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Oddsc
| Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 06:36 pm: |
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After some rough running this weekend, I decided to pay some attention to my trusty Uly today. The bike had been bucking (running on 1 cylinder) when wet. On the way home from the burger run in PA this weekend it started bucking more frequently & on a dry day. Time to do something.... I suspected plugs or wires. The wires were reading low resistance, but there was no sign of cracking or damage. Anyway, I installed new wires and iridium plugs from American Sport Bike. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. My bike has NEVER run as good as it does now. Dramatically improved how smooth it runs low speed. I can nearly let it chug along at idle in first gear. Now for the 77 connector. I wasn't really aware of the problem until I got digging a little. but mine was shot.
I ordered the Buell repair kit from Chicago HD, but it's on backorder & i'm impatient, so I got some heat shrink splice connects & liquid tape from Walmart. I think the patch will work fine, liquid tape is good goo.
While I was working on 'er I decided to have a look at the dreaded rear bearings.
lookin good! 15000 miles & always (carefully) pressure washed, but I've also always changed my own tires & used the torque wrench. Anyway, the Iridium plugs are worth every penny & more. The most dramatic improvement I've done to the bike (including the 07 airbox upgrade) |
Teeps
| Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 06:45 pm: |
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If those crimp splices are water tight (which they appear to be) I wouldn't mess with it... |
Bienhoabob
| Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 04:47 pm: |
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After reading this and the other posts about the 77 connectors, I finally went out to the garage and checked mine. If fact , I checked all four of the connectors that are in the same spot. My connections, all 4, were perfect. No signs of excess heat, moisture, nothing. I have an '06 with 44,000 miles. Now with my mind at ease, I can go and do some riding. |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 05:46 pm: |
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Splices look good. I'd leave them alone. If you do ever have to replace the voltage regulator, evidently the new one comes with the new-style plug and a matching plug for the wiring harness so you could update it then if you want. |
Sprintex
| Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 08:34 pm: |
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When you did the 07 air box did you have the ECM reflashed to 07 specs? I asked my dealer about this ( I have an 07 air box on an 06) they did not seem to know what I was talking about and they are supposed to be one of the good Buell dealers. |
Dfishman
| Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 09:07 pm: |
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I have the '07 airbox on an 06'.No reflash.RSS & homeade heat blanket.Everything else is stock.It runs great.Just can't keep tires on it. |
Oddsc
| Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 09:37 pm: |
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When I put the 07 airbox, I did have the dealer do a reflash. Update on the iridium plugs though, they fouled in less than a week & the bike ran like crap. I didn't run the bike any differently that I have since I got it in the fall of '05 & I've never had fouled plugs. I have no idea why that happened. Too bad, it ran great for a while. |
Electraglider_1997
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 12:18 pm: |
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Oddsc, Did you gap them? Apparently they are best left as they are unless you gap them correctly like this:
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Oddsc
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 12:30 pm: |
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No, I didn't gap them. They are shiny black fouled if that's a clue for anyone out there. I put the old plugs back in and it's been running fine for 150 miles now. (Message edited by oddsc on May 06, 2009) |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 12:32 pm: |
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I have no doubt the iridium plugs will last longer, but I wonder if they really provide a significant performance difference over the stock plugs. (I've run them on 2 previous bikes BTW.) It's very easy to fool yourself into thinking "wow, this bike runs WAY better" when you install a new widget. |
Scooter808484
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 03:09 pm: |
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+1 on Hughlysses comment. They might last longer, but they can't provide any significant power increase.... UNLESS the part they replaced was crapped out. I'm betting the issue was plug wires, maybe leaky, maybe bad connection. It's also very easy to attribute improvements to the new widget when really it was that the old widget was just shot. |
Pso
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 03:52 pm: |
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I checked my #77 connector last weekend and found the same thing that you show in the pic. I did the same as you with the crimp/heat shrink then liquide tape. Seems like my voltage as indicated on GPS and also Escort R.D. has gone up a little. I lost VR last summer and was vey worried about it happening again. left me stranded in the middle of a hi-way during rushhour.I had ordered the kit also but I like the crimp idea better. |
Johnnylunchbox
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 07:55 pm: |
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Opened the bike up a bit tonight to access the 77 connector. I am bringing it in for service tomorrow, so I didn't want to start snipping zipties to pull it out lest they blame me for something. I couldn't get to the connector, so I buttoned it back up. I really hate working on bikes. |
Froggy
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 08:05 pm: |
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Then why do you have so many BMWs? |
Johnnylunchbox
| Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 08:28 pm: |
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One is too many, and it's not mine. |
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