| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
How many times does it take before you decide to say "Enough"? How many trips get ruined because your motorcycle broke down before you say it's time to look at a different Marque? My wife and I arrived home this morning at 3:00 AM riding two up on my XT. Her Ss is at the dealer in Williamsport, PA with failed wheel bearings. The night before we set out for Indy, we got the bike out of the local dealer's shop from having a speedometer problem repaired. Her bike is an '08 XB12Ss, purchased new in October, 2007. It's been in the shop for a muffler actuator, leaking rocker box gaskets, a bad clutch throw out bearing, the aforementioned speedo problem, and now, a wheel bearing failure that made our vacation a bit more "Adventurous". My 2008 XB12XT has been down with clutch hub bearing failures twice, leaking rocker box gasket, and wheel bearings. Neither my wife nor I beat on our bikes. We use them for commuting and traveling. Oil gets changed every 3,000 miles. Our tires last a long time (10,000+ miles). I've been a Buell owner for over 11 years. I've put over 175,000 miles on the four Buells I've owned. My wife has owned three Buells since her first Blast in 2000. My 2006 Ulysses was the most reliable bike I've owned since I started riding motorcycles back in the '60s. I thought that the factory had addressed all the reliability problems and had come up with a durable and dependable product. Now, I'm beginning to believe otherwise. I am also bothered by the new advertising campaign. I personally find it insulting and arrogant. I have yet to talk to a present Buell owner who who thinks it's a good idea. Disowning your most reliable model because it's "cute" and not a sport or race bike; and being too cool to wave at other motorcyclists is not what riding motorcycles is all about. It's what being a wannabe is all about, in my opinion. If the people who make the big decisions at Buell can approve an ad campaign that projects such a "chip on the shoulder" attitude, then their attitudes toward their customers are probably going to change equally for the worse. I can put up with bikes that have more defects than average if I believe that the manufacturer is trying their best and values my business. When a manufacturer insults loyal owners and the people who stood behind them for years, maybe it's time to look for a different bike. I think they should put more focus on making the bikes more reliable before they put all their efforts into proving how bad ass their race bikes are. I'm tired; the trip to Indy for the GP was not one of my best trips (Though we did get to see that rat weasel Pedrosa throw it away while leading the race). Hopefully, I'll feel better about Buells after I catch up on my sleep. If not, then I'll start looking at bikes that may not feel as good, but won't have me visiting Service departments in places like Boston, Indianapolis, Miami and a lot of other locations. | ||
| Dbird29 |
Well..... | ||
| Rainman |
Yow! I haven't had the Blast in the shop once since I got it a few years ago except for tires, a replacement mirror and a new carb boot, both of which I installed. Are the bearings and such under warranty? Is this a fairly common issue? It doesn't seem like that should be a problem after so many years of XB development | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
My 05 Buell has been fairly rock solid, after some intial issues which were covered by warranty. I do hear what you're saying, Crusty and have had similar concerns and thoughts. | ||
| Ducxl |
Not the kind of Crusty post i'm used to reading  We hope your experience grows better and is rectified to your satisfaction.Heck,i even thought you'd been a personal friend of the BMC. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I know where your coming from Crusty, I feel the same way. The new advertising campaign and BoB is just plain insulting! To take one of the best, most dependable motorcycles like the Blast and cube it is like saying, "we don't care about quality, we just want more speed". It's simply amazing that they can't make a muffler for the Uly that doesn't start rusting after six month! And the wheel bearings, another major concern for those who like to travel on their motorcycles. I'm seeing less Buells on the roads these days and I think I know why. | ||
| Slowride |
Crusty, I feel your pain. I had these types of issues with all 3 of my Buells including the 06 Uly. I finally replaced the Uly with a new Gl1800 and have had zero issues in the first 10k miles. Just gas,oil and ride. Matter of fact, I picked up an 2006 KLR and have had almost 5k trouble free miles on it as well. I still love the Buell and everything it represents. I did buy another one not to long after I picked up the new bike. I treat the Buell more like a hot rod now and only take it out locally (say 200 miles) or so. I will trailer it to destinations as I have been stranded too many times on them. There is no denying the fact that I have Buell in my blood, but now I can control the pain associated with them by just doing weekend spurts. | ||
| Redbuelljunkie |
In my experience, there are two kinds of Buell owners- those who have endured experiences like the ones above and have had enough, and those who have had bad experiences and stay aboard regardless. I have endured such horrible frustration and embarrassment with Buell products that I swore I'd never own another Buell... yet there's one in my garage now that so far has been perfect. Buell ownership requires the ability to withstand a "love/hate" relationship. Many people are not willing, nor should be expected to, put up with the "challenges" of Buell ownership. If you can survive the bad, the good usually makes up for it- but either way one must accept the reality. You'll figure out what's best for you. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I am also bothered by the new advertising campaign. I personally find it insulting and arrogant. I have yet to talk to a present Buell owner who who thinks it's a good idea. Disowning your most reliable model because it's "cute" and not a sport or race bike; and being too cool to wave at other motorcyclists is not what riding motorcycles is all about. It's what being a wannabe is all about, in my opinion. Here we go again. Well, you have just "talked" with one Buell owner that likes the new ad campaign. The Cube has run its course. Time to MOVE ON everyone. Any company that lives in its past is doomed to failure. Read the BOB again. It says nothing about not waving because you are "too cool." I love it when people mis-state things in an attempt to bolster an argument. sorry you are having problems with your bike(s). I would look at the service department if you are getting repeat failures. Either they are diagnosing the problem incorrectly or not doing the fix correctly. | ||
| Ulynut |
Sorry to hear about your troubles, Crusty. Get some rest, you'll feel better in the morning. Try not to let a stupid advertising campaign cloud your vision. Ride your own ride.  | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Long live the tuber. Every bit as unreliable as the aforementioned bikes, and a helluva lot easier to work on  | ||
| Danger_dave |
Mine has left me stranded once in 4 years - broken belt. It's been more reliable than my Triumphs and about the same as my old Suzuki. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
"sorry you are having problems with your bike(s). I would look at the service department if you are getting repeat failures. Either they are diagnosing the problem incorrectly or not doing the fix correctly." how can it be deal related if different problems occur. And his and his Wife's bikes aren't the only ones with these issues. I, for one, think you have every right to b!tch. Lot's of people here won't buy an American car because they're "pieces of shit" but will fight to the death to defend a bike that has more issues than the cars. This is the exact reason I don't take my Uly on really long rides. It died on me once, and I don't trust it anymore. You spend your hard earned money on a product and you have ever right to expect it to perform as it should and not have to have it worked on all the time, or wonder whether or not it will "make it this time." To be honest, I'm leaning toward the hate in the love hate relationship. I've had a few guys I work with ask me what kind of bike I'd recommend, and to tell you the truth, Buell wasn't on the list. I don't want to recommend something I don't trust. | ||
| Bikerjim99 |
After owning a Buell for eight years, I bought a FJR this year to replace it. I could not trust the Buell anymore, after being stranded several times. I also resent the current advertising program and the "book of Buell". I just don't fit their demographics, I guess, so I moved on. The FJR is great, but I do miss my Buell. You do what you need to do to continue riding, life is too short to waste it stranded somewhere. | ||
| No_rice |
In my experience, there are two kinds of Buell owners- those who have endured experiences like the ones above and have had enough, and those who have had bad experiences and stay aboard regardless. im the third kind. the one who has had 7 buells sitting in his garage at one time. beat the living $hit out of each and everyone of them over and over and over and cant seem to make them blow up or break down(except for a handfull of belts, but that 03 was never designed to transfer 150 horse to the ground so what do you expect) but i do take pride in my bikes and keep up on the maintenance. heck, i sold my second 03 then bought it back again a couple years later. still no problems. ive never replaced wheelbearings(even removed them, powder coated the rims, and reinstalled) but i realize not everyone apparently has my luck. but then again not everyone has bad luck... | ||
| Nevrenuf |
sorry to hear of the grief there crusty but we all have to do what we have to do. i had over 23k on the m2l that i had before it got totaled and out side of the speed sensor problems the only other thing was the gaskets. of course i can't say the same about the m2 that i got to replaced it. put a ton of money into it after the motor went but knock on wood, no problems yet on the rebuild. as far as the uly or the blast goes, no issues yet. i still think it has to do with whether it was built on a monday morning or a friday afternoon. hope things get a little better for ya. | ||
| Danger_dave |
My life is too short to own an FJR. | ||
| Froggy |
Remind me to correct you next time we have lunch.  Also, my 2009 1125CR has been had less issues than my Blast. My 06 Uly had a ton of stuff covered under warranty but never let me down, and my 06 SS had only a fuel pump and charging system changed under warranty, but the bike never left me walking. | ||
| Danny_h__jesternut |
I'm on my last Buell. I have no plans of geting rid of the tuber I've got, but it will be my last Buell. In fact when it is time to get rid of it, I'm going to turn it into a mutant chopper. Sell it and the left over parts on E-bay. Jest wait, when Buell dumps the XB line and no longer susports them(obsolete), then we'll see some howling. Only liquid cooled repli racers/rocket bikes as such. Ha Ha | ||
| Crusty |
Last time we were supposed to meet, Terri's bike was in the shop; the time before, mine was laid up with bad wheel bearings and clutch hub bearings. | ||
| Froggy |
Touché, next time I will ride out to your area so nothing on your bike explodes | ||
| Just_ziptab |
The Buell ad campaign IS NOT for you guys........you already know the ropes/what you want/what you got/what there is. That ad is for attracting new guys and nothing more.
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| Dragonslayer |
Sorry about your bike problems. Like No Rice, I'm also one of the third kind of Buell owners. The only problem I've had with mine is not having the time to ride all day, every day. Sometimes I have to go to that "work" place. The BOB does not say not to wave at other riders. I wave when I can, but if I'm in a curve and someone waves at me - my left hand doesn't move. I also think the Cube thing was a bad move, but I think BMC will realize that. I bet they're getting a heck of a lot more negative responses than positive on the Cube BS. | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
I am also of the third kind. I wouldnt hesitate to ride mine anywhere. Breaking down never crosses my mind. Crusty, Im not bragging or trying to rub salt in your wound. I just want you to be aware that what your experiencing is not normal. Ive also noticed that the bearing failures seem to be focused on the uly. I wonder if the added weight of the bags is part of the problem. I also agree with your thought on the B.O.B. It is the only thing about Buell that has embarrassed me as an owner. Its hard for me to see a company with such humble beginnings put out such a "in your face" ad. | ||
| Preybird1 |
My X1 has left me stranded 11 times in 2 yrs and i have spent major money over 8k in repairs and upgraded after market parts. I will not use any factory parts or HD parts anymore(If i can) Some parts are a must and only obtained from the dealer), They cannot be trusted for quality control any longer! Now i have to go through the transmission and probably spend another $1500 there fixing factory junk, I never liked Harley Davidson's "RATTLE TRAPS" as i call them. But once i got on this X1 I fell in love with the DAM thing and will spend the money until it is almost totally devoid of any factory parts! Or is wrecked beyond repair. I hate my bike and love it also! When its running it so fun, When it's down so am i. I am now almost to the point that i have replaced or rebuilt the entire bike! Sometimes i hope it doesn't break down just sitting there in the parking lot! Or hopefully nothing falls off of it while i am riding it! The bike has tried to kill me a few times NO JOKE! As for the ads campaign i don't care at all! when i sat on the bike and raced it around town i knew what was fun. I have read the 25yrs of buell and it was interesting! But all i cared about was riding the dam bike or staring at it all day! I am a late comer in this buell world and had no idea these bikes existed until 2007 lol @ me  But once i did find these great bikes i was forever hooked. I was at the dealer today Drooling over the xb12s and the xb9 city x also the 1125cr. Hang in there crusty I have had it worse with just the one bike. It is a piece of shit some days but, I still love it and when it's running it's the king of the road and major fun! | ||
| Smoke |
glad to see you and your wife at Indy downtown, at the mile and again at the gp! talked to Terri fri nite for a minute but was in the wrong place to make contact again. sorry for your issues with Terri's bike this time. mine managed to make it all the way home this time. 2200miles round trip. last year the water pump seal let go at the last stop 30 minutes from the house. i pretty much consider breakdowns part of the motorcycling adventure but my first bikes were triumphs and harleys. good luck john! tim | ||
| Etennuly |
Crusty, You are part of the glue that held me to my '06 Uly when my list of problems grew into it's second page. There are so many facets to engineering, manufacturing, and selling these things. When it comes to the issues of unreliability that mine has suffered I am riding the double edge of the sword. I won't sell it to someone else until the problems are fixed. This could take a while! I surely know though, I could not have built one better myself. I love riding this damn thing, it is the motorcycle a buddy and I designed on a napkin in a bar back in 1977 when we were discussing what could be better than the dirt bikes and road bikes we had at the time. Yes it is likely we were drunk at the time. Like you, I also had a perfect Buell.....my '05 City-X was 13,000 miles in a year with no warranty issues other than a turn signal wire coming unplugged. I also have to consider whom I am speaking to, as to whether or not I would recommend a new Buell. Some people I know would just park it in the garage and bad mouth it rather than fix it, and never ride it again. Others would simply be pissed at me for recommending a machine that has failed as many times as my Uly has. My true question of faith in Buell comes with my choice of my next bike. Hmmmmm? | ||
| Hmartin |
Gosh, I hope the political discussions on the Quick Board aren't part of the reason for your feelings about Buell.  Learning about other people's issues with these fascinating machines is the primary reason I come to this forum. After noticing a hum in the rear bearings while braking, I was convinced to swap them out during my last tire change. When my muffler valve actuator went out earlier this year, I knew going in just what to do just by reading about others' experiences. I'm also now aware of other clutch issues, fan issues, 77 connector issues, wire chafing issues, belt issues, etc., just by hearing what you all have had to say about those things, and I'm able to do a more thorough checks at service intervals and in between. That in itself doesn't make this a more reliable machine, but at least it helps to know what the common issues are so you can anticipate them. This is the first Harley-powered bike I've ever owned. I grew up on 2-strokes and then inline 4's (common theme - very peaky) and I find that I just love the V-Twin. Save for Suzuki's V-Strom, there's just nothing else like it out there. That, and the advantage of having an owners' network like this have kept me lovin' the lump. I don't know if that helps or not. It's sad when the 'passion' has to overshadow the practicality in order to keep owners from moving to other marques. This is just personal opinion, but it used to be that people expected their motorcycles to have certain issues, but given how the auto industry has had to improve it's reliability through foreign competition over the years, we've now come to expect that kind of reliability from our bikes as well. Anyway, whether you decide to try another brand and see if it is more reliable, or if you feel better about the niggles of owning the most awesome motorcycle ever made, I wish only the greatest of happiness and safety for you either way. | ||
| Ratyson |
Crusty, Sorry to hear that you have had so many problems. I hope you find the cure for them, and find yourself and your wife riding happy, trouble free mile after mile. I hope it is on a Buell, but whatever bike it is on, have fun! | ||
| Thetable |
I can feel the pain too Crusty. My bike is in the shop for the third time in 9 months of ownership. (In the interest of full disclosure, that has also been almost 20k miles.) I've missed one day of vacation to get a wheel bearing replaced. I've had to inconvenience others to get a ride to/from the shop. Every time it goes into the shop, it takes forever to get it back. Currently she has been in the shop for more than a week and a half, after waiting four days to get an appointment. (16 days and counting, I've been without my Uly since I setup the appointment.) And now, I'm tired of calling the shop to try to get updates, and I have a trip this is going to cancel. It really gets frustrating, so I try to look at other bikes, and nothing moves me the way that the Buells do. I've looked at a few bikes that I have really tried to like, but they end up being meh. Based on what I have seen and read, I love BMC, but when it comes down to someone like me who rides everyday, and counts on having a bike to get from point a to point b, it gets very frustrating, and I'm just really happy that I didn't sell my Suzuki when I bought my Buell. (She doesn't move my soul like the Uly, but she does move my ass.) |
