Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 06:59 am:
I, too, love this board for its honesty. It's the reason I went ahead and bought my Blast.
I've wanted to move up in the next few years -- post kids in college -- to an XBSs, but I wonder just how reliable is the XB platform? I've heard about a variety of issues, especially the wheel bearings on the XTs, and I have at least two friends I've almost talked into trading old Hondas for new Buells. Much of that has been the reliability of my Blast.
Is my Blast just a fluke? When folks like Crusty are having so many issues, I start worrying.
I don't mind character, but I hate walking and pushing.
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 10:21 am:
Xl1200r on the Cube:
It's funny as all hell. The Blast was a good motorcycle, but no longer fit into the lineup. If Ferarri made a Civic-clone, would anyone care if the axed it in favor of only making sports cars? I think not.
Xl1200r on the BoB:
I think it was great. It was a good read. It said nothing about not waiving because you're "too cool", it talked about not waving because you're concentrating on riding and not trying to feel like you're part of the brotherhood or whatever. I have stopped waiving at other riders - not because I'm too cool, but because they don't know me from Adam and 99% of them wouldn't stop to help me out on the side of the road.
Xl1200r on Buell's reliability:
I hate it. I mean, really - what bike has the nerve to carry me flawlessly from NY to GA without a hiccup? Or over 2,000 miles across 6 states in one sitting with nothing more than gas? I don't get it.
In all seriousness, there are so many people out with bullet-reliable Buells, it confuses me as to how some people end up with "lemons".
I hope you can figure something out. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what bike I might like to have instead of the Buell, and none, aside from another Buell, have ever sufficed.
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 12:40 pm:
In all seriousness, there are so many people out with bullet-reliable Buells, it confuses me as to how some people end up with "lemons".
Well, it's not confusing to anyone who has had an unreliable Buell. I have had one reliable Buell and three nightmares, so in my experience Buell's lemon ratio is 3:1- not very reassuring. I still love 'em, though, and hope the reliability issues will get solved in the future.
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 12:51 pm:
I have given my Blast every possible reason to explode in a hail of smoking shrapnel...aside from a couple of dead isolators and some tires...it has had no problems....I HAVE spent quite a bit of money on it for mods, but that's just being me .
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 02:08 pm:
I've spent no money except for oil changes and such, and a carb boot ($9 with Riders Edge instructor discount). Most Blast owners I've talked to have had similar experiences.
Obviously, it can be done. Maybe the Blast is TOO simple?
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 04:35 pm:
I Bought my 98 S1W with 4757 miles on it on 4/13/07 (yes it was a friday) and it's getting ready to roll over 20k on it very soon. Not a lick of problems and even rode it to Myrtle Beach from Virginia Beach. The thing is like a Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 05:34 pm:
Don; Terri talked with the people at Williamsport earlier today. The bad bearing ate the axle and spacer, but the wheel is O.K. They were going to order the parts, so I would imagine it will be ready by next weekend. That's good, because we wouldn't be able to go get it before then; we're moving our daughter into her dorm this weekend. (Andrea's starting her Freshman year in college) The repair is covered under Warranty; unfortunately, the $200 towing charge is not. I figured out why my clutch hub bearings went bad, and have taken measures to prevent their recurrence, I put the new black seal bearings in my rear wheel, and now Terri will have them in her bike. I haven't figured out a cure for rocker box gasket leaks yet, but I'm thinking about it. Hopefully, we'll get some trouble free riding in, for a nice long while. BTW, I don't consider either Terri's or my bike to be lemons; but I am getting tired of not knowing if I'm going to be able to take a trip without some sort of problem cropping up. Sometimes I really wish my Buell didn't feel so good...
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 06:24 pm:
Sometimes I really wish my Buell didn't feel so good...
I certainly understand that! If it didn't feel so good, you just wouldn't care. If it has a problem park it until it is fixed, no big deal. These damn Buells are like crack.....once you get a whiff.....there is no going back.
My ratio is two to one. The City-x and the Blast have been excellent. My '06 Uly has been as bad as the new '03 pickup I had, that spent more time in the shop the first six months than on the road. The difference for me is the truck didn't stir my soul. I had a new Suburban that cost nearly $40,000 in '97 that was much worse. After six months of fighting with it, they had to buy it back due to being unusable and unrepairable after many attempts including a new engine. Making no excuse for them, there are a lot of new turds out there.
Now that my Uly is back in good form, I am suffering a need to ride, and now business won't let me. I am so happy that I fought through the problems to their current conclusion. This thing is as awesome as it was when it was new, only I know it much more intimately, perhaps even way more than I wanted to. Knowledge gained is a good thing, the problem comes with the timing of the classes.
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