| Author | Message | ||
     Dsergison |
is occurs to me I didn't always hate my X1's vibration SO MUCH. maybe my isolators are going south? can you tell w/out dissassembly? should I just replace ALL the rubber parts after 15,000 mi? | ||
| Tramp |
absolutely a capital idea. you described the primary symptom nicely.... change those puppies out | ||
| Whodom |
Dan, I've noticed the same thing on my 2000 S3 recently. Left isolator has a small visible tear on the outside, but looks OK on the inside (based on what I've read here) so I hadn't worried about it too much. But I'm definitely noting an increase in vibration around 3,000 RPM, so I figure it must be the isolators. I'm about to mount new tires, so I figured I go ahead and do the rear isolators while I had the rear wheel off. There's a lot of guidance about checking isolators scattered around BadWeb; I found the following on the X-1 Files site: Check your isolators When they tear it sends a vibration through the peg. The tear can be difficult to spot but examine the inside and outer isolator. Sometimes the isolator bolt will be buried into the wall of the isolator. Don't be alarmed if it is off center (it is supposed to be), but if it is actually making contact you probably have a problem. Looking at the mounting bolts can be confusing because the isolators are made off center so the mounting bolts look like they are at the rear of the isolator. Here is what to look for 1. any tears in the rubber. The rubber material may separate from internal washers and show a rip around the outer side. 2. any tears under the isolator at about 7:00. This is where the locator pin goes into the isolator. many of the earlier Buells had the pins too long and would hit an inner washer and cause a rip right below the pin. All the dealers were notified of this and was supposed to check the pin height when they did the recall. 3. you will feel a lot more vibration in the foot peg on the side that goes bad. 4. if the isolator rips all the way through, you will find the handling will get bad. Isolator failures were primarily due to improper installation. New style (model year 2001+) isolators are much more robust and are retrofittable for prior model Buell twins. Impending failure of old style isolators is evident by distortion/waviness seen in the two or three parallel rings circling the visible surface of each isolator. (Message edited by whodom on July 20, 2005) | ||
| Richieg150 |
Changing your isolators on your X1 will be a easy fix,I would change them to the upgrades ones if they arent already installed.I wish the M2's and S3's were as easy to change.Sometimes your swing arm may have gouges where the frame has hit it due to worn out isolators. | ||
| Bomber |
do it -- took a long weekend (first time) on my MaDeuece, piece o cake on an X1 -- if they are the originals, you're due | ||
| Tramp |
i'm idiotically }still running my original factory isolators... bike has become horribly wobbly in turns, with a bias toward one side. I've been putting this off for years, time to give disco dave a call... | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Tramp described my bike when I lost one in Michigan two summers ago. In addition to the wobbly it hit bumps soooooo hard. This is what a torn one looks like  | ||
| José_quiñones |
Don't forget to check the front isolator too. | ||
| Rick_a |
The rear ones usually get real saggy before they start to tear. | ||
| Bomber |
the poor lil dears can loose their elasticity long before they show tears as bad as Newph illustrates above -- my rears isos appeared ok, but were allowing the engine/swingarm to sag a fair amount long before they showed any external damage the front iso, interestingly, show a tear about 3/4 of the way around the circumferance a year earlier -- dunno if it's a material diffeence, the fact that it gets hit by more crud (I suspect the former), but the damage was easily noticable to the bare fingertip (hard to see up there) I'd replace em every 3/4 years, regardless of damage visable to the eyeball, Mark 1 -- | ||
| Bluzm2 |
My S2's iso's looked fine but were quite stiff. I was feeling a lot of vibration, especially when it was cold outside. Replacing all three isolators made a world of difference. Also, as mentioned a while ago in a different thread, the new style isolator will NOT fit the S2's without modification. Us tripoder's are stuck with the old smaller style. Good thing they are easy to change. Brad | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I wish I had a picture of the new one to compare it to the old one. I never took that picture. The new one is so much more beefier design than the old one. I think its also very important to file down the locator pin to the correct height as well. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Newfie, I may have some pictures around. I'll check when I get a chance. | ||
| Shanetbolt |
Great thread and info, I will have to inspect mine. I have a 99 S3 with close to 44K miles and the isolators are original. Will the dealers have these parts in stock or have to order them? Yes it would be difficult to speak for all dealers, but in general parts that wear out or are of any kind of safety issue should be readily available in my opinion. | ||
| Dsergison |
I just ordereed my rears. $11 each. they had the front for $43 | ||
| Ceejay |
If they do have em in stock give them a big kiss for me!!  I got three of them around and not one had those babies in stock, but I am used to now so i just get them from Daves. replacing them made the bike track so much better, I didn't have any tears yet but the rears were pretty twisted, so I just replaced the front while I doing it. | ||
| Whodom |
Shanetbolt- I just ordered the updated rear isolator kit (check the KV for details) for my 2000 S3 from DaveS and it was approximately $58 (BadWeb price). It includes updated isolators, hardware, and a new pulley cover. He did not have them in stock but it only takes about a week to get them. The American Sport Bike site has info on how to change them more safely and easily than the Buell instruction sheet. (Message edited by whodom on July 21, 2005) | ||
| Newfie_buell |
The instruction sheet was not that bad - hahahahaha  Actually I wish all manufacturers would create their service manuals as well as Buell did for the S1. I have a Factory Suzuki Service Manual for my DR650 and it does not compare to the Buell one. Now one step better than the Buell is the big giant manual I have for the old style Saabs. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Don't forget the new style isolators REQUIRE the new bolts and lock washers. And don't forget to check the locating pin length. | ||
| Tramp |
"Will the dealers have these parts in stock or have to order them? " as I remember, they are actually (originally) FXR parts, so many HD dealers stock 'em... | ||
| Tramp |
my front iso is torn like a bronte character | ||
| Road_thing |
how can you tell, charlotte? | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Tramp is talking about the old style isolator. Don't use that on which is the picture I posted as above. Get the new style in the form of a kit that includes everything you will need. Included are the isolators, pins, pulley cover and new bolts. | ||
| Tramp |
RT- I saw emily play..... | ||
| Bomber |
sheesh, and to think I was gonna go for a Rip TOrn linkage -- I feel so, I dunno, plebian ;-} | ||
| Road_thing |
I know the feeling, Bomber! Trampster, I'm astonished--you look so 20th century in your profile picture! rt |
