| Author | Message | ||
     Blackhawk |
Hi Court - Just found a real nice red RSS, your book was extremely helpful in sorting out things, wanted to thank you for this. Former owner said that you may know the bike, red RSS, twin front brakes, black air cleaner, chrome chainguard. Do you have any background on it? Kim Tordik ran numbers last year indicating it came from Moroney's in New York - would you have any information? Also need a few things in the interest of complete originality if you may have some leads. | ||
| Doubled |
Sounds like a real gem! Got pics? | ||
| Blackhawk |
Just tried to upload a photo, web says it is too big, have to shrink it. Must do it later, not good at resizing, I tend to blow away the image!! | ||
| 1313 |
I hope you're all sitting down for this. What a BEAUTY!     BUELL-TIFUL!!! 1313 | ||
| Froggy |
I got to get me one of those... | ||
| Spiderman |
big words there tuber hater  | ||
| Glitch |
I got to get me one of those... Those don't crash well  | ||
| Sleez |
wow!! my favorite buell!! other than the RR1000 and RR1200 of course!! | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
That is a fiiiiine looking motorcycle  Does the odometer say what I think it says? What a find!  | ||
| Blackhawk |
Thank you 1313 for shrinking my big photos - tires and service almost done, will have more shots when all back together - Blackhawk | ||
| Steeleagle |
Beautiful bike. Someday when I grow up, my RS will hopefully look that good. I noticed it has a one-piece fairing. My '92 RS has a 3-piece. Did the 3-piece only apply with the RS's in '92 and not the RSS? Curious where they were used. | ||
| 1313 |
Did the 3-piece only apply with the RS's in '92 and not the RSS? Curious where they were used. Funny you should bring that up because the first thing I noticed when I looked at the pictures Warren Emailed me was the 1 piece front fairing. OK I lied, the first thing I noticed was how nice his RSS is - nearly factory fresh, albeit with a few minor tweaks away from originality. The second thing I noticed was the 1 piece front fairing. It's been a few years, OK more like 18 - but who's counting, but as far as I can remember the change from the 1 piece front fairing to the 3 piece front fairing was related to when Buell switched to RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) to make their bodywork. Yes, Buell used RTM for manufacturing their bodywork even before the S2 Thunderbolt. The 3 pieces were easier to make molds for and the front fairing was easier to produce in 3 pieces than 1 humongous (relatively speaking) piece. The use of the 3 piece front fairing was definitely not limited to RS's, as I have some old photos of RSS's with the 3 piece front fairings on them. The pictures I have are ones that I took 'back in the day' in the Jefferson St. quonset hut factory in Mukwonago, so there is no question of RSS's coming with the 3 piece front fairing from the factory. When I have a little more time I will post some of these pictures, including a comparison between the DOM '92 RSS and the Japan '92 RSS. The differences are quite interesting and some of the component differences, in a way, are a prelude to the S2 Thunderbolt. Everyone knows that the '91 RSS was originally built as a special model for Japan only, right? Well, the '92 RSS had to be unique for that market as well. No problem on shrinking and posting the pics for you, Warren. I'll gladly do it again because I truly love seeing these pieces of Buell history. Sorry for making everyone wait - but it will be worth it, 1313 | ||
| Davegess |
Not only where the three pieces easier to mold the bike was easier to put together and than work on as I remember. Getting that one piece off the bike required a very gentle spreading of the wings. Always made me nervous. The change came mid year in 1992 model year so some bikes have one and some three. | ||
| 1313 |
Not only where the three pieces easier to mold the bike was easier to put together and than work on as I remember. Getting that one piece off the bike required a very gentle spreading of the wings. Always made me nervous. Very good points Dave! Since it has been such a long time since I worked on an RS or RSS I had forgotten how 'fun' it was to put the 1 piece fairing on. Sorry for my delay but, finally, here are the pics of a Japan-spec 1992 RSS comparing with a US-spec 1992 RSS.        And here's a bonus shot of a bunch of Japan-spec RSS's waiting for a few finishing touches:  Again, sorry for the delay- 1313 | ||
| Davegess |
That was a trip having all those RSS in the shop at once. Bike would usually leave as soon as they were built with may be 4-5 finished and around at one time. But with the Japan bikes they needed to be put in a container so we need 20 done before shipping. We calculated the size of the container pretty tight. You couldn't get two bikes; one crate on top of the other, through the door of the container, they were too tall. So we would load one in and the bring in a second one in and the fork truck would put it one top of the first one. Worked great UNTIL we got to the last pair. The top crate could not slide onto the bottom crate; it hit the top door edge. I recall us holding the top one up in the container using the longest forks we had while we jammed the bottom one in. 1313 do you remember how we did it? I can't imagine the Japanese much enjoyed taking them out! | ||
| Rex |
 This was mine. It is now in the Vallejo HD Buell Museum. I had the California tag. RSS1200 | ||
| Firemanjim |
Love the fairing grills,no mirrors?? | ||
| 1313 |
Sorry for my delay. Blackhawk sent me some updated pictures quite a while ago. If I don't get them up now (before Homecoming), then I'll likely forget all about them. Sorry that it has taken me so long, Warren. FYI - I drool everytime I look at the pics...      1313 do you remember how we did it? Dave, I remember the initial difficulties, and that there was a trick to getting the last 2 bikes in, but my memory fails me as to how it was actually accomplished. no mirrors?? FMJ, Hmmm...that must be the beauty of hardly ever seeing a complete roadworthy bike for a different market...I remember periods of time of seeing some bar end mirrors (black Napoleons IIRC), but can't recall if they were for the 1992 Japanese RSS's or if they were for some other use (like parts for an RR). If the bar end mirrors were for the Japanese RSS's, then it seems odd to have the handgrips covering the end of the bars. I guess my memory is failing me again. Memories...at least the ones I've retained, 1313 | ||
| Davegess |
I vaguely remember having to not only hustle some bar end mirrors in but having to do some real arm twisting to get any where near a decent price for these. We only needed 40 sets and wanted to pair a lot less than the US distributor wanted to charge. |
