| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
I tell you, I don't know how Erik plans to stay in business building crap like this. Riding my POS '06 Uly home tonight...and the speedo dies. Only 23,496 miles. Pristine motorcycle - always in a consistent state of cleanliness (never washed it), always treat it the same every time I take it out (ride the pi$$ out of it), I've even kept the battery that it left East Troy with, in it! Now, I have to remove FOUR whole screws so I can remove and clean the sensor. After I move a bundle of wires out of my way and unplug a connector. And I get to reinstall that connector and all four of those screws, along with a cover, to see if it works. Then, if it doesn't fix it, I have to take all four of those screws out AGAIN to install a new part. This is ridiculous. What rider has the time and ability to do this sort of maintenance/repair, every 25,000 miles? Sheesh... yes...I am kidding... (Message edited by ratbuell on February 24, 2012) | ||
| Britchri10 |
Well... I had to remove two drain plugs. Catch the black looking liquid that poured out of the holes. reinstall said plugs with NEW "O' rings. Remove a "plate" in the side of the casings. Add oil through the plate hole & through the oil filler hole (which involved unscrewing the cap) . Replace gasket on said plate & reinstall & then screw the oil cap back into the swingarm. Remove the tank shroud, remove the air filter inner cover. Remove & replace the old air filter with a new one. Button it all back up & then ride the P**s out of it! Don't even get me started on spark pug replacement on this infernal machine! (XP12XP). What were the Elves thinking? yes, I am joking too! Chris C | ||
| Satori |
Such heafty trials, dang hope you'all dont have to replace a light bulb... hehehe | ||
| Cyclonedon |
What rider has the time and ability to do this sort of maintenance/repair, every 25,000 miles? you wanted an Adventure Sport Bike, didn't you? Where is the adventure if you don't get a chance to work on it once in awhile? | ||
| Redtail |
I just got in after a 3 1/2 hour ride home, it was snowing off and on the whole trip and I got cold except my left arss cheek. Bike threw a low fuel light and I pushed it 26 more miles. All this after I had to jump start it because the yo yo who rode to work left the ignition on and the tail light was on for 38 hrs = dead bat. The nerve of them Elves. I wish they made a bike you could count on. (Message edited by Redtail on February 25, 2012) | ||
| Forerunner |
This quality issue is not confined to Buell but extends to other American companies as well. I had to replace the original starter motor on my Mustang. What kinda crap is this when Ford can't make a starter motor last for more than 40 years? AND to add insult to injury it cost me $35 with core exchange at O'Reily for a new part.  YMMV, Nels | ||
| Hillis3 |
Wait, your suppose to change that black stuff? And they make parts to replace broken things with? This all seems like crazy talk to me. And Ratbuell, what's that wash thing you mentioned, I like my color change Uly. It was blue when I bought it but over time it turned black and brown. It's an odd color but what do I know. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
Well a lot has to do with Harley, this par costs 50$ no no yo have to find a par that costs 5$. So parts for sure will break with time, if a bulb doesen't fuse, they don't make money for the new bulb. | ||
| Etennuly |
Lemme tell you about the bulb thing! At about 15,000 miles my first H7 failed. I happened to be at a dealer so being at the beginning of a trip I bought one there. $23 for a plain ole H7! THEY DON"T MAKE MONEY ON A BULB?! About twenty thousand miles later it burned out another one! Sonofabitch! I got that one from an O'reilly's in Georgia on a trip. $9.00, still too much but they loaned me a pair of needle nose pliers so that I might get it installed. Then I got the Uly out of the shed the other day. I have not been on it much for the past six months. It has over 57,000 miles on it.....damn if that bulb wasn't dead again! This time a discounted one through my shop cost me $6.00. I agree, I am glad they don't make these infernal pieces of crap anymore. HD should be ashamed duping the public like that! $23 for a bulb that cost them less than $4. F-HD.....they screwed me first!  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Vern - you oughta pony up $25 and get a DDM HID headlight kit. I finally put one in my Uly's low beam (had to move MORE wires out of the way to make room for the ballast...but at least it's an aftermarket part, not Buell's fault here!) and WOW. I need to get the right color temp, but it makes a HUGE difference. My low beam is nearly as bright as my high beam and aux light combo...and you've seen my aux lights! | ||
| Nobuell |
I found the the 4300K puts out the most usable light. It is an amazing difference. I did just notice that the reflector on the low beam side is starting to darken. I thought about replacing the light housing with 2 new Solteks but may not have time. Once upon a time I read somewhere that the Euro standard head light assemblies could be purchased. I thought maybe the pattern would be better than the stock DOT pattern. What are the thoughts out there? Does anybody know of the part # and are they available? Keeping with the spirit of the thread: My XT is ridicules. A waste of time. Every time I go for a ride it take at least twice as long as anticipated. It forces me to take one more pass through the twists. If I only knew what a waste of time owning the thing would be. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
I went to the chinese shop round the corner 5$ for two h7 bulbs, fitted the low bean that was fused , and these cheap bulbs give a much whiter light, the color is so good and intense that the high beam i never use. | ||
| Etennuly |
Joe, I tried to look up HID installation instructions and found that I cannot spell HID correctly. But seriously, I have my high and low beams working together and since bright lights bother my eyes I don't watch where I am going after dark anyway. | ||
| Timbobuell |
The main problem I’m having with the bike is going from A to B. A 20 mile trip usually takes about 100 miles. Using a GPS to remedy this problem has been futile. I’d be better off to sell it and call a cab instead. It’s also taking up way too much time that could be used to sit on the couch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFq9PCnW8kw | ||
| Barocky |
You guys crack me up!! | ||
| Uly_man |
"The main problem I’m having with the bike is going from A to B. A 20 mile trip usually takes about 100 miles." Err, I do this as well. I thought it was just Me? And in the spirit of the thread, a question. I have never heard of a shock go bad on an X and very few fork seals go. Hows it been on the big mile bikes? "I've even kept the battery that it left East Troy with, in it!" So have I although its not in the 06 bike as that one was stolen. Its still fine though. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
When it comes to changing the black stuff, why waste $$$ on O-rings and gaskets? I've never once changed them on my bikes, and they don't appear to be leaking. A leak would definitely show if it was there.. against a background of dust and dirt. | ||
| Britchri10 |
I changed the "o" rings 'cause they were doth damaged. I changed the gasket "'cause I'm like that". My point was that, contrary to many on these boards I have experienced no major problems w/my XB12XP & I think whoever designed them deserves some credit rather than criticism. YMMV Chris C In the spirit of this thread, it was intended as a lighthearted comment & a show of support for Buell. | ||
| Etennuly |
At around 50,000 I have blown seals.....two of them!  Could have been a party if I had known they would fail within 1,000 miles of each other  . POS failure for sure! | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I'm getting tired of not having to adjust the valves. I've just gotten to 50k miles and once again I still don't need to tear the bike apart to adjust the valves. Will it ever end? I've noticed that my tires keep wearing out. To be fair though, they are not Buell parts. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
I tired of cleaning and lubing my chain and checking the coolant level. Geez! | ||
| Motorbike |
I'm getting tired of not having to adjust the valves. I've just gotten to 50k miles and once again I still don't need to tear the bike apart to adjust the valves. Mark, maybe you can find a good used 1125 to satisfy your valve adjustment hunger?  | ||
| Froggy |
20k miles on both of my 1125s, neither have needed any valve adjusting, or coolant changes, or clutch cable adjustments, or primary chain adjustments, or TPS resets, or chain lubrication, or frequent oil changes. (I'll have to look at my numbers, but my total cost of ownership for both 1125s is sure as hell less than just my XB). | ||
| Etennuly |
Froggy, you have to count the self oiling program you ran to WVBR last year! That lubed your belt, swing arm pivots,seat mounts, pegs, boots, socks, and riding suit.    | ||
| Froggy |
Yep that was great, the rear half of my muffler will never rust, and my swingarm is permanently shiny! Dealer fixed it last fall, I forget what it was, some seal dislodged but it is all good now | ||
| Etennuly |
Oh you lucky man! You dislodged a seal. I had to blow two of them! | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I have an R6 for that. Did the valves last month. I was really happy that it took nearly an hour to remove the tank, plastics, radiator, air box, and throttle bodies-and-injectors. Sadly, I got the measurements correct on the first try so I only removed and replaced the camshafts once. I especially like to R&R the cam chain tensioner. It is positioned against the frame so that I can turn the upper fastener only 1/8 turn at a time. A LOT more fun than the Uly. | ||
| Ulyrpg |
After a nasty get off in the dirt I had to wash the bike and replace a $15 turn signal that the dealer had in stock. What a rip off!!  | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
We are very sad to be missing out on all the cool valve adjustment parties. If that pretty red Multistrada would have followed me home, I could have spent more time looking at it and less time riding. And maybe if I bought that bike instead, I'd have felt compelled to buy the matching tri coloured jacket, and could have spent more time cleaning it too during love bug season. My priorities are messed up. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I didn't have to lube and adjust my chain again. |
