| Author | Message | ||
     Sradcliffe1 |
hi all: last week i bought i 2004 blast with 9k miles for my 16 year old son (i ride triumph). it is his first bike and chance for us to something together. i paid $2500 and the tires needed replacing. it is stock and seems to run well. I seem to see lots of 2002-2003 models with many fewer miles for around the same price i paid. Question #1 is: did i pay too much for 2004 with 9,000 miles? Question #2 is: the bike seems to require more than beginner skill level taking off from a stop - is that normal? thanks | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
#1 let's just say you didn't steal it.  #2 It should NOT require more than beginner skill level to do anything. That being said, I am not sure what you mean by needing more skill to take off. Is there a problem with the clutch? | ||
| Sradcliffe1 |
thanks for the reply. it seems that the "friction zone" is somewhat narrow such that throttle control has to be very precise to avoid bucking or stalling. | ||
| M2nc |
You can adjust the clutch cable to improve the friction zone. During the 1000 mile service, the HD dealer adjusted my Uly's clutch to activate just as you pull the lever. This is a typical Harley setting for them which is different from the average sport bike. I like it and makes shifting smoother and take off easier. If you need the specifics on how, just pop on Thumper Board where the Blast owners exchange info. | ||
| Sradcliffe1 |
Thanks! | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Also check the clutch lever "pull angle". My wife couldn't have the clutch lever at the same "pull angle" as the previous owner. Once I found her comfort zone, the shifting became much easier. (Message edited by lake_bueller on September 10, 2006) | ||
| Court |
Scott: You did fine on the purchase and the Blast will be an excellent bike for her. You may need to have the clutch adjusted. Folks here will be able to tell you precisely how to check the adjustment. The Blast is a perfect learner bike and should be able to do everything effortlessly. Enjoy and have fun. . . I've been riding Buells for 20 years and enjoy it more all the time. Court | ||
| Pregrid |
For her??? | ||
| Percyco |
Friction zone is very touchy on my girlfriends 2003 Blast. Being a beginner 2 years ago, she had a heck of a time with it at first. Thank goodness the Blast has plastic body parts and bendable turn signals ! | ||
| Ezblast |
Frictionzone is the same as any twin Buell. GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Naustin |
The friction zone is definatly very small, but it only takes a little getting used to. Look at it this way - the blast's clutch is a good learning tool. No sense making it too easy and then not being able to ride anything else.  | ||
| Bomber |
keep in mind that the Blast, like all Buells with carbs, is a cold blooded beast -- once it's fully warmed up, throttle response improves greatly, making initial movement much easier (and I'll echo the posts of those whoe recommend making sure the clutch is properly adjusted as well as the clutch lever being rotated so that it falls nicely to hand) ya didn't steal it, but you also didn't get robbed, in terms of price -- the only dertermination that ya need to make is that if the bike is worth, to YOU, what you paid for it | ||
| Light_keeper |
You might want to take him to a wide open space (parking lot) and do some clutch exercises just finding the spot then making it work. They teach it in MSF and it is for me a good exercise for any new (to me) bike I ride. If he hasn't yet a riders edge or MSF course is a great idea. Maybe something you could do together. There was a father son combo in the class I took several years ago. the father was an experianced rider but could not say enough about what he picked up in the class as well as the time spent with his son doing something they could share later. They Blast has been a great bike for me to get back into this sport and would not in retrospect have done it any other way  | ||
| Naustin |
Ditto Lightkeeper. The Blast was my first bike. It was perfect for that and I rode it for 2.5 seasons (8,000 miles) prior to just recently trading for a used S3T. It was a great bike. Having been experienced with automotive manual transmissions, and the MSF course, the Blast's clutch presented no problem for me - though as I said, it definatly has a smallish friction zone. | ||
| Cruisin |
The Blast is an excellent beginner bike, but since it is a thumper, the clutch isn't as smooth as other bikes I've ridden. It's not any more difficult, but you just have to learn how much gas to give it as you let it out. It always takes me a minute to adjust from my Firebolt to the blast. Ditto on the empty parking lot. Have your kid have it in gear, slowly let out the clutch until the bike starts forward, then pull it in (keeping the feet on the ground). They will rock forward on their feet, then back, but after a few minutes they'll learn where the friction point is. Being as cold blooded as she is, the Blast does take off better once she's warm. |
