| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
Well, the ex "left" her M2L behind...so I've been gradually deciding what to do with it / converting it into something I can ride (6'4", 34" inseam). - X1 rear shock and bracket - X1 inverted forks - X1 front fender (at the paint shop) - New, OEM race header from EBR at the '10 homecoming ("we'd be VERY happy to have the shelf space back...") - Buell race muffler - Buell race intake - Buell race "clip-on" bars (Crossroads style) Parked it in my workshop when I moved last year and covered it. Pulled the cover off this year..."what's that stain under it?". Stained floor. Gunk coming out of the carb, and around the rear base gasket. Oh no...I know what that is...float needle didn't seat, and sure enough...tank is empty because the bonehead owner didn't shut the valve. I've been "looking forward" to getting it running and finding 3 gal of hi-test in the oil bag ever since I figured out what happened... Took the carb off and apart, and gave it to a coworker who plays with Rupp minibikes. He has an ultrasound cleaner - COOL STUFF. Gave me my carb the next day - clean enough to eat out of. I reassembled it today including 48/190 jets, put it on the bike. Put fuel in the tank. Did NOT hook the fuel hose to the carb, but opened the petcock to drain whatever might be living in the hose. Got some junk in the container...but not hateful. Hooked it up. Opened the petcock back up. Spun the throttle a couple times until I got a squirt out of the accelerator pump. Key on, choke out, hit the starter...and it fired up first crank. WOO HOO!! Added bonus - ZERO fuel in the oil. Level is perfect, no odor, nothing. It all came out the carb mouth / accelerator pump nozzle, and the bowl overflow tube. 01 M2(not)L, 4801 miles as it sits. Tags (and tires) that expired in 2011. Front fender is at a buddy's paint shop getting a coat of volcano gray. The bar end mirrors are going to come off - I have a set of CR mirrors that will go on, but I need to go to Lowe's and get screws. I'm gonna get current tags and new tires...and there'll be another M2 on the road!   | ||
| Jayvee |
Thats one purdy bike. I like the black push-rod tubes. I got me some, but too lazy to put them in while still dreaming of a 1250 kit. | ||
| Ratbuell |
New PR3 tires on, and test-ridden tonight. First 5 miles turned in anger on that bike in...4 years? She runs goooood  I'd forgotten how nice the M2 torque curve is...not a lot up top, but DAMN she pulls like a locomotive down low! Now for a service, and a fender, and a gas cap O-ring...and tags. | ||
| Jayvee |
If you can afford it, get the carbon fiber front fender, and then the C.F. chin fairing, and the C.F. hugger. The bottom half would have what looks like a totally different texture, with some depth to it. It would actually bring out the color of the Volcano. In fact a C.F. derby cover would help on the right. Perhaps the matching timer cover, just to complete the theme. (I don't suggest a C.F. front pulley cover, because the shape is still objectionable, should be replaced with something else.) IMHO ! | ||
| Lynrd |
What about a CF front pulley cover for an S2? | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Awesome Rat, glad you got the M2 rolling! Glad the ex-old-lady did something good for you there. I almost bought some X1 cams a few years ago for my M2 but couldn't come to terms with giving up the low end pull. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well...I got new shoes for it a while ago as noted above, but hadn't really *ridden* it yet. I did the service on it once it was running again, and there she sat with fresh tires, fresh fuel, and fresh oil...doing nothing. So today, I...um...well...the tag that was on the back of the S1 asked me to move it to the back of the M2 so I could take it for a ride So, I did that, cleaned 'er up, and piled on about 100 miles. Runs good. Gotta get used to the M2 cams again - either she's still a little horky from sitting, or I forgot how flat they get up high on the tach. Started to come to life a bit towards the end of the ride (after an odd 2000 rpm idle hiccup for some reason - yes, I checked, both butterfly screws are still on the throttle shaft) so I'm going to go with 'still clearing her throat' for now. Primary is pissing oil. Stator plug, or starter flange, or...? Puddle under the starter, shiny on the area around the drain plug. Gonna degrease tomorrow and go for a short ride, to see if I can pinpoint. Belt is too loose - I can see a shiny spot on the swingarm block where it's rubbing. Gonna put some tension on it (I can lightly press on the belt and it touches the block). Broke the retaining cable for the race muffler (the anti-pole-vault-cable in case the muffler inlet cracks). Not major...but annoying to me. And I checked with my buddy (who's been in and out of the hospital with Lyme) - he's doing well, had my fender done, but didn't like it...so he's sanded it down for a respray and will have it for me next week. All in all...a good days' ride. 81 degrees, zero humidity, bright sunny clear day. And I rode home on the bike instead of loading it on a truck! Forgive the cameraphone photos...   | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Looks good Joe, can't really see the oil leaks at all from here. The M2 torque "curve" is pretty flat. I'll take mine out for a spirited romp tomorrow so I can see where it flattens out for you, cuz I'm just that kinda guy  Did you black out the cylinders or was that stock for the model year? I thought all model years only had black heads... | ||
| Buell_bert |
99-2000 silver cylinders and chrome pushrod covers, 2001-2002 black cylinders and black pushrod covers . At least that is what I have had on the M2's. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yeah, the photos are pre-ride (and pre-tires). And pre-leak. lol. Bert is correct - the cylinders and black pushrod tubes are stock. Nothing on the bike has been changed other than the front end, and the rear shock, and the Buell race exhaust/intake. Engine is untouched. So far.  | ||
| Jayvee |
Very nice! I like the black pushrod tubes, I have a set ready for the next time its "convenient" to install them on my bike. That'll bring the chrome count down to 3: Headlight Ring, Handlebars, and the front of the K&N filter on the elbow intake. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Well I got on the throttle a bit for ya heading in to work tonight Joe, I generally don't rev past 4K, pulls like a freight train 3000-5500K, not any flat spots or peakiness, just flat power wherever I go. Unless I was racing, I can't really fathom wanting more from this bike. Solid platform and linear power delivery is great for me. IF I ever do any engine mod's I'll probably follow Brinnutz's build and go XB heads and cylinders, but keep the M2's stock profile cams. Jay, I understand the aversion to chrome, however, my wife got chrome hardware kits for me for the primary and cam covers, and they look nice. Plus, while I prefer polished metal, like stainless or aluminum (not an option for fasteners), I don't want the corrosion those stainless bolts would cause in the aluminum cases so opted for the chrome. I'll post up some pics. | ||
| Ratbuell |
The more I thought about it, the more I'm thinking it could be a combination of race hardware (header, muffler, air filter)...and stock software (ignition box). I think I'm just missing that advance curve...my '99 that I bought new, had the stock header; "race" slip-on (IDS Supertrapp); CF hamcan; re-jetted...but it also had the race ignition box. | ||
| Jayvee |
Mostly I read the "Race Ignition" has the same curve, but a higher rpm limit. Purportedly only the rev limit is raised, like 200 or 500 rpm. That could be the missing power? When I put the Race Ignition on my bike, it seemed to run a bit better throughout the rev range, but could have been psychosomatic. Now have the Dyna2000 single-fire now though. I don't have an aversion to chrome, just a styling exercise. Chrome is good for some places, like you said, against corrosion etc. (Message edited by jayvee on August 23, 2013) | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well rode again yesterday (WITH my new fender on - YAY!), and it was still pissing primary fluid even though the level is perfect. The fender is also out of alignment, so I need to do some shimming. Also need to refresh my memory on how to make sure forks aren't bent. Power-wise...it felt like it's running out of fuel up top. SO... Got home and put 'er back on the lift. Step one - remove trans vent hose and blow. Blocked. Hm. Hook up the air hose, stick the nozzle in the trans end of the disconnected hose, pull the trigger. Nada. Get a better seal for the hose to the nozzle, pull trigger again...and POW!!!!! I have no idea what it was or where it landed, but I got it out Zip tied a piece of old tee-shirt across the upper end of the hose, to keep critters out in the future. Step two - check jetting. Modified a screwdriver for on-bike jet removal...48/190. Stepped up to 48/195, will try that. Also locktited the standoff bolts for the race air filter. Step three - mirrors. Been running without front signals, with bar-end mirrors. Have a set of CR mirrors that have been waiting patiently for me to get off my ass and install...so I did. Step four - fender/front end. It's weird - the fender is aligned on the tire, but not to the fork legs. I loosened the lower tree pinch bolts with the bike on the lift (front wheel in the vise) and bounced it and turned the bars back and forth, and bounced it again, and no change. Today, I'm going to loosen the pinch bolts again, AND loosen the axle, and try it again to see if I can't get some more even clearances out of it. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Re-jet, done. 48/195 runs awesome up top...but still a 1/2-3/4 throttle stumble. I may run some gas through it to make sure the system is clean...I may swap to a 45 (shrug). Fender and front end, adjusted. I tweaked a couple of the mount screw torques on the fender, re-set the forks with the axle loosened...looks good, handles good. Leaks - fixed. Apparently a total blockage in the primary vent hose will not only make it puke oil out the clutch cable adjuster and the stator grommet...but it will ALSO keep the stator from charging properly. This is very weird...but absolutely true. I have a kuryakyn voltmeter on the bike, like all my bikes. Normal operation on all the others is two green LED's lit. This one, only lit one. Never dropped...but never went higher either. Cleared the vent, went for tonights ride (about..oh...20 miles maybe?). Started out, one green. Couple miles from home...second green started to flicker. Got caught at a couple lights/stop signs and that went away. Back to back (open) roads...second LED flickered more on than off, and by the time I got home...2 greens, steady lit. Never would have thought a pressurized atmosphere would affect stator/rotor interaction...but there ya go! CR mirrors - installed and working great, both signal-wise and mirror-wise Parked in the garage, the clutch cable is bone dry. Area under the starter, also bone-dry. No leaks, no carrying on...all that's left...? Maybe swap the 48 for a 45. Maybe trim the straw in the petcock - it hit reserve at 97 miles, waaaay too early for a Manta. Get two amber reflectors for the front fender.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Question though - the forks are 2-way adjust - no preload adjustment, but there's a set screw up top and one down low. Showa. Anyone know a vintage or have an adjustment manual they can share? They are NOT S1W; I think they're X1. Right now I'm assuming the bottom is compression and the top is rebound, and I'm running each one a full turn out from full firm...but as you can see from the zip tie, I'm getting close on full compression, especially considering it was a "moderate" demo ride... | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Looks good. Those Stardust wheels are growing on me, didn't usedta like them. Is that a zip tie on the fork leg? I had to put in heavier springs (my front end was stock X1) once I got my rear suspension dialed in, so depending on how aggressively you ride it you may find stock springs are not up to task. Maybe excess heat was retarding stator function? I've got a couple brand new reflectors with the foam adhesive for that fender, if you want them just pm your address. I picked them up from the dealer clearance parts sale for super cheap. There are a lot of guys that remove them and toss em, not too many of us that are safety conscious enough to put them back on. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I can verify the adjusters in the morning when I get off work if no one posts up before then. My Y2K owners manual has the suggested settings for all the tube framed bikes in it, sadly, it lacks the excellent weight adjustment chart that the XB manuals have.. You must have posted as I was composing. (Message edited by littlebuggles on September 08, 2013) | ||
| Ratbuell |
Hm. I should check my '01 manual, it may have a global setting chart as well... I know. The XB and Loki manuals are freakin awesome for suspension setup! I'll PM you for the reflectors, thanks! The fenders look naked without them, and I want the bike to look as stock as possible (nevermind we're invisible enough WITH the reflectors, I don't want to have it on the road without, especially with days getting shorter). | ||
| Littlebuggles |
PM received, will get them out in the next day or two. The springs I used were Buell Race parts, not sure the weight, they've improved the bike for me though. I imagine Race Tech or any of the other aftermarket guys could supply a stiffer spring for your forks. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well an update after running the pi$$ out of it for a few days... Fork zip tie hasn't moved any further south - I think I'll be good for now. Good comfort, no wrist agony, good handling...if I bottom it out, I'll look into firmer springs. Oil leak seems to have stopped for now. Looks like "I'm a dry gasket that hasn't been run in ages" has responded to heat, use, and is no longer leaking. For now. (after the last run, it had a small puddle under the output shaft that I thought was a "new" leak but apparently was just leftover drippage). I'm going to pull the 48 slow, and replace it with a 45. It hesitates going from idle circuit to main circuit, but on full main (WFO) it runs like a raped ape so I know I have the main correct. Pulling the choke makes the hesitation worse, so I'm pretty sure it's too fat down low. My S1W runs 48/195 and is happy...but I think the cam difference kills the M2 with that idle jet. Definitely gonna trim the petcock straw - 150 now on the tank (hit reserve at 90), still not dry. Gonna check the ignition connections - thought I was running dry tonight on the way home (had my MSR fuel bottle on board - 17 miles of not-pushing), but saw the tach jumping...beat the snot out of it for a couple gears and it cleared up. Odd. And chicken strips are down to 1/2". The PR3's have about...oh...250 miles on 'em. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I think I'm falling back in love with the M2. I have to say...that seat (ESPECIALLY the Buell Select version) is N...I...C...E....! Pull my S1W motor out and drop it in the M2...it would be perfect. | ||
| Bluebueller |
M2 is a sweet bike, Joe - the 45/195 you set up in mine is sweet - though I have some hesitation in the low revs - but I 'blame the fact that the V&H is hollow right now - I just got 'glass to repack it and put some back pressure back into it. when I wring it out it runs sweeter than it ever has - too bad that's not legal speed cause it pulls real nice up there. I did install the y bracket as you suggested - let me know if you want your chevy part back... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Nah, it's only a piece of an old Dodge part now...all yours | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
A shim under the needle might clear up the mid range hesitation. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well the 45 pissed it off even more. Nearly-dying pulling away from a stop, had to slip the clutch, TONS of decel popping... Going back to the 48 and at least one shim. Is there a "recipe" for shims, or is it ride, evaluate, change, ride again? I'm getting tired of futzing with this damned carburetor. I've never had one fight back like this before. Grr... | ||
| Lynrd |
When I read this the first time, I thought you said "Decal popping". Which, given the brand, is a common enough occurance, but I had never heard of carb tuning causing the problem.  I'm sure you checked, but...are you SURE you don't have a small air leak in the intake manifold area? When carbs don't want to tune in and act right...something to check. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Been doing it all with the carb on the intake, attached to the bracket. I think it still has a bit of "her" in it...just enjoys pissing me off... | ||
| Bluebueller |
sounds like when my exhaust headers were not sealed properly... |
