| Author | Message | ||
     Bueaddicted |
Okay, I had the 10K service done on my bike, and the suspension came out worse than it went in. Everybody talks about how suspension is so important in these bikes, but frankly I have never been able to dial it correctly, nor have I found it to be better than any other bike I've previously had. After the service which included the changing of the front fork oil, the suspension was worse than before - very hard and uncomfortable. Any slight bump and my bones were getting jarred. After a few days, I decided to tackle the suspension settings and followed the instructions that I found here on the forum. Everything went fine, but when I tried to adjust the front rebound adjuster screw, I ran into a problem. The screw only turns 1 and 1/4 turns! This is from maximum to minimum. My question is: How much does the screw turn? 2 full turns, or just 1 and 1/4? Even the stock settings for 160-180 Lbs says to turn 1.5 turns... mine does not even turn this much. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Paul PS I spoke to the mechanic where the service was performed, and he told me to take it in so he could look at it. This was done when they replaced my cracked swingarm. All that was done was he rotated the screw so that the little "dots" line up...  | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I always recommend that fork service be done at a suspension specialist, rather than at your local Harley dealer because the Showa forks used on the Buell are rather different from the standard HD forks. DO NOT TAKE IT BACK! This mechanic obviously doesn't not know what he is doing. There is NEVER any need to rotate the screws so the little dots line up. They are very easy to damage by over tightening. I don't like to give a guy two chances to screw up the same part. Fortunately, you are in New Jersey. I would take the forks to Grandstand designs in Manasquan. They are Buell aftermarket specialists, and can fix, and also upgrade your forks. Here is their web site: http://www.grandstanddesigns.com/ | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Thanks Jonathan for the info, and I'll look into that company. I think I know the owner... I'm going to stop by Liberty this coming weekend and see if Odinbueller can take a look. I did ask Chris what he thought about it, but he wasn't sure also. I should have asked that the fork oil not be changed... This is one of the reasons I'm worried about purchasing the new 1125R. If now its a big problem whenever service is performed on our bikes, I can't imagine it being easier on the new bike! Sometimes I feel like going to Chris/Anthony and placing my deposit with them for the new 1125r, but then I worry about who's going to maintain her. This is what is keeping me from deciding if I'm going to purchase it or not. I wish I could do the maintenance myself, but I can't say I'm a good mechanic... Paul | ||
| Toona |
Paul, my father has a saying he uses often, "I'd rather screw it up myself and not be happy with it, than pay someone to screw it up for me and not be happy with it." Get a service manual, read, study, ask questions on the BadWeB and get some tools. Simple. Dan | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Dan, you are right, and your father is absolutely right, but I live in a condominium - no garage! It's upsetting when you spend so much money on a service and it doesn't come out right... Well, I still would like to know how many turns does the front rebound adjuster screw turn? Anyone know? Paul | ||
| Socalbueller |
The same thing happened to me when I got my fork oil changed. When I brought it back to show them the problem the tech said when you change the oil you don't touch those screws so he couldn't have possibly done that. They supposedly ended up fixing them but I am probably having the oil changed by a suspension place before I go to the track again. From my experience with dealers there is no way in hell I'd buy an 1125R from a Harley dealership. (Message edited by socalbueller on July 30, 2007) | ||
| Fdl3 |
Bueaddicted: IIRC, I can turn the front rebound adjuster screws (the ones on top of the front forks) three(3) full turns. | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Thanks Fdl3 for the info! I knew it had to be more than 1 and 1/4 turns, if the manual stock settings are 1.5 turns... This is what makes me cringe when time for service gets near!  ...and they assured me the mechanic was Buell qualified!... | ||
| Odinbueller |
Hedy Paul! PM sent, please let me know if we can do anything for ya. As far as the 1125R, we are poised to send at least myself to the instructor led course in Milwaukee once it becomes available. Try not to let negative dealer experiences sway your opinion on whether or not to buy one. "From my experience with dealers there is no way in hell I'd buy an 1125R from a Harley dealership" To quote Court, "That is an accurate statement." Try a Buell Dealer, one that is behind the product in every facet, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Chris | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Chris, I'm happy to know you still remember me! Thanks for the pm, and I'll do as told. I'll call after work tomorrow and see what's possible in the near future. Liberty (Rahway)  | ||
| Odinbueller |
How can I forget such a magnanimous person such as yourself? OK, so that was a bit thick, but of course we remember our customers! Who else would have 2 horn failures?  We always do our best to accommodate the customers that bought their motorcycles from us, regardless of the situation. We'll get your front end back to the way you want it. It may take a few test rides on your part, but I'm sure we won't need to twist your arm for that. Hope to hear from ya soon! Chris | ||
| Socalbueller |
Try a Buell Dealer, one that is behind the product in every facet, and you will be pleasantly surprised. I would love to find a Buell dealer but so far I have only found Harley dealers that sell Buells. | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Well Chris, the offer was great, but as usual there are always "issues" when it comes to schedule an appointment, isn't it? If I lived near you guys I would be able to drop off the bike there, but I don't, as you know. So what to do then? Guess I'll call Brian's again and try to explain that something is not right with the front forks, and hopefully they will see me this weekend. Hard to believe the trouble one goes through just to get something done right... Paul PS I hope I'm not being unreasonable to expect everything to be working as before, especially after dropping $800 for a service on a '07 12R, am I? | ||
| Svo1023 |
Socal, to find a buell dealer you have to go across the country to good ole fl.  we are worth the trip though. Mike | ||
| Bueaddicted |
If I can interject, the problem is not finding a good dealer that sells Buells, but a "good" dealer that knows how to work on them! Selling is easy - anyone can do that, but maintaining a customer seems to be difficult. I usually buy a new motorcycle every 2 or 3 years, and I would think that it would be in the their best interest to retain "that" customer, but I may be wrong here... | ||
| Svo1023 |
Addicted, you are correct.....i know i have done a good job...when my previous customers bring friends in to buy..... Mike | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Mike, seems like you do understand the game! Maybe I'll have to move to Florida! I might stop in September for a visit if I am that way. Paul | ||
| Odinbueller |
Hey Paul, Sorry, I've been trying to keep up with the BadWeb and take care of the wife & kids, so I've been spread a bit thin. The guys at the desk didn't mention anything, and as far as I knew last, we were going to gear up to look into your suspension. What happened? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. Chris | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Chris, I spoke to Mark to see if I could stop by this coming Saturday and see what could be done, but no deal! All I wanted was either you or someone with "Buell" experience to take a look at what was done to my front forks, and if possible, try to undo whatever "damage", for lack of a better word, was done to them. That's all. Might even be a very simple adjustment, but as the bike is under warranty, I rather have an experienced Buell tech look at it. I paid quite a lot for the 10K mile service, and now I'm looking into paying more money to repair what a "buell" mechanic did, and this to an '07 R! As you can imagine, this has really put a damper on my Buell ownership enthusiasm. Look, you guys at Liberty are great, the experience and enthusiasm for Buells is obviously there, and I have always recommended you guys to my friends and people here in this forum. I've had great conversations with Ryan, Anthony, Mark, the owner, which my Dad, when he was here on vacation, enjoyed talking with about his "old" bikes (BSA, Nortons, etc). I also understand the preference for leaving the bike overnight for service, but sometimes some leeway must be given. The reason I did my service at Brian's was solely due to convenience, plus the fact that they are near and offer great customer appreciation. They picked up my bike, performed some warranty work without any delay (swing-arm, front rotor / brake pads), and even offered to have it delivered to my house. They have also a great Buell mechanic that rides a beautiful X1, but unfortunately he is only a part-timer, and the service was not performed by him. I would have had all this done at Liberty if the service department was more accommodating, and the same goes to all the fluid changes I have had done (every 2K), plus the new tire and other "stuff". I believe I only did the 1K service there plus 1 fluid change, and I really mean it when I say I wished I had all this done there. I know some are going to say I'm a "sucker" for paying others to do simple fluid changes, etc, but the way I see it, I'm supporting a business so that when I need help I will have their support. Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? If my bike was not under warranty I wouldn't have any problem taking it to the company that a fellow Bueller here offered. I even know the guy from "Grandstand Designs", when he was selling Buells, before I bought my 12R there. It's just hard to accept that as a paying customer, my requests are secondary to a business expectations. I'm also surprised that there was no communication with you... Paul  Still ridin' and lovin' it, though! PS By the way, Mark was very helpful and professional. He is a great asset to you guys, and I always enjoy talking with him! Does he still have the Race Muffler on his XB? | ||
| Polish_assassin |
Paul, I'm quite disappointed that You are confusing "lack of customer service" with the inconvenience of Your geographic location, and as far as the other dealership being so customer focused that they picked up and dropped off for You then please do the math, you paid $800.00 for a service we charge $450.00 for so you did pay for the delivery service. The next time you need a service I would be HAPPY to come and get your bike for you and drop it back off for $350.00. Please don't take this the wrong way I'm just trying to make a point that the problem is NOT customer service it's about geography and yes I do have the race pipe on my 9R I removed the D&D a few weeks ago it was just too loud and there are other factors that make the race pipe better for me, I would love to chat with you about it some time, PM me or call me at Liberty, Take care Paul,talk to you soon.....MARK | ||
| Bueaddicted |
Mark, I get it. Maybe I forgot to mention, they also installed a rear tire... Its my fault...  | ||
| Polish_assassin |
PAUL, Please accept my apology for the mis understanding. I hope you are not offended, I just felt that the language you were using made it look like we do not want to help you and that could not be further from the truth. I just want to make a point that if not for the distance between us this issue would be nonexistant,and in the interest of your safety this is a job that we can not do for you while you wait, I truly hope you understand the liability involved in a repair like this especially since it's an issue that was created by another service shop.......MARK |
