| Author | Message | ||
     Buellgler |
Being new to Buell's, and streetbikes in general (have been riding dirtbikes for years), I must admit that I'd become fearful of owning what might become a rolling money pit. Shortly after buying the X1, reading every single post on this site and a few other sites in which all the 'issues' really got to me, I put her on the chopping block and test rode a few UJM's and Euro bikes. Promptly returned home and deleted my add. I'm still a bit apprehensive about what kind of future investments I'm going to need to make in order to keep the bike road-worthy, but damn, those other bikes just don't do it for me one bit. The look, the snarl, and the torque pleases me to no end. I just wish I had a fat wallet, a local Buell dealership, and more riding time. Though, I suppose I'm preaching to the choir.  | ||
| Deltacruiser |
Buellgler, Don't sweat it. Most of these things aren't that hard to fix and don't cost much compared to most bikes. At least your can do most of the work yourself if you have some basic mechanical skills and the manual. I personally haven't had any problems with my 99 x1 & I've put almost 4k on it in the past four months. Don't forget there are guys on this list with 100k & even 200k on their Buells and they are still going. Brett | ||
| Tramp |
you're getting the jitters because of what some folks on websites are saying? bear in mind, the purpose of these sites is to share info, and the most germaine info will be the shortcomings we all find on our bikes. It's going to be a skewed collective viewpoint, at best. that being said, I've had exactly ZERO problems with my S2 for the 9 years I've owned and beaten on it. please: don't be an internet hypochondriac... | ||
| Court |
I've had a couple after having my 1995 S-2 in 44 states over the last 10 years. I'd call them about 90/10 owner induced. In the event you have a problem, come straight here and ask. At this point, as BMW continues to discuss the "whys" and hypothetical causes of F650 surging, the Buells are assuredly, if nothing else, WELL IRONED OUT. Buell has done a poor job of concealing any weakness that has ever slipped past the factory doors and the collective intellect here have come up with some pretty saavy solutions. Ride safe, lean much, smile more, Court | ||
| Tramp |
brilliant.court  | ||
| Tripp |
"Don't sweat it. Most of these things aren't that hard to fix and don't cost much compared to most bikes."dc - this is true, you have a garage and tools, that's half the battle. the only things i would do to that bike are: replace the old primary tensioner $15, replace the front exhaust hanger $90+, make sure all the recalls have been taken care of, and ride the bejesus out of it! | ||
| Mbsween |
buellger, I've got 30k or so on mine (01 X1). She's had her issues, mostly related to germane stuff like rocker box gasket leaks, broken belt, dead battery, dead ET sensor. The most frustrating thing was my inability to get parts at my local dealer (Dave S and Jenny at Hales solved that issue) and the service department's inability to diagnose and correct problems (fixed that by info here and on http://www.thex1files.com) I've ridden 2400 mile weekends and been fine. I've been stranded exactly once (dead battery because of dead VR) in 4 years (BRAG towing took care of that) I've been riding for 29 years and I've never met so many people with a common disease errrr passion, which is riding the snot out of these things on twisty roads. You really owe it to yourself to make it to a BRAG event. The coolest thing is people that are way above my ability have invited me to ride with them over and over, nobody seems to care much about anything except riding. Thats my kind of people. So have fun and deal with the issues when you need to. I'll wager you'll have more fun than you bargained for Good luck Matt | ||
| Denfromphilly |
I've put 3600 miles on my 99X1 in 6 months and work on it all the time. It has not broken or anything, it's a labor of love and easy to work on. There are plenty of resources here for repairs, about the only thing you need a dealer for is a TPS reset. Enjoy, they are unique bikes with an excellent pedigree, a 90 year old tractor motor with the bugs ironed out. I have ridden/owned a few classic bikes. Buell's are destined to be classics, they are that good. Good Luck Den | ||
| Reepicheep |
When I sold my 00 Cyclone with 25k miles on it, it was arguably a more reliable bike then when I bought it at 3k miles. Most of the real pain from my Cyclone was something that happened after something else happened. If you know what I mean. The initial failure was not a big deal to fix, but what happened after that was. Nip the problem in the bud, and its not hard work. Here is what you should do if it has not been done yet. Each of these jobs should not take more then a relaxed saturday afternoon. 1) Adjust your belt scary loose. I used the rule that I sit on the bike, reach down, and should be able to pull the belt up to touch the swingarm with only the least bit of resistance. This saves a $400 10 hour transmission rebuild. 2) Replace both rocker box gaskets with the new metal parts. 3) Replace the primary cover gasket with the new metal part. 4) Replace your front exhaust support with the new "Y" part (if not done already). Reinstall all the exhaust bits carefully, letting it "settle in" as you gradually tighten it up. Don't leave anything stressed. 5) At around 10k miles, drop the oil pump and inspect the pinion gear in the cam cavity. Check it, make it rotate with the starter, check it again a few times. Hopefully, it is not worn badly, if it is, replace it (moderately big job, but a lot easier then what you have to do if that gear breaks). 6) Replace your primary chain tensioner with the new updated part (this would be a good time to put in the new metal primary cover gasket). 7) Run mobil 1 gear oil in the tranny, and keep the primary tension adjusted well. 8) At 12k miles you may loose a crank seal and start burping tranny fluid over the back fender. Don't panic, just replace the seal. 9) At 18k or so you may loose the stator. Again, don't panic, it's a straightforward job. If the stator goes first, just replace the crank seal while you are in there. None of these jobs are bad, and none have to be done tomorrow, and all will save you a LOT of grief. | ||
| Al_lighton |
What Bill (Repicheep) said. There are a few lemon Buells out there that want to shake every bracket off of them, but for the most part, these bikes will just go and go and go if you look after the known weak spots that Bill pointed out. Some additions to his list: 10) WHEN the stator goes out, pot the stator wires where they go under the little metal plate with some silicone RTV to minimize their flex. Not a bad idea to coat the rubber plug where it goes thru the primary with the stuff at the same time prior to putting it in the hole. If you're in there for something else before, do it then. Adding a voltmeter to the bike to tell you when you've lost your stator isn't a bad idea either. 11) Check intake seals regularly. Easy enough to do, spray the manifold interfaces with something while idling and if it changes the RPMs, you have the start of an issue. Deal with it, don't delay, intake manifold leaks have blown many a Buell. 12) Check wheel bearings at every tire change. Don't replace any before their time, but be aware that if you don't catch it before they go, your wheel could be toast. Follow replacement procedures diligently, no sockets/hammers, and don't get the replacements from Buell, get quality bearings. 13) If you get shifter problems, the shifter detent plate clip is the likely culprit. Press the pins back in with loctite, replace the clip, or if you want to do it the best way, put a Baker smooth shift drum in there and the problem goes away forever. 14) If it were me, I'd replace the pushrod bases with more robust billet bases the first time I'm in the rocker boxes. But I wouldn't open it up specifically to do the job. 15) ALWAYS verify that there are two motor mount bolts holding the front mount to the head as part of your pre-flight check. Catch it right after a bolt failure happens, it isn't a big deal. Miss it, and it gets uglier. I personally would replace the front mount with a billet mount if it ever has to come off to prevent future occurrences. Most never have the problem, but it is common enough to warrant looking for it. Following Bill's and the above, most Buells should be able to easily get 50-75K hard ridden miles without ever removing a head. If you are unlucky enough to get a base gasket leak before then, bummer, but it isn't the end of the world, and once repaired properly, it won't happen again. Freshen the top end at the same time, you'll go another 75K miles. These engines are pretty darned robust, and you won't find an easier one to work on. Al | ||
| Jon |
Buellgler, Welcome to the club, brother. | ||
| Hotrodsportster |
Buellgler: Welcome. We have four (4) tube frame Buells with mileages from 1700 - 34K without major issues. Follow the common sense suggestions posted above. And enjoy the ride. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Bill and Al, Thanks for the summaries of everything to keep an eye on! That is going to get printed out and go into my M2's records. It will be my maintenance checklist. Since I have a 2000 M2 with 2,600 miles on it, here is my golden chance to avoid learning a lot of things the hard way! Jack | ||
| Tramp |
Posted by reepicheep: "7) Run mobil 1 gear oil in the tranny, and keep the primary tension adjusted well. 8) At 12k miles you may loose a crank seal and start burping tranny fluid over the back fender. Don't panic, just replace the seal. " what does "cause and effect" mean? I have had no crank seal issues, but, then again, I follow the manufacturer's recommendations and run Sport-trans in mine | ||
| Tramp |
I reread my above post... didn't mean to sound like i was lamming Mr. Icheeps' (typically)excellent advice, just an idea.... | ||
| Oldog |
Buellgler: Welcome!  I bought my bike new, went thru the "oh-ma-gawd" thing,( NO major problems ) As some of our "sages" have given you the BEST of the big pieces of advice here are some little things to also add, none are expensive or do now, 1. get the factory shop manual (knowledge IS power) 2. buy good gas from a busy station 3. check the oil level frequently (every other tank of gas ) 4. when the ddfi finally needs attention (it will) it is seldom catastrophic, its usually easy to fix, say the et sensor can be changed in an hour or so, with a 5 dollar "slotted socket" 5. Add G.T.O. and enjoy! ( it will likely be to excess )  When in doubt just post, some one will usually respond, this is an excellent source of info and help From the porch the Ol'Dog | ||
| Oldog |
tramp its those plutonium crank counter weight thingies acting up again  | ||
| Tramp |
Absolutely, O-Dee! | ||
| Bomber |
bugle-man -- Like Court, 90% of the problems I've had with my M2 have been self-induced (including the in the dealer parking lot rocker cover gasket replacement drill duing the 04 homecoming, well photographically documented for posterior, surrounded my friends laughing and pointing, all well deserved) -- like the man sez, Buell has been pretty forthcoming about the issues these scoots CAN have (note, can, many don't show up on some bikes at all), unlike some other factories, where these things can be spoken of only in hushed tone, if at all don't let all the data scare ya, but use it, if and when, to keep that grin on yer puss | ||
| Tramp |
'951/2 S2T, trouble free for 10 hard-riding high mile years. This machine has proven to be more reliable and less maintenance-intensive than any of my bmws. | ||
| Buellgler |
lotsa input, always good, really helps calm a nervous guy down. Then again, so does a day sitting on my X1! Since day one I've been making diligent notes regarding various services, inspections, and repair/replacements as found on this site. Most are completed, some others are still outstanding (waiting for parts, etc.) The service manual is quite helpful as is the irreplacable wealth of knowledge here. For that I am thankful. Did about 370 miles yesterday in 90+ degree heat with my buddies. The X1 ran like a champ, average speed was about 85 mph, finally got rid of the rest of my chicken strips, and really had a good day. I learned a lot about the handling & braking of this bike, something I had been kinda trying to figure out since I bought it, now input is intuitive instead of a guessing game! Man, these bikes are fun. Whomever it was that said these will be classics I would definately tend to agree with. There's just nothing out there like them. Plus, they're American. Gotta keep it local. As far as I'm concerned, I'm totally happy, especially after having ridden several Jap & Euro bikes, they just don't have it. | ||
| Denfromphilly |
I said they are destined to be classics, now how to afford an S2 before they are all chopped to pieces...Den 99X1 (I WILL be buying a second Buell this winter). | ||
| Chasespeed |
Hey bro, i have been putting an average of 1500 miles a week on my 99 X1.... Well, today I am off to find another bike... For the simple reason, after this weekend, i need another one...well, shoudlnt have just one... I will hopefully have iot roadworthy again, by the end of the coming weekend....but who knows...waiting on parts... It wont be pretty, but i will still be smiling... So.... you will be happy, its like a tumor...it'll growon ya Chase | ||
| Denfromphilly |
I feel soooo guilty putting 3600 miles on my X1 in only a few short months. I have a Gold Wing and it usually gets 7k/year but not now... I also have a CB200 and put about 1.1K on it this year too. I think I will buy an old V65 Magna/Sabre so I can thrash it and not feel guilty.....gonna need another Buell to spread out the miles. Den 99X1 | ||
| Crashm1 |
Den, Den, Den, I've put 7k on mine so far this year, I suspect I'll hit twelve by October. The ONLY thing I feel guilty about is sometimes I have to take the straightest route to work. | ||
| Deltacruiser |
Den, Crash is right. I've put 4K on mine in 4 months. I only feel guilty when I have to use the freeway to get somewhere instead of a twisty back road. If God didn't want me to ride the snot out of this thing he wouldn't have blessed me with owning it! Forget the guilt. Just ride brother! Delta | ||
| Tramp |
"I feel soooo guilty putting 3600 miles on my X1 in only a few short months....gonna need another Buell to spread out the miles."  ...yeah, you better get right on that.... |
