| Author | Message | ||
     Sundog |
I am the happy new owner of a 2000 Cyclone (only 5,300 mi on it) and new to BWB. I think is an awesome bike for cruising the local area, but was curious about your experiences with longer trips and any modifications that people have made for those longer stretches. (i.e. handlebars, hand-guards, different flyscreen, throttle lock, bags, etc.) Thanks! | ||
| Cerbero |
I've taken my '97 M2 on at least 9 long trips... averaging 600 miles in one day. With the exception of the larger stock fuel tank and seat (from a '99 M2), I have made no "comfort" modifications. I use a small Buell tank bag and a larger Marsee tail bag, which I hook to the seat and secure with a cargo net. It has also been incredibly reliable on these trips... I lost a rear isolator on my way back from Oregon (a huge thanks to Redwood HD of Eureka, for getting me back on the road in under 3 hours!), but other than that it has never given me trouble or left me stranded. ...c | ||
| Sundog |
thanks. That is great to hear. I'm thinking about a small tank bag and a tail bag as well. I'll check out the Marsee. | ||
| Aesquire |
One advantage that Buell's have is that we can run big, old fashioned rectangular soft saddle bags. No pipe worries. I've an old Vetter bag set I use. Some like the ventura rack system, I've not tried it. http://www.ventura-bike.com/english/products/products.htm Try not to load too heavy too far back, or too high. I had a scary speed wobble happen with a cooler full of beer & ice on a rack on my GT380 once. | ||
| Sundog |
good to know. So you are saying, keep the cooler smaller than 50qts! Yes, the low pipe makes things much easier. | ||
| Aldaytona |
I have taken several long trips on my 2000 M2, the only comfort mod was Pro Grip 699 gel grips. Under $10.00. | ||
| Sanchez |
I can tell you what not to do. Whatever you do, don't replace your tail section with one from a 98 S1. The seat is only one butt cheek wide, and if you're like me, you have two.  Seriously, though, this is a must: http://www.throttlerocker.com/ It drastically reduces the amount of pressure you have to apply with your right hand fingers. After a few hours of riding, it's also nice to be able to take all your fingers off the throttle grip and still maintain speed with your palm while you flex them. They're about $15 shipped on eBay. | ||
| Sundog |
very interesting. less stress to keep it WFO. thanks | ||
| Jackbequick |
Another good one is the CrampBuster. It puts the load on the heel and you can completely relax your grip. I kept mine down near the end of the grip and moving my hand up away from it let me leave it on all the time with no problems. Quick on and off, just wind it on and off. Warning! Potentially Dangerous! Another trick on long rides is putting one of those cloth covered elastic pony tail hair bands in the gap between the grip flange and the throttle housing (wrap it around two times). That will create enough friction or drag that the throttle will not close or will vibrate closed slowly. Sort of like a hill billy cruise control. Jack | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Jack, Both work very well. I prefer the crampbuster type in the same position as you mention. Where's the ride report on your new acquisition? Advise,,, G2 | ||
| Mbsween |
Sundog, The Ventura is the way to go. it rides like a passenger that stays still. You won't notice it, in fact you'll find yourself looking to see if its still there. It will hold a case and a 1/2 with ice, but you arse may get wet if the store is a long way The throttle rocker is also a very nice addition. I have an X1, I switched the grips to the Buell traction grips and I got a corbin seat. The seat is definitely an individual preference. I like the corbin (hard) vs the sock seat (way soft). There are plenty of other opinions on the subject. The last thing I'd suggest is an electric vest. nothing like feeling warm on a cold night (or day) for that matter. Most of them will plug into the same connector a battery tender uses Good luck and ride far (comfortably!) | ||
| Ulywife |
The Ventura is the way to go. Ditto - the 45 liter bag will hold enough for 3-4 nights and the 10 liter bag is great for day trips for sunglasses, gloves, rain suit and other small things. You can also get a rain cover for the 45 liter bag. The only other mods my husband has done is the Buell traction grips and the peg risers from American Sport Bike. We also have a corbin seat on the M2. | ||
| Mikej |
One caution on the Ventura rack on an M2 to be aware of, when the big bag is full it might have a tendency to hang down over the rear of the rack frame and obscure the tail light. It did on my '00 M2. I added a row of those BackOff red LEDs to the bottom of the license plate backing plate partly for that reason. | ||
| Aesquire |
The Buell "Custom Color Matched Seat", ( no longer in production) is quite comfy, ( compared to the M2L seat ) and has a rear section much better for passengers. See my profile. It's softer than the Corbin, & you have to find one, good luck. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Bigdaddy, I'm a happy dude, I don't want to clot up the Buell group with too much H-D chatter. Suffice it to say, if you like the brakes on a M2 a two piston, single rotor, '97 H-D FXD is not going to bring you a lit of piece of mind on getting stopped. Other than that, I love the ride. I put a picture on my profile, I'm a poser now. Please, don't make me leave! Jack | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Jack, I like your new ride -- had it's brother, in vivid black, for a couple of years. "It takes a long time to stop it, but that's because it's slow." My dad about 1970 talking about his Shovel to his German brother in law. Great cruiser my friend; absolutely great. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have,,,,anything you can/will break I've already broken G2 | ||
| Jackbequick |
Thanks Greg, I've got you at the top of my list. My leaky primary turned out to be grossly overfilled. The oil drops all over the right side after every ride went away with a breather re-route (M2 Deja vu). And I have a Hawg Halter four piston caliper inbound to improve the front end braking a little. It's not dangerously bad now but I want to get a little more friction up there. Grndskpr and roadthing have filled me in on the Paoli forks dual rotor setup on grndkpr's Dyna, that may get consideration for the long term. We really need to get Blake started on a HogWeb to partner with the BadWeb. I've checked about 20 H-D forums but can't seem to find one that suits my needs. Any candidates? Jack (Message edited by jackbequick on July 20, 2006) | ||
| Road_thing |
Love the bike, Jack. Let me know how the new brake works out, my old shovel could use some help in that department as well. I'm guessing that Blake would turn and run away if you suggested starting another bike website! rt | ||
| Jayvee |
We could start an "other HD" section of the forum, maybe? Probably a bunch of people own both Buell and 'other HD' too. I haven't taken any long trips yet with my M2 I got 6 months ago, but I'm also trying to change it from a track bike to a highway bike. I took off the Banke rearsets, back to stock. Put on taller bars from S3T/Blast. Took off Storz footpegs, back to stock. Softened up the compression and rebound damping. Got Corbin seat from eBay (with backrest too.) Got Ventura luggage L-brackets and rack. Got some Buell soft saddlebags from eBay. Just missing the running light thing (Kisan SM-1) and the throttle rocker thing, and a tank bag, pretty much set otherwise. If I was really going to go riding long distance, I think I would get the Baker 6 speed. It has a lower low and a higher high, thus more flexibility for varied terrain. (Message edited by jayvee on July 21, 2006) | ||
| Sundog |
I appreciate all the great input. I bought one of those throttle things at a local bike shop here in DSM and will be giving it a try. Is magnetic the best way to go for tank bag? is a tank bag hard on the paint? | ||
| Freeflyer |
"Is magnetic the best way to go for tank bag? is a tank bag hard on the paint?" the previous owner of my m2 had the buell one for my m2 and it wore off the paint on the tank down near the seat it looks like pooh and needs a paint job now , I never used it I think it ruins the look of the bike and prefer a tail bag. | ||
| Cerbero |
I didn't think the M2 tanks had any metal in them... as for the paint; I've never had any trouble with scratching/scuffing. | ||
| Henrik |
You'll need a tank bag with straps. No metal (other than the gas cap) in the gas tank. A tank bag will no doubt be a bit hard on the paint. I've found a tank bra helps protect the rear of the tank a bit from the straps. There are some electrostatic cling sheets out there (www.riderwearhouse.com I think) that you can cut to shape and stick on your tank and other body panels for more protection. Also make sure your tank bag has a soft, not slippery bottom. And keep both tank and bag bottom squeaky clean. For LD comfort I've found the ProPad to be fantastic no matter how good the seat may be. Taking the time to properly adjust the handlebars and hand controls for optimum feel will make a big difference at the end of the day. Henrik | ||
| Oldog |
Sun Dog M2 tanks X1 tanks and S2/3 tanks are a variation of Nylon I believe, Tank bags - several good ones on the market Try the sponsors links Ol Dog Welcome to the madness. | ||
| Hippyjoe |
You might want to look into updates if they haven't been done before setting out long range. If it's an early '00 then you might need the later primary tensioner. If your exhaust hanger looks like an L then you might want to install the Y. | ||
| Sundog |
thanks. I plead ignorant on the composition of the tank. I am convinced: THAT era has the all time BEST tank styling a motorcycle has ever had (no bias either, sorry frame-tankers!). I really hesitate to cover it with a tank bag so I am planning on a tail bag for excursions and will probably add some soft saddle bags down the road (maybe eventually a side car too). I guess not having a place for a map means I'll just have to wing it! | ||
| Djkaplan |
"I am convinced: THAT era has the all time BEST tank styling a motorcycle has ever had (no bias either, sorry frame-tankers!)." I absolutely agree. One of the few good looking tanks out there that still has good capacity, too. When I repainted my Manta tank, the subtle curves and sculpted sides were so beautiful, I never put the raised BUELL decals back on. Whoever styled that tank did a great job of industrial design. Not that I'm biased... | ||
| Weatherman |
I did a 300 mile trip on my 2000 M-2.] I had an airhawk seat cushion. The stock seat is good for a bout half a day but with the airhawk and very little air in it you are good for all day. I had a Buell soft luggage set including tank bag, tail bag and saddle bags. I had extra stuffin a nelson rigg backpack (motorcycle backpacks have extra strap on the front to take some weight off your shoulders). Since then I have added hand guards (same ones as are on Ulysses and cityx)and a givi fairing (made for suzuki sv650 but with modified head light brackets looks like it is made for the cyclone. Be sure to pack appropriate riangear, wet weather gloves and warm or cold weather gear. The trip was written up in Fuell magazine a couple of years ago. have a great time!!! the M-2 is a great sport tourer!!!}} | ||
| Weatherman |
oops that's 3000 miles and I also had a throttle rocker | ||
| Hedcase |
Just did a 800ish mile trip on my M2. It is indeed a very fun sport-tourer. You might want to look into updates Second that one! And, make sure you have a toolkit with you. I've also added towing to my insurance for piece of mind. For added seat comfort I used a sheepskin pad from Alaskaleather. Since it was my first longish trip I naively over-packed, and used soft saddlebags and tankbag from Wolfman luggage - good stuff; made in CO. The full-face helmet was nice to hide in as wind-blast can be tiring. 6 hours is about as long as you want to go unless you're an experienced Ironbutt rider or young, and you may want to be sure you're done riding before the deer start moving around. Also, keep and eye on the bike as you go. A quick walk-around inspection (including seat fastener) at each stop is a good idea. I had an oil line loosen up (right above the rear shock remote reservoir) at the end of the trip which coated oil over some of the bike - rear tire included. Maybe check those lines at the oil pump before you go. Welcome to the madness. LOL! | ||
| Sundog |
I did get a tail bag bought. I got a MotoPak Tail Bag on eBay. On their website http://www.motopakluggage.com/luggage.html it lists at 69.99 USD but they are selling their products on eBay as well to get their brand out there. I won mine for $41. It is a very nice product and I'm looking forward to using it. | ||
| Noblemonster |
You might consider the Cortech for a tail pack, they used to have them at newenough.com |
