| Author | Message | ||
     Sonny |
I just installed a right side airscoop (originally from American Sportbike) on my XB12Ss (thanks XBR12Dude) and the result is absolutely fantastic! It has been a major bummer listening to that hair dryer sound the fan makes virtually all of the time that I'm on the bike for the year that I've owned it. Yesterday I went on my usual weekend ride through the twisties and normally the fan is on about 75% of the ride. Well, yesterday it did not go on once the whole time! And it's been pretty warm out here in SoCal lately. The fan still comes on when I shut the bike off, but no more or less than without the new scoop. I'm OK with that. The fit was perfect and with the painted fiberglass, it looks totally stock. Why Buell lets any of it's XBs leave the factory without one of these things is a mystery to me (but a boon to Al I guess!). See you out on the road! | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
I plan to put one on too, but I have to tell you guys that just taking off that stock piece of trim helps some too. My fan doesn't come on as much with it gone. Plus, I think the further exposed front head looks good too. Just put the mounting bolts back in their places with a little medium locktite and it looks pretty good. People that aren't intimately familiar with a XB will never notice it's missing. | ||
| Fullpower |
Mine runs just fine with NO scoop, took the stock rt side plastic OFF, also removed 2 pounds 14 ounces worth of chin fairing and associated bracketry. Less plastic= Better motorcycle | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
One the other hand...................... The Trojan low profile scoops, both left and right offer excellent air flow over the motor, and might appeal to those brothers whose aesthetic sense finds the stock air intake scoop shapes inappropriate on either side.   | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Never buy air scoops from someone who Armoralls their tires.  | ||
| No_rice |
somebody on here has those low profile scoops on there bike. cant seem to find the pic though | ||
| Livnlo |
fireboltericma has them on his bike. Rode with him this past weekend at the http://www.orangecountyweb.org/horseman great time. you can ask him about the scoops | ||
| Buelltrain |
Same results as Sonny - right-side scoop from American Sportbike on my 06 XB12Ss has practically eliminated fan (except when turning bike off). Did sand-off the fiberglass gloss and painted it with a flat black - looks like the rest of the tupperwear now. | ||
| Moonrunrs |
Who sells the cheapest right side scoop? Anyone have Erik Buell's email address? We should ask him to make this standard equipment on XBs. | ||
| Mortarmanmike120 |
Ft-bstrd, you are a gem. A very observant gem. I can't believe nobody else has commented on that. I think it might catch on. We could market a "special" formula armorall to all the "lawyer-biker-wanna-be's" out there. Tell them the special coating will improve the gas mileage of their fatboys be alleviating the turbulent airflow around the their tires. We could make a mint AND be rid of a few lawyers at the same time. What do you think? | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
I do have them on the bike..I won't post the picture as not to offend anyone for the 5,268th time.  If some one wants me to post i will when i get home where i have some better pictures than at work, or just email/pm me. I don't hear my fan very often at all when ridding. They are very nice quality wise and seem to equal out the bike from left to right. | ||
| Bébèrt |
Trojan airscoop's on xb9sx (dirty). They work well, about 20% less use of fan when driving.    | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Ft-bstrd, you are a gem. A very observant gem. I can't believe nobody else has commented on that. I think it might catch on. We could market a "special" formula armorall to all the "lawyer-biker-wanna-be's" out there. Tell them the special coating will improve the gas mileage of their fatboys be alleviating the turbulent airflow around the their tires. We could make a mint AND be rid of a few lawyers at the same time. What do you think? You could make it "Poker Run" scented. It would smell like a combination of Heineken, Dakkar, and copier toner! The best selling point is that a 5,000 mile supply would last 38.27 years! | ||
| Elff |
I have the low profile ones on my bike and I even have the mesh painted to match the Amber wheels and windscreen. It is quite Bling.  Sorry, Im a slacker and still dont have pics of the new bike | ||
| Etennuly |
Ft_b Put the stuff in a maroon and green bottles (the colors of blood and money) with gold trim. I would think two ounce spray pump or eight ounce squirt bottles, the former for touch ups and the latter for weekend waxings.It'd be a great deal at about $125.00 for the large and $85.00 for the pocket size(based on ratio used for contac lens solution).That would be about right....bottled in NY,NY of course. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
I took some pictures when I installed mine. here is the link: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/198561.html | ||
| Xb12rdude |
Hey sonny, glad you like the scoop. It seemed to cut the fan usage in about half from my "less" than scientific study. | ||
| Tbowdre |
hey fullpower how long have you had your right side engine trim off? you think it cools things down? I have been contemplating. | ||
| Sonny |
Xb12rdude, Yeah, the fan has not come on at all while riding since I installed it. Cool! Thanks again. | ||
| Trafford |
Hi everyone. Save your money! I've been riding and racing for 38 years. I own a Vincent 1000 and an XB9R with Drummer,TFI etc. I always look for simple solutions. I looked at the existing right side plastic fillet and noticed that just by removing the front two screws and using a longer bolt and approx one inch spacer in the top screw mount only, you create a 'free' scoop which increases the air flow by at least 50% to the rear cylinder. I did it in mine and it makes a difference immediately when on the move. If a small extension is made and attached to this there would be an additional ram-air to the 'free' scoop. (my next step). | ||
| Brineusaf |
Hmm... interesting. Might have to give her a look when I get off of work... | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Trafford, If a small extension is made and attached to this there would be an additional ram-air to the 'free' scoop. (my next step). What does that mean? | ||
| Aeholton |
Trafford, that is a fantastic idea! Had I not already bought and installed the right side scoop, I would have tried that idea. Now that I hear it, it's amazing someone hadn't already thought of that. It seems to be just plain common sense. Way to go! | ||
| Swordsman |
He's basically putting spacers underneath the right side stock plastic cover so that it sticks out, thus grabbing air instead of deflecting it. Or at least that's the way I understand it. However, I'm thinking that may look a little tacky. Cheap, yes, attractive, probably not. I think you'd be better off just removing it altogether. My right side scoop from crins should be on its way any day now! Expensive chunk of plastic (US$ vs Euro sucks!), but at least it will really match the stock scoop. What can I say, I'm a symmetry freak. ~SM | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Cheap, yes, attractive, probably not. " I've seen a stock scoop with spacers like that. Not very elegant. | ||
| Tbowdre |
pulled mine off last week... no difference in fan operation. looks better though! | ||
| Bébèrt |
Be aware tough, the fan has to come one after shutdown to cool the oil in the rear cylinder and has to have a "straem-lined" airflow to cool down.Thus in removing the airscoop, the airspeed trough the cylinder-ribs will be less, same for the the cooling efficiency. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I would LOVE to see how the spacer idea on the right looks. Any pics out there.? | ||
| Trafford |
There is not a lot that is different visually using a spacer. Unless you know what to look for it is not noticable. I will post a picture when I get home from a trip abroad. I have now made an extension which is basically a scoop attached to the existing plastic fillet that extends forward of the exhaust (looking from above) so drawing cool air. It lines up with the left side scoop. I will fit it this week. Its just an experiment . The spacer I used is nylon and this mod is quick, simple, functional and is instantly reversible if you don't like it!! | ||
| Trafford |
Here is a pic of the simple but effective spacer idea. I used a nylon spacer that was ready to hand. It could of course be a bit of stainless tube of a much smaller diameter. I only had one bolt at hand of the right length(everything is metric here in Holland)I have another on order so I can finish the job properly.  | ||
| Perry |
Doesn't look so bad to me, maybe I'll give it a whirl. Soms denk ik alle goede ideeen komen uit Nederland... of Amerika natuurlijk.  | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
you know, I just took my right side completely off. My fan doesn't come on as much now. How much of an improvement? Who knows, and just how do you measure in percentages this anyway? Temperatures vary daily as does the ride. But, I seem to notice a difference. | ||
| Perry |
I had mine off, but put it back on because everyone said it was a minimal scoop and removing it would actually diminish the airflow to the rear. Who knows? I thought it looked better off, but I didn't want to risk less airflow. | ||
| Trafford |
An engineers input!! Let’s get some things clear about air cooling on the shrouded motor on the Firebolt et al. The left air scoop does a great job under normal running conditions, but in higher ambient temperatures, like all air cooled engines the motor gets a bit stressed. Particularly so in queues or stop start situations. In those conditions a right scoop is not going to help much……..hence the fan. I also run a Vincent V-Twin with a 1948 motor which also gets hot under the collar in prolonged low speed running; on the open road its fine. The Buell uses air/fan/and oil for its cooling system. The Vincent only has Air assistance! Remember that in a long traffic jam any/all water-cooled bikes will cut the fans in to stay under control if the trigger temperature is reached. After all, that’s what they are for! So why the right hand air scoop? The reason I want more efficient cooling at normal to high speeds, is that O2 sensor in connection with the other sensors which includes the heat sensor is constantly affecting AFV on the injection system. How many times have you ridden the bike from cold and it goes great…….then as the day/journey progresses and you stop for fuel or something suddenly the performance/smooth running is not the same as in the first 20 miles or so? That’s the AFV system doing its job (ha ha). Even with a TFI in use this will happen, although if the TFI is dialled in well the change is less great. So I want to maintain a more even cooling on the rear cylinder when in cruise so the AFV range of change will be narrower than when the heat of the rear head is fluctuating so widely. Hence why the right hand air scoop. I think the Buell Fuel injection system is a bit primitive…. but that’s what we’ve got to work with if we bought a later Buell! With a shrouded rear head there will always be compromises. With air-cooled motors, there will always be compromises. This is what makes riding these bikes so much fun and at the same time so frustrating. (Message edited by Trafford on November 08, 2006) |
