| Author | Message | ||
     Swampy |
LOL! Blizzard! I went fishing this weekend, there was ice on the lake when I woke up this morning! There were bikes out running around today, the sun was shining but it was cold! Us folks in the Siberian Winter Waste Land kind of learn to put things off till the weather warms up for a few days then we go great guns then put things away for another 10 months! This has been a cold spring. Gearheaderiko you are not going to need as many tires as you used to, unless you visit a burnout pit...a little factoid: the burn out pit originated in the Siberian Wasteland as a means of wearing down tires enough so that we HAVE TO replace them because we can't possibly put enough miles on our bikes to have to replace tires before they "spoil" due to the short riding season. | ||
| Sycho |
Jeez you guys! It's been mid 70's to low 80's here past week or so, actually topping low 90's in the Inland Empire. And unfortunately my Blast is out of commission. My son just got his MC lic. and is temporarily in San Diego. He says he is now addicted to riding but will be moving back to Plainwell, Mi. next year. I told him he's gonna hate havin to winterize his motorcycle. | ||
| Milt |
I think the Street Blast needed a nap. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Lol! | ||
| Jet_pilot |
I have a 2008 Blast that I bought from a friend over the winter. He used it once, layed it down and sold it to me. So, over the winter I put on a Firebolt fairing with HID lights, painted it to match and the wife is very happy (its for her). When I went to pick up the bike from the seller, it would turn start but not come off of idle without dying. Knowing that it had sat in his garage all summer, I figured the carb needed to be cleaned. Back at my house, I removed the carb and took it apart. The inside of the carb wasnt varnished or dirty, but I cleaned it anyways. The DAS boot was deteriorated so I replaced the boot and jetted the carb according to ezblast's post on the buell xb forum. The bike has a Jardine exhaust on it, I did the airbox mod, Iridium plug. The jetting that I have is: Pilot 48 main 175 Needle is the 27094-88 sportster N65C. I went with the needle instead of shimming the stock needle. Air Screw 2.5 Also has: Airbox mod and Jardine exhaust. Im at 800' elevation I did the carb work and the airbox mod and it fired right up. Idled perfect. When I blipped the throttle it would respond instantly. I never held the throttle at a steady hi rpm though. This was the middle of winter and I couldnt ride. After the carb work was done, I continued to work on the Firebolt fairing retrofit. By the time I got that done, It was nice enough to go for a little ride. Again, it started great, was on hi idle (choke) and I let it warm up for a minute or two until it came down to the normal idle. I went out of the driveway and started giving it gas and passed about 1/2 throttle it started to back fire. I brought the bike back in the shop, tore the carb apart to check everything even double checked the float). It was clean inside. I put the carb back on and same thing. This time I was running the bike on the lift in neutral and when it goes past 1/2 throttle it will start to backfire. I took the carb off again, put all the stock parts back in....same thing. I took the carb off AGAIN and put the other jets (mentioned above) back in as the jets were not the problem. I also passed low pressure air into the port on the front of the carb to verify that the slide goes all the way up. This time when it was running, I was watching the gas flow in the carb. At idle and up to about 1/2 throttle the gas sprays evenly out the jet needle. After 1/2 throttle, the fuel begins to spray out of the carb (away from the engine). Im assuming this is because the backfiring is creating a "wind" that is blowing the gas out. I should also note that when it is backfiring, there are "sparks" that can be seen where the exhaust pipe goes into the head. I checked the static timing next. The red light was not on on the LED. I moved the module about 1/16" of an inch and the light came on. Next I timed it dynamically. Other than getting a nice oil bath, the timing light is showing the two dots on the crank at 1200rpm. I checked the TPS next. The voltage is supposed to be .5v. Mine was 1.247v. The lowest that I can get the TPS to read is .85 so i set it there. I started the bike, same problem. Next I started the bike and sprayed starting fluid around the carb intake. No change in rpm. Then I did the base gasket. No change in RPM. Next I did the head gasket. The engine died! It started back up and when I sprayed the same spot, It dies again. I thought that this was weird considering that I did a compression test and the compression is at 130psi. A head gasket will usually yield a lower reading. So I went to my local Harley dealership and picked up the head gasket and a new rocker box gasket. Changed them both. Started the bike. Same backfiring. I ohmed the coil next. The primary coil is supposed to be .4-.6 ohms. Mine is at .8 to .9. The secondary coil test was within spec. Plug wire tested within spec. Just for the heck of it, I pulled off the cam cover and verified that the cams are lined up correctly. After I got the cam cover back on, I did the timing again just to make sure I put the module back in the same spot. I did notice that my timing light does not show a consistant pattern of flashes. There is a "dead spot" in the flashes every so often. Could be my light, but i thought id through that in here too. The only thing that I cannot test is the ignition module. Is it common for them to act up at higher rpm? From what I read, it does advance the timing in three different steps. So, I am thinking of replacing the coil as that was just outside of tolerances. Im also thinking of replacing the ignition module, but at $150.00, I want to do that last. And if I can find a tps, id change that too. I changed the TPS with a new one. Weirdly enough, I cannot twist it enough to get the voltage to .5. The lowest the new one will go is .947. Yes, I backed the idle screw all the way out. I also bought a NEW coil, no difference. I bought a NEW ignition module, no difference. I cracked the fuel cap open to make sure the vent was clear. No difference. For the first time in my 25 years as a mechanic, I had to bring a bike to the dealership. They still use Blast as trainers and have a couple mechanics that are supposed to be Blast experts, but havent offered anything that I havent tried yet. The only thing that I cant test is the stator. My experience with the stator is that they either work or not. I need the forums help here. I think that I have included everything that I have done. I have about 15 hours into this issue and its driving me crazy. I am an experienced mechanic so I will understand the technical stuff, if you have any ideas..... | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
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| Gearheaderiko |
Take no offense: First, and this is mostly for anyone who ever reads this forum, PLEASE, DO NOT TAKE YOUR CARB APART JUST TO "GIVE IT A GOOD CLEANING". This rarely ever solves a problem and is very often the beginning of one. It rarely ever needs to be done except in extreme (extreme) cases. I cant stress this enough. Second, if you are an experienced mechanic taking your Blast to the dealer is a waste of time and money and you'll possibly get your Blast back with more problems (and it will certainly be dirtier too). You know more about your Blast than the dealer (there are rare exceptions to this). The Blasts are very forgiving to poor tuning. Bad jetting, bad timing, bad TPS, bad enrichener will rarely cause the Blast not to be rideable. Unplug the wiring (at the carb) to the TPS and enrichener. That will eliminate any problems you think you might have. The TPS will be non functional and you wont know it. The 'choke' if working will stay mostly on until very hot, but wont affect normal running, only idle and slightly above idle. Blasts rarely need a new coil. Ignition modules are very common and fail with a variety of symptoms. Low rpm cut-outs, shut down when hot, high rpm cut outs, rev limiter cuts in too early, rev limiter non existant, etc. While there are common symptoms, unless the LED simply isnt flashing, there is rarely one common symptom of a bad module. Check your carb reassembly: Is the diaphragm pinched or seated properly. Is the needle guide installed? This small barrel piece can fall out unnoticed. Check your carb boot. They can look good, but will open up like the grand canyon if squeezed off the bike. Blasts will run with a moderately bad boot. Check assembly on the bike. There shouldnt be any 'mushrooming' of the boot. Just about as tight as you make a radiator hose clamp without going overboard. Check your spark plug wire. Is the nipple on the spark plug tight? Does the wire fit snug? They've been known to cause havoc when they get loose. Is the plug gapped correctly, keeping in mind some plugs can only be checked and not re-gapped. It is very common, especially with the Blast engine having a blind spark plug hole (unless you pull the tank) to the gap being closed down on plug insertion. Avoid the shotgun approach to repair. The more parts you change to try and fix the problem, the more places you'll have to look to fix the problem. Your jetting is a tad on the rich side, but that wont stop it from 'normal' running. Its much simpler to shim the stock needle with more predictable results. Are you running a stock airbox with stock filter or are you running an "Outerwears" 'filter' or other non-stock type filter? ? Are there any other mods to the bike except the exhaust (an box 'mod')? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS Have you ever seen it run normally? IE: Did it run fine and then you changed something and now it doesnt? Anything? Did the previous owner note any running problems? As far as ignition problems, the best case scenario is to have the bike not start. The you can look directly down at the LED and see if its flashing. No flash or erratic flash definitely means a bad module. If its flashing regularly, watch for spark at a spark plug (using an extra plug to do this will be more helpful as you'll know when the compression stroke is). It may spark every other or every third compression stroke for example. But those are the 3 most common I've seen: No LED, erratic LED, only flashing every 3rd compression stroke. Find the headlight plug (about 6" along the wire from the headlight bucket) and unplug it if you have starting problems. While the Blast isnt notorious of having the headlight drain power from the ignition (as some bikes are). It will eliminate that possibility and extend your battery start-up life. Again, none of this is to offend you. I dont know your level of experience and I try not to leave anything out for future readers.. | ||
| Swampy |
I would be checking the diaphragm for being pinched under the cover as it is easy to do and that is what happens when it is pinched. | ||
| Sycho |
I thought changing the Stator was gonna be easy...? NOT!! Can anybody tell me the size socket I need to remove the nut holding the Rotor on? And what size piece of metal would I need in place of HD part #38362 the sprocket locking link ? Thanks in advance for any help. | ||
| Ezblast |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/74528.html?1093915475 | ||
| Ezblast |
4 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1/16" bar, rounded edges. - EZ (Message edited by ezblast on May 10, 2013) | ||
| Ezblast |
Don't forget the Oaktree! EZ | ||
| Blaster5 |
hey guys help! I am new here I have just bought a 2001 buell blast a week ago with 8700 miles on it. And now I have some issues. (back story) For the first four days I had it I road it every day, until I noticed my oil was dirty so I change my oil with 10w-40 Valvoline and transmission fluid with HD sport formula + from the Harley shop. Later that same day I got gas and the first pump I went to would barley pump ( I was there for 3 minutes and got 1 dollar in gas) so I moved to a new pump and I got high test like I always do. later that same day I left work on my bike and it died. After letting it sit for like 15 minutes it started and I made it home but it was jumpy. my friend took it out once we got it home and it did it to him 4 times in 20 minutes. It acted like I was running out of gas or something. Well what I have done so far it change the boot Which was cracked. I figured that solved everything but sure enough it did it to me again last night. It idles fine. There is a small backfire I believe also. I also changed the plug and once I checked it last night when it died it was white colored leading me to believe running lean is the issue. What is causing this ??? please help guys! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
First: 10/4O oil is too thin. Replace with 20/50 ASAP. How many quarts did you put in ? There is a vacuum port on the back top (usually) of the carb. Make sure the cap is on and still good. Is the bike stock? Exhaust? Make sure the tank vent line is clear. (If you crack the gas cap does the problem go away?) Anything else done to the bike? Is it a California bike? For starters. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS Welcome! | ||
| Sycho |
Thank you EZ, now I gotta go find a frickin Oaktree. Do I need to wait for the full moon or? P.S loved the Audi Commercial you posted on FB. | ||
| Blaster5 |
I put in about two quarts with filter? the bike is all stock. also I just read a post of your to another blaster and if this means anything my bike starts without the gas cap on. also it will idle all day just when I am running it dies out. I really appreciate your help. PS I bought it in pa and I am the second owner so I don't think its a ca bike? | ||
| Blaster5 |
Also I just found something interesting. the hose coming from the port in front of my gas tank ( breather port???) was pinched in the brackets for my oil pug it was so pinched I could not blow through it at all. Could this have caused my issue cause it makes sense because I probably pinched it in there when I did my oil? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
That's what I was referring too when I mentioned the hose from the tank and cracking the gas cap. Yes, it can cause your problem. 2 quarts is about 1/4 qt overfilled. Not a big deal. Running 10w-40 though, is a much bigger deal. | ||
| Blaster5 |
awesome thank you! I will get that oil changed come pay day! what is the brand you recommend? Also I fixed the pinch but is it normal that my bike still starts and runs with the gas cap off? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Yes. It's not a modern car, but a very simple motorcycle. The cap is only there to keep the gas in the tank! The pinched hose is only a gas tank vent and overflow tube. Just change the oil, don't bother with the filter. Start with about 1 1/4 quarts on the refill, then check it. Between the lines on the dipstick is about 8 ounces (not a quart).( Actually, I would just buy a quart of Valvoline 50w or 60w and replace the drained oil with that. Top it off with oil from the extra quart of 20w-50 you'll need to have an hand). I use synthetic oil (Redline). Otherwise it's Valvoline. But more important than brand is weight and changing it every 2500 miles (or the beginning of every riding season). Let us know if your problem is fixed! | ||
| Blaster5 |
I am hoping that fixed it. I went on a ride today with it and all seemed to be good no backfire no jumpy gas. I hope she is cured!! | ||
| Blaster5 |
hey guys another question for you all, hopefully gearhead can be just as helpful as last time! I want to do a headlight mod on my blast i like the look for the xb dual headlight. Do you guys know a where to find a light like that one that i can put on my blast???? Thanks guys! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
http://www.whaccessories.com/images/GSGDualHeadlig hts.jpg They've doubled in price, but I'm sure not in quality. They tend to fracture at the bolted center connection and must be handled carefully. J&P cycles carried them as I'm sure others have too, for less. Stock XB headlights can be fitted (but are a bit ugly if left open, imho). Other bikes now use dual factory headlights that can be mounted depending on your creativity. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
http://www.whaccessories.com/Handle%20bars.htm | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
http://www.jpcycles.com/search/search?Ntt=Dual+hea dlights&Context=0&Ntk=All | ||
| Ezblast |
lol http://www.jpcycles.com/product/306-683 I like this, wish I could take the time to clean my wiring up enough to use it - its slick and with a hid at the same wattage, no worry about starting power spikes, or being to hot, and way better lighting than stock, and run it in the Blue-er spectrum - and lighter than stock - probably loose like 2 lbs. EZ (Message edited by ezblast on May 09, 2013) | ||
| Blaster5 |
Thanks for the suggestions guys I can't wait to street fighter my blast. On a side note I took it on like a 50 mile ride and I can't figure out why everyone does not own a blast ! It kicks my old 1978 Honda hawks butt ! | ||
| Blaster5 |
hey guys what is the exact amount of oil i need for my 2001 buell blast? both trany and regular. I was liking for putting Lucas motorcycle 20w 50 in both the transmission and engine. what do you guys think? I was also wondering if it is better to run HD sport formula plus or 20w 50 in the transmission to improve shifting? |
