| Author | Message | |||
     Thesmaz |
I know that there's been a LOT of talk about the fan and noise and failures and I've had problems as well. My original fan started making noise around 4K and I finally had it replaced at the 10K service. At that point it was really noisy/rattly and ran longer after shut off I think do to it not cooling as well. Now after 3.5K miles on the new fan it's starting to rattle just like the first one did! I'll be curious to see how long it last. My fan runs a LOT, even when I'm riding. I tend to ride it pretty hard and the factory headers show it and I'm running Mobil1 20W-50 oil and the fan runs a lot. How many times can I get the fan replaced during the warranty period? After the 2 yr warranty runs out I'll plan on ordering a fan to have waiting at the house since BMC or SPAL can seem to make improvements to the design, use high temp grease on the bearings or some other solution to allow the fans to last longer. I just don't understand why the fans fail so quickly? I've had other electric fans on vehicles that lasted for over 100K miles without issue..... This is my only real gripe about the bike and I really wish there was something that could be done about it but it's not a big enough problem for me to turn away from Buell. I LOVE THE ULY!! | |||
| Teeps |
Maybe the fan is another example of 10lbs stuffed in a 8lb container. A 6 or 8 volt fan run on 12 to 14 for increased performance... | |||
| Xbimmer |
Mine's been rattling for 30k now and I think it's probably about done in. Like yours it runs much longer after engine shutdown than it used to and more during riding, I'm also assuming because of its decreased efficiency. Maybe also that's why my bike has been pinging even more than usual lately, I was thinking it was CA's crappy gas... | |||
| Adrian_8 |
You are just the "unlucky" one..its like two guys fishing the same spot and you can't catch one...still got the original in mine with 34K. I am the guy that caught all your fish.... | |||
| Dentguy |
Sounds like his luck is still better than some. My first fan was replaced at 900 miles and the second at 7000 miles. Thesmaz....As long as it is under warranty they should keep replacing it. | |||
| Ft_bstrd |
You two guys are the first I've heard of second fans going out. I haven't hear that much about second offender fans. Very strange. | |||
| New12r |
I am still on my first one at 20k. 06 Uly. My 04 Firebolt went to 35k before I killed the bike. | |||
| Ft_bstrd |
I got 5,000 from the first one. The second one has gone another 10,000 with nary a whisper. | |||
| Dr_greg |
38K miles on my fan (and bike). Fan runs like it did the day I bought it. I have a spare just in case, though. | |||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Buell carries my spare. I run with the original with over 10,000miles. | |||
| Jmhinkle |
Ooh, Ooh, I haven't had a fan problem yet!!!!! (knock on wood) 6K (15 months)on the stock one that lives on a sandy road and it sounds no different that the day it was new. | |||
| M2nc |
With 24K on my original fan its making the death rattles. I have the replacement fan in ($70) and plan to do a tire and fan change this weekend. | |||
| Bobmcc |
Please tolerate an ignorant question: does a dead fan trip the check engine light? My fan's performance has been flaky for the last 2500 miles. Especially on warm days it will run really really slow, almost silent, and sometimes stop altogether, then sometimes come back on after the bike's been parked for a few minutes. I've been waiting for the idiot light to officially declare death, which would make me an...? | |||
| Froggy |
From what i understand, there is a fan failure code, but it dosen't happen unless the fan is dead dead. My fan sounded like a blender of rocks for 10k miles before i had it replaced, and my light never came on. | |||
| New12r |
You may also get a code for overheating if the fan is not working properly. | |||
| Natexlh1000 |
Is there anything actually special about the fan? Can you put a standard 12V computer fan in there or something? Any equivalent parts available from CAP or autozone? | |||
| Slowride |
Bobmcc I got a Check engine light when my fan went dead. You should get one if it goes. | |||
| Bobmcc |
Thanks for the info everyone. Nate: A non-automotive grade fan wouldn't last on the Uly. Before I knew SPAL made the XB fans, some web research led me to their site. Their VA22-AP11/C-50 6.5" model looked like a possible replacement. I exchanged some e-mails with a gentleman originally addressed to "Engineering" and got the following response: "Buell spent thousands of dollars and a lot of engineering hours selecting the best fan for their application. In order for you to improve on their design, you will have to do the same, while also making sacrifices (reliability, cost, space, etc) that they were not able to accept" and "The spal 6.5" fan is one of our noisiest fans and we have had complaints about it in the past, but there is currently no way to get the CFM in the same package size without the noise. The noise has a specific spike in the 3-5kHz range that causes the issues". IMO, $70 for a motorized part is relatively cheap. So sacrificing some cost, could a $100 fan be quieter or have a lower frequency noise?
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| Natexlh1000 |
That thing takes 6.5 AMPS?! what the hell! no wonder they sound like angry vacuum cleaners. |
SPAL 6.5" drawing