| Author | Message | ||
     Crackhead |
The reasoning behind the design is to allow the shifter to rotate instead of breaking in a lowside crash or dropping in the parking lot/ driveway. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
That makes sense too since the toe peg was clearly designed to bend in a fall. | ||
| Mrwoodboat |
Hi All, if anyone wants it, I have a bracket that will allow you to replace the factory tail light/tag mount with lights such as the Ducate Monster light, or the Kapscomoto integrated LED tail light- it can be used on chops and will put the light right at the tail cover or mount it the other way and it will work with stock tail cover. IF you want it, send me a PM with your address and I will drop it in the mail- it is made out of 6061 aluminum, corners are rounder and it was bent on a break press with a radius die so the bend is crisp. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PM sent! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS is it all done and running now? | ||
| Mrwoodboat |
Hi- I have been working summer camps for a bit and just now getting back to the Blast- I got a message but did not see an address associated with it- shoot me another and I will drop it in the mail | ||
| Dwp138 |
Hey guys. Just want to say thank you for all the great info! I just sold my Blast to a good friend , and new rider. It was bittersweet watching it Blast out of my life , while the new owner struggled to get it out of my driveway , stalling only 20 times. I'll send him this way for info. I picked up a 2009 1125CR with 5000 miles. I love it. | ||
| Ezblast |
Your going to miss that Blast! EZ | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
Hello - thought I would post up an intro since I just bought a P3 for my son to start riding (pic below). We got a 2002 with 225 miles on it (yes, 225 total miles). Will be picking up another for my other son soon (I can't believe how cheap these things are). They want to ride with the "old man" but are in college (we are Penn State), so I am getting them started and when they are able they will buy the bikes from me if they want to keep them. I do not ride a Buell, but have a riding buddy with a tuber that is a hoot. I am really interested in how these little bikes handle. I ride an old airhead BMW that is a bit rough around the edges, but runs great. The P3 has the same displacement as one of my cylinders! Anywho, that's enough about me. I have read quite a bit in the FAQ section already, and will attempt to avoid as many of the "newbie" questions as I can. I have gone over the bike and found nothing out of sorts. It is supposed to get over 40F today here in northeastern PA, so I plan to take it for a first ride at lunch time. Come on Spring! Peace. Jim K in PA  | ||
| Ezblast |
Welcome!!! | ||
| Themagster |
Betting you will have so much fun you will have to fight the son for the right to ride. You might just have to buy another...Happy Trails | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
Thanks guys. Themagster - you are probably right! But first, a short story to entertain the few who may be paying attention: I took the Buell out for its Maiden voyage at lunch time on Monday the 13th. I filled the tires and put the seat back on. It started on the first crank and idled perfectly. I took it nice and easy as I tootled along getting used to it, and it ran through the gears perfectly. Great handling, crazy strong brakes (compared to my airhead!), and plenty of torque. Amazing little bike. As I go along grinning there is a car partially blocking the road, so I have to stop. As I slow down, the engine dies. Hmmm. Checked the fuel valve and it was on. Check the tank and there is plenty of fuel. Vent line isn’t blocked, but it won’t restart. So, I coast down hill and make the left onto a side street, and roll to a stop where it levels out. Still won’t start. So I start pushing toward our house which is a half mile away. Well, there is a “small” hill so I push it up past that and am just about to pass out so I stop to prevent a heart attack. I take off the helmet and gloves, panting like a dog in summer. As I put the kick stand down and lean the bike over I hear a “clink”. I look down at the engine, and see the spark plug and wire laying on the block! THAT’S not supposed to be there . . . The spark plug apparently had been changed at some point, but never tightened. It was only in a thread or two, so vibrated out while I was riding. I took the plug wire off and screwed the plug back into the head (only burning my fingers a little), put the wire back on, and it fired right up. I then continued my ride for another 10 miles. I still have to tighten it all the way. The bike is perfect. We will find another one for my other son. Maybe one for me to play with too.   (Message edited by Jim K in PA on January 15, 2014) | ||
| Themagster |
I knew it - you are hooked!! What I love most is the surprise factor; you are sitting at a light a "big bike" rolls up, head turns, the slight nod, maybe a smile. Then the light turns green and before they can click that toe to change gears I've already cleared 3 car lengths  Sorry about the plug thing. Bet you were thinkin' "now why couldn't I have seen that before I pushed it this far"... Welcome to the Dark Side! | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
I laughed out loud when I saw the plug and wire, and that is EXACTLY what I was thinking - why couldn't it have fallen when I was on level ground? Murphy rides too, you know . . .  The philosophy of this bike is 100% consistent with the old airhead BMWs, "Simple by choice". I cannot fathom all the disdain that exists out there for the P3 (I actually hate the "Blast" moniker). Yeah, shit breaks, and especially on a bike. If it causes you to get a yeast infection, then you should probably stick to cages. I think the worst thing to happen to this bike was having the Buell sticker on it. It inevitably gets compared to other sport bikes, and that is unfortunate. I think the P3 is in a niche all by itself, to be honest. To me all it could really use is a bit more fuel capacity, some racks to support soft panniers, and a better selection of DS tire. But honestly, I think it will go anywhere anyone wants to take it. 99.99% of bikes on the road are limited by the rider, not the ride. Hoping to score another P3 soon for the other boy. He is chomping at the bit . . . | ||
| Milt |
Jim, If either of your P3s have Dunlop tires, replace them pronto.  | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
Thanks Milt - I have read all the posts regarding the Dunlops, and was expecting them to be a lot worse than they were. The bike we got on Saturday has its original Dunlops that are now 12 years old. I plan to replace them, probably with the Shinkos, but I am puzzled by the unilateral hatred for the Dunlop. Are they really that bad? Only 12 miles of riding on them so far clearly does not give me a full understanding of their characteristics. | ||
| Vicenzajay |
Jim, The Dunlops WILL dump the bike - it's only a matter of time and place. There are numerous stories on this board alone to illustrate this. The front tire is especially bad.... Jay | ||
| Vicenzajay |
Oh - the Pirelli MT-75s are very, very nice...superb handling and grip. They wear fairly quickly, but mine have lasted 4,000 miles at this point and still going....probably need to replace the rear within 500 miles or so. EZ will probably chime in here soon and talk about the Diablo Scooter tires. I need to try them as well. | ||
| Ezblast |
Both are very good choices - the oversized Diablos really are the choice for even better handling characteristics, bigger contact patch, and a bit longer life as well, but also cost a tad more as well, still the stock Pirelli is a very good tire also. As long as it's Pirelli you won't go wrong - even the st66 series is better than the rest out there and that tire is made for mileage, while the former two mentioned where made for corner carving. Welcome! EZ | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
Thanks guys. I will be replacing the tires on both bikes. Yes, both. I just went and looked at a second P3. It is a 2007 with 1147 miles. It was a riders edge bike, so lived on the H-D lot its entire life. minimal damage (a few scratches and some glue from the numbers). Never titled to a private owner, so I will be the first one! I'll pick it up tomorrow and post some pics after it's home. I tried to download the owners manuals from the links above, but they are dead. Does anyone have an alternate link or source? I have the one from the 2002, but not the 2007. The engine code on the VIN for the '07 is different from the '02. Thanks. | ||
| Ezblast |
buelridersonline.com See you there! EZ | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
EZ - thanks - I will sign up over there as well. Just to prove my insanity, we picked up another P3 on Saturday. It is a 2007 with 1147 miles. Former riders edge bike, never titled. In amazing shape for a school bike. Minimal scratches. Brand new mirrors and the original owners manual and delivery kit still in shrink wrap. Standard seat this time for my younger son (who is taller than me!).   | ||
| Vicenzajay |
Sweet! | ||
| Themagster |
Very Cool! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
"Just to prove my insanity" LOL!!! How many Blasts does Maggie have? How Blasts has EZ had? How many Blast do I have? LOmf'nL! YOU have come to the right place! Dont bother with the Shinkos. Pirelli is a far superior tire and probably not much more or even less than the Shinkos. And with the excellent front brake, you want the stickiest tire you can find on the front. The Blast has dumped many riders on the ground from the front brake and inferior front tire. Buell finally went with the Pirelli MT75s for the Blast, the same tire we'd been racing on for years! If that doesnt sway you, would you like to see $56,000 in hospital bills (and counting)? Again Welcome! | ||
| Jim_k_in_pa |
 Thanks for the warm welcome Erik. I will probably end up with the Diablos. I like the ST66s better though, as they have a bit more aggressive tread pattern and we do ride on gravel/dirt roads a fair amount around here. I live right next to a large section of PA State Gamelands. That front brake is fantastic, and both brakes I found pretty easy to modulate. But for two new riders, the stickier the better for those Oh-$hit moments. I will politely pass on the review of the hospital invoices.  You alright? Was that from a street get off or track? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
That was from the classic "left turn in from of motorcycle". Maybe if I had a better front tire I could have stopped instead of laying the bike down. But I'll never know because I have no memory of the accident. But there are hundreds of Blasts out there with scuffed flysceen, broken front turn signal and broken headlight trim rings. It's been a very common occurance to hear of someone grabbing the front brake in an emergency stop and the front tire locking up. | ||
| Rainman |
The Pirellis made a big difference from the Dunlops and practice with that big brake will keep you safer. Unfortunately, ackjasses in cars will keep providing danger. | ||
| Drew2215 |
Hi, I bought my 2002 blast in 2010 as a fun cheap way to get around my home town in the summer. Since then I have put over 10k on her with little more maintenance then oil and tire changes. So, this winter I figured I would give her a much needed make-over and I stumbled onto this site looking for some information. Needless to say I found everything I needed! - Drew | ||
| Ezblast |
Welcome!!! |
