| Author | Message | ||
     Geelp |
Hey, after preparing my home in Shreveport to sell and moving to Tulsa to join my wife, I finally have the time, space, and wherewithall to get the Vance & Hines exhaust for my Buell Blast. It came in yesterday, and this afternoon I'm trying to remove the stock exhaust. V & H instructions just say, "Remove the rear bracket bolts." Do they mean the lock nuts on the bolts that hold the bracket for the muffler?? Mine won't come off. Are they not supposed to come off or do I need to locate some WD-40 doublequick? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
WD40 and such. You do mean the bolts with the allen heads that are near impossible to get to? The strap that goes around (under) the rear of the muffler comes off. The bracket that is bolted to the engine (and holds the kickstand) stays on. You'll like your new exhaust  | ||
| Stang181 |
Yeah those are a pain! Mine came loose and my header ended up breaking at the muffler. I welded it but then it broke again above the weld. That's when I decided to get the jardine, then life was good ha ha | ||
| Geelp |
Thanks, yes, it's those bolts! Service manual, instruction sheet from Vance & Hines just say, "Remove bolts." Guess I'm a lot less mechanically inclined than their average reader because I took a crack at it and then asked, "How?!" I appreciate the tips and feedback! Thanks again! | ||
| Syonyk |
I'm debating between the Jardine & the V&H exhaust for the Blast - getting one of the nice intake kits soon, and want to get a pipe to match. Goals: Max power without being unreasonably loud. I want the bike to wind out 5th, but my gf does ride it to schools on occasion as a substitute teacher, so "straight pipe loud" is out. ... that said, if it is loud enough & sounds good enough to turn a few heads, I wouldn't mind.  I'm planning to get the rearsets too & some lower bars for a bit of a cafe racer look. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
If you're worried about noise the Jardine with the quiet core is the only way to go (now-other options no longer in production). | ||
| Syonyk |
Cool. I'll probably order one, then. Does the quiet core significantly affect tuning, or would one jetting be close enough for both, should I want to run it without the quiet core at times? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
You can use the same jetting with both with little consequence. It wont be optimum, but as long as you arent running dangerously lean with the core in, you'll be fine. There really isnt much difference in jetting for it to be a big deal. | ||
| Sarodude |
BTW, I replaced the 2 allens in my blasts with a single piece of all thread. Made life much simpler when it came to dealing with the exhaust. -Saro | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! It seemed like the lazy way to do it when I needed the old exhaust put back on for inspection, but it is a whole lot easier! | ||
| Sycho |
Whoo Hoo! Somebody got a Pic of me at the Cafe Desmo show at Pro Italia in Glendale.  | ||
| Jon_webb |
I have a blast with 6000+ miles, it makes a loud clunk when it goes into 1st(normal for these) but even after the clutch is out it seems to slip out of 1st and then slams back into gear, any ideas? I plan to adj. the clutch and primary chain and see if that helps but never really has in the past. Also the left handle bar grip is about 1+" forward of the right, I've been riding like this for yrs, but if it is a simple fix I will dial it in. Everything feels tight up there and it's not bent bars, I'm the second owner and the first guy did drop it a few times.If you can, let me know where to start. And as long as I'm posting how or what did the guys do to their blasts to get 80mpg out of them? | ||
| Sarodude |
Jon- You can check to see if your forks are straight just by sight. Your upper & lower triple clamps should be aligned and the fork tubes should be straight. If there's some misalignment there, you can loosen the trees (leave the top fork clamps tight so the front end doesn't crash downward!) and wedge the front wheel against a curb while you apply some oomph in a direction opposite of the twist. Another less pleasant possibility is that of frame or swingarm benditude...... -Saro | ||
| Swampy |
Welcome to the Thumper Forum Jon_Webb The clunk will go away in time, but there are a few things you can do, they are outlined in the Thmper Forum Knowledge vault. Adjust the shifter pawl Change primary fluid to a 20W-50 full synthetic motor oil. Adjust the primary chain Adjust the clutch Adjusting the shifter pawl is a little more complicated than adjusting the primary chain and adjusting the clutch so the primary chain and clutch should be done first as any draging when the clutch is pulled in will prevent the shift dog ears from engaging fully. | ||
| Jon_webb |
Thanks for the advice,I adj. the clutch and clutch cable also I adj. my primary chain(my method is to loosen the lock nut and finger tighten the adjusting bolt then I still back it off a flat or two then hold it in place and lock it down) I have tried several weights and types of oil in the trans. but saw no real difference so for convenience I have settled in on the same 20-50 syn that I use in the eng. I read some archives and found a better description of my problem so I think I will go with his solution " ride it till it breaks" but in the mean time I'll keep looking for a magic bullet. I looked over the triple trees and the right lower clamp seems a little out of center. The bike rides so nice down the road I am a little chicken to loosen and bang around the front end, maybe I should just bend the bars? Thanks again Jon | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome to Badweb Jon! Was the bike dropped and the bars bent? How do you know they arent bent? That would be my guess rather than the front end twisted around. I actually ripped my bars in half (sturdier non-stock bars) and bent a fork tube (slightly) and my front end wasnt twisted around. I would not bend the bars as you might end up with a crack you cant see and they'll just come apart on you (usually in a turn, LOL!). I cant imagine riding with the stock bars anyway. If you've lived with it this long, I'd leave it alone. As far as the tranny, if you've done everything as suggested, including the shifter pawl adjustment, then a trans repair is likely. I'm thinking your bike does it mostly when cold and maybe the first shift or two. You can learn to live with that too ("ride it till it breaks"). Your Blast, although very common, shouldnt clunk into first if everything is adjusted correctly. "Shouldnt", but it still might. However with practice and experience it shouldnt. *If you use a torque wrench to tighten, then loosening the front end isnt any big deal. Your problem will be if you just tighten "good enough" and it might not be. | ||
| Jon_webb |
Yea the bike was dropped a few times prior to me I took the bars off and measured them from every angle I could imagine and the numbers were the same and they laid the same on a flat surface. I didn't adj. the pawl (sounded like too much down time) I think I'll just go Zen on my bike except it for who it is and enjoy the ride. Thanks again Jon | ||
| Sarodude |
Erik- Just as a point of reference, I've helped piece together a number of dumped Blasts and the forks have always had some twist to them without bending tubes (at least in a visually obvious manner). Jon- If there's a visually obvious misalignment, just take care of it. It'll probably straighten things out. There's nothing to it. Seriously, if an absent minded dope like me can do it, anyone can. Above all, enjoy your Blast! :-) -Saro | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Absent minded dope? Hardly! Yours is an opinion that can be relied on. I just figured the 'baby ape hanger' stock bars would bend before the front end would twist. | ||
| Iim1rmg |
I finally finished the exhaust change that was prompted by the repeated breaking of the exhaust manifold studs and header to muffler weld with the original. Thanks to all of you who helped with this adventure. I don't mind most mechanical work, and I can overhaul most automotive engines, but I am terrified of carburetors, mostly because every one I can remember even touching with a screwdriver immediately morphs into a paper weight. I went with the V&H based on past experience with V&H on my Harley. They make good stuff and stand behind what they make. On with the adventure- I tackled the carb rejet first to the recommended 45/175. The posts in the forum, and especially the U-tube videos convinced me I could do it. The videos were a BIG help. Getting the carb off was the start of the adventure. The carb removal instructions in the P3 Service Manual say something like: "remove the cable block by loosening the allen screw" So, I discovered that the dealer who had R&R'd the head to remove the last broken exhaust stud, had put this on backwards, and the allen head was buried in such a way that it could not be accessed even if I knew what size it was. That meant removing the tank etc. to get to it, but that wasn't really so horrible. After getting the carb out (I also discovered the dealer had neglected to reinstall all the screws that hold the air intake to the carb, I started with the shimming of the main jet, then the jets themselves. Someone on the forum had posted a warning about the "one brass screw" and sure enough, it seems to have brazed in place. This of course being the only screw that can not be urged along with vice grips or some other super head-gripping tool. After nearly destroying the slots, this was persuaded out with a drill-hammer and a new bit. The needle-shimming, which was the part I most feared, actually went pretty well. The idle jet also went pretty much the way it shows in the videos. The main jet, which is at the bottom of a forged "tube" and virtually inaccessible to anything but a slotted screwdriver, seems to have been brazed in by the same person who installed the one brass screw. Here is where I came the closest to making the standard carburetor to paper weight conversion, but with mangled slot, the stock main jet finally came out and inserting the new one and reassembling the carb went just like the video. Getting it back on the bike was actually much easier than getting it off. Now for the exhaust. I dropped the OEM exhaust (this seems to be about half the weight of the bike) and found that at some point, one of the only two dealers who had ever serviced this bike, had installed the stock system without the spacers that go to the front muffler mount. This likely explains the repeated failures of the exhaust system and exhaust studs. The V&H instructions say to use the original front mounting hardware, so after finding that neither Buell Dealer in Oregon had these (No one could possibly break these things), I ordered them (another couple of weeks) and paid the outrageous price these spacers cost (although somewhat less than the cost of machining them if I had the dimensions). Now I have all the parts but... another delay. I did not follow the clear operating instructions on my hydraulic wood splitter. It very clearly says not to operate this machine with your hand between the wood and the machinery. Fortunately, I caught myself violating this operating instruction and reversed the piston, in time to keep from totally crushing my finger, but not in time to keep it from popping the end open like a grape. Nothing that a couple hours in an emergency room and five stitches couldn't fix and they reassured me that in all the hydraulic log splitter accidents they had seen, mine was the only one they could remember where the victim got to keep all their digits and parts of digits. This did delay the installation of the new exhaust for another week. Note that wood splitters are not a required tool for this modification and this was unrelated to changing the exhaust system. Saturday, I finally got the V&H installed. Except for real fight with the exhaust header going onto the new gasket far enough to start the exhaust nuts, It went together fairly well as described. I torqued the exhaust stud nuts to the specified 96 in-lbs, rode about 5 miles then re-torqued. The bottom one needed a little, the top one stayed set. Yesterday, I rode it about 100 miles. I then re-torqued the exhaust studs and found that once again, the lower one needed a little, the top stayed where it was set. The good news- The bike has never run and performed this well. There is beyond question significant improvement in torque and it was pretty "torqy" already. The bad news is- This makes my HD Ultra with the V&H 2 -> 1 Pro Pipe sound stock quiet. Yow this exhaust is LOUD!!! I can probably keep it below ticket level by being real easy on it in town, but it is borderline at best. It is a nice growl, just a bit much of it. Pretty close to straight-pipe sound. Fuel mileage didn't go down as much as I thought it would. I had been getting about 65 mpg, and I got 56 Sunday. It was also very windy and I was playing a bit with the new power and torque curves. I had some really good experience once before with some baffles that go in the header pipe from an outfit called Big City Thunder. I think I'll see if they have one for this, and maybe that would mellow this out a little. So, except for the noise. I'm happy with the way it runs. Time will tell if this cures the repeated exhaust system failures (I have a good feeling that it will. I can also write this up as the first time ever I have "touched" a carburetor with a tool and not turned it into a piece of scrap metal. So- Mods include: V&H exhaust, K&N air filter, rejet to 45/175 and shim main jet to .044 (two washers that mic'd to .022 ea. (Bought for $1.00 ea. from Buell Dealer) Results: Runs terrific - can be heard from over 1 mile away (verified from a friends farm). Once again: A special thanks to all who helped with advice, data, and encouragement (especially Milt). | ||
| Krisw |
Hey all. Its time for me to get another set of tires for my '05. I was thinking of saving some money this time and getting scooter tires. But I wonder, is it okay to do? They are the same size. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Kris! If you're getting stock sized tires get the Pirelli MT 75s which came stock on later years (do NOT buy them from the dealer).They are as cheap as scooter tires and the best tires you can get for a Blast. If you want to go bigger, get the Pirelli (Diablo) scooter tires which are the best non stock tires you can get (and still cheap). Yes, cheapest can be the best! Do not just pick out another brand of scooter tires in stock or near stock sizes. Your life is riding on those tires and its not worth the risk. Others are good but Pirelli is best and cheapest so why use anything else?! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Congrats Iim1rmg on your successful installation! If you're thinking about a "torque cone" type baffle its a waste of money and it wont quiet the bike down but will decrease power. Any other baffle will also cut the power. You can repack the V & H at a later date when the stuffing gets blown out and quiet it down some. A couple things to point out for future readers: The carb does not need to be removed to re jet. The exhaust mostly sounds louder because its right under your ears, where the HD's pipes exit further back. Its not as loud as you think and it can be kept quiet when need be. Start the Blast up next to a running HD and the Blast just disappears! | ||
| Iim1rmg |
Thanks Gearheaderiko. I'm not sure if they are called a "torque cone" but the one I put in the header pipe on the ultra from Big City Thunder was indeed cone shaped. I have a V&H pro pipe on the ultra and the big city thunder baffle really did help. It toned it down and mellowed it out just enough to be tolerable and, it seemed to me that I actually got a boost in mid-range torque, but maybe lost just a smidgen on the top end. It didn't seem to have any effect on fuel consumption. I have seen postings from others who had less satisfactory results, but I have no complaints. Do you know of anyone who has tried this with the V&H on a Thumper? P.S. You are right about where the exhaust exits relative to the rider, but I was not exaggerating about the mile away. I left a friends place out in the country Sunday evening, and he lives exactly one mile up a hill on a gravel road from the intersection with a paved road. He told me Monday that he could clearly hear me go through the first couple of gears when I entered the paved road. I was not getting on it at all. Now this was out in the sticks and it was quiet, but there were also lots of trees between us (this is Oregon). I have also had a couple of my Harley buddies comment on how loud this thing is. It is a nice deep growl of a sound, but I do wish it were at least a little more mellow. Maybe it will grow on me. I certainly like the way it runs. I think it will grow on me a lot if I never have another broken exhaust stud. I love the way the little Thumper rides and handles. It is pure fun to ride although for riding a few hours at a time, it's hard to beat the Ultra. I've heard that Harley is still making the Blast, but that they only make it available for Rider's Edge classes and that they are not sold to the public. Is there any truth to that rumor? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Well, it is my opinion, but with the Harley most riding is done at low to mid rpms rarely hitting the upper range. With the Blast most of the riding is mid to upper range often hitting redline. Torque cones (or other such baffles) generally put the torque back in the lower rpms, robbing from the upper rpms. It doesnt make much sense to do that in a Blast. I'm up for a correction on that though!?! I definitely live in the city. 6 blocks away and the Blast cant be heard. I have however heard from my neighbors down the street that they hear me leave in the morning! EZ will know if the Blasts are still "available"! | ||
| Ezblast |
Concur! | ||
| Crackhead |
I don't believe HD moved the Blast part of the Buell assembly line to another location. So the Blasts that are being sold/ used for RE are the 2010 "UnBuell" Blasts | ||
| Milt |
Don't worry. Ride a couple of hundred miles with the V&H, and it won't be loud at all. At least not as loud as that high pitched buzz in your ears that will last for the rest of the day and night. Robert, you now know the best and most fearless Buell mechanic in Newberg, OR ! | ||
| Styxnpicks |
one of these days I'll have my blast back together  | ||
| Ezblast |
Getting there - where you at with her? EZ |
