| Author | Message | ||
     Mike_dinger |
Scenario: Cruising North up Hwy 5 through California Central Valley on the way to Mt. Shasta. It was HOT! About 105. Cruising at 80mph average, 2 up with saddles. Top gear roll-on to play catch up, and PING, PING, HISS, PING. Too hot, under load? I was a little nervous because it was a new occurrence to me, so i backed off a little and kept it between 70-75. Do I have anything to worry about? Or is this normal under high heat heavy load conditions? This is my first air-cooled bike, and this cough and ping is just not something I'm used to, especially so far away from home. Please enlighten me. | ||
| Davo |
Mike, Mike this is a topic that has several heated points of view. There are some on this board that think if Buell made the bike and it pings then it is supposed to ping. It is my opinion that the timing is too far advanced. Search the "pinging threads" for mountians of opinion. If you want to stop the ping then retard the timing 1mm counterclockwise at a time. 1mm=3 degrees. (Message edited by davo on September 04, 2007) | ||
| Cccpull |
Great combination for pinging. 105 degrees(HOT, real HOT) Extra load(2-up + bags) Top gear (possibly lugging engine) California gas (low octane) Sounds normal.  Some options would be: retard timing, richen a/f mixture, octane booster or higher octane fuel, down shift to lower gear when passing, ride 1-up or on a cooler day.(not necessarily in that order)  | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Ok then, Thanks guys. I was really worried that I bought a piece of crap and all of you guys here were so very mechanically inclined to fix the crap when it hits the "broken fan". | ||
| Murraebueller |
Take the bike back to the dealer and insist that they check the timing- we have had several pinging bikes through our shop here that had the timing set incorrectly. Correcting the timing fixed both bikes here. If it continues, you should contact Buell customer service- they are aware of the issue. | ||
| Snowscum |
I've tried numerous times to get High Country HD to fix my pinging. It still pings to this day when its over 90 here in Colorado. They kept telling me intill the factory issues the fix for it they will not retard the timing. So there for I run it this way. | ||
| Windrider |
Octane booster is the easiest solution... You can also retard the timing a bit. It is hard to find a dealer with enough competence to adjust the timing. Sad, but true. If you go the dealer route make sure that you take the bike to a reputable Buell friendly dealer. Many will break more than fix. | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Snowscum, it really sucks that you have to settle for the pinging. Cccpull, regarding the matter of downshift to lower gear when passing, I do recall it happening even in 3rd and 4th gears. I think i will try and adjust the timing as Davo mentioned and see if that helps. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Your bike pinged under the worst possible conditions, which may not be a big deal. If downshifting eliminated it, I wouldn't worry about it. If it never pings when it's only 100 degrees outside, I wouldn't worry about it. If you find it regularly pinging when you're riding it, I'd definitely check the timing. The point I'm trying to make is that retarding the timing unnecessarily hurts performance. You can easily retard it enough where you'll never get any pinging under even the worst conditions, but the bike's performance will suffer. Only retard it if you need to. | ||
| Davo |
In most cases retarding the timing hurts performance but in the case of my 06 Uly it helped the performance. Here is a little ping logic. I was told by someone from Buell, by the name of Anonymous, that "In 100% of every bike Customer Service has been able to track down and check, the pinging is due to modifications or incorrect setting of the timing plate. Repeat, 100%." This means that the timing was early. That being the case, regardless of whether your retard until it stops pinging or set it straight up to factory specs you are in fact performing the same remedy. If you retard and the pinging stops it is not important where the timing is and in fact nobody has been able to document initial static timing as it relates to actual dynamic readings with a light at idle (1050 rpm) at 320F. If nobody knows then it can't be wrong. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/257206.html There are numerous Badwebers that have been successful with the remedy. ie. July 16, 2006 http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/211240.html?1153091226 | ||
| Snowscum |
Well tell the factory to put out a memo on this method and quit trying to get the dealers to take the customers word for it. Some of them hate to be told what todo to a motorcycle from the customer. They think you can do it with a tune. My bike has been altered by the dealer, which in turn means I should keep my hands off it till the warranty runs out. They talked me into the direct link claiming they could make it run cooler and not ping. Well it didnt work all summer and I didn't feel like make an appt. to sit and argue that their tune didnt do the trick. (Besides I bought the race ecm(@300 mile)and now its been altered.What a waste of money) Dave it makes sense. But to relay that to a service manager is senseless. The factory needs to inform their dealers on what todo instead of waiting till someone has to call CS to get a result. Total backwards really. BTW octane boosters didnt do crap for me. Its a pinger and thats the way it is. Cooler weather is close. At least 6 months of no pinging. Sorry about the ranting. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Well after reading a few post about pinging and having my Uly ping once in awhile on very hot day I decided to tard the timing last night. So far so good. I took if for a test ride at dusk last night and almost hit a doe being chased by a 8 point buck so my ride wasn't a long as I wanted it to be. But on my way to work this morning it didn't cough at 3000 rpm like most cool mornings. Its going to hit 95 today so I should know if the ping is a thing of the past by the time I get home. I will keep you posted.... | ||
| Growl |
Applying 'old school' methods for fine tuning sez that you advance the timing until best performance is achieved then you retard until pinging goes away. Most gas engines I have tuned thusly have varied slightly from recommended timing. | ||
| Oddsc |
Every single time I've had my bike to the dealer, I've complained about pinging. It's never occurred to the tech there to check the timing. I also had oil leaking from the top of the push rod cover. They "tightened some bolts" and said I could come pick it up, because to replace the seals they'd have to swing the motor out of the frame. WTF! I told them that that's what they should do, but why didn't they think that's what they should do? Anyway, Buell Customer Service is simply insulting and a complete disgrace to Erik Buell himself. If they could fix that, it would probably bring as many sales as the new 1125. | ||
| Ihavemanyfleas |
I have a pinging 06, so I take it you have an 06 as well. I just wanted to give you some feedback from my xp. Buell replaced my motor at 5k, and it still pings. They finally gave up on me and said that it was the nature of the bike. Fuel has a little bit to do with it, and when it's hot, or you sit in slow traffic, it pings. I had a bent piston rod in the last motor, probably a result of the ping. Right now I just have to ride it, and go easy on it when it pings. I honestly don't think they should ping since they claim none of the 7's ping. The chevron with techron seems to keep it to a moderate level, only pinging in certain situations as described. I commute on it every day to work, and have pit 11k miles on it on 1 year. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a fix, but I have read that retarding the timing will fix it. The dealer won't do that for you, however. PM davo - he is quite the expert. I know that probably doesn't help, but some of us have this problem with the 6's. The dealer had the balls to tell me I should buy an 07 since they don't ping.... Try the retarded timing, or just ride it. I have caught tons of grief from folks on this board about pressing the issue, but also recieved a lot of advice from those in my situation. I think if you just go easy on her when she pings that you will be ok. Keep me posted on anything that they decied to do, or if you find a way to fix it. CHeers, -austin bueller | ||
| Crazyhorus |
I cannot get mine to stop pinging. It is an 07, has pinged since new, been back to the dealer endless times, timing has been retarded and advanced to every possible combination with their tech riding it out with all the tools, then coming back to tell me he cannot get rid of the ping, even with seriously retarded timing that significantly effects the performance. I run 98 RON fuel 90% of the time, and 95 with octane booster when I cannot get 98 octane. Nothing will stop the ping. It even pings with 98 RON and octane booster added when hot. It's due back again to the dealer yet again on Tuesday for even more tests. It is 100% stock. That statement that modifications cause this has to be bogus. At least with mine anyway. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Its going to hit 95 today so I should know if the ping is a thing of the past by the time I get home I tried and tried to get it to ping on my way home today but it never did it once.... I lugged the motor over and over. Started off in 3rd gear and twisted the wick and nothing.... So I say give tarding the timing a shot and see if it works for you. | ||
| Davo |
Crazyhorus, If I were you I would check the intake seals. Then I would set the TDC mark straight up an verify that you are at TDC and not 180 out. A good way to do this is to remove the front plug and you will have a soft approach to true TDC. Then, with the ignition on, I would ease the TDC mark to the extreme right side of the inspection hole. Loosen the CPS, turn it counterclockwise and then back clockwise until the fuel pump cycles. Then tighten the CPS holding screws. It would be a good idea to scribe a reference mark on the CPS and the timing cone so you can find your way back to the stock location if you get lost. Another way is to move the CPS 1mm counterclockwise until the pinging stops. If the dealer was using the marked scale on the CPS then they were all over the map. Each mark is 10 degrees!! If your intake seals are good and you retard the CPS about 2.5mm then you shouldn't have any more pinging. 1mm = 3 degrees. | ||
| Crazyhorus |
Yep, all been done and checked, still pings, the dealer is having it back again on Tuesday to double check all this at the request of HD/Buell. | ||
| Snowscum |
Since I have the direct link, I would think if they fatten up the midrange, mine would quit pinging. Since my last tune it pops out the exsaust when rolling on then off. I think they leaned it out even more. But it still pings like it did last summer. | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Do lemon laws apply to motorcycles as well? Just curious. | ||
| Mikej |
Lemon Laws apply to motor vehicles, motor cycles are motor vehicles. Best have good records, some folks do better than others following this path. | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Some of you pingers out there should keep good records of your unsuccessful service visits, and get yourselves a refund or a new Uly. Just my opinion. I'm chalking my incident up to the combination of events leading to my pinging as stated by Cccpull: 105 degrees(HOT, real HOT) Extra load(2-up + bags) Top gear (possibly lugging engine) California gas (low octane) California at 91 octane is for the birds! |
