| Author | Message | ||
     Bushmasta |
Thanks to all that responded. I called Buell Service and they straighted everything out. They explained the SRP/recall thing and said my shock arrived today and called the dealer. After speaking with the dealer he called me right back saying the problem was fixed. I'm leaving for Phx in morning and hopefully no later than Friday my Bike will be ready. If not another call to Buell might be necessary. I was very impressed by Buell's response and hopefully the problem is solved. it wasn't Hacienda by the way but Chandler. I have already heard the stories about Hacienda. Chandler thus far hasn't been any better. I can't wait for the dealer here in yuma to become a Buell dealer next month. | ||
| Brentx1 |
Cap or Andy S. I am in a bit of a dilemma. I ordered new front fork springs from ASB for my X1. I weigh 210 and never carry a passenger. They sent 1.0 springs. So like a loyal Buell enthusiast, I put the springs in as directed. Now these springs were about 2" longer than the stock ones, and it took 2 people to collapse the spring far enough to put on the retainer clip. Bike is all back together, but the front is very stiff. Are these springs too large, or will they give after I break them in a little? Or should I go with a lighter spring? | ||
| Blake |
Is your preload/sag set properly? If so, then maybe Cap or Andy can suggest damping adjustments ... like to reduce your compression and rebound until the bike just starts to ... ? Cap! Andy! I thought I was gonna be able to help Brent. But I don't know what the heck I'm talking about! I do recall Andy setting the rebound so that it was just enough to keep the front end from shooting past the at rest position after working the front suspension as much as possible through it's entire range. Andy would hold the front brake, get the front end working up and down, then let it come to rest after a hard downpush. If the front end came up past the at-rest position and settled back down (a push-down...let off/up... then settle down to rest motion), he would increase the damping until it just stopped. I'm not sure how they set the compression damping though. Blake (wishing I had payed better attention to Cap and Andy's shock adjustment routine at Daytona) | ||
| Dave |
Brent: I got guidance from Cap (thanks again Cap!) and basically, you need to cut the stock spacer so it and the new spring is the length of the stock spacer and stock spring. (Make sense?) http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/4951.html?SaturdayJanuary2020010403am#POST52133 Give me a call Saturday if ya wanna talk about it. (618) 593-5076 or e-mail me for more info. DAve | ||
| Bushmasta |
Picked up the bike from Chandler Buell after the Shock/recall service, love it. Finally got to ride my bike. A few questions for those of you in the know. 1. How do i set my sag/preload? I weigh 215lbs, and rarely ride two if I do its my girlfriend/112lbs. I bought a demo bike and it didn't have have owners manuel, so i had to order one. I'm waiting to receive it but would like to know to set the preload/sag and what is correct for my weight. The rear shock works opposite than a conventional rear shock right? expanding instead of compressing? so to adjust preload, do i screw it clockwise or counter? Lastly, i noticed a some oil pile up/gunk at the base of the front cylinder where it meets the gearbox. Is this a common problem? Is there a seal, if so it should be covered by the warranty right? since it was a demo bike i have a full 1yr warranty from the day i bought it. by the way it only has 3500 miles on, seems kinda of early for a leak already. jhbushmasta@aol.com | ||
| Dave |
Measure the rear shock eye to eye (mounting bolt to mounting bolt) with you and your normal riding gear. Use a helper to perform the measurement and it should be 15.2-15.5 in(386-394 mm) per Service Bulletin B-033A. Tighten adjuster (move can towards rear of motorcycle) to increase preload. Loosen adjuster (move can towards front of motorcycle) to decrease preload. DAve | ||
| Bushmasta |
I was thinking of purchasing a the Shock tool from American Sportbike. It would be nice to be able to adjust my Preload when i decide to take on a passenger. Anyone have one? Was it worth it? Pretty small isn't can you get the torque you need to adjust the nuts with that little tool. or would a Pre load spanner from (#B43895)from Buell be better? Don't know if the Buell spanner can be stored under the seat or the price difference yet. Any comments welcome jhbushmasta@aol.com | ||
| Blake |
Adjusting nuts with a little tool? Sounds like a personal problem to me.  | ||
| Blake |
oops | ||
| Fpostow97s3 |
I have a question for the knowledgable residents of BWB regarding isolators. The following is a link to the SacBORG thread where I have posted pics to go along with this question. http://www.sacborg.com/ubb/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/000688.html To preface the discussion, some background. 1997 S3. First isolator recall completed in fall 98/ spring 99. Subsequent B-016B isolator kit issued last November not completed. I was out riding yesterday since it's going to be crappy for the next couple of days when I noticed an intermittent "noise". I won't yet describe it because I'm not exactly sure how to describe it. Not exactly grinding but unusual to say the least and not normal. I also noticed it tended to stop when I applied the front brake. So I put her up on the rear stand and jacked up the front from the engine block so I could do some inspecting. My first thought was front rotor warp or bad pads. Spin the wheel, made observations that the original rotor was not warped and pads in god shape. Also no strange noises. Next I checked the rear. Nothing funky there either. Next guess was ISOLATORS. On visual inspection of rear brake/right side isolator I noticed the off center bolt was a little more off center than it should be. On the clutch/left side off center bolt the bolt was not contacting the isolator wall and the washer could be seen all the way around the bolt. Where as on the right/brake side the bolt was clearly contacting the wall and the washer could not be seen completely around the bolt. Upon inspection from below I also noticed that the seam on the isolator was not straight. Am I correct in assuming that as the service bulletin specifies the marked line, in this case the seam I am observing, should be straight not twisted. I also inspected the clutch side isolator and found the seam was not straight either but less so than the brake side. So now the bottom line. First of all am I accurate in my assumption that the isolators need to be replaced. Second as this is a 97 can I get them replaced under Service Bulletin B-016B? From my reading it appears I can. Third how is availability on the 2001 isolators? And of course after the isolators get replaced will the intermittent noise disappear? Thanks for any help and/or suggestions. | ||
| Doncasto |
Isolator Upgrade Kit Although it took almost 8 months to get it accomplished (I will spare the sordid details), I finally had the torn isolator on my '98 S3T replaced with the upgrade kit yesterday. I could not determine if the kit delivered any difference in feeling from what I recall the pre-failure old isolators gave me, but I feel much better about riding my Buell now that the isolators are once again intact. Caution: In spite of what the Buell Service Bulletin says, it took a long term and well respected Buell tech (thanks, Mike Freeburg!) over twice the 1 hour time allotted by Buell for the replacement/repair. This means that the dealership will be eating over an hour of Mike's payroll for the privilege (?) of installing my kit. Be prepared to contribute beverages/consumables to the staff and management of your chosen servicing dealership if you have this work done under warranty. Your consideration may partially make up for Buell's stingy labor allotment. Don Casto Boulder, Colorado | ||
| Blake |
FPost: Isolators need replaced?... Sorry, I am not able to tell from your pic if they are torn. Your mechanic, during and i-person inspection, should be able to tell though. | ||
| Ralph |
Don, I put the new isolators in my S3 and they were a huge pain in the behind. They used to use shims to make up the difference for frame variations. Now the isolator is way thick and takes a fair amount of work to squeeze in. I installed mine with the motor out and the bike upside down. I wouldn't want to do it they way the dealer is forced to. bighairyralph | ||
| Doncasto |
Hey BHR! I was contemplating doing it myself until I read the service bulletin Aaron provided. There seemed to be way to many opportunities for various Bozo factors to intercede in the home shop process. Without the magic Buell tool I had figured I would use hardwood wedges to compress the old isolator and move the swingarm aside. I am now glad I did not have to test my theory. Great to hear from your large, follicle enhanced self again, sir! Don | ||
| Peter |
OK. I've just installed some different fork springs in my '00 M2 and I look in my owners manual for the sag:
and then in my workshop manual:
Kheh? Anybody care to enlighten me on the correct one? PPiA | ||
| Mikej |
Well, got my bike back tonight with the new shock on it, looks good. Can't really say how it handles yet though. I got two new tires at the same time, and on the ride home it was snowing, hailing, a little windy, wet roads, and about 28°F, so I was taking it extreamly easy with the road conditions and brand new tires. Anyway, the shock was a no-charge replacement for my SRP'd one. Just takes time, talking to the right people, and coordinating the work with deliveries. MikeJ (thawing out) | ||
| Ralph |
Special Tool? Oh, you mean my rubber mallet! You can borrow it any time. bighairyralph | ||
| Blake |
Go with 33mm. This is per THE experts (Cap and Andy). | ||
| Peter |
Blake, Thank you. PPiA | ||
| Henrik |
PPiA: you may want to do both Static and Rider sag: Static: bike alone = 20 mm Rider: with you in full gear = 30-35 mm Btw: found this link with lots of good suspension info and trouble shooting: http://www.crosswinds.net/~suspensionsetup/ Henrik | ||
| Peter |
Henrik, Will different weight springs (for different weight riders) still give 20mm for just the bike? PPiA | ||
| Sbperki |
My husband trying to soften the ride on my new, 01, m2l. Owner's manual says range is 17.4-18.6, but we think that we're all done at 15.9. Then I saw Dave's post from 4/11 stating that the ranges are 15.2-15.9 per SB B-033a. Does my manual incorrectly state the ranges for the preload adjustment? BTW, thanks for the windshield advice. Got the National Cycle. A little narrow, but tall enough to keep the wind off. | ||
| Cap |
Free sag.... The bike,alone, causing the suspension to give a little. This sounds backwards but too much "free" sag and you have too heavy of a spring rate after setting rider(static) sag. You want the measurement to be between 0-20 MM. The 0 MM needs to be very soft if that close and it means that you realy need a stiffer spring and at 20 MM you could need a lighter rate spring. Static sag should be set between 25-38 MM(with rider onboard). 25 is for race tracks or very smooth surfaces and only go to 38 MM if you ride on very rough roads. Blake explained rebound correctly but remember this... Stiffer springs require more rebound and less compression damping.. Another trick is that if you like the ride that you bike is giving but you are bottoming it out on occasion, add 5 CC of oil in each fork leg. As you use travel in your forks, the air space in the fork works as an air spring. the smaller volume of air will make the bike progressively stiffer as the volume decreases(when the forks are fully compressed). Email me with questions and I will help you with your problems. There is no one cure or setup for everyone as everybody rides differently. | ||
| Dave |
I don't see a reply to your post Sbperki, but that measurement was for the new "recall Showa". I am not 100% but "maybe" it's different with the stock 01 Showa. Anyone know for certain? DAve | ||
| Smoke |
hey all, i installed the new isolators on thursday night/friday night after work using a come along from a roof beam in my shed. the biggest issue was disconnecting all the oil lines and preventing the motor from leaning,so that when i set the frame back on the swingarm it would go between both isolators at the same time. i used a thin, flexible 1.5" putty knife between the isolator and block as kind of a guide as i was lowering the frame. on retrospect, next time i will remove the muffler to block up the engine in a straight alignment, remove the rear pipe heat shield and air filter backing plate to prevent scratching the frame. (break out the touchup paint!) i'm riding a 97s1. good luck. tim | ||
| Jmartz |
Hoser: If you are lurking, how in the world do you remove the bolt at the bottom of the forks? My front suspension has begun to bottom out and I suspect the preload shims have compressed. I need to investigate in there? I have a metric 1/4 drive allen socket but the thing does not budge. Larger drives do not fit as this bolt is at the bottom of a deep hole. HELP!!!!! | ||
| Doncasto |
Jmartz: I ran into the same problem. First, I made an long Allen socket by cutting a regular Allen wrench and welding it to a 3/8 socket. Then, and most important, I was told that if you give the Allen wrench a good hammer whack with it seated in the pesky bolt it will loosen the any locktite/corrosion that may be causing it to hang on. I also found that carefully using an air impact wrench to spin the bolt helped when the cartridge began to turn inside the fork tube during both disassembly and install. Hope this is of some help. Good luck. Don | ||
| Jmartz |
Thanks Don I will try that. I have an air impact wrench and a cut down 1/4 drive allen socket. I don't think a 3/8 drive socket will fit in the hole, but I'll investigate that tinte when I get home. | ||
| Jmartz |
My bike's odometer has gone over 38,000 miles. Yesteday I took a ride in the N. GA mountains and was pleasently surprised as to how good the handling still is. The isolators are the factory installed ones and my Michein pilots have gone over their midlife crisis. In spite of the fact that my front brake has lost most of its effectiveness I could still run the bike hard on the rising curves. With compression dampening nearly non-existent I had to avoid any hole or bumb or else suffer some hard bottom outs. Scratched both my boot tips using them as lean angle feelers. My carburation is somewhere between "spot on" and "smear off" | ||
| Fastback69 |
Jmartz, How do you like the Pilots? I am doing my tire homework early so I'll pretty much know what I want. I have 205's now and have contemplated 207's, BT010's, and the Pilot's. I'm not too concerned with reduced wear, but how many miles do you have on your tires? How many do you think you'll get? |
