| Author | Message | ||
     Beagle_hog |
I realize that motorcycles are complex machines made of 1000's of moving parts, and sometimes you get a lemon. That being said, are there any serious known problems with the buell's that should cause concern? | ||
| Davo |
For the most part Buells are very dependable and trouble free. There are a few Uly's that have had serious pinging issues. I speculate that the 07 changes may have addressed this issue. My Uly is one of the problem bikes but I have corrected the problem by making some radical timing adjustments. Unless there is a revelation soon regarding this problem, I am going to pull my engine down and cc the heads and check the compression ratio. I will publish my data. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Mine has been one of the reliable ones. 12k and the only problem I have had was with the contacts of an electrical connector. It was an easy fix. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Current generation Buells are as reliable as almost any other brand you care to mention. Sites like this tend to amplify faults, and give a false sense of how many problems there are. Don't worry. because of "tolerance stacking" all manufacturers have their problem children. After the bad reputation some of the tube frame bikes gained Buell has worked VERY hard to make the XB series and the blast some of the most reliable bikes made. SO go get yourself a Buell and ride if it has already drawn you in far enough to be here asking questions like this  Have you taken a demo ride? Also, I bought a Buell because of the engineering. The people in the Buell community were an unexpected and HUGE bonus. Be sure to use the resources here and contribute where you can Welcome to BadWeB. | ||
| Etennuly |
My Uly has had some problems, however, the thing about that is once the problem is fixed, it is fixed. None of those issues that have been repaired have resurfaced. That returns to me a feeling of confidence that may have faded when the problems did appear. There is an addiction that over-takes your soul once you've hit a harmonic stride aboard your Buell. You become so ONE with the bike you can actually forget your riding one, it can feel like the ultimate "magic carpet ride". With my full face helmet on I see only the gauges and mirrors of my bike, the rest is an open view of the world moving past me as I simply look where I want to go and feel the machine happily respond. Permagrin is a Buell issue that should be explained in the owners manual, and then again in the service manual where you should be taught to explain yourself after riding. | ||
| M2nc |
I realize that motorcycles are complex machines made of 1000's of moving parts, and sometimes you get a lemon. That being said, are there any serious known problems with the Buell's that should cause concern? Yes - They are very unsafe! I believe the Feds will deal with Buell soon enough. There have been hundreds of cases of injury caused by out of wack spousal abuse due to lack of attention, multiple late entries and missed calling times. Due to the carelessness of the Buell engineers and their inability to minic other motorcycle manufacturers that have all been safely designed to bore the rider in a reasonable amount of time, the Feds are pushing Buell to recall all models since 1994. The recall will consist of counter-balance shafts to smooth the engines out, weights to be hung off the side of the motorcycles to mimic the extra weight of safe muffler mounts, bias ply tires, replace the 6-piston Nissin caliber with a Sportster 2-piston one and quiet down all bikes to audible levels no more than Honda PC800 with factory exhaust. Feds are urging all Buell riders to respond to the recall immediately before spousal disparity ensues and possible injury or loss of life possible!~ (Message edited by M2nc on November 18, 2006) | ||
| M2nc |
Or maybe not!! 16K - Bike runs great - Been to ten states on it. Its right now at the quality level of my Honda, but to be fair it is still newer. When I sold my Honda it had 32,000 miles and was 9 years old. Gee - I have half that many miles in one year. Go figure! | ||
| Beagle_hog |
I have taken the test ride, and I like the bike a lot. I'm trying to sell my current bike (05 Nomad - nice bike, no soul) so I can buy the new one. 'till then, all I can do is read this site, and advrider. While I'm waiting, I'm researching too. Just making sure. | ||
| Crusty |
At 18,000 miles, my Buell is as reliable as I could ask. (it hasn't broken). Some people don't care for the loud fan, but that's not a reliability issue. As far as the Spousal disparity issue; if Buell would only build a shorter Uly that my wife could hold up comfortably, then she could get one. That would cure the Disparity. (Although, to be honest, she does pretty good with her Moto Guzzi Breva. She just likes Buells, and wishes that they'd build one for her) | ||
| Pso |
I have found that if there is a problem it gets fixed right away. My experience has been that the dealer I used for 1,000 mile service somehow got my bike to not run well. I posted on this board and the response was great. I had offers to go to Pa. and a fellow would work on it, also go the NJ and have a test ride on another members bike to compare and he would test mine, also Court was great in helping out. I also got lots of suggestions both on the the board and back channel on what to check and possible fixes. The offers to help were almost overwhelming. All good info that I used and I got the bike back to better than new.You can check my two posts one "from best bike to worst bike" and the second "from best to worst back to best bike". Thus far I had one recall(the side stand)which was done promtly and before the stand broke. I have had a new model GoldWing, Kaw Concours, Yamaha Seca and other much older bikes, but I find this bike to be the best handling, most fun and also so far the most reliable. I do think my fan is starting to go out, sounds like leaves are stuck in the blades. This has been a warrenty problem that a few members on this board have mentioned. But it seems to have been fixed promptly. The biggest issue about this bike that I have read about is the dealership service. Some of the dealers are great but it sounds as if some of them do not think much of the Buells. The dealer I used was good but they just did not have any experience with the Uly. That is how I got such a good deal. Buell's do not sell well on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and I teased the salesman for close to 8 monhs about the Uly. They had two The first one sold end of summer 05 the other one I bought May of 06 and they were happy to have it move out. I have found a different dealership which has a number of wrenches and also the service manager which are Buell nuts. I am very happy with this bike and would not hesitate to take it cross country or the continental divide. Good Luck | ||
| Daves |
"Buell's do not sell well on the Eastern Shore of Maryland " They would if they had the right people selling them  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Dillon Brothers HD/Buell has a few Buell lovers on the payroll. I know the parts guy from way back and he has always been a Harley guy but the last few times I've talked to him he has proclaimed that his next bike would be a Buell. I found that very interesting from a dyed in the wool Harley guy. They take pictures of each new owner next to their Harley or Buell and post them on the wall. Quite a few Buells sell, not like the Harleys though. Probably 100:1 ratio, but that is just a guess of course. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on November 18, 2006) | ||
| Beagle_hog |
I'm going to buy mine in Appleton. The dealers in south east michigan either don't carry Buell (2 dealers), don't know the product if they do carry it (3 dealers), or won't even ask if you have a question.(2 dealers) If I have a service issue, I'd go to the ones that don't know the product (at least they have the product), the others can go to .... Anyone know somebody who wants a Kaw nomad????? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I have had the following problems: Bad Bank Angle Sensor--Bike would simply turn off while riding. You would either have to cycle the key or the kill switch and it would fire back up. Dealer replaced under warranty. Bad Fuel Pump--Tech noticed that the pump was simply not producing fuel pressure to spec. Diagnosed while trouble shooting the BAS. Dealer Replaced under warranty Brake Rotor--I developed a pronounced rotor pulse that couldn't be repaired. Dealer claimed that loose head bearings were contributing factor to the rotor wear. They tightened the bearings. Lyndalls pads correct future rotor issues issue. Dealer replaced both rotor and brakes under warranty. Cooling Fan--It's in the process of dying. It has a pronounced death rattle. I called the dealer and told them the fan was dying. They ordered it (without it dying and without even seeing the bike) and plan to install it at next service (when I can get off of it long enough to let them have it). Dealer will replace under warranty. I will take it in for the 5,000 mile service soon. Most here will tell you that you can do all of the service yourself. I can as well. With all that they have done and with the support I receive. I'm taking the long view look and want to put some revenue back into the dealer that isn't a warranty issue. Other than that, this bike has been awesome! Most here don't have any of these issues. I got "lucky" and had them ALL. I have had no recurring problems with any of the repaired items. Therefore, I don't really care that I have had issues. They have cost me nothing but a little bit of time. Buy it. You will not be sorry! | ||
| Etennuly |
Ft_ What happened to you? You bought one and you're still sorry!!!  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Not the bike's fault. Guess that makes me a Sorry Fat Bastard! What? Like the bike improved your social standing? | ||
| Etennuly |
Well....yes it did. Because I bought the new bike, I also bought new sox and underwear. That's up a rung on the social ladder if anything is!  All good distance riders know that skid marks aren't just from tires. | ||
| Orangeulius |
Well amongst all these glowing reviews I guess someone has to whine so I'll break the happy Uly owner streak. When I started having electrical problems (wouldn't start) shortly after I bought my Uly I figured I had drained the battery by accidentally leaving the back light on over night. So I started keeping it on a trickle charger. Then this summer while I was riding the Foothills Pkwy, My speedo and tach failed to come on after leaving a rest stop. I stopped and restarted and everything came back. Almost home and I stop at the convenience store. Try and start the bike, click, click hi beam lamp on but hi beam aren't on. Turn if off, recycle the electronics, say a short prayer and it just barely turns over. I left it with the dealer for over a week. I pointed them to all the posts on Badweb and Adv Rider. I figured the voltage regulator was going bad. Their analysis? Couldn't find a problem. I rode 200 miler 2 weeks ago and the tach went out again. Last Sunday I went to take a ride on a balmy day and of course the Uly doesn't start. Remember this is with it being on a trickle charger at all times. I take the battery in, it checks out ok. It took me a week to find someone with a trailer I could use to haul the bike in to Smoky Mtn HD. I only live 8 miles away but it might as well be 100 cause you sure can't push the beast. I was nice, I was calm but I told the SM I wouldn't take the bike back if they couldn't find the problem. I'll take a loss rather than have to deal with such an unreliable machine. I can understand a cable breaking or an item having somewhat poor build quality, but there is no excuse for flaky electricals. As I drove my car on this balmy Sunday I could only think how much nicer it would have been on my less than year old 2500 mile Uly. Sorry for the rant but I have never owned a bike with such poor dependability. Good thing this sh.t didn't happen when I was 200 miles out! Arggggh! | ||
| Diablobrian |
Ulius (love the name) I'd be looking at the Bank angle sensor (BAS) under the seat. The symptoms are kind of similar to what you describe and it doesn't leave a trouble code in the ECM for the "tech". Many techs are incapable of finding an electrical problem that does not show up in the ECM as a code. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I second the BAS. It is a funny piece of equipment that provides many symptoms tied to one switch. The switch thinks the bike is on it's side when it isn't. It won't start, the gauges are dead (don't want to drain the battery on a bike that has fallen over), it will stall while riding. As Brian mentioned, it won't throw a code because the switch is working fine. It's doing it's job, just not at the right time. There is no way to check it, but to replace it. I don't know what they cost, but if they won't replace it under warranty, see if they will split the cost of the switch and do the labor for free. If it fixes it, see if they will cover the rest under warranty. If it doesn't fix it, you are no worse off. | ||
| Lowflyer |
I learned a long time ago that if you are going to have a bike, you damn sure better have a means of hauling it places. | ||
| Xbimmer |
As I read these posts about the BAS I keep wondering WHY? Are they there because Buell thought that a crash might tear open the frame/tank and a meltdown might occur? | ||
| Diablobrian |
The BAS exists because your oil pump starves and the bearings will be toast if it runs "dry" with the oil pickup out of the oil when the bike is on its' side. (Message edited by diablobrian on November 19, 2006) | ||
| 2_spuds |
I guess I'll jump on the whine wagon with Orangeulius so he doesn't feel alone. I've had some problems with mine also,the biggest being where they occured.On my way home from a trip to Alaska the rear wheel bearings crapped out, which was only the beginning. After that came a broken belt,a failed starter relay, a broken kickstand,and a nice two inch slash in the rear tire  . The bike is a blast to ride but mine won't be seeing any more long rides. Lowflyer nailed it... " I learned a long time ago that if you are going to have a bike, you damn sure better have a means of hauling it places." This is how mine made it home...The U-Haul express...  | ||
| Orangeulius |
I have been planning on buying a trailer. Next spring I will trailer the bike out to CO,UT and AZ for some local jaunts in national parks. Yeah I could ride the bike but think the FJ/bike combo will make for a fun trip. Heres a pic. http://www.marklarsen.com/Buell/FJAR.jpg I would welcome opinion/comments on this trailer. http://www.bikelug.com/index.html Whether the Uly goes with me is still up in the air. I have been riding motorcycles on and off since I was 13, that's 40 years. I bought the Uly because of all the great posts. I always read up before I buy anything. I guess I thought the problems weren't wide spread enough to effect me. DOH! Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions! (Message edited by orangeulius on November 19, 2006) | ||
| Diablobrian |
For long distance towing with a trailer like that I'd be sure to safety wire all of the pins and clips in place to prevent a nasty accident on the road. Probably overkill, but what if... I see the value in trailering the bike to far away places myself. My health and stamina aren't what they used to be and I enjoy riding at the destination to droning on the hwy for hour after hour if I have a choice. My Buell can be geared up for that kind of duty (one of the virtues of chain drive), but I'd rather not if I have a choice and the trip takes longer than say...6 hours...to reach where I want to ride. When buying a trailer ideally you want >13" wheels if you have a choice. Fewer revolutions per mile for the wheel = less heat, wear etc and a smoother ride for your bike. BTW I dig the new toyota. Looks very much like the old land cruisers I used to see in the movies in rugged environments like African safaris. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
For short to moderate distances I have one of these:  It's nice in that it didn't cost nearly as much as a trailer and I can store it in my garage. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I'm considering one of those for my RV. I have a similar rig with a grid work deck and a built in ramp that I use for my rascal scooter on occasion, as well as for carrying bits of excess cargo. I'm even looking at installing a class 3 hitch on my 94 (9C1)caprice. I don't think that it will handle that much tongue weight though. The only problem with a carrier like the one above comes when I need to carry more gear, or a buddies bike as well as my own. I have a former snow mobile trailer: 6'x8' with a ramp. I added a couple of extra loops in the deck, and it works great as a utility/motorcycle trailer. It has a leaf spring suspension too, the only thing I don't care for is the small wheels on it, but they do give it a nice low deck height. | ||
| Brucen |
Be careful with the trailer hitch carriers. I used to use on to carry my dirt bike behind my van. One day I was pulling off of a dirt road onto the highway at about 5 mph and it fell off. I had it double strapped, but it still came loose. If it had happened after I picked up speed it would have been ugly. Fortunately, I only needed new handlebars. I now only consider it safe on short trips on smooth roads. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Bruce, I agree. I quadruple strap mine. I'm a little anal retentive. The key is your vehicle's tongue weight. The tow weight is driven by the engine and transmission, but if the tongue weight is insufficient, you will kill your rear suspension, drive axle, and more than likely tear the hitch off the rear. |
