| Author | Message | ||
     Norton |
Hi All, I need to have a rant (VENT)  After spending 5 months rebuilding my X1 I took the bike to a well known "Big Twin" workshop for a dyno tune (Using ECMSPY). Although Buells are not very common in Australia the workshop reassured me that they specialise in Big Twins, particularly Harleys and were confident that they could do the dyno tune and would have no issue with the ECMSPY software. Within a week the workshop rang me to tell me they were still working on the bike. A further week later still no luck.... still working on it. At the 3 week mark I got a phone call from the workshop, apparently they couldn't get the bike started. They told me that it was only running on one cylinder and would not start at all. I was asked to come and pick it up. Of cause I was shocked, the bike ran well before I dropped it off. The workshop accused me of dropping off a bike that did not work (I dropped it off on a trailer). Firstly, why did it take them 3 weeks to decide the bike was not even starting, secondly it ran well before it was dropped off, thirdly you're mechanics....what wrong with the bike? Straight down to the workshop and pick up the bike....a couple of nice words were exchanged and I brought the bike home. Bike was only running on the rear cylinder, backfiring and running very badly. Checked the plugs, very wet, checked the spark, very weak, checked the coil, all good, Changed the plugs, still no better, checked the battery......low voltage, recharged battery, started ok but still not great, performed load test on battery.....failed, purchased new battery, ran great....All Fixed. OMG, why did it take me (An office worker)2 hours to diagnose and fix what a workshop full of mechanics couldn't do in 3 weeks? Thanks All....I feel better now. | ||
| Rlgiv |
I have come to the conclusion that me an emergency room nurse who has no mechanical experience and only been riding slightly longer than one year is a more competant mechanic and better tuner than any mechanic or tuner working for harley davidson or ducati in my area. | ||
| Buellistic |
"FIRST OF ALL" you have been dealing with technician's , not MECHANICS !!! technician's only know what somebody wrote in a book and are unable to think out of the "BOX" !!! In this day and age you BUY the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL and PARTS BOOK for your YEAR/MODEL BUELL and learn to be your own MECHANIC(not a technician} !!! The fit time is shorter and cheaper($$$$.$$) !!! "AND" there is plenty of help on Bad Weather Bikers, JUST ASK !!! | ||
| Norton |
Totally agree Buellistic. I have the full service manual and the parts book. It was from reading posts on Bad Web that I found how touchy Buells can be with a suspect battery....This helped considerably with my diagnosis. Obviously my expectations of a so called "expert" who I am going to hand my hard earned over to is too high! | ||
| Totalnutah |
agree 100% , a Buell manual is worth it's weight in gold  | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
The Buell Service Manual and Parts Manual are absolutely necessary. This is even more important for Buell owners than for owners of other bikes because Buells are "different" from other bikes in many ways. | ||
| Fullauto |
Hope they didn't charge you anything.Sounds like a typical knuckle dragger workshop in Oz. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Did they do any changes to ECM with ECM-Spy? Hope not.Do you have it? As you need to be able to use it to Diagnos troubles,sounds like it needs a TPS reset and AFV reset. Put new plugs in as old ones have been fouled and Buells do not take that well. | ||
| Norton |
No, no charge. In the end they didn't do anything. I can now see what happened: First Week: They got the bike. Were busy so did nothing in the first week - (Tell customer we're still looking at it) Second Week: Still busy, might look at the software, still not much done - (Tell the customer we had a problem with our dyno) Third Week: Have a look at the software, start to work on the bike, discover that it won't start - Call customer and tell him there is something wrong, come and pickup your bike. Jim, I have ECMSPY and several copies of my Maps/files. All has been reloaded and checked. New Battery, New Plugs, Bike runs well. | ||
| Buellistic |
BATTERY Class 101: Motorcycle BATTERY is a very small battery !!! When not riding it should be kept on a TRICKLE CHARGE(recomend a BATTERY PLUS CHARGER) ... Ever notice when you start your car(vechile) with the lights on THEY GO OUT AS YOU GO TO START(cars have a relay for this) and then the car starts ... Well, "SO" when you start motorcycle the lights stay on while the SMALL BATTERY try's to start the engine(so the electrical system engineer forgot to design a relay in the system or the FACTORY did not want to spend that extra money) and this is a LIFE SHORTING LOAD for the SMALL BATTERY !!! | ||
| Kalali |
I'm guessing if they are that busy then they must be good at something....Maybe not Buells. |
