| Author | Message | ||
     Phillyblast |
Forgive me father for I am thinking about sinning: I've been kicking around ways to hot-rod the thumper, and was looking forward to tearing it down over the winter to "LSR" it - when the v-twin bug hit. Fell in love with a georgeous yellow s-2 with less than 5k on it, and then saw the local dealer has an 01 m2 sitting on the showroom floor. Still within the trade-in period, so I can get the full purchase price deal on the M2. any thoughts, plus and minus, besides the money? Here's my take: Plus to Blast: thumper. If it got any simpler it'd be a no-cylinder, and gotta love the sound. cheap. Not so much purcase price, as low upkeep. low displacement = low insurance, great gas mileage, only one of everything to fix. etc. Light. I commute in the city to work every day, and it's great for stop and go. It handles like mad when I get out on the weekends, too. Fun. grins per mile ratio is high. minus suspension. non-adjustable, forks are a bit weak. power. that would be remedied by the nallin kit, but it'd still have the same suspension. two-up. i have rearsets on it, so no passenger pegs. even with the stock pegs, because of the suspension and lack of power i didn't like riding two-up on it, and my wife isn't happy. cost. rearsets, bars, vance and hines, now nallin kit, i'm going to have a lot of money into this bike if i do this. relative to it's purchase price. M2 plus: court says it's the best bike ever made  M2 minus - reliability compared to the blast. any comments on this? complexity compared to the blast (related to reliability) any help/advice from those that own both? | ||
| Prof_Stack |
Phillyblast - glad to see you're thinking of doing something to kickstart the economy. $pend like the market depends on it. Seriously, a thumper is a special type of motorcycle. Ups and downs. When I test drove an X1 recently I was blown away (no windshield  ) by the acceleration. What a rocket. For me it was more muscle than I need. But it was fun. Just think through the type of riding you do and would like to do. Will the M2 work for that? Will you want to ride it as much as you do the Blast? Hey, to really help the economy, keep the Blast and get the M2! | ||
| Phillyblast |
Prof, I'm not planning on doing anything immediately, so the economy will have to wait (speaking of which, just checked my portfolio - ouch!!!!! my decision might be made for me) I'd love to have two bikes, but as it is I park the Blast on the sidewalk - I live in a rowhouse in philly. Which is another minus for the M2, btw. More expensive=more inviting to thieves. The argument I get from a friend of mine is I'd never be happy riding a stock bike, no matter the bike. So the "how much do i want to spend on upgrades" argument just became moot. Re-reading my list here, I don't see much reason for buying an M2, outside of 2-up riding. I used to shoehorn 350 chevy v8s into Vegas, just for the hell of it, and my brother and I once put a hiperf 289 out of a mustang into a pinto sedan delivery wagon. Why? Because we could and the look on peoples faces when the saw it take off was absolutely priceless, as the commercial says. So in all probability I'll take apart the Blast over the winter and look for that ever elusive 5-0 hp #. Sure would be fun to pull up next to someone on a Blast (hey, isn't that a beginners bike?) and smoke 'em. heheh | ||
| Ezblast |
what is your (the discussion board)oil consumption after the 1000 mi. mark like. I used practally only a half qt. the first 1000., its been more since - could it be the longer work commutes. Any info. would be goodn no obvious leaks, air box ok, why the extra consumption? Help!tnx(no change in sound so far either - a little looser at the rev.) | ||
| Adam |
Kudos to HD for supporting Buell and the Blast. After mysteriously consuming 2 quarts of oil in 1100 miles and seizing (twice!), the local dealer here in Charleston, SC rebuilt my engine and HD's "Goodwill" program paid for all but $100 of it. This place even gave me a new "tripass resonance chamber" once after my warranty was up because the old one was clearly rusting away ridiculously early. Anxious to finish my second breakin, Adam | ||
| Jimalexander |
Anyone know if the Blast can be converted to chain drive? Where can I go to get the parts? Is it a big deal? Thanks, Jim. | ||
| Englishman |
Hey Jim, Although it would be a fairly simple matter to replace the pulleys with sprockets and a chain, your main problem would be the lack of tension adjustability with the back wheel. You would have to custom build a swingarm, or radically modify the existing one. | ||
| Jimalexander |
Englishman, oh well... Thanks, Jim. | ||
| Mikej |
Aren't the dirt flat trackers running chain final drive on their Blasts? | ||
| Xgecko |
they aren't running Blast frames just the Blast engine. Actually the mods on the swingarm aren't that expensive...it's basically a stretch although only an inch or so of real distance is needed you can effectively doit with little change to the wheelbase though if you are going to do it you mind as well add and inch or so so that you can use a bigger tire in the back. A Good welder could do it for under $200. Then you just have to find the tension hardware. I did the research on it once and the whole project can be done for around $500. Though I don't remember where the tensioners came from | ||
| Dojodog |
Has anyone outfitted their Blast! with a tachometer? Speaking of accessorizing, plus: Pit Bull makes a great front stand for the bike - minus: Buell's winter gloves don't keep my hands warm when it's below 40 degrees. Skip | ||
| Jonnyz |
Has anyone Tried making their own rear sets, or modified the stock supports to move the pegs back? I've seen the rear sets from crossroads performance, but they eliminate the pillion pegs. I'm also looking to keep the stock look of the bike. Thanks Jon | ||
| Xgecko |
Jon check out the last issue of Battle2Win there are two Blasts that have modified y's. I have the Crossroads Rearsets but I have no illusions of 2 up on the Blast nor do I care about Stock look My plans are to really change the look of my bike...they work great BTW. | ||
| Phillyblast |
tony, can't find the last issue of battle2win anywhere around here. can you scan and post those pics? thanks. | ||
| Xgecko |
If the Wife hasn't consigned it to the round file along with all other things that aren't going to Japan I'll scan the photos. Someone may have posted them here already though. look into the past you may find something | ||
| Pinkpank |
Phillyblast, I understand. I keep having pictures of a Cyclone bouncing around my head, too. Even found a '99 for $4000 (though the guy bounced to $4500 when I was about to say "Go!"). Usually they seem to go for $6k-$7k around here. But then I think "Hm, let's see, heavier bike I can't lift over the curb, I'll want to go 75 mph in an instant again, now I'll worry about theft again . . . . ". So I still have the Blast. ;-) But the idea is festering in my head, also. You're not alone. Oliver | ||
| Phillyblast |
Oliver, just for the heck of it I got a quote on insurance for an M2 - how about for a 30-something married man , clean driving record, who's had a valid motorcycle license for 12 years, 1200 bucks? Theft coverage sent it through the roof, apparently. So let's see, that's about what the total of parts for the Blast would be, isn't it? I almost passed out when they told me the number. I've completely convinced my wife that putting a grand or so into the motor on the Blast is a fiscally sound decision. | ||
| Xgecko |
Yea well the Idea of a XB9R is drifting in my head since I paid off the Blast. I can't see actually buying one until next Xmas but then I'll be at sea most of next year anyway. I want to test ride one soon though | ||
| Pinkpank |
Somehow, we got that plug out when I bought the bike with just basic hand tools. I think we got lucky and had the perfect offset wrench! ;-) Phillyblast, $1200? Yikes! I'm 30-sumpin', and my Ninja ZX-11 was $270/year or so, full coverage. The Blast is nothing - like $100/year liability plus another 30 bucks for full coverage. Wonder why the M2 would be so steep?!? Just for kicks, let me call my insurance guy . . . rats, he's gone for the weekend. But it can't be $1200! ;-0 Ouch. Oliver | ||
| Phillyblast |
Pink, what's your insurance co.? The quote was from progressive. I think the big issue is it's not garaged, so the theft/vandalism thing is the big charge. The other option is screw the trade-in deal and try to find an S2/S1. I gotta tell you, the S2 is one gorgeous hunk of machine, and there's something utterly primal about an S1. Of course, there's something utterly primal about a thumper, too, so the inner-argument continues. david | ||
| Xgecko |
I used a 8" crescent and my sparkplug socket. Took no time at all | ||
| Pinkpank |
It's a smaller company that my agent picked out - well, maybe, I think it's Cinncinnati Insurance Companies. Or something like that. But I'm also insured with three cars and the bike, always garaged, perfect driving record and not a single claim in 20 years of driving. That probably helps. In rural Mt. Zion, Illinois. S2, huh? I keep reading that the Cyclone is better due to injection glitches on the S bikes. I suppose I should ride both before I decide what I like. Not that I should buy anything right now. I have a race car with a dead cylinder #2 (prolly scored block) . . . . ;-0 Oliver | ||
| Phillyblast |
Aha - Mt. Zion. I don't have a claim in the last 10 -12 years, either. It's the urban thing that's killing me. Gotta move for insurance purposes. The S2 is an older bike, and carbed. I fell in love with Buells when I saw an RS years ago, when I couldn't even dream of affording it. So I rode my 79 Honda and saved, and then I got married, moved 5 times, and never got one. I finally got a chance to check out an old Goldstar, another dream bike, and realized I'd break it and never find parts, so I decided to go for the thumper. It occurs to me that if I break an S2, it's essentially a Harley Sportster motor, so parts shouldn't be a problem. We'll see. Gonna give it some time to see if it passes. if not, anyone want to buy some Crossroads parts and a Vance and Hines? | ||
| Xgecko |
How much for the bars????? | ||
| Sarodude |
Saro's Sorrowful Blast... I skipped the gym this morning which meant I could ride the Blast to work which meant I could go for a ride through the Santa Monica mountains right after work. Well, whoever installed my motor at the dealer kinda forgot to tighten down the motor mount up front where the cylinder head meets the frame. Bolt wiggled around so much (before I heard it rattle) that the threads in the head are trashed. Once again I'm Blast-less. In speaking to my wife about all this, she commented that it wasn't the factory's problem. So I thought about it... First of all, if the factory hadn't effed up the original motor, none of this would be an issue. Secondly, all the monkeys who have worked on this poor bike have allegedly been 'Factory Certified'. If the factory says they're qualified to work on my bike, then I feel like I CAN hold the factory responsible. Just the thoughts of a frustrated possible soon-to-be ex Blastard. -Saro | ||
| Jimalexander |
Thought I'd let the board know there are red Blast body parts as well as a 2001 workshop manual up on ebay. Sarodude,wow, you have run into a real long bad luck spell with your blast. I feel bad for you bro, I know the feeling well, not from my blast but from mechanic experiences in general. I've been to 4 harley/buell dealerships and found that the downside for this bike is that it hasn't been out long enough or broke down enough to have been in these shops giving experience to the mechanics, they are not familiar at all with them. They just scratch their heads and don't act very enthusiastic about working on it, at least in my experience. I might eventually buy a Sporster so at least I can get it worked on by people who work on them everyday. Jim. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Saro - wow. 3 motors, and now the head is trashed? I think Jim nailed it - in general I've heard these bikes have been reliable, so outside of routine stuff, a lot of mechanics haven't had to do much work on them, which compounds your problem. I know for myself, when I go to a class, and get "certified" for a particular piece of software or hardware (I'm a computer geek) I'm not comfortable with it until I've had real-world experience with it - that's why I have a lab in work so I can completely trash servers, etc. intentionally, just to find out what's prone to break and how to fix it. Maybe dealerships should do the same - give the mechanics a project blast,and tell them to do whatever they want to it, just fix it when they break it. Money well spent in the long run, and I'm sure there are dealerships that do this. | ||
| Prof_Stack |
Downtown Harley Davidson in Seattle, among others, has a dedicated Buell-only mechanic. Because my Blast was the first one purchased there, the tech (Kevin) has learned from it and other Blasts since sold. I've made it a point to get to know him. When I stop at the dealership, I usually head to the shop just to say hello and ask how he is doing. Point being: If your dealership doesn't have a Buell friendly shop, try to persuade them otherwise. Or look elsewhere. | ||
| Jimalexander |
Philly Blast, hey David ask your insurance company about the Abus insurance motorcycle lock. I have one and it's supposed to be uncompromisable by the largest bolt cutters, freon and picking. If someone brings a grinding wheel, cutting wheel or cutting torch with them, well if they are that serious not much could stop them anyway. If theft is their big issue they might give a discount for this lock. Jim. |
