| Author | Message | ||
     Moderator |
This is a work in progress by BadWeB's new Chief Road Test Editor, Keith Thrash... Shortly after I purchased my new Black Buell XB9S this past November 19th, Blake and I were discussing what modifications I would want to make to the bike. He came up with the idea of having me record my experiences with buying, break-in, suspension setup, riding, adding accessories, etc. here on the BadWeB. I have to admit, at first, I was not crazy about the idea. After reading some of the posts on BadWeB, and seeing some of the negative comments, I changed my mind. Blake and I have known each other for over a decade (yikes!). We've made many road trips together over the years. Our first was from Kilgore, TX to College Station to see the Aggies and Red Raiders play football. Blake on his '82 Yamaha XZ550RJ "Vision" (dubbed "The Nightmare" for good reason - what a piece of junk!). We nearly froze our butts off that morning as neither of us had any proper cold weather riding gear at all! We've shared various two wheeled adventures with varied destinations... Sturgis via the Rocky Mountains, the Texas Hill Country, the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma/Arkansas, the Ozarks of Arkansas, and of course the local scenic and twisty roads of East Texas. Blake initially on his Nightmare but mostly on any of three Buell Cyclones, and me on an '84 HD Superglide or most recently, an '00 Night Train. Blake thought I might be a good choice for this log as I have ridden over 100,000 miles in the last 10 years on Harleys, but I have also owned a Kawasaki GPZ, several dirt bikes, and have purchased a CBR 600F3 that I am riding at the local race track. I now have 700 miles on the XB9S with no problems whatsoever. The first 50 miles were just horrible! Trying to keep the engine between 2000 and 2500 rpms is nearly impossible. In addition I had to remain very wary and pick my route to avoid getting run over in traffic. Once past the 50 mile portion of the break in, the duration of the 450 miles limited to no more than 3,000 rpm seemed to stretch to infinity. Now that I am finally past that, I'm getting a feel for what the bike's capabilities are. I say that, but I doubt I'll ever really determine the all out performance envelope of the XB9S while riding it on the street. I've not yet revved it past 6500 and it just keeps on pulling. Compared to my race prepped F3, it will turn on a dime, and does not seem to care what gear it is in; it just goes. The bike is capable of speeds far in excess of what I care to go on public roads. I am of the opinion that anyone who is complaining about lack of power or speed is only looking at numbers, or really should not be riding like such a squid on the street. Some day maybe I'll take it to the track... If he doesn't, I will. ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) Ed My immediate plans are to purchase some luggage so I can take the Lightning on some overnight road trips this Spring. I am also looking at basic engine performance upgrades. After studying the dyno charts for the Latus, the D&D, and the Buell mufflers, the Buell Race Kit definitely provides the most bang for the buck. I'm trying not to make the final decision until Force introduces their exhaust system for the XB series. It is disappointing that neither Latus nor D&D have published dyno curves for their muffler in combination with a race ECM. Stay tuned, Keith (aka Skully) | ||
| Skully |
The weather here in East Texas has been playing games with me the last few days so I have not gotten any more miles on the bike to date. Maybe tomorrow... However, I've found two issues I wanted to mention: First, my only complaint with the bike itself has been notchy up shifting. Down shifting is good, but up shifting requires more "oomph" than I think it should. I'm hearing this gets better as the shifter wears in. Second, I purchased a set of Napoleon bar end mirrors. They are well made, but the left one interferes with the clutch lever and the right one with the throttle no matter how I position either one. For now, I'm going to stick with the silly "mickey mouse ear" mirrors that came on the bike. My next installment will include a bit more personal history and how I ended up purchasing a Buell. Later, Keith | ||
| Skully |
Hello Buell fans! I need to get some pictures of the Lightning and F3 in my profile for reference. When I wrote the last installment, I had no idea it would take me this long to write another. I now have nearly 900 miles on the bike and I’m enjoying every one. I’m looking forward to our annual “Spring Fling” like I haven’t in a long time. Now that Phase I is complete (purchase, break-in, initial suspension settings, etc.), I’m preparing for Phase II: a baseline dyno run, installing the race ECM, K&N air filter, and deciding which exhaust system to use. Once this is done, I’ll get another dyno run so that we can see what the performance gains are for money spent. The exhaust systems being considered are D&D, Force, Buell, and Latus. I still think the Buell race muffler is probably the best buy, the D&D is probably the best slip-on (a little pricey), and the Force is mildly heinous. That leaves me with the Latus. I like the sound, stainless steel construction, and price is more reasonable. Performance with the stock ECM is good at the top and bottom, but the mid-range is the same as stock. Blake has talked to them about more dyno runs, but installing the race air filter and ECM. That may be the determining factor for me. I am also shopping around for luggage. I purchased the Buell XB tank bag and have a Joe Rocket tail bag. I’m looking pretty hard at the Ventura system, but they have not marketed one for the XB9S yet. Stay tuned for my “Two Wheeled Biography” (yeehaa!). | ||
| Blake |
Cool stuff, thanks Keith! Now I know why you want the CD with the OHR pics/videos.   Keith Ripping up Turn 7 at Oak Hill Raceway  Keith Taking a Breather Between Track Sessions | ||
| Skully |
Well, Sunday here in East Texas turned out to be an incredibly beautiful day. My friend Ian on his Ducati 750 SS, Blake in his Nissan, and me on the Buell all met out at Oak Hill Raceway to enjoy an afternoon of motorcycles and sun. After we left the track, Ian and I decided to run a few twisties. At one point, Ian and I traded bikes. The first thing I noticed was the difference in clutch actuation. The Duc tracked like it was on rails but this made turn in seem very heavy compared to my Buell. The Ducati riding position also felt like the Chinese Torture Rack after riding the Buell. Speaking of clutch actuation, is it just me, or does it seem like the XB9 clutch handle came from a different bike? It is much shorter and more curved than the brake lever. Seeing that I had crossed the 1000 mile mark, I blasted home and dropped the oil out. I was startled to feel how relatively cool the oil was. Oil needs to get hot enough to evaporate one of the byproducts of combustion: water. I have to wonder if the oil cooler is over-kill on less than hot days? I know that some after market manufacturers supply their coolers with either a thermostat or a cover that renders the cooler ineffective on cooler days. Has anyone figured out a way to keep the oil off of the muffler? I also had trouble getting the oil filter off and on. Seems one of the lines from the engine to the oil cooler run a little too close to the filter and interfere with getting it off and on. | ||
| Sparky |
Skully, I sliced the bottom of a half gallon plastic milk container all the way up one side to make a large flat lop-sided funnel. It's big enough that I can get my hand on the filter to wrestle it past that interfering oil line. Sparky | ||
| Skully |
Baseline and Race ECM Dyno Runs Well, it finally happened! I did the 1000 mile check up, replacing the oil, trannie lube, and filter with Mobil 1 products. I then scheduled a local Buell dealer to perform the baseline run, install the race ECM, and then get more dyno runs all while recording the air/fuel ratio. I went ahead and installed the K&N filter, removed the air box snorkel, and installed the race ECM the week before heading for the dyno. My plan was to have enough miles on the bike that I could have the AFV set. The bike ran so badly that I reinstalled the stock ECM. Upon arrival at the HD-Buell dealership, I went inside and handed the service manager a piece of paper that detailed exactly what I wanted to do. I then took the bike for a ride to get it warmed up. Upon my return, the “Buell technician” was ready and we took the bike straight to the dyno. After she was strapped down, he fired ‘er up and made the first of three runs. Max power was 75 hp and max torque was 60 lb-ft. We then installed the race ECM. When the technician began to remove my air box, I questioned him. He stated it was necessary to set the throttle position. I reminded him there was an idle adjustment for that reason. When I mentioned that I had the procedure to reset the TPS in my truck, he asked me to get it. After going through the procedure once, we fired the bike up and it ran just like it did in my garage. So we went through the procedure a second time and all went well this time. The bike ran great. The dyno was again called into action: max power was 77.4 hp and max torque was 62 lb-ft. Not what I had hoped for but I still have the stock muffler installed. When testing was nearly complete, I realized the technician had never connected the air/fuel probe. When I asked about it, he said it would take too long to warm up. I asked him if the service manager had given him my procedure or made any mention of it, he said no, all he had been told to do was a dyno run. The next time, I will hand the test procedure to the tech himself and make sure all is done to my satisfaction. The bike definitely has more “kick”, it wheelies in second more easily, and is smoother between 2500 and 3000 rpm. Not bad for the investment. In the near future, I plan to install a free flowing muffler and head for the dyno again. Blake will probably post my dyno chart shortly. | ||
| Blake |
Thanks Keith! I'll post the dyno chart as soon as Aaron gets me a jpeg or you can send the pdf. | ||
| Skully |
Ok, here's the chart I mentioned in my previous post.  Keith | ||
| Blake |
I thought I'd add some other XB9 dyno results for comparison...  Factory's Chart of Full Race Kit versus Stock  The 1st XB9R dyno chart on BadWeB - a Bone Stock Demo XB9R with 1,400 miles. Thanks Hoser! I have not forgotten the T-shirt promised.  Sparky's stock XB9R, 2100 miles, 4th gear  Sparky's stock XB9R, 2100 miles, 5th gear  Ray Richards' Stock XB9R - Note the A/F ratio. | ||
| Skully |
Buell Update and First Race Report Hello Buell Fans, I now have about 1400 miles on clock (weather here has been atrocious) and still enjoying the bike. I’m definitely looking forward to our annual Spring Fling. I finally made a decision regarding the exhaust and purchased the D&D muffler because of its strong mid-range. I’ll dyno it as soon as possible and post the dyno results. Well, I entered my first race Saturday. Blake convinced me that the GT, a timed, 20 minute race was the way to go. Unfortunately, I had not been on the racetrack in nearly four months and it really showed. I got tired really fast even though I work out regularly and my lap times reflected it too. But, I did accomplish what I set out to do: not finish last and not crash. I finished 16th out of 22 in Amateur GTU. In the CMRA, you must complete two races without crashing to have the “Provisional Novice” status removed and you no longer have to wear a yellow shirt. Apparently, several of the guys in my race will still have to complete two races with their yellow shirts.  Interestingly enough, my race prepped F3 turns like like it weighs 1000 pounds after riding my XB9S even with the forks raised. I'm #211 in the picture below (with the yellow shirt).  Anyway, it was an experience that I hope to repeat soon. BTW, ask Blake why he didn’t race with me… | ||
| Sarodude |
So, uh, Blake, why DIDN'T you race with Keith?  -Saro | ||
| Skully |
Hey XB9S Owners! Ventura has announced they will have their luggage system for the 9S for sale mid-April. It will be available through American Sport Bike. Check it out...  Later, Keith | ||
| Blake |
Saro, I failed to get my bike ready. I can't believe Keith didn't say anything about this racer...  Mr. Toby Leslie of Alamo City HD/Buell Tech said the XB9R didn't need a belly pan since the engine is a dry sump and the oil is in the swing-arm. | ||
| Blake |
My bike as it currently sits, waiting for action...  What's missing? I can't believe the size of the billboard I gotta carry around the track. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Exhaust ... unless it's under the billboard now! -JW:>  | ||
| Bomber |
Blake that's a nice rear numberplate/butt located you've got there . . .. may one inquire as to it's source? and, if one may, consider me one of the ones, please | ||
| Sarodude |
Blake- You could probably mount a giant sprint car wing on the front of that bike! BTW, do I see a bike parked inside your house? That's the way! Interesting thing you mention about the belly pan thing. I wonder how many sanctioning bodies see it that way. -Saro | ||
| Skully |
Hey Saro, Ask Blake *why* he didn't get it ready and how much time he had to do so... :-D Keith | ||
| Blake |
Jim nailed it. Also the belly pan. Bomber, I epoxied four pieces of 2" thick styrofoam sheet together marked outlines in plan and elevation then using a hacksaw blade proceeded to make fake snow. What a mess! Make the bottom concave to fit the seat back. Once the form was where I wanted it, I brushed off the loose stuff with a vacuum (use the little brush attachement) and lightly hit it with spray paint to melt away the fuzziness of the raw foam. I then stuck on some strips of double sided fiberglass tape, stuck it to the seat where I wanted it, and tightly wrapped it and seat with a dozen or so layers of cellophane wrapping/packing wrap (6" roll of cellophane with a handle sticking out on one end). The tightly stretched wrap pulls the foam firmly into the seat. Then add the yellow sticky vinyl (number plate backing cut into strips) and finally the preprinted numbers. It's not what I would call cosmetically attractive, but for the track it is great. If you wanted to make it nice and pretty for the street, you would want to use a finer grained foam and/or coat it with layers of some non-volatile resin (epoxy type) reinforced fiberglass or polyester mat which you could then sand and paint. I was surprised at how well it all turned out. Took me about three hours from start to finish. Saro, With no garage or viable workshop and unrelenting cold rainy weather it was bring the bike inside or forfeit even trying to get it ready for the race. The rain finally quit early Saturday morning, the sun and wind dried everything nicely. Procrastination did me in. I sometimes develop a brain malfunction when it comes to managing my own affairs. But Keith is pushing his luck. After all, since I didn't race I was able to record via video tape his race lappings of OHR. Made a copy of the tape for him. Now he's bustin' my chops? Hah! Keith, Finishing 16 out of 22 is better than 17 out of 23. | ||
| Bomber |
Blake thank you sir . . . .. once again, you've given me something to ponder (just what I needed . . .my brain is awash already!) looks great, btw | ||
| Snowdave |
Bomber, I must say that I prefer the tail section on my race bike. I can't remember the part number off the top of my head, but it is straight out of a catalog. If you are interested I will get you the part number. BTW, 1/4" foam is okay for a seat with extreme clip-ons and rear sets. Not to mention that if you are riding properly, you are rarely on the seat.  I will likely ride this bike to the Crud Run in May. Otherwise you are welcome to take a trip to Janesville. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Blake mentioned: I epoxied four pieces of 2" thick styrofoam sheet together marked outlines in plan and elevation then using a hacksaw blade proceeded to make fake snow. Just for future reference, an electric carving knife works tits for shaping styrofoam (even foam for seats etc.). S'later, -JW:> | ||
| Blake |
Dave, That is a stock tail section with a modified seat; the home-made rear number cowl is part of the seat. | ||
| Bomber |
Dave . . .. . I like the looks fo your bike'stail section, sir . . . . .didja have to goober up the frame much to get it to fit? my present project's end point is to allow me to switch from the big tank/tail section to the slimline tank and tailsection at will . . . Blake's solution would allow me to trackday and run a t Bonnie without loosing that capability, but, if I could mount something like yours without cutting the frame up (adding extra mounts for the new section would be fine, I'm thinking), it might be preferable . . . . . . so, yes please, p/n would be great, as well as the frame mods . . . . .thanks all | ||
| Snowdave |
No frame mods are necessary. I will look up the part number tonight, but it was through lockhart phillips and was a Yamaha TZ tail section. If you have the catalog, you will be able to find it. I also have my bike setup to change back and forth between track and street. I have wide tank/tail for the street and slim tank/tail for the track. I still need to fab up some rear peg mounts for the X1 pegs I bought and buy some handlebars. The clip ons wouldn't turn too far with the wide tank on it. There are only three connections necessary for this tail section and they were all fabbed from pieces of strip metal. No new holes even in the frame. Now I have added an R1 taillight to the tail, so I will be buying another exclusively for track use. Dave | ||
| Bomber |
Thanks, Dave . . .I appreciate the help, sir | ||
| X1glider |
Blake, you did good with the tail section. That was what I had made up too, but I wrapped the yellow around my aluminum tail too so I could use the larger numbers. I can have my belly pan and fly screen sent to you, just e-mail me and I'll get work to box it up for you. No more excuses, bud! That's a good one! How about getting this into the racing section? | ||
| X1glider |
NAh, Blakes pipes aren't missing...he's going for max high rpm HP with the straightest of straight pipes, none! |
