BUell Disassembly

[Mustang]

Everything alright in the critic's section? Someone get NKL a drink.

 

[brad1098]

Im bike-curious enough to want to demo a XR1200x.  Everything you read about them is tops.  The one H-D that I could possibly stomach.


Or you could be like my brother in law and buy a new 30k Ultra Limited 103" monkey spank, er.   $30,000 friggin dollars with the factory 103" motor, he wasnt happy with how it ran so put a stage 1 Screaming Eagle kit and $Performance$ exhaust.  It runs great now after an additional 3k.  It does sound cool, more of a new vette sound than your typical.....potato..potato...potato.   The whole time Im standing there in shock  :shock:  thinkin if I spent $33k I would have a whole stable of dream bikes.......919, Scrambler, WR250r, etc, etc.......

[Colonel Nikolai]

AGREED but, brad, what about a Duc 1098 Superbike?  

[brad1098]

Ah yes definitely....even though it would blow more of my $$....

1098R Bayless as a 2 year leftover at Motoeuropa in St. Louis.  They knocked $2,000 off.  Its still spendy,  but Oh so beautiful...

[cascadetiger]

What is it with Tiger owners and Buells?  Next to my Steamer in my heated garage is a 98 Buell S3T, complete with the hard bags.

[Colonel Nikolai]

Here it is: an estwhile Buell. I hope I never have to do this with the tiger or the sprint. (see the Tiger in the left hand background?)

[cascadetiger]

I find the Buell easy to work on.  Its similar technology to my garden tractor.  Everything is out there easy to get a wrench on, easy to understand.  No so with the Tiger.

If you had a BMW in the garage would there be a German flag hanging?

[Colonel Nikolai]

I find the Buell easy to work on.  Its similar technology to my garden tractor.  Everything is out there easy to get a wrench on, easy to understand.  No so with the Tiger.

So far it hasn't been too hard to work on, but I don't have much to compare it to. The last engine I pulled was on a 1980 Toyota Pickup and it was easier than the Buell pictured. Some very tight mounts there.

I am impressed that the swing arm mounts directly to a hinge casting on the motor itself, subtracting what would normally be some kind of frame-based hinge. That is some impressive space and weight-saving. I'm also impressed at how high quality and high-design the peripheral components are. The idler pully looks like it belongs in the Smithsonian. This machine was very carefully thought out. Too bad the motor's design doesn't match the rest of the bike.

If you had a BMW in the garage would there be a German flag hanging?

Might. I am German: born in Munich, grew up in Darmstadt. My family is Hessian so maybe a flag of the Hessian Ducal Crest would be appropriate. Or the flag of Bavaria since it's where I was born and where BMW's name comes from.

[jphish]

Uh...We have good taste ??

[Colonel Nikolai]

Oh yeah, DFuzz: I'll bet Erik Buell signs with Victory / Polaris next year. In fact I'd be willing to wager $50 on that.

[oxnsox]

Can't take that bet... cause I'd say the same

[Colonel Nikolai]

Here's something that really irks me:

http://www.sexandharleys.com/harley-dav ... lout-loan/

While Harley Davidson took 2.3 Billion in bailout money, they still axed Buell which had a headcount of only 200 employees. The fact that they wouldn't even attempt to sell the outfit reeks of not only incompetence, but foolish pride. Saying it was a "business decision" to me has now changed to "we just don't want to try that hard".

I've now relegated Harley Davidson to a company in the same category as Fossil or Swatch.

[jphish]

yeah - too bad. Buell was the only innovative thing in the HD lineup. But didn't come with free eye patch. HD is emblematic of the myopia plaguing American corporations. For Buell to have ever survived in the long term - it probably needed to undock from the mothership & the HD aircooled Vtwin. We may not have seen the 'last' of EB & Rotax - who knows. PS-I actually liked the 'thunderstorm' motor that BMC built - but I'm a minority. A lot easier to work on than my 955. But still prefer the triple.

[Colonel Nikolai]

PS-I actually liked the 'thunderstorm' motor that BMC built - but I'm a minority. A lot easier to work on than my 955. But still prefer the triple.

I think I understand your admiration. They really are very simple engines that are really easy to work on. Plus now that I've been reading more on the Thunderstorm engine, apparently BMC's work based on the XL motor to get better performance, resulting in the Thuderstorm, has resulted in the top performing production Harley engine ever made, first debuted in the S1 back in the 90's. Guess who loves these engines? People who are building custom choppers.

Here's mine with the bad tranny inside:



But because the bike is so light and the engine is so compact, it works OK in the Lightning. Would I prefer the Rotax Helicon 1125 found in the latest Buells? Youbetcha. Too bad Buell didn't last long enough to show us what a Uly with an 1125 could do.

[jphish]

Simple = No valve adjustments & No throttle bodies to sync. How EB got 103 HP out of an antiquated Vtwin, 4 valve, push rod engine is beyond me - & also meets emmission requirements with no catalytic converter. I think a Uly with the "Helicon for hooligans" would have required 'detuning' - or a much more capable & disciplined rider than I !  Hope the transmission cooperates in it's 'reconstruction'.  Give us a progress report when fully entangled. TTFN, j