| Author | Message | ||
     Pinkpank |
Bill - thanks for that extensive list, and pardon for all the questions. ;-) I *AM* one of those guys that walks around his bike regularly, and let me admit here that I LOVE walking around this beast and checking her out. And everyone that sees it agrees, she's a beauty. Yellow is normally a little "loud" for me, but this M2 has the personality, shape and sound to carry it off quite well. Familiar with the rocker gaskets from the Blast, will keep an eye out! That primary chain tensioner - how likely is that to implode? Are they all bad in '00? I (and the previous owner) ride pretty easy, does that have an impact on longevity? Front muffler mount, check. Tying that into the backfire - it HAS done that when starting. It also "burbles" a lot when decelerating. And it "pops" through the intake when I first crack the throttle quite often. I'll check out the header nut ASAP. Shock - is the recall time limited? ;-0 And are both the OEM and the replacement failure modes simple leaks at the piston? Saw the thread on the Forcewinder vent issue, I might just go with a "regular" round filter since I prefer that look, anyway. Cool on the jetting and the intake seals, the 45 and 2.5 turns I've picked up from the archives. Interesting bit on the belt - I can have someone of similar weight as me sit on there and check for the 90 degrees. Shifter assemblies changed? I'll have to check that out . . . didn't realize! Bar end mirrors might not be that advantageous for me, since I do a lot of "sneaking" between cars in stopped traffic (a great job for the Blast, BTW!). OK on the M1 V-Twin, and I will prolly run M1 or RedLine in the box then (RedLine is what I use in my race car trans and love it). I had to smile about your "if you want a race bike" and the "ride at redline" comments. ;-) Having had a ZX-11, and being a pretty "cautious" (downright "pansy"?) rider, I think the less highly strung M2 fits my riding style a LOT better than the high-revving fours do - I leave the high-speed maneuvers to my car track days when I have 3000 pounds of sheetmetal around me. Not that I don't appreciate the power of the M2, but I will barely get past 3000rpm, and will probably never see 4th or 5th gear around here. Thanks again for all that info! Oliver, '00 M2, '00 P3 BTW, can I get that new muffler mount and tensioner by mail, or must I go to the dealer? | ||
| Dynarider |
Wow, 2200 miles. You are a mileage maniac arent you?  Seriously tho, I see a lot of people who will state stuff like, I have a 98 S3T I bought new & it now has 4100 miles. Well isnt that just great? You put less than a 1000 miles a yr on. For some of us thats a 1 day ride. I put 11,000 on my X1 in 1 yr & it was in the shop for 2 months, plus I live in Wiscinsin where we have this thing called WINTER. Tends to put a damper on your riding. My X1 was fine up till 2700 miles, after that is when it all went to hell. | ||
| Kelly |
"Anyone that doesn't understand it shouldn't be owning a Buell, IMO !!! " Then that would be about what, 12 people...? That's hardly enough to keep a company afloat. | ||
| Clydeglide |
I do have a gratitude list of sorts becuase of Buell. I've met many good people including Erik. I've made a list of "must do" or "must meet" places and people. Just looking for time to execute. And for that I will always be grateful. Clyde | ||
| Snail |
Stop the name calling and the 'tudes. I know its hard, but lets keep it simple, knowlege is good, and I want to know the ratio, happy/unhappy, satisfied/unsatisfied. This isn't 'us against them' and we've all been down the road. I just want to know the ratio, fish or cut bait. 'Cmon Blake, make a poll, make it simple, lets see what we get. Paul | ||
| Garryb |
I think my '99x1 is a very cool bike, 17k miles, ridden it from Madison to Sturgis and back twice. Had some of the usual problems. Local dealers have been great! The first two homecomings, Buell tecs went over my bike, fed me and fixed anything that wasn't perfect for free. I guess I'm a Buell fan. I always assumed that if you get 90+ hp out of a sportster motor, its not going to last like a water cooled 4. but its loud and primative and obnoxous, just like me. But obviously its not for everyone. But I think that's cool too, Wouldn't want it otherwise. gb | ||
| Jb2 |
Rocket, for someone, who by his own words, cannot make a decision on his own satisfaction sure found the root of Anon's thread like no one else did.  Not sure where I stand on the issue either. I've been attached to quite a few bikes. As each new relationship starts I become consumed to the point where I start believing "this" must be the world's most perfect bike. It started that way with Buells. I've owned more than I care to mention, several I didn't even get the chance to ride. The two I accumulated the most miles(80k+) on were awesome bikes but now my beloved S2 is sitting in the garage collecting dust and no miles. I've been involved with this new bike... a VFR. The current Buell lineup does nothing for me and the S2 is quickly becoming a dinosaur. Just go to any Buell dealer and have them order a part. They first have to look it up under the old part number, key it in and retrieve the new part number. Every part I've ordered specific to the S2 has included several weeks of wait, MINIMUM! As perfect as it once seemed to me it's getting closer to the "want ads" than I care to admit. The thought of being Buelless was almost frightening at one point. Then I have to start kicking myself in the ass because I'm giving into something I usually stand against... brand bias or bigotry. You see I'm rider for reasons other than most. It ain't so I can stick my Harley shirt or tattoo in your face or snub a brand X rider as I blast by him on my Buell. It's because motorcycling is fun and the experiences and friendships that a person collects over the years are priceless. I've been hanging here since this was an e-mail group mostly because it seemed in the beginning Buells attracted people who seemed to mirror my passions about riding. My how we've grown, eh?  Ride Safe, JB2 | ||
| Mbsween |
Hey Guys, lets not forget that in addition to owning/fixing the bike, we get a chunk of "the experience". I've been riding awhile (20+ yrs )in the inline 4 camp. Damn reliable bike, still going at 97K on the original pistons and bottom end. All that with a basically ignorant maintainer (me!) Around 5 yrs ago a group of people who restore these things formed a mail list. It has 10000 messages or so to date. The bike is the KZ/GPz kawasakis. There's probably more of those from the 76-85 period than all Buells combined. Take a look at the quick board, its way past 10k messages. I haven't seen this much commotion aimed at one brand of bike in a long time. Sure you got kawi triple people,guzzi people, bmw people, norton people, and maybe even vincent people, but Buell people? Far and away the most interesting group of people I've had the "opportunity " to hang around with. Ducati people are about the closest I've seen to it. I've only been to one Brag event, and it was "just" a regional event, but man what an event. Pretty much everyone I talked to/rode with was rabid about their Buell. The telling point was when my wife asked me if all the people at the rally thought I was a motorcycle nut. I laughed and told her I was rookie in that crew. Geez, I only have one Buell. Hell , if I want reliable and fast, I'll get a Honda. Then again, no thanks, I'd rather have interesting and quirky, and get to "hang out" with all of you. Count me satisfied. | ||
| Buellhowser |
Dissatisfied, and wondering where I'll find the time and money to deal with this thing when my warrantee expires in April. The info in my profile doesn't even scratch the surface. Thank god (or beelzebub, whomever you prefer) for this site and the information therein. Gregg | ||
| Rocketman |
Yeah Jim, I know what you mean about brand bias or bigotry, but with words like these to describe a motorcycle, It's the coolest, most bad-ass motherfucker in my garage and talks to me in a way no other vehicle does, who builds it and what name's on the tank is unimportant. 'course, it helps if its BUELL  You know, I bet all the ex-Buell owners must feel 'gutted' when they see a Buell they like, that runs well. I bet ALL of them wish they still had theirs (without the faults) when this happens. Seems to me, it was and never is the Buells themselves that are the problem, just the way they're screwed together. No one could argue the Buell isn't a great great bike, could they ? Rocket | ||
| Jb2 |
Rocketman, those(Anon's) are some of the best words I've heard to describe that feeling you get when a person clicks with a bike. There's nothing like it. It's compares to falling in love with that perfect girl. I'm one of the lucky ones who will always say that I barely had a spot of trouble in all the miles I've accumulated on Buells. I'm sure there will be another'n in my future and I'll remain a steadfast Buell enthusiast even if I don't have one in the garage. Ridin' Red, JB2 | ||
| Reepicheep |
PinkPank... There was a goodwill upgrade for the front muffler mount, but I think it expired and you did have to have the dealer install it. I had enough of my dealer at that point, so I paid cash to be able to escape them before they jerked me around any further, even though I knew I was supposed to get it for free. I was unwilling to deal with them any further, but needed to get that mount replaced. As you have to pay for it anyway, mail order should be no problem (Sport Twin and Modesto have been great to me). Popping and gurgling? Check intake seals and exhaust gaskets. There are crush gaskets that go between the headers and the heads, maybe those were reused one too many times by the previous owner. There are a number of people that have had broken tensioners, I dare say the majority of 2k owners. Most cases, it did not cause a serious problem, but there were some close calls. I would replace it soon. It's sneaky, as it looks like you adjust the primary chain tension correctly, but under load (with a cracked metal backplate), the teflon flexes and you grind cases. It messes up shifting, you know it totally went when you can't get into some gears without all sorts of fussing. I am pretty sure I bent my second gear shift fork trying to get home when mine broke. Shifter was updated in '01, as was the addition of the tach. The updated shifter is much nicer, and is a good $75 (or was it $125?) alternative to the more expensive banke. Ignore the instructions on position if they have not updated them yet, you probably want the shifter arm to point to about 3:30 on the clock (the little hand). The banke is MUCH nicer though. The Napolean bar ends (as sold by sport twin and modesto) will fold upwards and inwards when you need the space, in that position I doubt they add much more then 3/4 of an inch width on either side of the bike. When they are folded out, I can (literally) check my left hand blind spot with my right hand mirror... they work amazingly well. I can only think of one other bike I would like to own right now more then my 2kM2... and that would be an XB9S... and I don't think I could part with the Cyclone to get it... it would have to be an addition. | ||
| Blake |
I've had three, all with over 13K miles. Do I get three votes? Court, Your analysis is statistically sneaky. Brian's estimations based on his experience and heresay of a few aquaintences are similarly skewed. Maybe you two could get together, produce offspring, and let them figure this out. ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) | ||
| Josh |
>There was a goodwill upgrade for the front muffler mount, but I think it expired and you did have to have the dealer install it. SB-032 is still in effect - I just had it installed on my 98S1WL. | ||
| Pinkpank |
I have the feeling I'll be putting more miles on this M2 than the other 9 streetbikes I've had . . . unless it breaks down as much as these pages are predicting. ;-0 I've had most of my bikes sitting in my highrise garage next to a stable of other bikes that fellow condo owners ride. And you know what? I've never felt more proud, happy and eager to own a bike in that batch than this M2. It literally stands out like a sore thumb, and that's without even starting it! Once she rumbles to life, there's no comparison. This bike has re-invigorated my desire to ride for more reasons than just easy parking (city life!). And the tiny little Blast was partly responsible for me buying this M2 - it was fun and made me smile, even though it was helplessly underpowered and I got a lot of comments on the "minibike" I was riding (I'm six-two). But no more. Nobody makes fun of this M2. And it fits me perfectly. I guess I feel similarly about this bike as I did about the 17 years with my '69 Mach 1. It's visceral and primitive. It was also quirky and unreliable. But I still loved it. Right now, sitting here at my PC, I am soooooo tempted to throw on my leather jacket, run downstairs, hop on the M2 and go for a quick ride up Lake Shore Drive. And chat with my garage attendants, all of whom give me the "thumbs up" sign as I blubber out the door. Maybe they just think I'm the token "crazy middle-aged bike guy"?!? No other bike has ever evoked this kind of response, from me OR the people around me. ;-) I guess I'll see if the bike eventually makes me hate it. I don't like the new Buells nearly as much, so I certainly hope I don't have to let go of this one anytime soon . . . . . | ||
| Rick_A |
I've had my Buell for a year and 4000 miles. That low mileage is due mostly for riding 2000 "backroad" miles without a license for most of that year. I've had the rocker box leak...after fixing that I see not a drop of oil anywhere. She spews nothing out of the breathers. She easily survived a nearly 60 mph lowside into a clearing. A few parts have broken/come loose, but nothing that left me stranded, and a few of those were due to mods. Once I take care of an electrical problem that's leaving me scratching my head, I will forgive her and love her again! I have done a lot of the things people warn against...I did 1500 miles doing 85-130 mph. It usually sees a lot of time in the 5000 rpm area. It has been subjected to hundreds of hard miles two-up riding in stop and go traffic. I believe Rocket is correct, in that it seems like being correctly and carefully assembled is what makes the difference between the Buells that last and those that prematurely expire. How else can you explain it? It seems the people that continue to ride with nagging ailments pay the price later as well. Anyway, my S1 is my daily driver. Believe it or not, it's the only thing I can afford to ride. It seriously hurts to be without a ride...but we'll get over it. | ||
| Choptop |
Huh, I've been thinking about this one alot, and I cant put myself in either category, satistfied or not satisfied... The bike has left me stranded, BUT I love the way it rides. Its cost me more time and effort than a new bike should, but I still REALLY like the concept. I guess if you cant rant and rave about it, or recommend it to another, you must not be satisfied, so count me in the NOT Satisfied group (but just barely). But grouping all Buell owners into those two groups doesnt even scratch the surface of the Buell experience. Like I've said before, my Buell my not be the best bike I've ever bought, but its some of the best money I've ever spent, for what it has given me beyond a mere motorcycle to ride. This experience isnt garaunteed to everyone that buys or rides a Buell though, i've been lucky. I wouldnt trade my Buell experience for the world, but until Buell shows me something more/special (and proves to me its realiable) I dont think I'd buy another one. | ||
| Snail |
Blake, Court, Cecil, what we are concerned with here is customers. There is no way to skew the facts if we stick with the one man (or woman) and one vote. If you owned or still own a Buell, you qualify. If you're satisfied or not satisfied, thats the question. What is the ratio? Please, set up a simple poll. Polls are plug and play on the LABUSA site, surely you can purloin the software to make it work here. 'Cmon. Lets have 'er. I really want to know. Paul | ||
| Snail |
Chop, the way to make a rational decision,(my opinion) is to simply ask yourself if the bike you bought performed satisfactorily. I bought my S-3 for a 'sport touring' bike, and it DID NOT satisfactorily perform that task. Paul | ||
| Al_Lighton |
Oliver (Pinkpank), you wrote "....Bar end mirrors might not be that advantageous for me, since I do a lot of "sneaking" between cars in stopped traffic... " That's my daily existance out here in San Diego. It's legal, I go at least 10, usually 20 miles per day, between the cars. And I love bar ends. The solution? CRG LS mirrors. Excellent product, highly recommended. http://www.constructorsrg.com/page9.html Al | ||
| Pinkpank |
Reepi - thanks for that info. And Josh, thanks for the SB-032 update, I'll talk to the dealer here. | ||
| Buellme |
As I posted to SacBORG..... I miss Modesto Buell ever since they sold my X1 for me. (I kept the BUELL ME plates) I've been in for tires and brake pads for the old girl (1989 ZX10 with 48,000mi). But, uh, even old and ugly she only needs gas and oil. It was great being able to sing praise for them (all too frequently unfortunately) on how they did me right with this and that and another thing and a couple other things. The new xb9s grabbed me maybe even more than the X1 did, but after seeing that B/HD can't even engineer a sidestand for the bike that is supposed to be their "savior"... I choose to opt out. My money's down on the new V-Twin 950 Duke. Oh... the anticipation... Touching on somebody else's thread... I can't say I was entirely dissatisfied. The bike rode like a mo-fo, and the way it looked, sounded, handled - god I loved it. I just wasn't entirely satisfied either. It shook itself apart just like a pumped-up harley. Imagine that. I guess I knew THAT would happen. I was just in denial after test riding the race-kitted X1 that Dudley Perkins turned me loose on one sunny summer afternoon. It's just a good thing I bought the old girl as a "back-up" bike three months after buying the X1, or I would have missed out on plenty of rides. Well, it's been a worthwhile 2+ year trip. Anything that hooks a lone rider up with ASBN, SacBORG, and Modesto Buell is worthwhile. Thank you. Logging on for a long ramble, Doug -------------------- got demons ? | ||
| Jim_Witt |
My turn, Why not 3 poll(s)? This will probably get an honest answer from all those willing to participate. 1. Are you satisfied with your Buell motorcycle? Meaning its reliability and maintenance cost, parts availability, resale value, overall performance as it comes from the factory and build quality. 2. Are you satisfied with the service from your authorized Buell dealership. This includes warranty issues that you may have encountered. 3. Are you satisfied with the experiences your Buell has brought to you? Meaning the people you have met, Buell forums, gathering or events you have attended. Cheers, -JW:> | ||
| Blake |
Dang!!! I typed that early this afternoon prior to rushing out for a raquetball match. Failed to hit the "post" button on the preview screen. Did so a couple hours ago then do the "Check new messages" thing. HELLO!! Here's what troubles me... We have two very intelligent and very industrious instigators of this discussion in Court and Snail, they both have moderator priveledges, and neither of them can figure out how to open a new "Satisfaction Poll" topic on the Quick Board! Woe is me.  BrianH, in my absence, has become the voice of BadWeB propriety?! Thanks for that Brian. We are still trying to maintain a family oriented decorum at BadWeB. I appreciate your sincere reminder to those who may have forgotten that. You're not bucking for moderatorship are you? You want to start a VRod board?  Shoot, I was over at SacBORG blathering on about Iraq, trying to solve the world's problems. Guess I missed out on the important issue of the day. Y'all should have seen the she medic at the track Saturday. A few of the guys were scheming on how to stage a crash just to have her lay hands on them. heheheh. Snail, You're going to skip the track day for work?!! Say it ain't so! You MUST reconsider. Either that or promise to make the Texas Shootout here in Kilgore next Spring. My M2 won't start again. Was apparently the coil Saturday morning. Replaced and ran fine all day (100+ miles lapping Oak Hill Raceway). Hmmm, what would cause a coil to blow, again? Will have fun diagnosing this weekend and am thinking I need to retrieve the original coil from the trash can at the track. Some of us sure do get spun up about the Buell motorcycle issue don't we? It ain't a hill of beans from where I'm sitting. Life is too short. You aren't satisfied, move on. Boosting hit count? Blame Snail! Anony posting... I agree, it has been usurped as a crutch for the timid. Be it known from this day forward that I will begin exposing unjustified anony posts, with unjustified being those posts casting aspersions and harsh personal attacks towards others on the board. If you aren't a person actually needing anonymity to post on this board, don't use the anony feature. I will be exposing you from here on out. Adn that won't be pleasant for either of us. Register under an alias fercrying out loud. DUH! Valid anony posting will remain unmolested. BrianH and I opposites? Not really. We are both tall. | ||
| Roc |
In the flurry of posts today I seem to remember someone posting derogatory comments regarding the Nallin brothers. I will not take the time to find the poster or comment but I have thought about that post more than once today. Personally, I have nothing but positive comments regarding my interaction, primarily as a customer of Brian's, with both of them and I would recommend them anyone. Also, how many Buell owners have had problems with S1's and S2's - AKA the "good Buells"? Jokes man, jokes. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Roc, Check your e-mail dude. S'later, -JW:> | ||
| Fogcity |
Ouch. | ||
| S3dave |
Satisfied | ||
| Captpete |
I told myself I wouldn’t get involved in this mess. But… What’s the definition of “satisfied Buell owner?” My fifth, or is it sixth?, engine is together, running, broken in, one initial dyno pull completed, and only awaiting the tuning process until I will be allowed to ride it – one more time. My total expenditure on this thing passed twenty grand a while back. Am I a “satisfied Buell owner?” I’m not sure, for there are other considerations. What was the value of the experience I had during the week I was camped out behind Aaron and Susan’s home in Colorado? What is the value of the friends I made during that week? What will become of those friendships I made? I’m certain the value of some of those friendships will appreciate dramatically in the future. What’s the value of the hours and hours of pure entertainment I’ve enjoyed right here on the BadWeb? And what will be the value of the coming experience with my S1WL, once it’s back on the road? Sure, I’m buried in the thing, but I don’t lose a dime until the day I sell it. And every time I fire it up, I will be reminded that I didn’t give up; I saw it through to the end. And it gives me something to look forward to. I still haven’t even learned how to ride it yet. I look forward to getting it on the track, hopefully one that offers discounts for geriatric riders. And better yet, I look forward to riding someday with some of the friends I have made through this Buell experience. So, I’m not sure which “group” I fall into. But it doesn’t really matter to me. All I know is that the experience is not yet over. Capt. Pete | ||
| Rich |
Count me satisfied, no, make that VERY satisfied. My bike has done everything I wanted it to do, except be the fastest. |
