| Author | Message | ||
     Tpoppa |
I have been riding an XB9S for the last 25,000 miles. I have always liked the looks of the M2, but don't know much about the tubers. Anyway, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2000 M2 with under 7,000 miles. What should I be looking for on the M2? | ||
| Nevrenuf |
not sure of the recalls cause i've only had an 02m2 but some of these other guys will chime in to let you which ones you have to check on. other than that, they are the best of the two up, sport touring,handling buells out there. personal opinion. but there are others that will agree. go for it and if you can keep the xb for the fun stuff. | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
IIRC, the shock was the only recall item for 2000 M2s - the replacement has a remote reservoir. Other than that, I'd look for signs of abuse / neglect, check the service records, and ask about typical problems, like the speedo sensor and rocker box gaskets. If they've been replaced, great; if not, they're simple fixes. What kind of modifications / upgrades are on the bike? | ||
| Mikej |
Rocker cover gaskets may or may not have been upgraded or changed by 7k. Could possibly still have the original tires, my first set got 11k on them before I swapped them out. Speedo sensor probably hasn't been upgraded to the "new and improved" version. If you get the VIN, then any local Buell dealership "should" be able to tell you if recalls have been performed on it. Other than that, if it runs and goes straight and doesn't look overly abused then they're basically fairly straightforward as far as bikes go. | ||
| Tpoppa |
Thanks for the info. As far as mods, it has aftermarket pipe and intake. I believe the rest is stock, but it is not the original owner. Can you give me an idea how much parts would cost if I needed to replace the speedo sensor or the rocker box gaskets? Replacing the speedo sensor sounds pretty srtaight forward...is replacing the gaskets a DIY job? How can I tell if the rocker box gaskets have been replaced? | ||
| Djkaplan |
The two most problematical issues are the primary tensioner shoe and oilpump drive gear. Make sure you have the updated primary shoe with the thicker backing plate. When I updated mine, the original, thinner plate was intact, but cracked on one side. The only way to check to see which one you have without endoscopic tools is to take the primary cover off. Maybe the current owner has a record of it being done, it was a common problem that was well known. You can inspect the oil pump drive gear by dropping the oilpump the next time you change the oil. It's the gear that drives the pump, not the gear on the pump, btw. The replacement gear is cheap, but it's a bitch to replace. Don't replace it unless you have to, but make sure you don't have to... too. The shock, no matter which one it is; the original SRP or the updated, shorter reservoir shock, is probably wasted at this point. Addressing that issue is probably going to be your biggest concern in the near future with a tuber. Also, the front spring rate is too low for anyone over 150lbs. Longer pre-load spacers help, but stiffer springs are really in order for heavier riders or for riding two up. The bike is a great platform to be modified into whatever you want it to be - a two up day tripper/ripper like Nevrenuf, a packed down adventure tourer like Mikef5000, or a trackday mount... oddly enough by Mikef5000 too. I have mine set up for backroad strafing, something the bike excels at when set up for it. | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
The speedo sensor is about $55 and five minutes to replace if/when it goes. Replacing the rocker gaskets is also straightforward, just a bit more time consuming. One or both may have already been done - you can only tell by receipts. | ||
| Torquemonster |
Make sure you get the rubber gaskets for the rocker boxes. Mine cost $50 from my local Buell/HD dealer. Changing them isnt a big deal... just get a hex key and cut it down a bit to fit btwn the bolts that lie under the frame. IMHO, thats really the hardest part about the whole thing, so dont stress it too much. Congrats on the Cyclone...Hope you dig it as much as we do. (Message edited by Torquemonster on October 16, 2007) (Message edited by Torquemonster on October 16, 2007) | ||
| Jayvee |
Recall was only the shock, I have a 2000 M2 as well. They should have recalled the rocker box gaskets but gaskets are a "consumable". My front rocker box gasket just went out at about 3750 miles. When I did the front one, I discovered the rear had already been done. Lazy people, why didn't they just do them both? Would have spared me a lot of grief. Intake seals went on mine too, I'd hazard a guess that you should be looking at intake seals real soon. I would say the most likely to fail right away are the intake seals and lower rocker box gaskets. If you just get the lower gasket I think it's around $8 (?) I bought the whole kit it was $63 out the door, and I really only needed the one gasket from the kit. Intake seals are cheap too, like about $7 from American Sport Bike. | ||
| Reepicheep |
What to look for when going from an XB to an M2? Ummm... a good hobby?  The front rocker box generally lets go before 5000 miles, so that may be done. The rear usually goes at about 9000, so that may be a job that awaits you. As mentioned, the shock was a recall. The front exhaust hanger should be upgraded to the new part, the one that is a nice cast upside down Y looking thing. That will save you no end of grief. Run your belt scary loose (contrary to the manual). Sit on the bike, reach down with your hand, and make sure you can push the belt so it *just* starts getting tension when it touches the swingarm. As mentioned, speedo sensor is an easy replacement... and not all bikes consume them. I liked the forcewinder for looks and sound, but the various catch can solutions I tried were all PITA's. If I were doing it again, I would just get one that routes it back into the intake and be done with it (and take the minor power loss hit). Rejet the slow jet and adjust your air fuel idle mixture screw as per the knowledge vault. Your main jet is probably already fine (a 180 or bigger). The Ford FL1A (same one used in an F150) will give you a nice looking filter with a little extra oil capacity, but you want to use a worm clamp to keep it from spinning off. Or just use the stock parts. The new primary metal gasket will be used the next time you get in the primary. Those can be reused fairly reliably. As for a used bike, if the belt looks on the tight side, I might try and get the rear wheel off the ground (jack stands with a piece of rebar) and spin it. Listen for crunchy noises around the front sprocket (the 5th gear drive assembly). Its a cartridge tranny though, so even if that thing is trashed it's fairly fixable (with enough time and a little bit of money). The youdude flyscreen mod (cant buy it any more, but you can make it, again see knowledge vault) is a really nice mod. A great place for a small tool set. Tail sections sometimes crack under the seat... but its not visible, so you can glue it back up before it gets too bad if you spot it in time. As mentioned, do check the oil pump drive gear. If you are replacing rocker box gaskets anyway, you are 70% done with the hard part of replacing the problematic gear with the new bronze looking "race" part... which fixes the problem. If I were doing rocker boxes, I would do them both, and replace that gear while I am in there. The crank seal can go after about 15k miles or so... not a big deal to replace it, but don't seat it too deeply or it will just fail again. Other then that, not much to worry about It's a lot of jobs, but it's an easy thing to work on, and it is a very cool and significant bike. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Oh... and when you remove the derby cover, keep gradually pulling screws out in a circle (two turns, next screw, two turns, next screw, until they are out). If you remove two screws completely with the other ones still tight, the whole cover will •••• and bind the remaining screws, and you will break them off. | ||
| Djkaplan |
The blue ones were the fastest color in 2000, btw... | ||
| Tpoppa |
Run your belt scary loose (contrary to the manual). Sit on the bike, reach down with your hand, and make sure you can push the belt so it *just* starts getting tension when it touches the swingarm. never heard that one before. have many people experienced problems with the trans? | ||
| Djkaplan |
Sit on the bike, reach down with your hand, and make sure you can push the belt so it *just* starts getting tension when it touches the swingarm. I've run my belt like this for 7 years and never had a problem. I wouldn't call it "scary loose"... more like "reassuringly not tight". | ||
| Road_thing |
Oh... and when you remove the derby cover, keep gradually pulling screws out in a circle... ...and once you have those God-forsaken Torx-headed bitches in your hand, throw them as far as you can, preferably towards a deep body of water, and replace them with Allen head bolts. rt | ||
| Reepicheep |
Tpoppa... yes as a matter of fact... the leftover parts make for some fine desk art  It crunches up the needle bearings in the 5th gear drive assembly (which is what holds the little front pulley on), and they then chew up the counter shaft, and as it fails it abuses your dogs more and more, until it basically starts friction welding and gets stuck in 5th gear. | ||
| Mikej |
That's for the original style speedo sensor. The updated one involves some wiring and costs a little more. | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
Wiring? It's one allen bolt on the case and a plug-in connector on the other end. That is the updated part, 74431-01. You can preserve the older part (if working) with a soldering iron and some resistors, but why not just buy the new part for the same price? | ||
| Mikej |
When the updated sensors first came out someone posted the installation instructions here (or else I read them at a local shop) and it looked like one would have to splice in some wiring somewhere. It wasn't a simple plug-n-play, which is why I just used the old style on my last sensor swap (which thankfully is still working). | ||
| Mikej |
Here you go: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=3842&post=310146#POST310146 Was there another update to the updated sensor that no longer requires any rewiring or splicing? (Message edited by mikej on October 17, 2007) | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
I think that kit retrofits older (but still working) sensors. The new sensor incorporates those changes, and is plug and play. There are some "old" sensors in dealer stock, so it's best to ask for it by the new part number and not description. | ||
| Cbm2 |
I've got about 13,000 miles on my 2000 M2 and am pretty happy with it. The detent plate went out about 500 miles ago with is the result of a .49 cent clip falling out, costing my $350 to fix. When I got the bike it had a newer belt on it and it was fairly tight but I just left it. The bike gets its share of abuse (My buddies all have 600s and Busa's) and it really holds up well other than the shaking that seems to rattle everything loose. | ||
| M1a65 |
My 4th speed sensor cost $75 for the new improved version. 15k miles so far on this one... All in all it's been a fun bike, picked it up for 7700 brand new out the door. Guess people were scared off with the old failing shock (it's a Y2K M2). Still need to check my oil pump drive gear, thank goodness winters coming! | ||
| Djkaplan |
"All in all it's been a fun bike, picked it up for 7700 brand new out the door." Good God... you really love that bike if that's the way you still feel. Our bikes were identical down to the color when we bought them, and I haven't had any of the issues you've dealt with (except the stator, which is a right of passage for all of us apparently). You just had to mention that gear, though... |
