| Author | Message | ||
     Digitaladdictions |
I do not know if I am doing something wrong or if there is something wrong with my bike that was never properly addressed. I am a Linux system admin (quote geek) and not mechanical at all. I took my MSF course last summer and got my license. My first bike was a 2006 Uly with 5000 miles on it. Within the first two months of just riding around town I burned out a clutch. Before hand I did notice from time to time the bike seemed to be in a higher gear than I thought it should have been in. Like if I start out at a light I might be in second or even third when I thought I was in first. In any case I got it replaced at house of Harley for like $600 (I also broke the shift lever off during the process of being stuck on the side of the road). Shortly after that I got in an accident which took me off the road for the rest of last summer. I picked up my bike about a month and a half ago now and have been riding it on and off (the weather is still kind of crappy). It could not have been more than 100 miles. In the last week I noticed at-least three times that I was in a higher gear than I thought I should have been when starting out again. Then today on the way home from work it was working fine but after one stop sight I no longer could up-shift past neutral. First gear worked fine and it would shift into neutral and stop ( I was able to get it home at 30mph about 4K RPM the 5 or so miles). Once I got into pushing distance from my garage I started to experiment a bit more and I was able to up shift into second and third but then not down again. Eventually I went down from third into second but not back into first. I don't know if its the clutch again or transmission or what. If it is the clutch I do not know what I am doing wrong. I do not feel like I am riding it more than necessary. The Uly really does not like slow city driving so there are times I am on it quite about around the city in traffic but for normal riding I shift and get off it within half a block I would say. I am still new and coming off an accident where I popped the clutch while reving the engine and the bike went vertical and dragged me across a parking lot so I may be a bit slower than necessary. This time I made it home and am not stuck on the side of the road so I would like to try to fix it myself since its not my primary vehicle and if I screw stuff up its not like I wont be able to get to work or anything. Any suggestions? I have the service manual. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I want to say section 2.1 (or 2.4...I forget) is clutch adjustment. Start there. Also, go through "primary fluid level", and "primary chain adjustment". Both of those could contribute to hard shifting. As for being in a gear that's too high...sorry to say, pretty much the only way to do that is operator error. Either you're double-shifting because of the wonky clutch, or you just need to train yourself to keep track of where you are gear-wise (you said you were a new rider; it really does take practice, it's OK). Good news is, your profile says Milwaukee. There's a couple good Buell shops up that way...and I think some guy who's got the same last name as your bike is in that area as well...so you should be able to find someone to give you some pointers  But...you have the book. Study it BEFORE putting tool to bike. If you have questions...that's what we're here for! | ||
| Stevem123 |
Practice downshifting one gear at a time when slowing to come to a stop. When you get stopped you should already be in first gear. If you stop and dont downshift before stopping it can be very difficult to get back down to first gear while not moving. ALL bikes are that way. PRACTICE DOWNSHIFTING WHILE SLOWING! | ||
| Froggy |
Regarding the clutch, if it isn't properly adjusted it can feel funny, and sometimes slip like its burned out. Also, if it isn't adjust properly it will shorten the life of the clutch. As for the shifting issue, it is hard to say just by your description but it may be the shifter forks in the transmission. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Not to make you feel bad about giving away 600 bucks but your clutch was probably replaced when it only needed adjustment. Spend 1/6th that amount on a service manual for your ULY and save yourself some future hard earned dollars. Heck, those guys will replace your engine if you ask them to do so. People that label themselves geeks have way more than enough brains to learn to be maintenance geeks. You only need to dive in with the service manual in hand. | ||
| Trevd |
Congratulations on getting into motorcycles! But, at the risk of offending people, I would suggest that you buy yourself a "learner bike" and use that for a year at least. I think a 1200cc Buell is one of the worst first bikes you can have, particularly if you're not mechanical at all. To me it's like telling my grandfather, who's never used a computer, to have his first computer experience be building a Linux server. A year with a smaller bike (125 - 500cc) will give you the experience you need to avoid having "an accident where I popped the clutch while reving the engine and the bike went vertical and dragged me across a parking lot". If you pop the clutch on a 250cc machine, you're probably not going to miss the whole summer of riding. It will also give you the experience you need to know if you're doing something wrong or if the bike is the problem. Again, my grandfather with a Linux server - he'll have no idea of he's not using the mouse correctly, or if it's the hardware that's the problem, or if it's the software. Find an old beater bike, ride the shitt out of it for a year or two, and you'll learn more than you ever thought possible, both about riding, and about bikes. And you won't be spending a ton of money to do it. rant mode off  | ||
| Etennuly |
Not to offend, but a Uly in my opinion is a hell of a lot of bike for a beginning rider, especially one lacking a mechanical aptitude. You proved that in your statement where it dragged you across a parking lot after a bad clutching verses power/torque take off. That alone will make you shy of proper usage of the clutch. One of my family members did the same thing on a Blast and it took two years of stalling and being afraid to input the right amount of throttle on take off, before they got comfortable with it. I would recommend keeping the Uly. Park it, ride it occasionally. But get a smaller, lighter, easier to handle cheap used bike. One where if you drop it it does not matter(unless you get hurt), but where it is light enough to let you get a good feel for how things work and what to do if things go bad. One where it is easy to park, back up, take off, turn, and stop. The Uly does all of this with ease.....for an experienced rider. I really hate to see someone start on too big of a machine to lead into the problems you are having and things that could get worse. Do you have access to an experienced rider who might spend a little time riding with you to get you through the little nuances of riding? Like handling a large impact wrench, it takes more than watching someone else do it to not hurt yourself. Perhaps a secondary riding school even. Again I do not mean to offend, but I am of the belief that everyone should spend a couple of years on a dirt bike and graduate to the big "wrenches" for the sake of self preservation. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Trevd, Etennuly....My thoughts exactly! Great advice..  | ||
| Digitaladdictions |
The problem is I am 6'6" 420lbs. With the stock 2006 seat I can not only have both feet flat on the ground at a stop but I can roll back onto my heals. I bought the Uly because of how tall of a bike it is. I am pretty comfortable with it now. When I got in my accident I had no intention of going anywhere. I took the bike out for lunch and it was backfiring so before I left to go home I was in the parking lot reving the engine warming it up and acting like I would be able to hear what was wrong with it when I really have no idea what i am doing. At one point my left hand just decided it was time to go home and let go I have no idea what i was thinking. If I thought I was in neutral or what. If my feet where on the pegs I might of stood a chance but because they where firm on the ground it took out from under me. I never would recommend a 1203CC bike as a first bike either but for me it just seems like the perfect bike and I have gotten pretty good at handling it and feel comfortable with it. I am 29 as well so I have a little more maturity than a 16yo just getting his license. I know I got ripped off big time. The problem was i was stuck on the side of the road when it happened and needed a tow truck. It was a new bike and I wanted to get back on the road as quick as possible. This time I got it home and I am more than willing to do the work myself. Like I mentioned I do have the service manual and I see http://www.americansportbike.com/ has the replacement clutch plates for $139 and the spring compression tool for $60. My only concern is I do not know that it is the clutch for sure. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Well, having "too much bike" does not seem to be his issue! I agree with the above- you say you have the service manual, so go through clutch adjustment, clutch cable adjustment, primary chain adjustment and check levels. I'd also check that you shifter linkage is aligned and installed properly. That's where I'd start anyway. | ||
| Trevd |
Etennuly, Do you have a window into my brain? Digi - If I were you, I'd look at getting a used single cylinder dual-sport. Those have nice tall suspensions, and should do you for a year or two. Even a KLR650 would be a better first bike, IMHO, even if it's a bit heavy. Keep the Uly, and learn to ride on an easier to ride bike. | ||
| Etennuly |
Trev, no I saw your brain spilled out on a table and read between the lumps!  Now I see a better picture of the problem. A couple of my regular passengers and me go into the 500 pound area with gear and crap on the bike. I now see what you are having a problem with. Two up at over 500 lbs it is imperative to start out in first gear, even down hill. If you have pulled off a few second gear starts and a couple of third gear revving/ clutch slipping starts with any kind of up hill I can see a clutch burning up fast. You will have to put some practice and effort into down shifting every time all the way into first gear(about 10mph or less) to make sure you are actually there. If you are not sure watch the Neutral indicator, pull the clutch in, rock the bike while pushing down for first. A little flash of the green means you went past neutral into first. Sometimes you have to shut the bike off to actually get neutral. Forget the smaller bike thing, you are the exception to this rule. You need this kind of machine to get you moving. Try not to slip the clutch much at all and keep your revs low. Let it out slowly giving it enough throttle to get it moving to full clutch out, without going over say 1800 rpms. It can take some practice. Oh, when starting a Uly cold, just let it idle to warm up, revving it is not good to it and will leave it running poorly. The ECM learns bad things from revving and blipping the throttle. | ||
| Digitaladdictions |
OK so I will go through the clutch inspection probably end up replacing the clutch plates yet again I would imagine. This time I will do it myself for about $200 instead of $600 at the dealer. I will assume the higher gear than expected was the cause of the clutch issues not a symptom of them going and make extra sure to down shift early and make sure not to do it all at the stop. I do admit to screwing that one up quite a bit and doing it all at the stop probably more often than not. This gives me a little bit of piece of mind since I was worried I was just too slow of the throttle or using it to much for slow rush hour traffic. The better down shifting is definately something I can improve on more. I appreciate the advice on the bike but I really have no intentions of switching now. I still owe a couple grand on this one and I knew what I was getting into when I got it. Due to my size I really see it as my ideal bike. I would never feel safe on the roads on the dirt bike i learned on at my MSF it just could not get me up to speed anywhere quick enough if at all. I have never had a car where I did not envy something else better and out of my price range. I really do not know what I would prefer over my Uly. Since they are not made anymore I would probably get a 1200 GS next time around and like it just as much but not necessarily any more than the Uly. | ||
| Ratbuell |
A trick on the downshifting while stopped bit... Notch the shifter down, you'll feel it click into a new gear. Ease off the clutch just a bit till you feel the clunk of it dropping into gear, then pull the clutch in again. Repeat. If (as you've discovered the hard way) you simply stop, then try to shift down, and down, and down...what I've noticed is the first "down" will get the shift-click feel. After that, without working the clutch, you get the "I'm in first gear" dead-stop feel on the shifter. You are NOT in first at that point. But again...you've learned that one by now  Vern has a good point - watch for the N light flicker. And to find N when you're not moving, bump the throttle just a bit. Like, to 1500 or so. That will help it snap right into neutral, no problem. | ||
| Uly_man |
Digi. I understand what you are saying but you should understand a few things about the bike. No bike of this type is ideal for a new biker. It may look tall and adventure like but it has the power (to 100mph) and handling of a sports bike. The fork angle is close to GP levels as is the wheelbase and a bad suspension set up can make it handle like a dog because of this. Over cook the throttle out of a bend, in the wrong gear, and you may find yourself in a body bag. That may sound a bit heavy but this is a bike that need experience to ride. Popping the clutch on a big v-twin, with big revs, is just asking for a problem. I spend most of my time just trying to keep the front end on the road with the Uly. 60 in third and it still wants to come up. I would say that if you want to keep/ride the bike then take some sort of advanced bike training and put lots of time on the road. Also do not try to fix your own bike unless you know what you are doing. You have had two hits of pain as it is. Be wary of the small turning circle of the 06 bikes as well. Ride well - ride safe. (Message edited by uly_man on May 29, 2011) | ||
| Digitaladdictions |
I am hoping to get 3000 miles under my belt this summer so I can take this course next summer. I have the book already. http://www.totalcontroltraining.net/ I have not had to much trouble keeping the front tire down san's my accident. The only other time it ever lifted on me was the first day I picked it up from the private seller last summer which was also the first day I ever rode a motorcycle of any type on the road or over 20mph. That was a 15milee trip home that included a round about.(scariest day of my life  ) After about 2 months of riding last summer right before my accident I just started to ride on the freeway. I did get the bike up into 4th and 5th gear. So far I have stayed off the freeway this summer after the accident though. The bike is not my main/only mode of transportation so if I try fixing it and goofing it up its not a big deal. No better way to learn than to put yourself in uncomfortable territory. I do want to learn too I am not just doing it to save money. I always have hated "for dummies" books or approaches. When I was about 16 and starting to get into computers I would always go for the most advanced college level textbook on a topic. 13 years later I am senior system admin and also an adjunct instructor for a community college when a lot of my buddies who also went into computers are still working in call centers doing help desk. Im a sink or swim type person. | ||
| Cpeg |
That is almost admirable, in a big cajones way. Take life by the balls and laugh at danger. Good luck and have your medical insurance current. Just my 2C, you should be in first gear before you stop. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Im a sink or swim type person." This is an admirable trait. The only problem is that unlike a mistake with a computer one with a bike can be more of a problem. Scuba diving anyone?> | ||
| Uly_man |
"you should be in first gear before you stop." I prefer stockings and a AK 47 myself. | ||
| Digitaladdictions |
"The only problem is that unlike a mistake with a computer one with a bike can be more of a problem." I am well aware. Ambulance ride to the hospital, 3 day stay, 2 months home nursing, 1 month wound vac, a couple grand in bills for things insurance would not cover. hmm... in retrospect maybe despite the helmet I hit my head harder than I thought ... I do appreciate the concern, If I was starting over knowing what I know now I might have gone with something like the KLR 650 then again maybe not. The sink or swim comment was more about taking the bike apart and fixing it myself. | ||
| Ratbuell |
hmm... in retrospect maybe despite the helmet I hit my head harder than I thought ... Don't think that way. Me, in '08: helicopter ride. 14 days shock-trauma - 2 shattered legs, 1 collapsed lung, 1 lacerated liver, 3 cracked vertebrae, 4 broken ribs, 1 torn rotator cuff, and 2 closed-head brain traumae. 6 weeks, inpatient rehab hospital learning how to walk on now-titanium legs. Three months outpatient PT. I was back to work in 5 months...but riding in four. Don't give up. But...don't do it again either. "Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me". Learn from it, which is what you appear to be doing. I still need to turn my helmet from that day into a desk lamp...maybe I can work on that this weekend | ||
| Steve_mackay |
Justin, I see you live in/near Milwaukee. Where abouts? If you need some riding pointers, or some help, tips on working on the bike, PM me, I'm in Waukesha. There are alot of us Buellers in the area. I used to be the director, and am still a member of Brewcity thunderbikes. A Buell group sponsored by Hals HD/Buell. | ||
| Digitaladdictions |
Its raining out so I did not take it out and there really is not enough room in the garage to work on it inside but just out of curiosity I decided to fire it up in the garage today (standing next to it not on it). It made it through all the gears several times at a complete stop. Neutral light used to verify. Not sure if the lack of weight on it would make a difference. I still suspect something is wrong but it makes me feel a little bit better in the meantime during the rain when I cannot do anything else. Steve, I live on the South side of Milwaukee and work on the North side. I live real close to House of Harley and I work real close to Suburban Motors. I will check out brewcity thunderbikes I was thinking about looking into Buell clubs. | ||
| Ddaleuly |
Try "Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough. Lots of good, practical, insightful data and advice - worth reading more than once. Even while you can't ride (bad weather/etc) you can learn. Good Luck! | ||
| Kenm123t |
Take Steve up on riding with them. In diving its never dive alone. Riding alone is nice but a 1 or 2 others make it more fun. Avoid large groups till you get some more seat time. large groups increase the variables you have to contend with. Learn slow is smooth smooth is fast. Houghs book is very good Twist of the wrist Codes track day book is good rainy day reading. Msf Advanced courses are fun and keep you sharp. Look up Fltwistygirl on bad web she is an Instructor. Oh ET there are pics of you knee dragging a Uly! lol | ||
| Etennuly |
Oh ET there are pics of you knee dragging a Uly! lol I'd like to see that! If it was me the bike was probably loaded down with camping gear as an aerodynamic stabilizer.  | ||
| Eulysses |
Digi...there is an XB9 gear reduction you can get from American Sport Bike (Al) and have the local Harley shop install it. I did that to my bike because even low gear seemed like a clutch slipper to me at 220lbs. Now I can almost let the clutch out at idle and drive away. Still cruise the highway just fine. I love it. Euly | ||
| Uly_man |
Digi. It is going to take some time for you to be able to ride this bike like it is second nature, which it needs to be, and that could be up to 2 years from a basic bike. The reason it is so long is because there is a whole bunch of stuff you will need to put together to make it work. As a start, if it helps, I would find myself a big bit of tarmac, like a car park, and practice slow speed balance riding. This will show you the limits of the 06 Uly turning circle, a need to know thing, and teach you throttle/clutch/brake control. You will need this for bends/roundabouts and the wet weather riding. Concentration is all, with a bike, and you will find it a bit tiring to start with. Start slow/easy and do not try to run before you can walk. The Uly should be fine and you will be as well with time. |
