| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
So, I've been a bad dad. Slacking on maintenance on my S2T, so it's been sitting in the garage for a few weeks. Been riding the Ulysses to work. Last weekend, though, I had to tear into the Uly to locate an oil leak; wasn't sure how long it would take, so I serviced the S2T first. Managed to locate (I think) the leak on the Uly and fix it so I rode it yesterday to see...today, I rode the S2T. Damn, what a great motorcycle. Stable, smooth, torquey, handles amazing...all stuff I "know", but having not experienced it for a few weeks it was a great reminder, to ride it again. Little short on power, but I do have my old thunderstormed engine still...but it is nice having a completely bone-stock, unmolested, 8,000 mile (and climbing) motorcycle in the garage! | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I took my S1 out yesterday for the first time in almost 2 years. It hasn't been out since I parked it around October 2021. Same story, I know what the bike feels like, but after being off of it that long it felt great getting it out on the road again. The bike definitely needs some love, it's in pretty rough shape anymore, but it felt great when I'd get to twist the throttle. I've got a new front tire in the garage I need to put on before I really feel comfortable on it, and it unfortunately seems like I've gotta grab a new battery for it, but otherwise it keeps chugging along despite it's years of neglect. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yeah, I'm waiting for my guy to free up some time in his shop, to get my S1W's header collector welded up so I can ride it again. I'm going to have him add a plate further up the primaries, too, to help eliminate the "tuning fork" vibration that caused the collector to crack in the first place. Can't wait to get back on that hooligan! | ||
| Captainkirk |
Yeah, while my Cyclone was down a few years back I got in a lot of seat time on my back-up bike. Climbing aboard the Buell once again was like a shot of adrenaline. | ||
| Falloutnl |
Yeah, they're such great bikes. I really don't understand how their praises aren't more widely sung. | ||
| Ratbuell |
People are afraid of the name, and the "flaws" (quirks). WE have figured out all the fixes; newbies, not so much. Let's admit it - the S2 had its issues. Cracking bodywork, liking to lay down on its left side for no reason, saddlebags that would open on the highway whenever they felt the urge, Harley-DNA oil leaks...and an admittedly-oddball (compared to the mainstream industry) design theory. Many people were put off by those things. We've learned over the years how to fix these relatively-minor things, and have gotten to the root of what great motorcycles they are (once the quirks are dealt with). | ||
| Upthemaiden |
If I didn't love this bike so much, I probably would've sold it a long time ago, or just not considered buying it in the first place. That fact that there's multiple internet parts of the engine you need to replace, the rear shock is garbage and costs $500+ to replace with an aftermarket option, it shakes enough to give me a headache, it was loud enough to give me hearing issues with the V&H exhaust on it... It'd be a hard sell if I ever tried to convince someone else to buy one. Fortunately, every time I look at the thing I remember how much I enjoy it. Honestly someday when I've got another bike I'd really like to just clean and fix up this one really nice, and use it for random fun rides. I've been using it as a daily driver for my commute to work, and there's certainly better options for that. | ||
| Falloutnl |
"I've been using it as a daily driver for my commute to work, and there's certainly better options for that." Haha, definitely. I have my 1150GS for those duties. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've run 2 S2's now - my original '95 with T stuff, and this '96 T - and they're amazing for just about ANY duty. Granted, I run stock mufflers - can't really blame the headache on something that isn't factory, now, can you? I had a race muffler on my '95 for a while after I thunderstormed it...but got tired of the noise, so I put a stocker on it (ironically, the stock takeoff from my current T, that I got from the original owner becase he was running a Supertrapp). It ran just as well, if not better. (When I got the T, the first thing I did was pull the 'trapp off and reinstall the stocker). I will admit, my Uly tends to be my "swiss army bike" so to speak...but the S2 is always a strong contender when it comes time to grab the keys. Although, courtesy of this morning's pre-flight...I need to get tires. Sitting in a barn for 11 years...no bueno. YUGE crack in one tread sipe - I guess that's "the one" it sat on, in a barn, for 11 years. Ugh. PR6's are $500 a set...oh well. It'll probably make it through this season. I just won't push it as hard. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I've switched back to the stock exhaust and am a lot happier, although the bike definitely lost some character, and it's insistent need to wheelie. It still will, but I've usually gotta preload the forks as opposed to before when I could just give it a handful of gas. The headaches weren't caused by the noise, they were from the vibrations/shaking. I don't always get them, but my engine is the roughest right above idle and I think with how much time I'd spend going slow, at red lights, and in stop and go traffic, sometimes I'd just spend too much time getting shaken up. On a good day it's not bad, but if I even wake up with a slight headache I know not to bother taking the bike to work. No bike is perfect though... the Buell is a bit rough, the Speed Triple was just a bit portly for my ride and I was never going fast enough to really be able to open that throttle how I wanted, the supermoto would get too buzzy when I'd start getting over 50mph... I was really getting close to the point of giving in and finally buying a cruiser... I was thinking an Indian Scout with a removable windshield/fairing and some saddle bags. Would've made my commute really nice, but then I started working from home, and my brain instantly switched back to superdukes...  I will say I was always confused by Buell's marketing of the XB9SX as a city bike... I used to have an XB9S a while back as well when I lived in the city, and even though it was definitely more refined than the S1, the first thing I'd do when I got on that bike was head out of town. Why they thought an air cooled paint shaker would be fun sitting in city traffic, I have no idea. (Message edited by upthemaiden on August 03, 2023) | ||
| Ratbuell |
If you're having vibration issues like that, I'd suggest checking your isolators. I can use my mirrors at idle, my T is so smooth. Something is not right with your bike, if it shakes that badly... | ||
| Upthemaiden |
You can use your mirrors?? I can barely even use mine when I'm riding  Yeah it's had a rough life. It was in bad shape when I got it, and then I had my first kid a couple months after so I haven't gotten to do too much with it. I did replace all of the isolators though, so I know they're ok. I think I had hoped after I replaced the isolators it would smooth out a little, but it felt like the new isolators were a little more dense than the old ones, so it seemed like it actually shook a little more once I put the new ones on. | ||
| Captainkirk |
My M2 still requires earplugs even for short rides with the race exhaust. And yes, it shakes like a paint shaker. Most hooligan bikes do. No way I could consider it a daily rider, or even much beyond an hour or so. But it scratches an itch that most other bikes can't. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
An hour? I had an X1 with a Vance and Hines Exhaust. It shook quite a bit, but maybe not as much as your M2. I rode it from Arkansas to Kansas to Minnesota. Sure it was no grandpa glide, but was manageable enough for me. I loved that bike... | ||
| Falloutnl |
Hmmm, my Buells shake at idle, sure. But once you're up to speed they're actually smoother than most bikes I've ridden. Can do hours and hours on my X1. Even my S1 is fine for longer rides now that I've had the seat refurbished. As for those race exhausts - there definitely is such a thing as too damn loud... | ||
| Upthemaiden |
My ride to work was about 35 minutes, so unless I took the long way home for fun, I typically never took it out for much longer than that. Everyone always assumes the seat is going to be the limiting factor, but my hands start to go numb from the vibration in the handlebar long before my seat gets uncomfortable. I'm not sure if a set of heavy brass bar end plugs would help any, or maybe switching back to the stock bars from the aluminum renthals. I know the last 2 miles or so of my ride to work I'd catch myself riding one handed, and at redlights I'd put the bike in neutral so I could flex my fingers a little bit to get the blood back in them. Overall once I got moving the bike would definitely smooth out a lot. I knew from the start it wasn't going to be an idea daily commuter, but it was that bike I'd always wanted, but 20 years after production I knew if I didn't just buy one, it'd eventually be too hard and expensive to find one. The pros definitely still outweigh the cons though. | ||
| Bluebueller |
you guys all summed up my Buell. Every year is another thing to fix, and more $$$.... I think about selling it every year, and came close a couple times. But then I get on and ride and I have an ear to ear grin that doesn't go away for days. Can't say that about too many bikes... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Every year is another thing to fix Yea, but think about how many years these things have been on the road. My S2T is 27 years old! And it STILL hangs with newer sport-tour stuff without breathing hard. Even my 1125 is more than a decade old (14)! Feels "new" to me...but fact is, it's over a dozen years now.... | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Funny how quick bikes get old. My S1 is 26 years old... and even bikes that I think of as newer in my head, are already coming up on a decade old at this point. | ||
| Conv90 |
My S1W has ProSeries Exh and I feel it quiet. Believe me, I'm not a fan of louder exhaust, but this bike even with this big 2.5" header and big muffler is quiet. I bought it (muffler) used and the old owner said it has repacked just to sell it. Probably a good repack. If only I could get rid of that rattling noise in the primary, I could say : "Damn, what a great motorcycle!" too. | ||
| Bartimus |
Most of us old timers will always have a Buell in the corner of the garage. I've been blessed with the ability to stock a decent herd of bikes in my garage, Buells, KTM, Suzuki, a few Hardleys. I rode my M2 for the first time in a few weeks and the sensation was so pleasing. It has such a visceral feel to it that always brings a smile... |
