| Author | Message | ||
     Deerhunter17 |
Have the front forks off and @ my favorite HD shop, they have had them for two days and when I went in to check on them tonight, I was told the guy has had a really tough time with them. He had to use an impact gun to get the thing apart ( 10k check up ), so they are replacing the nut, and also said one of the adjusters would not go back in. The guy (tech) decided to leave them till tomorrow, and hopefully have better luck. Is this norm? I have 10527 miles on them, the bike was manufactured in Jan 04, I have had it for one year. I wash my bike on avg. once a month, and have been in rain, drizzle a few time, heavy once. The bike is stored inside. SO is it the lack of anti-seize ( as the service writer tells me) or water intrusion, or just plain dumb luck? | ||
| Buelltroll |
I don't know the answer to your question,but how much did your 10k cost you?I got 9600ish on mine and am dreading the stealership visit. | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
don't know yet, This and the TPS reset is all the dealer has done.I did all the rest of the 10k myself. I removed the forks and took them in, for an appointment I made two weeks ago. Was very happy to get the appt. so quickly, but I guess the service writer was a bit over zealous. | ||
| Race_pirate |
The forks on your Buell are not like ANY Harley forks on standard H-D's. The Buell forks are cartridge forks and have a bit more going on them just a fork cap, spacer, spring and fluid. Have your guy follow the manual EXACTLY, the only thing I can add is I remove the lower adjuster completely when I work on this style fork. Its sounds like he just backed off the fork cap(with the preload adjuster) and didnt remove the damper rod correctly. If no damage has been done, maybe removing the compression adjuster will allow the assemble back into place. Im not there to see it so its hard to say, this is only my opinion, Im sure there is a tech on the list that may be of more assistance. My experience has been setting up my 2 stroke Aprilia which has similar forks as the Buell. I made shim stack adjustments and had the forks apart more then a few times. Good Luck | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
Thank you for your info, I just picked them up this morn, They assembled them with the marred end caps. The replacements are on order. The tech told me it was hard to do this way, and would be easier with them installed in the pinch collars ( on the bike?). Interestingly, I was charged for compression adjustment?, and when I asked what it was, the service writer did not know. We searched and found it to be a part. Now I wondered what part? So we researched some more, during which time I asked, "If a part was bad, wouldn't it be covered under warranty? THIS YOU HAVE TO READ: The reply was (without hesitation) "Not if they are not on the bike", referring to the fact that I removed the fork assembly myself, and brought them in. As it turned out the part(s) were the ones they damaged and in fact I was given the wrong invoice, and was not charged for them. I just thought that was an interesting point, that if I bring an assembly in for service and something internal is broken or not serviceable, it is not covered by the warranty. Something to keep in mind. As for the cost, it ended up at $101.00. Now they will call me when the parts are in, but I am not sure I want them to be disassembled again, just for some blemishes. Any thoughts? | ||
| Henrik |
Suspension work is of the delicate kind - mostly. Requiring impact wrenches to disassemble would have me considering the qualifications of the disasseblee as well as the result of the work done. The only place I'd use impact on forks are on standard (not upside-down) damper rod forks - the bolt through the lower leg, holding the damper rod needs an allen key with impact. But that's mostly because the damper rod will start to spin once the bolt is even slightly loose. Take it easy on the first few rides to feel things out. Henrik | ||
| M1combat |
If they're still off the bike, maybe try to run them through their travel as much as you can to make sure the damping is actually damping... | ||
| Jan_lee |
if they cant get it i can go down and look at it but i only know the guys at williamsport hd. bu tif they are not familiar or do not have the right tool then they will mess it up. | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
well they are on, seems a lot stiffer. I set the preload, damping and rebound just as before. I did a short ride tonight, I have to check the bearings in the morn, Something is not right. Feel a grinding at 40, I am very tired, and probly screwed something up. Jan-lee, I may take you up on your offer, I recognize your bike, saw you at Summit point a few weeks ago. I was with the group of street buellers hangin out at the Frederick Buell hospitality tent. I am not knockin my service guys, they just seem to go through that Jeckl / Hyde thing.. | ||
| Bbstacker |
There is a lot riding on the suspension...pardon the pun. I Race Downhill mountain bikes and I know from that, the set-up is more than just critical to winning. It's critical to safety as well. In short, I don't trust suspension work on two-wheeled vehicles to anyone but myself. My suggestion...Learn how to do your own set-up, service and repair on your suspension components. | ||
| Court |
>>>>>Suspension work is of the delicate kind Hint: When an M.D. tells you this, take it to the bank. Before you ride this motorcycle, you are going to need to to get/read/understand the Buell service manual and satisfy yourself that the proper work was done in the proper fashion. Suspension work is a personal quirk with me....each time the speedo sweeps past 100 I always ask "who torqued the pinch bolts". There are damn few people (actually 3 - David Haworth, Dan Lang and Tom Anglim) who have touched my suspension without me rechecking everything. The last service it came home from, I removed each and every fastener, replaced them with Ti and retorqued them. Comes from pre-flighting airplanes and seeing scared Doctors. Ask, know...then go. Court | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
Maybe that A/C thing nails it, I was a Naval aircrewman for 11 years, and I got used to being the last guy to close the cowlings, as well as having the opportunity to inspect ( preflight ) EVERYTHING. I have always done my own service on my cars, trucks, and bikes, and Have the manuals and tools ( for the most part ) to understand and do so. I do not have the tools for the suspension (yet ), but having worked on and built racing equipment ( from 1/4 midgets to late model dirt ) I understand more than most when it comes to suspension, but alas not enough about these cartridge type forks. This too will change, and has. I'd like to think my tech is a factory trained professional, and knows what hes doing, and maybe it's that crew chief mentality that keeps me from being comfortable unless I witnessed and inspected the work. I will just have to get the tools, and when the parts come in, re-do this myself. Thanks for input and thoughts, Greg | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got up this morning, rode the bike to work ( about a mile ), looked down and AHHHHHH!!!!! OIL Dripping from the bottom of the fork, and of course, the right side, on the brake rotor!!! I really hate that this is part of a 10K scheduled maintenance, IT HAD NO PROBLEM BEFORE THEY SERVICED IT!!!!!!!!!! SO, being the nice guys they are ( and this I truly mean ) they said they would fix it. I will wait for the parts to come in that they have to replace to begin with, and then take it in. UNTIL THEN LIMITED riding. I like the guys a Frederick HD/ Buell, heck last week I was praising them. I just get the feeling they don't always put the Buell tech on the Buell bikes, or in this case, Buell part. | ||
| Henrik |
sorry man - that sucks. Henrik | ||
| Surlypacer |
First, like the one person stated. Harley shops are not used to current production suspension!!!! Go get a Road racer magazine or just type Motorcycle suspension over hall in google. Lindleman eng. I think how it is spelled or Circuit one and race tech. Maybe not racetech but they make parts for forks. Valving and such. If you take your forks off. Send it to these GUYS!!! They work on the best forks in the world. I think They have their forks on winning world class bikes. I own ducati along with my buells. Lindeman is who I will be talking to. First to anybody who is serious about riding. Gets your forks over hall at the 500, 1000 mile mark. Believe me it makes a difference!!! They break in just like a motor. Suspension is the key to going fast and safe. NOT THE MOTOR. When i used to ride a sportster deck out with racing trem. Custom suspension. ON a tight twisty road I would drop Jap bike or keep up because of my skill and most of all SUSPENSION. I know some people on here might now agree with me. BUT look at racing All have great motors. They always talk about set-up meaning suspension!!! now Just think of those guys who bought V-ROD's and have to get a valve adjustment from a harley shop? Harley until now never had valve adjustments. Wonder how their doing? | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
Down side is,I already paid these guys to this, and to take it somewhere else and pay more, although probably the best idea, just dosen't sit well with me. I paid a professional to service my front suspension,He, (they ) should make it right. Funny you mention the V-rod, my brother has one,and is coming up on his 10k service. He gave me a line about how I should just get rid of the Buell, and get a Street Rod. I asked him just exactly how much better he thinks they will service that? I reminded him that at my engine is much more familiar to the HD guys than his. He thought for a moment, and shook his head, and now is worried about his 10k service. I hate to rag on these guys, they are not giving me attitude, and show genuine concern for doing this right, I just don't think they are familiar enough with Buells. On their part, they have several models to understand and work, that have very little similarity, and they don't see enough of them to become familiar. I have a friend that works at a custom cyle shop, ( Nothing but HD and copy cats ) and his first remark to me when he looked at my bike was, "Man, that's one of those things you have to take apart just to work on, I don't want to mess with that". So it makes me wonder how the H/D mechs feel about them. Sorry, just ranting now. I just want to ride, and it's bummin me out. | ||
| Surlypacer |
Well sorry to hear your bummin. Maybe you could get a refund. If they don,t make it right and then send the forks off. I would still give lindeman or curciut one a call. Believe me you can learn a lot just talking to these guys. Suspension is a specialty area. To make your bother happy, jap bikes have valve adjustments to and i wouldnt trust most of them either. I used to work in a motorcycle shop. you wouldnt believe how much i saw from people who went to a dealer and said they had work done and it wasnt perform!! The industry really needs to police itself. |
