| Author | Message | ||
     Dynarider |
Dave, It was Uke's. I wont spend another dime in that place. I have been going 30 miles out of my way to do just that. Sean is a decent enough guy, but that chick they have back there is a total bitch. Jusy pissed off with the entire deal, buy 2 bikes from them, spend literally thousands & thousands more on parts & clothing & they treat you like a criminal because you have a couple bike related issues. Oh well it's their loss & another dealers gain. | ||
| Superbad |
Dealers can suck No matter what the brand. Here is my experience with a Ducati dealer. I traded my 900SS for a 748. Love the 748, but boy I miss the low down torque (this is what brings me to Buell). Well I got my hands on a 853 kit for my 748, hoping to get more torque. AT the time the nearest Ducati dealer/mechanic was 160 miles away. Well I took the bike in and had the kit installed. A week later I picked it up so far 320 miles driven. The bike had been dynoed and showed 101.2 HP up from 89Hp. I put 26 miles on and boom, the engine locked up. Trailer ride later it turned out a single use locknut had been reused and lodged in the belt and locked the front head. No bent valves but another 320 miles driven. I then went out the next sunday for a 120 mile ride, 100 miles into it... SMOKE and I mean Tons of smoke. Turns out a Seal on the end of the cam had failed and oil was pumping out and making its way onto the exhaust and rear tire. By now we had a local Ducati dealer but they didn't have a mechanic yet! Took it to a local mechanic, I trust and he replaced the seal for me. I was hurried as we were going to NC in 3 days. I rode a little and it seemed ok, the oil filter was dribbling a little, but we tightened it a little and it stopped. I then headed to Highlands NC! Great riding spot, we did throw my NSR250 in the truck, just in case! Well after 1 full day of riding we then went to the Superbike races @ road Atlanta. We were halfway there when...SMOKE again and a Synthetic oil slick! Friend rode back and got a truck/trailer and brought my NSR at least I could ride to the race! My friends Dad drove the truck. The other Cam end seal on the front head had blown. After our trip I took the bike to the Dealer wwho did the work and Screamed FIX IT DAMMIT! 8 weeks later I picked it up, fixed "Under Warranty" and asked what was wrong with it. They said the Cams were bent! AS IF! Ducati replaced the front head under warranty $$$$$ Well I just never rode the bike hard as I just didn't trust the explaination. Well 1 year later I hardly ever rode the bike, and I finally sent it to a Respected tuner in Minnesota, I am in Florida and had the motor done right. I will save you all the details, but the basic problem was they put the head gasket in backwards and it was still backwards when the tuner disassembled it. It would block the oil return and when the pressure got high enough the seal would let go. I love Ducati's but I am going to give Buell a try as the Local dealer seems to have a great service department. I will let you all know how it goes. Bobby | ||
| Dynarider |
I can understand not ever really riding the bike after all that. I too am a little paranoid about my X1. Afraid to leave town with it because it might die. Hell out in Omaha screwing around with Vik after the track day & I hit the rev limiter in 5th gear. I was waiting for something to happen the rest of the day, but so far so good. Taking this bike on the crud run, dont really feel the Dyna would be the proper bike for that, I hope to hell that I dont have any issues. | ||
| X1glider |
Wow, Dynarider. That a whole set of gruesome stories. I have to say that I have had warranty issues with HD as well so it is a problem with the whole family. HD will try to wiggle out of anything they possibly can. Standard operating procedure. However, if you bought that bike new, you signed a warranty contract. Buell cannot deny your warranty and break that contract. It is a legal binding document. If they can't fix it, they have to give you a new bike or your money back. I had a rocker arm retainer issue and they tried to get out of fixing it because i had put on a new exhaust. The whole problem is was overtorqued at the factory. I took it apart, went to the dealer, they sent it to the factory and i got a new one. I like to use the torque wrench to take broken things apart to see if that was the problem. As far as labor went, I got the dealer to write up a work order and I got paid for my time (under the table). You have to know people well at a dealer to swing that one. I've hit my 6200rpm rev limiter a few times and did 2 hard shut downs. No problems. All it takes is careful, proper assembly. And sometimes an inferior part does get in there. But once the bugs are out, all should be ok. I wouldn't worry anymore. What i would suggest is having that race ecm checked or replaced. Maybe it is faulty and caused some problems which grew into something else. Jeff (Rempss) would be the man here to talk to. He seems to be the die hard X1 FI supporter here. | ||
| Superbad |
Hey I have to hand it to Buell for standing up for my friend Ray. He bought the first X1 the local dealer got. The Fuel injection was soooo bad Buell gave him a new injection controller. Then that one sucked too, so after about 6 months total Buell gave him a whole new bike. He has since owned a M2. BTW He sells Honda/BMW/Triumph at a different dealership. Bobby | ||
| Gcpoland |
You have to remember that the dealer is your first line of contact with any company. If the dealer doesn't want to do warranty work, you will go thru hell getting any warranty work done. I encourage people to buy from a dealer that has a good reputation in the service and warranty area. In general, you might pay more for the bike out the door but it will be made up for if you have problems in the future. Most of the time, if you ask the service manager what their policy is concerning bolt on parts, they will tell you if they will cover the warranty or not. Ask first, don't assume. The biggest problem I have seen with Buell is their dealer network. They should start yanking some dealerships, if they ever hope to get their rep back. Polaris was very concerned with the same thing when they came out with the Victory. This is why they didn't let just any of their ATV and Snowmobile Dealers become Victory dealers. Polaris understood that bad dealers would kill their new product faster than any problem with the bike itself. This is a lesson that Buell should take to heart. Gary | ||
| Aaron |
6200 rpm rev limiter? Rocker arm retainers? What kind of bike are you talking about? | ||
| X1glider |
Sorry to confuse you Aaron. My Super Glide Sport, TC88 engine. The rocker shafts don't slide thru a hole like a sporty, they're clamped down. Just trying to relate my warranty issues. | ||
| Aaron |
oh! okay, that makes sense now!  | ||
| Sparky |
There's a white/orange Firebolt at Bartels' & one at HHOH in Oceanside. Unfortunately neither dealer is participating in the April 27th event despite what's on Buell's website. HHOH has their reasons for not participating and that's cool  , but Bartels' has no clue and could care less . Mebbe I'll stop by Glendale, gander at the XB & sign up with Matty & Ernie. Who knows, I might win a new bike!  Sparky 96S1, 98S3 | ||
| Jim_M |
TSI HD & Buell in Willimantic, CT and their parent store in Ellington both have Firebolts on display, and will be participating in the StD contest (gee, that doesn't look right, does it?  ) | ||
| Spiderman |
does any one have a dyno sheet rhat they could post or send me at slimspidy@aol.com on there or any XB9R thanks in advance , Spidey | ||
| Firemanjim |
Vallejo HD/Buell has a blue Firebolt in.Saw it up close and personal when I stopped by yesterday.No brain, of course. | ||
| Superbad |
Ok I pick up my XB9R on May 10th ... I will break it in nicely. When It goes back for it's first service I will have it Dynoed if nobody has posted one yet. Bobby | ||
| Jima4media |
San Jose Buell has one too. Along with Rocklin, Bob Dron in Oakland, Walnut Creek, and Modesto, that I have heard of so far in California. All these bikes have lost their minds. (ECM) Some dealers don't have the Slay the Dragon entry forms yet though. Others are still unaware of the contest at all. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Anonymous |
Jim, IMHO if the dealers don't participate, I have a better chance of winning | ||
| Thunder |
Slay the Dragon in Missouri or Kansas ... don't waste your time going to Worth H-D (worthless)Blue Springs in the Kansas City area. Or Topeka KS I have called both Sales depts and you get a resonse like this "We don't know Noth'in about no dragon slayin??????" Instead head for : TextMid America Harley-Davidson/Buell 1016 Vanwood Way Columbia , MO , USA , 65202 (573)875-4444 (573)443-2311 (fax) They are ready to receive contentants... I warned him that I read that a fell Hooligans from SLAB are headed that direct tomorrow!! I'll get a small group from KC...Let Roll!! Jeff | ||
| Jima4media |
I'd like to wish all of you the best of luck for tomorrow's Slay The Dragon contest.  I'll give you a chance to ride my Firebolt whenever I see you on the road. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a dozen Buell dealers, and I'm riding to all of them by the 5PM close of business. Here is my Slay the Bay Day ride ... http://AmericanSportBikeNight.inspiredsites.net/stories/storyReader$146 Lets hope someone on one of these websites wins the thing. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Court |
That's VERY strange.....I'd call back (785-234-6174) and talk to Dr. David Chall or Bryce Zimmerman. For 15 years, Topeka has been one of the top Buell dealers in the country. For sometime, they were the ONLY Buell dealer (except Latus in Portland, OR) West of the Mississippt to be among the top 10 Buell dealers in the country. If neither of these guys know about it then Buell has done an inordinately poor job of communicating the information. And, as it appears in the case of Southern California, this may be the case. Court | ||
| Matty |
Court, Buell has done their part. All the Buell dealers received signup applications in December to be turned in by January 15th. If the dealer did not wish to participate that's not Buells fault - more of a dealer issue. Many of the dealers here in SoCal aren't doing it because they all ran off to Laughlin! More opportunities for me to win the big prize! =) | ||
| Thunder |
Just spoke to Mr. Bruce Zimmerman and he is now in service but replied, that he had not heard anything. Their Buell saleman is on vacation and Dr Chall is also on vacation. Topeka is the preferred service dealer for the KC area I agree. I did inform him that Mid-America H-D Buell was online with this event. The Firebolt in my view is a forward step for Buell, but if these Dealer don't do a better job they will let this one die! I hope not... Just spoke to Bob LaMear (SLAB) and we are meeting in Columbia no later that 1 pm. For "Slay the Dragon Sweepstakes" and "PORK CHOPS". Anyone who can make it is welcome... Jeff | ||
| Spudman |
Court said, "For sometime, they were the ONLY Buell dealer (except Latus in Portland, OR) West of the Mississippi...” Well I was by Latus last weekend, not a Buell in sight. They've pulled the Buell stuff off the shelves and got rid of ALL sprotbike related stuff. I hear they ordered some FBs (FireBolts not FerrisBuellers) but don't know how they plan on attracting any buyers. The story I hear is there in a "wait and see" mode for future Buell support depending on how the FB sells. I think they already cooked their own hog on this deal. But I will give kudos to Destination in Tigard. The FB is on the floor, with a sign that says, "Already sold, No touch". Big party, including a ThunderCross and live music planned for Saturday to celebrate the FB introduction. Destination has also stepped up to the plate and sponsored our BRAG chapter, Sunset Thunder Club. And the real kicker, my clutch cable broke last Tuesday on the way into work, Destination had one in stock  . I was able to fix it on my lunch break, no down time! Destination is behind the Buell curve but is excited about the product. If you’re in the Portland area, come by Destination in Tigard for a good time Saturday and meet up with some STC members. | ||
| Jim_M |
"Big party, including a ThunderCross and live music planned for Saturday to celebrate the FB introduction. " TSI is also celebrating an Open House on the 27th...there should be plenty of people there checking out what Buell as brought upon the world. | ||
| Paulinoz |
Good Luck to all in the Slay the Dragon contest. Still sitting on the other side of the world waiting for Buell to throw Oz a few FB crumbs. I figure all production is staying stateside for the time being. There has been 5 pre-production units down under for past 2 months,For media release they have been getting huge press all very positive. They need to start shipping soon or the momentum will be lost. | ||
| Spike |
So you thought 7000rpm and 110mph was cool? How about 9500rpm and 160mph.   It's goin' so fast the needles are blurry. Spike '99 Cyclone | ||
| S2no1 |
Spike, How many tries did it take to get the picture. The local HD Buell dealer is having something. Guess I'll go fill out an application for that free Firebolt. Arvel | ||
| Spike |
S2no1, A lot.  Maybe 10 tries. The bigger problem is that I'm using a Kodak DC3200 digital camera and it has about a half-second delay between when you press the button and when it actually takes the picture. I ended up pressing the button before turning on the ignition. Makes for interesting battletrax photos too. Mike L. '99 Cyclone | ||
| Raymaines |
I've got a $700 Sony and it's the same story. Press button, one thousand one, one thousand two........................... click. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I love digital camaras, but,,, that delay really sucks. Unless you are willing to shell out serious sheckles (sp?), you are going to have to deal with the "shutter lag". Funny thing I've noticed, some cheap 2.1Mpix camara's are faster than the 3+ Mpix units. Almost no lag if you use the "no flash" mode. | ||
| Loki |
I know the Sony is a little different. A partial press of the button will freeze the shot(hold it) and the full press will record it. I do this to get a good look before I actually record the image. BTW: my current cam is a DSC-30 |
