| Author | Message | ||
     Mikej |
Bpl, Basic advice to avoid the "hate" part of ownership, if something acts up just deal with it and don't think it's the end of the world. 5,000 miles says any minor bugs should have surfaced by now. The only real complaints I've heard about the S1 is with the seat and the handling, which are really just issues with personal preferences and application. On the seat, some people are fine with it like MikeyP who rode from NJ->WI->NJ last year. On the application, I mean that as in how you ride and what you use the bike for, the S1 isn't really a "cruiser", it's more of a canyon carvin' get out and ride hard don't give me no straight roads sort of bike. At least that's my understanding of the S1 from reports I've read here and elsewhere, and is why I want one some day. And I won't be complaining about the seat. The only other real issue I've heard with the S1 is the battery, or more precisely the limited availability of a replacement battery. But searching the site here you should find ample sources and leads for dealing with that issue as well. I think you're going to be one happy camper, uh, make that one rider with a huge permanent grin. | ||
| Bpl |
What are the HP and torque ratings for the 96 S-1? I know what they are for the new bikes but not the older ones. I am ready to pick it up, cant wait till Sat. Brian | ||
| Rocketman |
The thing about buying a used S1 is you are already way ahead in fortune cookies. All the folks that bought Buell's brand fire new paid a hefty price for them. Sure, the price is relative to what you get in the Buell package and relative to other manufacturers alternatives, but I bet there's many a Buell owner, past or present, that is pi$$ed off with Buell problems all the more because of the hefty price. Buying used gives you a financial benefit that will buffer your fall if anything does go pear shaped. They are not a maintenance free motorcycle if their is such a thing. What folks need to grasp though is Buell are not alone in the book of problems. At least Buell dealt with our (customer) problem issues with the recall programmes. There's some Buell owners who've had their individual needs sorted by dealer\manufacturer good will gestures too ! I don't think any Japanese house would go that far. Remember the Hayabusa subframe failures. Suzuki didn't even recall them, rather, they manufactured an alternative and sold it to the customer. Only yesterday I was chatting with a geeza who's owned a BMW R1150GS (?), the cool looking streetfighter boxer, for 8 months now, and he was telling me the build quality isn't a patch on the older BM's he's owned. After much nagging, his BM dealer has changed, under warranty, all of the alloy components on his front forks because they were badly corroded. In his words and unlike his previous BM's, "I daren't use it in winter". At the end of the day, bean counters determine so much of what ends up as the production models we buy, and where they can, they will cut corners. Best Buell buy = USED Rocket in England | ||
| Aaron |
Brian: congrats on your acquisition of a FINE motorcycle! A 96 S1 was factory rated at 91hp stock. That's crankshaft. Look for 70's at the rear wheel. Easy to get more of course. Biggest bang for the buck is almost any aftermarket muffler, it'll add a whole bunch of punch to the mid-range, but probably not much on top. | ||
| Road_King |
Brian: You're gonna love your S1. If it's got improved seating, intake and exhaust, there's not much left to do, except tinker with your breathers! My advice: Ride it hard, keep it halfway clean and fix the little stuff as it breaks. Don't expect it to be Maytag reliable, but don't expect major problems, either. If you're halfway handy, you can fix most of what will break. Road_Thing | ||
| Bpl |
Well... I have the S-1 in my garage! WOO HOO!!! Looks sweet, sounds cool, damn, I love it! Bad part is I am on midnight shift this week. I cant wait till a day off! Only problem is the tank decals are bubbled. The original owner said that this happened 6 months after he bought it and Buell replaced them. When they did it again, he just left it that way. I took a needle and poked the bubbles on one one letter and flatten the bubbles out. I have a friend that has a graphic business and he could probably make new ones. The decal problem isnt a big deal, its just that the bike is mint otherwise and I want it to look perfect. Any suggetions on the decals? Thanks for everyones advice and help. Brian | ||
| Jiml |
Brain, Kewl, man glad you got it and welcome to the world of Buell ownership. I know that the dealership up in Mansfield is very good. (Hale's) Give them a call and explain your situation. I'm thinking that they will goodwill the tank and replace it for you. Hey it's worth a shot. Are you going to Mid-Ohio for the AMA races in July? If so I'll be there. I was in the Navy with a fellow from Mansfield and get up that way a few times a year. You should get the service & parts manual for your S1 and become one with it. You should think about coming over to Indy next month for the 2nd Annual Hoosier Buell Sport Bike Fest which is May 12 & 13. They're having the Buell Demo fleet down so you could ride all of the 01 models. later, jiml | ||
| Vr1203 |
I have 1996 S1 with a painted tank and it has bubbled around the decals also. I need to repaint it because it is a custom paint job .How do I keep this from happening again? | ||
| Eeeeek |
VR: Buell will swithc you out a new tank, goodwill. As you said, you will need to repaint it; but, I think you'll find the new tanks don't have the same problem. BTW, I said it on a nother board, nice bike. The rest of you will recognize it as Chris for Ilinous' old bike, the S1 with the VR1000 style bodywork painted as a VR1000. Very nice.  Vik | ||
| Pilk |
Brian, post a pic. of your new S-1. Hope the love far outwieghs the hate!!!! PILK | ||
| Bpl |
Hi guys. Thanks for all the responses. I havent been here for a few days. I have been out enjoying my new toy! Damn, this bike is cool! I havent been on a bike for several years so I have been taking it easy but this bike is incredible. I cant believe the torque it has. I dont have any pictures yet but I will soon. Had a few problems come up but nothing major. The previous owner installed an aftermarket carbon fiber air cleaner assembly. Only problem, it wasnt mounted correctly. During a stop light to stoplight blast, the cover and filter blew off! It is on right now after a little alteration. The bike has an off road race exhaust system from Buell. The muffler has a broken bracket on the outlet end. The vibrations from the bike caused the muffler to separate from the flange that connects to the header. It is still securely on the bike but it will get worse as time goes on. Good news, a friend of mine who is into Harley's big time knows someone who welds aluminum. We took the bike by his place and he said if we drop the muffler off, he can repair it. I am going to let him try it, if he screws it up, either way I need a new muffler. My friend has seen some of his work and is convinced that he can fix it. Other than that, the bike is great. I am so happy with it. I stopped for gas tonight and had two people come over and ask about it. I had to answer questions for ten minutes about what it was. Oh well, I had fun. Sorry to ramble on but I am enjoying this too much! Thanks again. Brian | ||
| Tripper |
Bpl - Take that bike to any Buell dealer and ask them what they suggest. There is a recall on the muffler that consists of a safety strap. This is not what you need, but perhaps they can get you the newly released race muffler as a warranty item. Worth a shot. | ||
| Court |
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| Justcuz |
About the paint jobs.....a friend of mine has an S-1 with a custom paint job that bubbled. Through a factory tech, he found out that there is a special type of primer that needs to be used so the plastic tank can breathe. Should consider talking to Buell to get confirmation and specifics......... Later | ||
| Road_King |
Court: Great idea -- safety strap for the muffler. Where'd you get the wire -- is it marine stuff? Size? Road_Thing | ||
| Tripper |
The pic that Court posted is the Buell Race System Muffler recall. The strap is around the front of the muffler. What has happened is the weld around the inlet pipe cracks and the front of the muffler will fall to the ground, still attached to the bike by the rear hanger. Can u say POLE VAULT? I have not done many of the recalls to my S1, but I have this one. My inlet weld cracked and my dealer welded the mufler at no charge because they knew Buell had a problem and a recall was coming. The recall turned out not to be a new muffler but a strap, probably due to design lead times, etc. Similar to the SRP, but Buell has not officially offered to give us new mufflers. If the new muffler would have been available at that time I am sure they would have put one on. Buell has recently released a redesigned race muffler, which is why I suggested to BPL that he talk to his dealer about a warranty replacement. A good dealer (shameless plug coming) like Topeka HD/Buell would work within the system to avoid their customer having a crash. | ||
| Tripper |
Road King; I just looked at your profile. There is no reason the kit in Courts picture would'nt work on your 2 (you dirty dog) S1's. The only problem may be that your dealer won't know how to sell you a recall (free) kit! | ||
| Road_King |
Tripper: I'm thinking I should just go to my local marine supply store and have a couple of wire loops made up with Nicro fittings. Even at "marine" pricing, it can't cost much, and I'll get exactly what I want. I've experienced difficulty keeping the Trapps on my bikes, but I think I've got it licked. I posted pics of a rubber mount on this board some time back. It's got about 2500 miles on it now and it looks like it's gonna stay together. I wouldn't mind a little extra security, though! Road_Dog_Thing | ||
| Airborne |
Bpl: Ya better get used to the fact that somebody will talk to you everytime you get gas. I've even had people talk to me while at a stop light. One time a cop stopped me just to see what I was riding. Two weeks later the cop had an X-1. We Buellers can be the best salesman by just aknowlegding people. Maybe some of our "common problems" will go away if more bikes are sold, which equals more money for Buell and that can equal better production bikes off the factory line. (See where I'm going with this?) | ||
| Jasonl |
Airborne - I'm all about pushing the free demo rides to anyone who asks. I get a lot of "nice bike!" and "What is that!?". | ||
| Airborne |
Demo rides. Just as long as it isn't on your bike, right? Honestly though, I have on occasion switched bikes for a few miles with careful scrutiny. They always give the bike back with a big grin on their face. I'm just waiting for my friend with the R1 to switch off for a while. I wonder if the R1 won't leave me feeling empty like the other high revving Jap bikes do. | ||
| Chuck |
Jap bikes are great on the race track . . . Buells are great everywhere else  | ||
| Peter_T |
On the other hand I've swapped my bike with a few japanese bike riding friends. Comments range from the polite, "it has potential" to outright laughter and comments of the "you must be kidding" variety. I have a smile on my face because top line japanese sports bikes are so much fun to ride. I'm getting old and slow and though a fast adrenalin filled blast is fun the Buells more relaxed approach suits me better over the long term. Airborne, get over your bias and you will have a ball riding an R1 (or any other Japanese sportsbike). The R1 is probably one of the most enjoyable bikes I have ridden (and I've ridden quite a few) Pete | ||
| Airborne |
Maybe I am biased. But for good reason. Not only do I own a X-1 but I also have a Yamaha 750 sitting in the garage waiting for my son to turn 16. It's a nice powerful and smooth ride but I wanted something bigger that makes people want to challenge you. The Yamaha just kind of blended in with the scenery. Between My Father, Brother and Myself over the years I've gotten the chance to become acquainted with rather than just test ride several British, Japanese and the American made bikes. Between the three of us we would trade bikes for a month at a time. Ample time to form an honest opinion. The other bikes are from lousy to awesome but none had the "grin factor" like the Buell. My brothers current ride is the YZF 600 with go fast goodies. Sure it might be faster but he is still jealous of the "feeling of power" that my X-1 has. His words not mine. It is nice to trade around with trusted friends and family. It isn't the fastest bike that wins, it's the best rider. | ||
| Chuck |
Like I said . . . Jap bikes are great on the race track --- Buells are great everywhere else . . . If you are riding public roads and you need to travel faster than a well-tuned Buell will allow . . . you are a moron --- Many prefer the "look" and "feel" of the import sport bikes - and that is cool ; but most "squids" can't ride well enough to tell the difference ... but hey, we all must live and learn. BEFORE YOU ARE OLD AND WISE, YOU MUST FIRST BE YOUNG AND STUPID  ... I'm just less young and less stupid. | ||
| Jeffsd |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I need help. I'm considering buying a Buell. I'm looking at a 2000 M2. I think the only modification is an air filter and air box. First, what should I check on when looking at the bike? Second, how much should I spend? The bike appears to be in good shape and has 1500 miles. My last bike was a 98 Honda VTR 1000. (No, not a VR 1000) I got rid of it about two years ago. I was thinking that I would get a Harley but I can not imagine spending THAT much $ for a bike that is so heavy and slow and in need of instant performance modifications to get out if its own way. So, I'm looking at the Buell as a compromise. It is quick and is also part Harley. What is the BIG difference between the M2 and X1? I'm not trying to set the road on fire so I think I would get more use from the M2. That way I could ride the twisties and cruise with my Harley buddies. I've noticed in some of the ads that several performance mods have been made to many of the bikes. Specifically exhaust, air box and shifter modifications seem plentiful. What is the deal with the shifter? I can understand the air box/exhaust for better breathing. I will be able to park the beast in my garage and I am somewhat mechanically inclined so routine to moderate maintenance/repair will be no problem. The bikes sound like a lot of fun and two years is WAY too long to be out of the saddle in Southern California. Any input will be appreciated. Jeff P.S. Hans and Peter, thanks for the input. | ||
| Eeeeek |
Ummmm, I'm not sure how to reply to that. Buell is not a compromise, and don't expect it to be a Harley. As much as Harley is enveloping Buell, Buell, and especially Buell owners, are pretty independent from Harley.
Ride them both and you'll feel the difference. The X1 handles better, has a higher top end and more rearset footpegs. The M2 has more low end and a carb.
Riding a Buell with a group of Harley's SUCKS! You know that feeling yuo get when everyone in front of yo is walking way to slow and you can't get around them? **YES, I know some Harley's can really fly and handle very well. I've been known to throw a confederate around in the twisties; however, I feel perfectly safe saying that groups of Harleys tend to just lumber along.** From your description, it sounds like an M2 would do you well. Throw away the airbox, get a piep, rejet the carb and have fun (all my opinion, which doesn't count for much). The 2001 shifter is tollerable and a vast improvement over the old ones. Most importantly, drop by a dealer and take one for a test drive. Vik | ||
| Chuck |
If you like to "play" with your motor, the M2's carb may be more friendly to tune than the fuel injection of the X1. | ||
| Jasonl |
JeffSD - This decision really depends on what you're looking for. While the two bikes may seem very similar (engine, layout, looks, etc) they are very different once you ride them. The X1 has a position probably more akin to what you're used to. It's much racier and "lay down" than the M2 with it's pegs and bars. The X1 has fuel injection which when right is GREAT but when wrong will irritate the hell out of your with trips to the dealership for diagnosis and tuning. The X1 has more track tuned handling due to it's steeper fork angle and higher grade (depending on who you ask) suspension. The M2 is a solid design thats been unchanged in production, except for body mods, for a long time. It's carbuerated so you can tune it at home but carb work can be frustrating. It is less expensive than the X1. If a warranty isn't high on your list of must have's then you can find them cheap used. I've heard M2 riders say the seat on thier bikes is the most comfortable one they've ever had. While the X1 has serious top end charge the M2 is less peaky and won't require as much shifting to have fun with. But you will trade off that top end punch due to different cams. So far as the shifter goes....Buell's suffer from sportster trans syndrome. Very clunky shifts that you have to be deliberate with while shifting. This can be fixed with various different shifter designs out by Banke and the mother company itself. I think in '99 they fitted the new bikes with a different detent plate that affected shifting. I have a 98 so I can't vouch for it. I believe all of these mods helped but since I don't have any of them I can't say. You might want to post a question to see what people who have ridden a VTR or owned one and now own a Buell think. They may be able to better answer you questions. Also check out www.sacborg.com and www.americanthunderbikes.com for other bulletin boards. | ||
| Blake |
Y'all forgot that the M2 is THE BEST MOTORCYCLE EVER MADE! And I proved it too!  |
