| Author | Message | ||
     Skifastbadly |
With just over 31K miles on her, she's being fussy again. Because I bought a '14 Tiger Explorer two years ago, she's been ridden sparingly. Not too long after I got the Tiger, the Uly puked her starter. If any of you have replaced a stater, you know how involved that is. And the thing is, ever since I did it, I've had a devil of a time getting the transmission to function properly. There's some magic combination of the main drive chain tightness with the clutch adjustment that isn't quite dialed in. So a few weeks back I was going to go for a ride and the neutral light wouldn't illuminate. Hmmm, what's causing that? Burned out bulb? Neutral sensor? Where's Ocam with his razor? I put it back in the garage and hopped on the TEX because I wanted to ride not wrench that day. So yesterday I decided to figure it out. I fiddled with the clutch adjustment and cable adjustment but nothing. Screw it, I went for a ride anyway. And half way through, in neutral, the light went on. WTF? She's so unpredictable....yet I can't let her go. It was a great ride yesterday. This is an addiction and I need a professional. | ||
| Arry |
The neutral switch isn't a very reliable part. I've replaced mine twice. It's pretty easy to replace, once you've modified a tool, to reach behind the drive sprocket. Plus they are fairly inexpensive. When the neut light wasn't coming on, was the starter working normally? If the switch isn't making contact, and the light isn't on, I think you need to pull in the clutch (activate clutch switch) for the starter to work. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
If the switch isn't making contact, and the light isn't on, I think you need to pull in the clutch (activate clutch switch) for the starter to work. my 12s is doing that from the year i owned it ,can live with no neutral light and pulling the clutch lever for starting so i let it ,it keeps me sharp! | ||
| Etennuly |
Well I see a few problems here. You seem to call your Uly a "her". Now that befits a ship just fine. But Uly's are Manly Beasts. Perhaps you have tamed it a bit there. Then you have been riding the other bike. Want to piss off the Manly Beast.....ride something else. Next up, you have not been giving it it's weekly beating. These things like being smacked in the back of the head frequently. Lying about makes them tend to loaf. When riding the Uly you become one with it. Ya can't do that with a woman (for long)! It really is a drug, the only therapy needed outside of riding it is trying to find something other than a Uly that is as good. Lots of folks have been trying, that is why this web site doesn't die off. Check the list of riders who sold their Uly and have lived to regret it. Many of them still lurk and hang here wallowing in their regret. Sure many of us have had issues with the Uly. I believe that is the introduction and true meeting with a machine to know what makes it tick. The best part of that is that once a problem is fixed it seldom ever comes to mind again. And at only 31,000 miles it is hardly even broke in. Common.....ride it.....then get back to us!  | ||
| Njloco |
Wait until you have to do the valve clearance maintenance on the tiger, or have to change the air filter, also check out what you have to do to change the $3.00 driveshaft rubber boot ! Ask me how I know ? (Message edited by njloco on April 10, 2017) | ||
| Tempest766 |
@Njloco - valve clearance...Yeah, I just bought a Yamaha FJR. That's not a task I'm looking forward to. That cult says they usually don't need adjusted until 50000-70000 miles but you still have to rip everything apart and check them on a 26000 mile interval to be safe | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I have not missed valve clearance checks at all. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
I think Mark is right, I need to take this thing out more. I've put a ton of work into this bike, including replacing a fork seal, a voltage regulator, a starter, a stator, the head bearings, and more. Seems like a lot of stuff for a bike with this amount of miles. Still, it's a damned fun bike to ride. | ||
| New12r |
My Uly sits at 60k+ with a bad heart, for 8 years I abused her regularly, literally wheelied every ride, and I rode damn near daily for 5 of those eight years. I love, no, I LOVE riding that bike. Through the multiple stators, throttle shaft, front isolators, more damn exhaust clamps than any one man should ever buy, rear wheel bearing (55k), at least a dozen fork seals, broken ecm, and a number of things I forgot(I can't blame the bike, I ride it like it's stolen) it's still my favorite riding bike for the street. With that said I am exploring a fat American touring bike and enjoying the ride, but thinking about a heart transplant for the "fun" bike. | ||
| Etennuly |
I ride it like it's stolen Dude, you rode it like someone else stole it, it was recovered then stolen from police evidence lock up who's rider you then mugged and stole it from! And only Michael Jordan had more air time! I had never seen foot pegs ground further without the bike being laid down. You must wear "narrow" boots. One of very few riders who could hammer and beat a Ulysses right into the ground, but that it could not be considered abuse, by you it was just extreme use. Amazing to watch, impossible for most to duplicate, but you showed us what a Uly could do. Fix that thing.....you know you hear it calling you! | ||
| Njloco |
I'm glad I didn't get a buell ully until last spring in my 66th year,and a xb12ss until this year, because at this age, I can't ride well enough anymore to abuse ( or have extra fun ) on my buells. I can't say whether it's because I got old or because I got smarter or slower, more likely the latter. I do know that, if I were to ride these hard and enjoyed them, that I would fix whatever came up if for no other reason I would feel like I owe it to them. |
