he likes the Versys better than his SV. That's a pretty good endorsement. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I havent been able to get my XB to purr since I've owned it and neither has the dealer. It's better than it was but I have a race pipe and ecm, so; I can't really blame Buell. I do find riding the bike in traffic or the city a chore. | ||
| Swordsman |
My plan, at the moment, is to take another Buell on a test ride to see if a new, properly tuned 1203 runs the same way mine does. If the 2 bikes run the same, or very similarly, I'll know it's just the nature of the beast. Then I'll be looking to sell. If, however, the new bike runs the way I would expect the 12's to run, I'll know for certain that there's something up with mine alone. If that's the case, then I'll take it to a dealership and see if they can track down the problem. If I could get it running smoothly (like it does at higher rpms), then I'd want to keep it! ~SM | ||
| Dobr24 |
Have you or anyone else looked at your bike with ecmspy? Who did your tps reset? How many miles do you have on your bike? You said you made changes to the airbox and a new filter (k&n?), how extensive were the changes? My 12 runs great at idle and at wot. If you are going to sell your bike because of poor running you should look at what may have caused the bikes poor running. From what I can garner from the other post you made some pretty significant changes to the intake and firing systems on the bike, but did not account for any of these changes with fueling or timing changes. Maybe that is why the bike is rough running. I would not sell the bike till you exhaust some other avenues to get it running properly. Like one of the above posters mentioned do you really think you are going to get top dollar for a bike that does not run well when you try to sell it? | ||
| Madduck |
Have you thought of changing the primary gearing to that of the 9. This would spin the motor about 10% faster at any given highway speed. It should make for a happier ride and I believe the fuel management system copes better at higher rpms. Should cost a couple of hundred bucks and it made a dramatic difference in how my ULY runs. Should be especially beneficial for commuting work. | ||
| Swordsman |
Dobr24, LOL, it's a Buell, I don't expect to get top dollar for it period... poor resale and all that. I mentioned all my mods in the referenced post at the top of this thread... engine wise: crank case vent reroute, and added holes into the air box cover. The timing was mucked up a bit from last season where I adjusted the pinging out, so I set it back using ECMSpy. That's it. Filter is paper Buell. Plugs are now H-D. And I've put Magnecore plug wires on, but that was after the fact. I did my own TPS reset according to ECMSpy's manual, and what I've read here. Not sure how that could be done wrong. Like I said before, this MAY BE the way 12's run. I dunno. I didn't get to test ride before I bought it (no license at the time), and I've not ridden another one since. Hearing others call the 1203 "unrefined" and "rough" makes me think there may actually be nothing wrong. I won't know until I ride another one. ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on April 29, 2008) | ||
| Dobr24 |
Trust me I know from experience you can do the tps reset wrong. Even if you follow the instructions. pm sent. Chris | ||
| Azxb9r |
The Versys has gotten good revues from everyone that has tested it(from what I have read anyway). Ultimately, you are the one making the payments and riding the bike. You are the only one that needs to be happy with what you are riding. The Buell does have its quirks, whether or not you are going to be happy with it is a personnal opinion. Good luck in your quest.  | ||
| Dynasport |
No need to keep a bike you are not happy with. To each his own. First bikes are always tricky business. | ||
| Glitch |
While you're at the dealership test riding bikes, take a ride on the Nine. Smoother power output. It may be what you're looking for. | ||
| Ustorque |
+1 glitch | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Kawi builds a nice bike, I am rarely in a "NICE" mood, that is why I love my Buell. Just something raw, unrefined, brute, and of course mines is dirty and loud.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Adjust the timing with ECM spy? Huh? On my 9, you pull the plug so you can see the timing mark on the crank, get the back tire in the air with a piece of rebar and jack stands, turn on the ignition, put it in 5th gear, and wrestle the tire forward until you hear the fuel pump cycle on. It should turn on at the moment the timing marks line up. It can be a bit of a wrestling match, and a minor tweak on that timing plate goes a LONG way, but its a pretty straightforward task. Putting the timing exactly where it is supposed to be, and running high octane gas, no pinging and no coughing. Does ECMSpy offer something to make this process easier? | ||
| Swordsman |
It shows the voltage change that is associated with the injector. I think the only benefit it offers is that you can tell exactly which cylinder is firing by looking at the readout. Doing it without ECMSpy, one could theoretically set the timing exactly backwards if you REALLY mucked it up. I think. I barely know how to hook the thing up, so you might want a second opinion!  ~SM | ||
| Warlizard |
If you want the bike to run properly go anywhere but an HD dealership. There are very few that have a clue what they are doing. Hals for example has an excellent rep. Every time I go in for service it's a disappointment. I am fortunate if the bike only has a half dozen scratches on it. I had scheduled service done a month ago and bike has run poorly ever since. Ran fine last year. It is stumbling, it sticks at about 2500 RPMs when you release throttle, the battery was put back after storage and 4 inches of it was hanging out of the tray. I had the NRHS pushrod bases installed. They leaked like a sieve after a few blocks of riding. Oil everywhere. They blamed it on the bases!! They love excusing their incompetence by blaming aftermarket parts. I brought it back to be fixed and they had the audacity to charge me again. Now after only 500 miles the rear base is leaking again. My steering head bearing is set to loose and drive belt is way to tight. I am sure I will have to pay for all these fixes. If you don't have a 30K Softail, you are treated like a bother. This after I have purchased 3 brand new bikes from them. They disgust me. After they correct all their f-ups I will be going to anyone BUT Harley from now on. The only drawback to owning a Buell is having to deal w/ Harley. | ||
| New12r |
Mountainrider loves his Versys! I think if he had the choice he would own a Buell as he was trying to buy my uly but the Kawi was much cheaper. he is now on his second Versys as he lowsided the first one a couple weeks ago. Warlizard, Do you have anything positive to say??? | ||
| New12r |
Oh yeah, SM, if you want to come on up to Loganville you can ride my Uly, to compare. | ||
| 4cammer |
If I were to buy another new Japanese bike it would have to be a Kaw. That 650 twin seems to do pretty well in the hands of one Mr. Jay Springsteen and Jimmy (sp?) Felice. I think his ex-tuner also runs one for some flat track racing. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
Swordsman - just curious, when you say cruising below 60mph, how far below 60? What gear are you in? Top or 4th? I know my X1 is a bit different to an XB, but I rarely use 5th below 60mph. I usually ride at or above 2800rpm-ish, very rarely let it drop below 2500rpm. You said this is your first bike, so I'm not sure what else you've ridden since you got the XB. If you haven't ridden much else, as a suggestion before you consider selling the XB to buy a Versys, I'd try and ride a few different bikes with different motor configurations. Beg/borrow/steal/demo ride a few different things from friends or dealers. Even if they're not bikes you're interested in, see if you can ride a 4-cylinder bike of some sort, and maybe a triple or a different type of twin, and see how they compare to the Buell in feel. cheers, chili |
