| Author | Message | ||
     86129squids |
Maybe Greg's right about the Sporty- you've traveled all over with that thing, and it's 100% certain that you'd be able to repair/replace the motor with something a little more "Buell-ish", definitely tuned/built to travel distance... or, maybe a Dyna? I'm kind of surprised that you've not been on a Dyna this whole time, now that I think about it. I suggested the 1400 Intruder because I'd handled/ridden <one> bike, hadn't heard of any problems like what Greg mentioned. Of course, there should be an owner's forum on that bike and about anything else out there... And, I wondered about that fairing/bodywork when I first saw those pics. Kinda janky, yes... see if you can fix what's needed and unload that thing. When I was in sales, we had a saying- "There's an ass for every seat."  | ||
| Crusty |
There are plenty of asses out there, for sure... | ||
| Desert_uly |
As an owner of an R75/7, I would always recommend an older airhead as a wise choice for dependable transportation. The one negative for me is at 6'1" (which I don't consider to be real tall) and 230 lbs I somehow make the bike look real small. | ||
| Crusty |
I think today might be a good day to go over to the Harley shop and look at Sportsters... | ||
| Pwnzor |
Are those racks and bags going to bolt straight on to a new sportster? | ||
| Crusty |
Are those racks and bags going to bolt straight on to a new sportster? If they don't, I know a welder who can fix the issue. | ||
| Pwnzor |
PM me your mailing address, and I'll send you a couple of Glitch Badness stickers. | ||
| Greg_e |
You may want to look at the XG750 as well. I few guys on the V-Twin forums admit to owning them, and that they are a nice ride if you aren't prejudiced against them. A little small in the power, but you can get an 800cc upgrade from Revolution Performance. The water jacket around those cylinders is odd, so the 800cc upgrade is about as big as you can go right now. There's a thread on these cylinders at the V-Twin forums. (Message edited by Greg_E on July 21, 2016) | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Scout! | ||
| Ourdee |
$cout, I like them but think they are pricy. Co-worker has one and complained to me about the paint quality and how HD would have just fixed the same issue on his harley where as Indian kind of told him to pound salt. I hope their customer service isn't that whacked. But, I tend to believe this co-worker. | ||
| Crusty |
Luck I’m a very Lucky Guy, in a lot of ways. When my bike died in Illinois, I was able to get it to David’s house in Cincinnati. I’m lucky to have a brother who seems to enjoy helping me out. Actually, I have two brothers and a sister who enjoy helping me out. I know families where one member wouldn’t go across the street for one of their siblings. Then, there are the people of BadWeB, who organized a relay to get me home. A bunch of really Good folks went out of their way to help me. And there were quite a few others on the Forum who would have liked to help, but were unable to because of timing or distance or other reasons. I also have my friends outside of BadWeB. I know that if I were to ask for help, they’d do whatever they could for me. As I would for them. It’s pretty obvious to me that my luck runs to having great people in my life. There are other ways that I’ve been lucky, as well. When my Drive belt broke, it waited until I was back in Fitchburg. It could have snapped in one of the more desolate places I’d passed through, like between Lewistown and Malta in Montana. And even this year; my engine self destructed in Illinois. It could have gone while I was up in Jasper National Park, and I don’t know what I would have done. There’s no doubt that I’m a pretty Lucky Guy in my mind. Sometimes, though, I wish my luck would spread out into other areas of my life and then I think about the other ways I’ve been lucky. I had a serious heart issue that’s been with me for most of my life. I didn’t know about it, but by the time it was discovered, Technology had advanced to the point that it was repairable. I also was diagnosed with Cancer, but surgery and Chemo (actually, Bio) therapy took care of the problem. Yes, I have to have a very uncomfortable procedure every six months, but it’s nowhere near as uncomfortable as any of the possible alternatives. I sometimes wish I had more money; yet, I’ve always had enough to survive. I may not be able to buy all the toys I want, but I am able to get by. And I’ve had people who helped me out when times were really tough. All in all, I’m pretty fortunate. It helps me to list these things when I start feeling sorry for myself. This morning I had a case of the “Poor me’s”. My credit union will only loan me 80% of the price of a new Sportster. If I hadn’t bought the Kaw, I would have had almost enough (after I got my check next Wednesday, I would have had enough). But now, I have to think of other options. I’ll figure out what to do (I think H-D will finance 100%, but we’ll see), but it’s not going to be as easy as I hoped. I guess I just want to be lazy and have it all just come to me. Too Freakin’ Bad. Just suck it up and do the next right thing. Nobody ever told me Life was going to be easy. I’ll just have to use my brain and gitter done. In the meantime, I have the Corn Course to get around on. Also, I can clean it up and fix a lot of the little, annoying things that are wrong with it and improve its value. When I sell it for what I paid, it will be worth the asking price. | ||
| Greg_e |
And when you sell it for what you paid, maybe that will be the time to either buy a motor for the '05, or "negotiate" with the dealer for that leftover '15 or '16 new sporty. Any word on what happened and how much it might cost to fix your '05? | ||
| Crusty |
Hot Ideas Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a friend asking why I would buy another Sportster instead of getting the bike I really want. It’s a fair and valid question. The short answer is that EBR isn’t making the bike I really want yet. I suppose I could buy an 1190 SX and put soft bags and some sort of windshield on it, but I’ve learned over the years that when the factory does the job, they do it better. There are also factors that I don’t have the ability to compensate for. For instance, I’ve been told that the magnesium sub frame can’t tale the additional weight of hard bags. Now, I know a really good machinist who could duplicate the design in another material, like aluminum, but then I’d have to think about the stress on the mounting points on the frame. If I wait until the factory releases the new bike, it will be a better bike than I could ever make on my own. And there’s one other very important factor; I don’t know if the factory is even going to build what I want. From what I’ve seen and heard, a “Gentleman’s Express” (to use the old CYCLE magazine term) would only make sense as their next model, but Erik Buell doesn’t confide in me. And the people he does confide in aren’t talking. Today, I’m going to start cleaning up the Corny and then I’ll start checking it out in more detail. The fairing shouldn’t be too hard to remove (hell, it looks like half the screws are already missing!), and I want to investigate why the horn doesn’t work or if it’s even there, and do the same for the rear brake light switch and check out why the temp gauge and radiator fan aren’t working. I also want to go over the bike and see what else has been hacked and if I can make it better. I also want to adjust the headlights; they’re aimed too high. The other night, the high beam was lighting up the leaves in the trees overhead. Common sense and a tight budget have prevailed for the time being. I’ve decided to wait until I know more before I buy a new bike. If I get the Corny sorted, it will be reliable, if uninspiring, transportation, so there isn’t a real rush. Depending on cost, I’ll either repair the Roadster engine, or buy a used one from Pinwall. When I think of all the changes I’d have to make to a new Sportster, it makes a lot of sense to just fix up the ’05. Yes, the new bike has Fuel Injection and a much better headlight, but it also has forward pegs and no tach and I’m not too sure about the seat. It also has too much chrome for my taste. Also, I don’t know if I’d have to modify the saddlebag mounts so that I could put the H&B bags on it. I’d also have to buy a windshield and luggage rack. Still, it is injected and has that nice LED headlight and it comes with a 2 year warranty… Well; We’ll see. The next right thing to do is go by the car wash and clean the Corny. I’ll start there. | ||
| Greg_e |
EFI would certainly be a selling point, but I'd like to think that you can fix or replace the motor for $3000. Less if you are frugal and buy take off pieces where you can. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Cheap 09 1125CR + bags etc. Go from there. Still got H-D support till next year + EBR and BWB! | ||
| Crusty |
Sick and Tired I’ve got a Migraine. It just goes with the rest of the day. When the visuals started, I felt like saying, “Of course! it makes sense!”. I decided to pull the plastic off the Corny and start to chase down the little things that aren’t working. What I found was a bike that has been butchered even more than I suspected. The Concours is supposedly a reliable and easy to maintain UJM. It takes an idiot to screw one up. Well; whoever worked on this one isn’t just an idiot; he makes the Three Stooges look like master Watchmakers. The rear brake light doesn’t work because there are missing parts. The spring that goes between the switch and brake pedal is missing as are the two nuts that hold the switch in place. That’s no big deal, and when I discovered that, I started to feel a little hopeful. Then, I found the horns. The reason they don’t work is because somebody cut the wires. Before they cut the wires, though they did an incredibly piss poor job of soldering wires near the horns, then covering up their mess with a black substance remarkably like chewing gum in texture and consistency. Then I decided to see what was up with the fan. I still don’t know because the fan isn’t there. There’s no freakin’ fan! There’s no overflow plastic tank for the cooling system, either. I looked around the bike and discovered a lot of other missing things The helmet locks are gone. The luggage rack that hides under the cover behind the seat is missing. The license plate light isn’t there. There are supposed to be two little flip out hooks beside the tail light for bungee cords. Nope. Two of the bolts that hold the grab handles aren’t there. Sigh. The problem that took me the most time to resolve was a cross threaded bolt. All my taps are in storage 20 miles away, and it was where the right fairing bolts to the radiator. I used the screw as a tap. In 1/8 turn, back out 1/2 turn. Be very gentle so you don’t break the bolt off in there and keep spraying it with PB Blaster. It took me almost 45 minutes to get it right, but it’s in the way it’s supposed to be. It really is a shame that somebody could do such a hack job on what should be a reliable and easy to maintain machine. I’m going to fix up a couple of the small things, but I’m really not sure if I want to delve into replacing the fan. I’d have to get a service manual and buy a lot of probably very expensive parts. There’s a point when you’re just throwing good money after bad. I think I’m pretty close to that point, now. I bought this bike in a hurry because I needed transportation. I didn’t check it out before I bought it. Hopefully, I’ll learn from this and won’t make the same mistake again. | ||
| Froggy |
Sound like the same guy who worked on that bike is the same guy who wired up the power commander in place of the brake running light on my X1. Also somehow pressing the horn causes the ignition to cut. | ||
| Tootal |
John, I think the junk yard is your friend on that one. If you could find a wrecked Connie you might find all that you need cheap. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
SKY cycles of Lunenburg had been a great help to me in the past. According to the map it's here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/91+River+St,+Fit chburg,+MA+01420/@42.5860049,-71.813071,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e3e 6f8bdc57573:0x4ef41d872af44def!8m2!3d42.5861827!4d -71.811231?hl=en So I guess they moved everything into warehouses? | ||
| Crusty |
Actually, SKY Cycle is in the brick warehouse to the left of that grey building. And yes, they've moved everything into two of those warehouses. I ought to take a swing by there and check out what they've got for parts for the Corny. I don't know why I didn't think of them sooner. | ||
| Zac4mac |
When I did the "parade lap" at Homecoming 2008, the 2 "leader bikes" were a Ulysses and a Connie. I think, in a pinch, I could rock a Connie. Get it reliable enough to be your "Ute". You've been to Oz... Z | ||
| Damnut |
Get the connie running well and ship it to Australia. ..........  | ||
| Tootal |
 | ||
| Crusty |
And The Hits Just Keep Coming Well, it looks like I’m going to start fixing up the Corny. I went by SKY Cycle today and they have lots of Concours parts for very reasonable prices. It ain’t worth trying to sell it as a parts bike, and my conscience won’t let me sell it as a street bike until I consider it road worthy. So I’m going to fix the worst of the butchered screw ups. I’d better get a service manual with a wiring diagram so I can figure out what’s supposed to go where. I went by the local Kaw dealer to order a couple of small parts. The spring for the rear brake light switch and some nuts that clip to the bodywork. I hope I’m not throwing good money after bad, but the bike runs well enough that I have to try to make it right. If I can get the cooling system to work like it’s supposed to, I think the bike will be pretty reliable. I spent a couple of hours trying to repair the cracks in the left saddlebag. I have a two part plastic repair kit. It consists of a powder and a liquid. mix the two together, and it becomes a liquid that thickens until it’s a hard plastic. I got it when I had my Moto Guzzi. I used it during colder weather, and it took a while for the liquid to stiffen up. In the 90º+ heat we’re having, it sets up quickly. I think the bags are made of a plastic that the repair kit doesn’t work well on. It figures. Still, I put enough on the cracked area that it won’t hurt anything, and it just might help. I guess I’ll just have to get a bag from Fleabay, if it looks like things are getting worse. Guido won’t have an open lift until later this week, so I just have to cultivate Patience until I can find out how extensive the damage to the Roadster’s engine is. Pinhead Cycles has a used 883 engine for $1395.00 which is $1200 cheaper than the used 1200 engine. I’m thinking that that might be the way to go. buy an 883 motor, then put on a set of 1250 barrels and pistons and the heads off the Roadster. Before it fires up, however, it will get a bronze oil pump gear and new lifters. Guido seems to think that the whole problem was caused by a bad lifter. He works on a lot of Sportsters, so he’s probably right. However, I really think the problem was caused by the gear going south. Guido makes his living fixing bikes; I live to ride them; we’ll see who’s right once we crack the engine open. That’s today’s episode of As The Crankshaft Turns. Tune in again tomorrow for another journey into The Twilight Zone. | ||
| Pwnzor |
...with baited breath... | ||
| Crusty |
Is that what you get from eating worms? | ||
| Crusty |
Get the connie running well and ship it to Australia. I did that with the '79 CH back in 1997. By the time I was done, I could have bought a brand new Sportster over there for what it cost me in the end. Hell, just shipping was $2,000. Then there were all the various taxes and fees. Add in the aggravation, and I'd rather buy a used Yamaha 900 Diversion there. Here's one I've had my eye on: http://www.bikesales.com.au/private/SSE-AD-3338387 /1995-Yamaha-XJ900S/?cr=0&psq=%28Price%3Drange%5B2 50..5000%5D%26%28%28%28%28%28SiloType%3D%5BDealer% 20used%20bikes%5D%7CSiloType%3D%5BDemo%20%26%20nea r%20new%20bikes%5D%29%7CSiloType%3D%5BPrivate%20us ed%20bikes%5D%29%26Type%3D%5BRoad%5D%29%26Service% 3D%5BBikesales%5D%29%26State%3D%5BQLD%5D%29%29&pso =0&pss=Premium | ||
| Reepicheep |
If the saddle bags are ABS plastic (which much of the Concourse is), you can repair them VERY effectively with solvent welding with just acetone. Get some raw ABS (for example from the plumbing parts), cut it into small pieces, soak it in acetone until it becomes the thickness of peanut better, soften the target with a little acetone or Oatey primer, and apply. It will be a weld, not a glue, and will be stronger than the original material (because it is probably now thicker). You can also use the Oatey PVC pipe glue kits (primer and "glue" which is actually a solvent) to glue on large plates of ABS to effect repairs as well, either on top of or in place of the welding. And the big sheets of ABS (I can tell you where to get them in various thicknesses, car stereo installers use them) are easy to thermo form by putting in an oven at about 250 degrees. Pull them out and shape them quickly while they cool, or use a heat gun (carefully), It's amazing how well it works, and it's dirt cheap (cost of a can of acetone and $2 worth of ABS plastic). | ||
| Crusty |
Time Is… I’ve been ordering parts to make the Corny better. I had gone by the local Kaw dealer and ordered some small stuff the other day, and today they called me to let me know the parts were in. So I went by and picked them up. A brake light switch, a spring to connect it to the brake pedal and two clip on nuts for the fairing. Since I was so close, I rode by SKY Cycle and bought the bar end weights that were supposed to be on the bike. The pair he had were painted Roman Red. It looks more like Regurgitated Dago Red to me. Anyhow, I put them on the bike and immediately noticed less vibration on the ride home. I’m starting to gain a little faith in the Corny; maybe I will get to like it. I don’t think so, but it sure beats the hell out of walking everywhere. I think I’ll pull the bar ends off next time I’m at the shop and put them in the blasting cabinet. It shouldn’t cost too much to get them powder coated black. At any rate, it’s looking like I’ll be able to sell the Concours with a clear conscience when I’m done straightening it out. I bought a service manual on fleaBay, and it’s supposed to arrive next Tuesday. Once I get that, I’ll be ready to buy and put the fan on. Even if the manual is really crappy, it will have a wiring diagram, so I’ll at least know what color wire is supposed to go where. Once the fan is installed and working, I won’t have to shut the engine off every time I catch a red light. It will be nice when the bike runs like it’s supposed to. I called the Shop today and spoke with Sandra. She has an oil filter for the Corny in stock. I think it’s time I do an oil change. I should have done one as soon as I bought it, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep it. I didn’t want to waste my money and time if I decided to just sell it cheap as a parts bike. Tomorrow, unless the weather really sucks, I’m going over to the Shop. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a look inside the Roadster’s engine. I need to determine whether to rebuild the existing engine, or if it would be better to buy a used engine from a boneyard. I’m hoping it won’t be as costly as I think it’s going to be. I haven’t been over to the Shop since before I left in May. It will be nice to see everybody there and catch up with all the news. I’ll bring a few quarters so I can buy some M&Ms and feed them to Scotch (A Cocker Spaniel) and a few for me, as well. And I'll get to trade insults with Jimmy. Jim is a really Good Guy. He's gruff and insulting, but he'll go way out of his way to help someone. I remember one time back in the '80s when a woman who had a Honda 350 needed a pair of carburetors so her bike would run. She was broke, as well. Jim pulled the carbs off a 350 that was for sale and handed them to her saying, "Yeah, it's only a piece of sh*t Honda, but you can use these for now. Just bring them back when you get the money for a decent bike." ( She did return them a couple of months later) I’m hoping that tomorrow evening, I’ll be writing a Snippet describing how it’s not going to cost me as much as I thought it would to fix the Roadster. That’s what I’m hoping. What I expect is that the engine is going to be junk and I’ll be ordering a replacement from Pinwall Cycles. Stay tuned. | ||
| Tootal |
Hoping for good news Crusty! |
