| Author | Message | ||
     Paul_x |
Hello gang, I just bought a 2008 Blast that had been totalled by an insurance company (but there is little wrong with it that I can see, outside of a few cosmetic issues). It rides fine. Only 2k miles. This bike is really quick steering, first thing I noticed. I like that. It is also strange to me to have a bike so low (I have the lower seat). I am 5'9". I need a tach. Crazy not to have one. Probably want a temp guage too if I can find one. I wonder if the Trailtech Vapor I keep hearing about will work? I need a shop manual. Maybe an owner's manual too, although it may be under the seat that I haven't figured how to get off yet. I notice the links to owner manuals on the forum no longer work. Probably put a flatter handlebar on it, and a fairing. I already have some small saddlebags that should fit perfectly if I can get the seat off. | ||
| Britchri10 |
Welcome. The seat release is under the rear subframe about in the middle of the seat area. It's above the rear hugger/tire. If you look under there you should be able to see it. It's a silver item. I. too, have the low seat & I am 6'1". It's a fun bike, easy to ride & easy to add to. Enjoy. Chris C | ||
| Swampy |
Welcome to the Thumper Forum Paul_x Some Super Bike bars will really do the trick from the stock bars. | ||
| Paul_x |
How is the Blast on gravel roads? The little wheels make me wonder. There are a lot of gravel roads around here. I have some Pirelli tires on there now, may look for something in the 80% or 90% street tire range... Ah, after looking, it appears my tire options this way are limited. I found the Kenda K761 but it is tube type. I suppose it is asking too much to have a tubeless 16" dual sport tire! Anyway I wonder how the Blast does on gravel roads, and how to make it better. I guess the good thing is that if it slides and goes down, no big deal... I noticed the muffler has very little ground clearance. Probably not good when that hits a rock... | ||
| Swampy |
You are gonna be just fine....  Just something you have to get used to. There are a few pictures around here somewhere that show different Blasts with dirty..er tires than what you normally find available. As far as hitting rocks, that is what the muffler is for, it is a big thick, heavy bash plate! | ||
| Ezblast |
Join my group and you'll be fine. EZ | ||
| Paul_x |
"Join my group and you'll be fine." Could you elaborate? Again, anyone have a link to an owner's manual? The links on this page are broken. BTW, am I correct in assuming that to adjust the air mixture screw requires removal of the air cleaner first, to access the bottom of the carb? I suppose the air cleaner does not affect the setting much at idle, so it doesn't matter if it is installed or not while making this adjustment. I noticed the rpm sags when I try to blip the throttle off idle. I was thinking of taking a look at the dreaded boot that everyone is paranoid about to make sure I don't have a leak. I noticed mention of turbocharger hoses or fuel filler hoses as substitutes, but never saw a link for anything like that. I guess I will take the carb off and measure the diameter so I can get a hose like that from a local shop. Are people happy with non-OEM boots? I am not crazy about the way the air cleaner seals around the edges. Maybe I should get a new seal ring for it. Hell, maybe I ought to go through the carb. The last owner did not ride this bike much, it may have sat in the garage for a while... | ||
| Ezblast |
Go to my web site, then go to my group, then join, and go to the files section for such usefull information for educational purposes. Only good aftermarket boot is Dan's on Ebay - the rest do not work long term. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
"Only good aftermarket boot is Dan's on Ebay - the rest do not work long term. " Pay attention to that. Nothing else works long term. Factory boots only (Dans is a modified factory boot). Yes technically, adjusting the idle mixture screw with the air cleaner off does make a difference, but its so minute it wont matter. Or you can use a bent small screwdriver with the box still on. Just go the 2 -2 1/2 turns. Perfect aint gonna matter much. Its not a touchy high performance racebike. Its a run of the mill forgiving street bike. What EZ means is click on his name to reveal his profile and follow the links he has listed. and...you all know it coming....please, please, please do not take the carb apart "just to give it a good cleaning". This is rarely ever necessary and more often than not leads to more problems. There are other things to pay attention to than pulling the carb apart. Also if its been sitting, its gonna need a few miles of just running/riding to work bugs out and find any that might be there. Its only got 2000 miles on it. its not even broken in. The slow jet needs to be changed to a #45 and you already read about the 2 1/2 turns of the idle mixture screw. Thats the extent of any carb work you need to do. I'd also bet anything the primary chain has never been adjusted or its too tight.That is the cause of more running problems than is believable!!!! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Pardon my manners: Welcome Paul x! | ||
| Paul_x |
Oh, I've cleaned carbs before. My last big job was cleaning the four in a YZF066R, and that worked out all right. A single carb shouldn't be any problem. Anyway I also want to see what jets are there. I am at sea level but also spend time in Wyoming; if I take a ride over the Beartooth Pass as I've been planning, I will have to be rejetting anyway, I'm guessing. Too bad it's not fuel injected... I've been reading about carb stuff and air cleaner stuff. Primary adjustment too. The spacer is gone, looks like someone's done it before, although who knows if it's right. Still wish I had an owner's manual. Maybe should just buy one from H-D. | ||
| Flat_tire |
Hi Paul_X Here is a link to a 2002 service manual and a 2007 parts manual. They are broken down into 24 downloads. There may be some differences, but at least this should help some what. http://www.buellforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 584 | ||
| Paul_x |
Took the tank off, just to get a look. It's certainly no big job, which I like. Removed the "air scoop" which seems kinda useless. This bike is a strange combination of really cool and absurd. Cool things: That big harley engine is impressive. I get the same feeling looking at it that I do looking under the hood of a Dodge Cummins pickup. Looks strong! Air cooled - simpler, and assumes the rider has a brain in his head about riding conditions. I hate water cooled bikes. BTW are there oil coolers for this bike, or is that not necessary? Frame is very interesting and innovative. Oil in frame tank and dry sump. Clean, simple layout. One cylinder, one carb, no syncing, etc. Easy oil changes. Excellent fuel efficiency. The absurd or irritating: Footpegs are a joke. Flimsy, and almost unusable when riding (did Buell ever even try riding the bike?) Lame cruiserish handlebars. A single should be a narrow bike. The shaking at low rpms is laughable (this from a long-time owner of a Norton Commando). The Rodney Dangerfield of motorcycles - only for people without insecurity or egos. Larger wheels would have been nice. Say, a question. The tank cover had a plastic ring at the oil filler. In my bike the ring was under the tank cover, but I think I read somewhere it should go on top of the tank cover, right? And the widest part of the ring should be down? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Yes, as pertaining the tank cover O ring. Above the cover, wide part down. However, the correct way is wide part up with the smaller part actually fitting inside the tank cover (not resting on top). It is virtually impossible to do it this way though and also get the filler neck tank ring flush with the tank and gas cap. You may try, but most people have just enough trouble getting the filler neck ring flush LOL! Oil tank in frame is an old design, fwiw! Triumph (old) used it as I'm sure did others. The Blast doesnt need an oil cooler. Though they've been fitted, none are available that are Blast specific. But its an easy hook-up once you find a place to mount it. I did mount one after the temperature reached 114 degrees at the racetrack. That was brutal on man and machine and was evidenced by a post race "check-up" (though not fatal or needing any work). Its not likely that the average streetBlast will see that kind of heat and punishment. No offense intended on the carb cleaning. Countless hours have been spent here trying to figure out whats wrong with someones bike after a good natured soul told a Blast owner to "just give the carb a good cleaning", when the reality was they didnt have any idea what was causing the problem and hoped that would fix it. I've own many used carbs and resurrected quite a few 'dead' vehicles and cleaning the carb has rarely been necessary. If you have a 'dirty' carb, its almost always a secondary problem. Its a sealed unit and they dont just get dirty. With the Blast its usually the pilot/slow jet that gets clogged from sitting and it needed replacing anyway. Not that you needed that information, but its a public forum and my hope is that future readers will avoid this mistake. | ||
| Paul_x |
Thanks Flat tire, I already had found those. I just bought a owner manual on ebay. Did some riding today, getting used to the bike. It kinda grows on a person... I went to change the gearbox oil. Getting the old stuff out was easy, but the new stuff in has got me stumped. The loosening of the footpeg strut is the problem. I got the top nut loose but the other two are impossible that I can see. I'm thinking of taking the shock off to improve access. Also maybe get another 9/16 box end wrench that I can hammer on to get a curve in it. None of the tools I have now were adequate (and yes, I have a swivel joint). The bike looks generally easy to work on but Erik dropped the ball on this one... I have a couple of ideas for ways to deal with this, once I get it off: 1) bent wrench as I said; 2) longer nuts for easier access to them; 3) A special flat tool with a shortened T27 welded to it so I can get to the screws without moving the strut. 4) Get rid of the struts and put rearsets on. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Not sure what you mean about the footpegs being unusable, flimsy or a joke. Maybe yours are mounted incorrectly. They also make an excellent crash bar protecting the bike well in a 'drop'. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Fill it through the transmission vent hose. Takes awhile, but its a lot less aggravation than removing the Y-frame. The transmission takes 1 quart. As long as you gave it time to drain, thats what it takes. Tank vent hose is found under the left frame rail (running right past those nuts you're trying to loosen). You could also drill a hole in the Y-frame you're thinking of removing or ditching all together, to access those torx screws. And if you're having trouble getting at the clutch cover, it may also be because the y-frame was bent in from being 'dropped'. | ||
| Paul_x |
My problem with the footpegs is that they are too short, they sag and have little support on the end. This means I have to set my feet pigeon-toed to feel like I am really secure on the pegs; not very comfortable. They are also too wide apart but that is more the fault of the engine width. At least they are nice and soft, reducing vibration, so it's not all bad. I got the primary cover off, and this is what I found:  Usually this foam is due to ring blowby, but being separate from the engine I wonder how water could have got in there. Maybe coming down the vent tube from washing the bike? Does this mean I have to take the case cover off to clean it out? I didn't notice but a tiny bit of foam when I drained it. That funny (rotating head) ratchet that you see in the picture, just purchased, did a pretty good job, along with short and long 9/16 sockets with the bevel removed. I often grind off the bevel at the end of sockets when I am trying to remove a nut that gives little purchase. I also had to back out the bottom screw holding the power regulator, and moved the cables and tubes going through that area. Anyway, just wondering that to do now... | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Remove the cover and clean it all out or just put in new fluid, run it awhile, drain and replace. Your choice! Probably from overzealous washing. | ||
| Britchri10 |
Well, that's not a problem my bike will ever experience! (LOL) Chris C | ||
| Johneblast |
Paul_x, I use a swivel socket on mine and have had no problem other than fishing the nut out of the inner frame because I lost my grip on it. | ||
| Paul_x |
"Remove the cover and clean it all out or just put in new fluid" Yeah, I decided to do that. See if I get foam next time. I looked down in there with a flash light and it looked pretty clean. Still wondering how the water got in. I put a bag over the end of the breather and wrapped it loosely so it could still breathe but no water get in, ideally. It will be going up the right side of the bike; not sure why they routed it the way they did. In fact I wonder why such a large breather in a gearbox; it's not like there are pistons going up and down in there. Oh, well... I actually like working on this bike, that is half the fun of it. Reminds me of my Nortons, in a lot of ways. | ||
| Britchri10 |
Paul X: The blast reminds me a lot of the Old British singles I played with as a youngster. Better engineering but the principles are the same. Simple, sane, easy to work with, temperamental & a joy to ride. | ||
| Titusand |
About taking off the left side, I use a 3/8 socket with a u-joint adapter. Fairly easy coming off. As far as getting the nuts back on, I use a 1/4 in. drive flexible snake extension to get the nuts roughly finger tight, then tighten with the 3/8 socket. It takes just a few minutes for me now. When I drop one of the nuts, I get it out with a magnetic reach tool or a claw reach tool. I must have spent 90 min. on this job the first time I did it, I was really cursing Eric Buell but, now- eh, I can R/R it in a few minutes. | ||
| Paul_x |
Yeah, I figure next time I will just grind a T27 bit down short, then grab it with a small vice-grip. That way no need to mess with the footpeg strut. I got my owner manual. I thought it was clever that it was too large to fit under the seat properly.  I have noticed the suspension is pretty primitive and harsh. A definite step down from my YZF600R, which was a dream in that department. I'll look around to see if there are any upgrades possible. I moved the rear turn signals to under the rear, right where the cylindrical frame rails start. Definitely improves the looks of the bike, and you can still see them from the rear. I'm going to see if I can find a standard seat on ebay that I can afford. The low one is interesting but maybe not the best for me. | ||
| Paul_x |
Fork braces - any available any more? I got the impression from reading on the forum that the two manufacturers of braces are not making Blast braces any more. | ||
| Ezblast |
They are doing a group buys. EZ | ||
| Paul_x |
OK I ordered one. Another question, the low seat kills me. I'll look for a regular seat replacement if I can find one at a decent price, but I was wondering if anyone has tried cutting the low seat down? In other words, cut the part out that raises up behind your butt. If it was just flat there, I could scoot my butt back a bit, for more comfort, seems to me. <later> Found a thread... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/20164/618934.html (Message edited by paul_x on September 12, 2011) | ||
| Ezblast |
Your good Paul - welcome! EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
You found it  Unfortunately there is a lump in the seat that goes over the battery which limits how much you can cut out (without modifying the seat pan). Actually, with the seat cut down like that, the lump fits right in your butt crack when you're hanging off. Lets you know you're in the right spot!!! | ||
| Ezblast |
More Blast riding tips from the pros! - lol EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
LOL!!!  |
