| Author |
Message |
    
Steveb
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 02:37 pm: | 
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Hello, I haven't been on here much for years, and didn't know exactly where to post this, so please excuse me if this is in the wrong place.
I just picked up an 03 which looks like it was parked in the snows all winter, and crashed a few times, as many bolts are crusty rusted and both sides of the fork stops are a bit pounded. The exhaust studs look like pier pilings with barnacles on them. No, I'm not kidding!
The wheel bearings and steering head bearings and tires have been replaced recently and I've cleaned and lubed some of the electrical connectors which weren't making contact.
The cooling fan doesn't seem to work and . . . I need better headlights.
What do I need to do immediately to make this bike with 17k miles reliable for the forseeable future?
Thank you,
Steve |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 04:33 pm: |
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Pray? |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 04:38 pm: |
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Seriously Steve,
Sounds from your description like you'd be wise to totally go through the entire electricals and at a minimum replace all maintenance items/fluids, a thorough rigorous 40K mile workover, meaning don't let anything go unchecked. Have the compression and leakdown and timing checked. Replace the belt. Check replace the primary chain tensioner. Do you have a service manual? |
Road_thing
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 04:54 pm: |
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Uh, would this by any chance be Skyguy's old bike?
rt |
Henrik
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 08:52 pm: |
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Ouch ...
- all of Blake's recommendations including a complete fork rebuild.
- maybe replace the header studs before they snap and become a "real" problem.
- I'd probably also go through the front end and make sure everything is aligned and torqued correctly.
Henrik |
Steveb
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:12 pm: |
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Ah, a 40k check is something I would never have thought of, great idea. I'm waiting for the manual from Skyguy, but have borrowed Slaughter's.
Skyguy changed the front and rear wheel bearings, and updated the belt and pulleys recently and I just replaced the loose steering head bearings and funky to me tires yesterday.
The bike runs like a top, in fact it is the smoothest running and handling Buell I've ever ridden. (out of eight demo bikes and Viros's XB9R, although Viros's XB is really nice too)
I'm kind of at a loss at what Skyguy did with this bike. Some sound mechanical work has been done, but the elements were harsh on the bike and would likely have killed a water cooled bike. I've nearly killed a radiator on two bikes in a year of riding on roads near where Skyguy lives due to the volcanic rock sprinkled on the snow and iced roads coming off the front tire.
The forks feel really smooth and controlled, but I should have serviced them when I had them out - oops!
Primary chain tensioner? Just the shoe, or does the metal holding the shoe crack and break?
Header stud replacement? One look tells me to leave sleeping dogs lie. I'm betting two or three of four will break when I try to remove them. And believe me, the nuts are not coming loose.
Do you really think I should replace them? Or perhaps wait until I want to do some top end refreshening?
Thank you for the suggestions and ideas. I want to grab all the ideas I can get and sort through them to form a program.
I would like to race the bike here in a Buell sponsored class if things come together. Stock muffler, ECM, stock and quiet. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 12:18 am: |
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Steve,
Bill Bartels recommends spraying WD40 liberally on exposed aluminum parts of HD's that stay close to ocean areas where there is a high percentage of salt in the air. So, not knowing exactly what conditions your new bike was in -- but they sound kinda harsh, that might be something to do, especially on the rusted fasteners.
At a minimum the WD40 might halt further corrosion of the header studs/nuts. And no, I wouldn't attempt trying to remove them until there's an absolute need to do so.
Better headlights? There's a guy posting here with a brilliant solution, but that might not work out too well for you. Well, you know, wind drag and all that.  |
Steveb
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 01:40 am: |
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Thanks Sparky -
I just remembered we used an acid on rusty bikes when detailing.
Maybe some pool acid to eat off rust and then spray with WD followed up by brushing on a WD40/30W mixture for longer protection?
I would really like some kind of H4 dual filament lamp headlight setup.
The bike was in the San Bernardino Mountains, Big Bear, Crestline, Arrowhead ski resort areas, and ridden all year long. |
Henrik
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 12:39 pm: |
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Given the condition the studs are in I wouldn't try to replace them in the bike - I was thinking in case of a major overhaul. So wait for a top end refresh.
Henrik |
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