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Motorcycle-Era |OT| Two are better than four
- Thread starter Gritesh
- Start date
1250? What was the cc before? Also, is that the actual gas tank or is the gas on the frame like the other Buell?Did a couple of small things last Friday.
Finalized the routing of the new oil lines:
Made sure the final drive bearing was lubricated after being parked at an angle for 9 years:
Opened up the carburetor a second time to change a few more o-rings and gaskets:
This is what we could replace:
And removed the bubbled logo from the tank with a dull knife:
After an hour or two:
Now it's just a matter of figuring out how to remove that thick layer of glue to get the new letters on there.
All that's left now is a minor tear down of the front brake caliper in terms of dirty jobs. The rest is just putting it back together again. Hopefully it's not too much of a hassle to tune the thing properly now that it has a 1250 kit.
It was 1200 before, which certainly isn't nothing, but the stock cilinders turned out to be shot when we tore down the bike, which was just around the time when Hammer Performance was having a clearance sale on its 1250 kits. At 500 bucks, it was a no brainer.
And yes, that's the gas tank. Holds the fuel. There's two kinds of Buells basically, the tube frames and the XB series. The XB Buells (like Stevey's Firebolt and my Uly) have big aluminum frames that hold the fuel (as well as the oil in the swingarm), while the older, tube frame models (recognizable by their steel trellis frames, like the Ducati Monsters still have), have a traditional fuel tank.
Both kinds of Buells aim for a lower centre of gravity. The old steel frames achieve that by having the suspension and exhaust mounted low. The XB has a more normal suspension placement, but has a lighter frame that holds the oil and the fuel, eliminating two components and lowering the storage of oil/fuel. And it totally works, the XB models have astonishing handling.
And yes, that's the gas tank. Holds the fuel. There's two kinds of Buells basically, the tube frames and the XB series. The XB Buells (like Stevey's Firebolt and my Uly) have big aluminum frames that hold the fuel (as well as the oil in the swingarm), while the older, tube frame models (recognizable by their steel trellis frames, like the Ducati Monsters still have), have a traditional fuel tank.
Both kinds of Buells aim for a lower centre of gravity. The old steel frames achieve that by having the suspension and exhaust mounted low. The XB has a more normal suspension placement, but has a lighter frame that holds the oil and the fuel, eliminating two components and lowering the storage of oil/fuel. And it totally works, the XB models have astonishing handling.
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Looking good Fallout. Looking forward to seeing it all completed.
I'm about 150 miles away from getting the R1's run in service done. In hindsight it's probably something I should have haggled for the dealer to throw in when made the deal.
I'm about 150 miles away from getting the R1's run in service done. In hindsight it's probably something I should have haggled for the dealer to throw in when made the deal.
Nice. I was genuinely curious. Hoping to see the bike once completed!
In other related news, went out for a ride today. It was cold but worth it. I'm not a great photographer but here's a pic of my cousin and the SV650.
Nice. I was genuinely curious. Hoping to see the bike once completed!
In other related news, went out for a ride today. It was cold but worth it. I'm not a great photographer but here's a pic of my cousin and the SV650.
Looks nice, where's that at?
Congrats! I remember feeling so satisfied when I (eventually) got that little A on my license
Belle Haven Marina off of George Washington Memorial Parkway! Just on the other side of the river there is a nice casino.
So, the Valk is definitely uncomfortable to me. I think I'm just a little tall for the bike. I feel a workout on my quadriceps. Surprisingly, it's not the seat. Anyway, I need highway pegs. They make these really, really, really cool highway pegs that go in place of the "Honda" badge on the sides of the engine. However, those bad boys cost $300. They're cool because they're inconspicuous. I can manage for now.
Yeah those are the Rivco highway pegs, they make em for the Goldwing too. I'm not getting those for mine though, I'll be getting the Goldstrike ones instead, with pegs instead of mini floorboards:
https://www.ciro3d.com/goldstrikeproducts/3-way-adjustable-highway-peg-mounts
https://www.ciro3d.com/goldstrikeproducts/3-way-adjustable-highway-peg-mounts
This are nice too. Just a little pricey. Do you find the Goldwing uncomfortable or do you just simply want the highway pegs?
No, I find the Goldwing extremely comfortable. In fact it's the reason why I haven't bothered to order any highway pegs yet. Truthfully I'm not sure I need them for long rides on this bike, but I'd rather have the option to move my legs around just in case I'd like to.
Did my first oil change on the Wing today, it went pretty easy. On a Harley there are three holes with three different fluids: engine, tranny, and primary. The Goldwing has three drain plugs too but they all just drain different reservoirs of the engine, so just one fluid to drain and add back in. The oil filter was easy to access and change out as well. The Wing has a second filter for the DCT, but that was easy to change out too so no big deal really.
Now I'm good for another 8000 miles. I could ride from coast to coast and back again on the same oil, lol!!!!
Nice. Your last sentence gave me a good chuckle.
Anyways, I've been going down the rabbit hole on YouTube. Have been watching cruiser type videos and for some reason I really, really love cruisers now? I find the Vulcan 1700 Voyager to be a beautiful machine.
Beautiful. Your third pic isn't loading btw.Palomar Mountain on my FZ-07:
Current rides FZ-07 and Lil Ducati:
Sounds like our R1150, three drain bolts, three fluids, it's a real pain.
Whether it's fitting the intake manifold, the carburetor or the exhaust - every square inch of the bike's fighting us before yielding that inch of territory. Almost everything requires some kind of customization or ample amounts of cursing - or both before it's as it should be. So it's not finished yet, but stuff's really happening now:
Carb, air filter backing plate and headers on:
Headers do look nice:
Exhaust (ended up going with the Supertrapp, I'll see if I can quiet it down some) with newly made bracket on:
Oil filter on:
Oil in:
Primary oil is also in (not pictured).
Handlebar and clocks on:
The original set of bars turned out to be bent during one its mishaps. Luckily we had one extra from an XB12S. Had to drill a new hole for the switchgear though.
New grips (helluvajob):
Kind of where we're at. Tank isn't on permanently yet, still need to figure out some of the wiring loom up there. But it looks nice like this:
Something wrong with the helmet? Just a new set of padding will freshen it up nicely (though if you look at what those cost...).
Pic's not loading right now, but that thing looked cool. What's the story there? Was it a Grom? Did I see an actual trellis frame?
Nice, is he taking to it?
Carb, air filter backing plate and headers on:
Headers do look nice:
Exhaust (ended up going with the Supertrapp, I'll see if I can quiet it down some) with newly made bracket on:
Oil filter on:
Oil in:
Primary oil is also in (not pictured).
Handlebar and clocks on:
The original set of bars turned out to be bent during one its mishaps. Luckily we had one extra from an XB12S. Had to drill a new hole for the switchgear though.
New grips (helluvajob):
Kind of where we're at. Tank isn't on permanently yet, still need to figure out some of the wiring loom up there. But it looks nice like this:
Something wrong with the helmet? Just a new set of padding will freshen it up nicely (though if you look at what those cost...).
Pic's not loading right now, but that thing looked cool. What's the story there? Was it a Grom? Did I see an actual trellis frame?
Nice, is he taking to it?
Looks like someone had a productive Easter weekend!
Paddings knackered, and the visor + pinlock needs replacing. Plus my Sena unit is in pretty rough shape. The helmet is 5 years old next month so really it's throwing good money after bad to do anything other than replace it, given the official line from Shoei is to replace every 5 years.
Paddings knackered, and the visor + pinlock needs replacing. Plus my Sena unit is in pretty rough shape. The helmet is 5 years old next month so really it's throwing good money after bad to do anything other than replace it, given the official line from Shoei is to replace every 5 years.
Yeah, I feel you. Well, a new helmet is always nice.
Have been using my XSpirit (that I got new last year I think) a bit more now. Really enjoy how light it is compared to my Neotec. The only downside being that it does not have a built in visor and you have to take the helmet off if you can't pay by card at the pumps.
Haha, yep. Was one very long day. From noon to midnight on Friday.
Have been using my XSpirit (that I got new last year I think) a bit more now. Really enjoy how light it is compared to my Neotec. The only downside being that it does not have a built in visor and you have to take the helmet off if you can't pay by card at the pumps.
Haha, yep. Was one very long day. From noon to midnight on Friday.
Not having one is less than ideal, agreed. The upside is that the glasses-in-helmet look is not unappealing.
Coming along nicely Fallout.
Fitted an Akrapovic decat to go along with the end can in the R1 over the weekend. To say it sounds beastly would be an understatement!
Fitted an Akrapovic decat to go along with the end can in the R1 over the weekend. To say it sounds beastly would be an understatement!
I bet.
There's no denying my love for that oddball old school, but surprisingly sporty Buell thing, but I would love to have a go on a modern, out-of-this-world weapon like that new R1 sometime. Not sure how much use I would have for a license plate however :P.
/edit: brief sound check videos so that we may live vicariously through you would be very welcome btw, haha.
First commute in of the season. 49F/9C and drizzling, but you gotta start some time. Nice to get the executive parking just for motos right in front of the office.
Fallout, when you commit to a full rebuild like that are you basically deciding you'll never be able/want to sell that bike? Was just thinking about how all the custom work affects a buyer's interest, or even the ability to have any old mechanic work on it. Either way, still incredibly impressive, good luck finishing it.
(I suppose this is on my mind since I'm trying to sell my WRX right now. Ugh Craigslist.)
Fallout, when you commit to a full rebuild like that are you basically deciding you'll never be able/want to sell that bike? Was just thinking about how all the custom work affects a buyer's interest, or even the ability to have any old mechanic work on it. Either way, still incredibly impressive, good luck finishing it.
(I suppose this is on my mind since I'm trying to sell my WRX right now. Ugh Craigslist.)
Well, I think - or I hope - that the only thing making it unsellable is the amount of hours that went into doing almost a full restoration like this. While there's a degree of customization involved, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement. To give you an example, the exhaust (when we took it off) was installed in the most awful way imaginable, hanging at an angle and off to one side, with a ghastly looking bracket that was welded on by someone with (at most) an hour's worth of welding experience. Getting that back on, properly lined up was half a day's worth of work, trying out all sorts of different spacers and 'machining' a bracket that would extend to the OEM hanger that's on the block itself. So it's custom work, kind of, but absolutely and above all, the end goal is to keep this S1 looking as stock or as original as possible (on a budget and with the parts that are available two decades later).
The ability of any old mechanic working on a bike like this is mostly impeded by just the nature of the bike I suppose. Buell was barely a manufacturer by this point and these were built more on carts they would move around the shop than on any real sort of assembly line, working with parts they would sometimes have to buy from other dealerships - not even parts suppliers (the headlight being a funny example, they got those from BMW dealers supposedly. BMW was willing to provide the headlights Buell needed, but not officially, so a Buell employee went down to a BMW dealer to order a couple hundred of these round headlamps).
There's a lot of stuff that barely fits, or doesn't... and it's probably been that way since new. Part of the charm I guess :P.
(I often joke that it's precision engineering and that's why it's really hard to get something to fit right. And then my dad just sighs, haha.)
It's a clone of the SSR Razkul, which itself is a Grom clone. Mine has a 190cc motor that has more than twice the hp of a stock Grom.
I have been bringing my motorcycle to work lately. Put quite a few commuting miles on it now. I come in so early and leave so late I'm never riding when the sun is at it's peak. So, works out. Anyways, I see people looking at it and making excitement comments! Makes me happy !!! Too bad I'm at a construction site and I'm really the only one who brings in a motorcycle at all.
Your bike is coming along nicely! It's really a shame what HD did to Buell. Imagine where Buell might be at now.
Yes! I would never say this to his face but he is learning wonderfully and is gifted as he is learning quick.Whether it's fitting the intake manifold, the carburetor or the exhaust - every square inch of the bike's fighting us before yielding that inch of territory. Almost everything requires some kind of customization or ample amounts of cursing - or both before it's as it should be. So it's not finished yet, but stuff's really happening now:
Carb, air filter backing plate and headers on:
Headers do look nice:
Exhaust (ended up going with the Supertrapp, I'll see if I can quiet it down some) with newly made bracket on:
Oil filter on:
Oil in:
Primary oil is also in (not pictured).
Handlebar and clocks on:
The original set of bars turned out to be bent during one its mishaps. Luckily we had one extra from an XB12S. Had to drill a new hole for the switchgear though.
New grips (helluvajob):
Kind of where we're at. Tank isn't on permanently yet, still need to figure out some of the wiring loom up there. But it looks nice like this:
Nice, is he taking to it?
Your bike is coming along nicely! It's really a shame what HD did to Buell. Imagine where Buell might be at now.
Well, at least they have the GT Air 2 now. I've read the integrated sena sucked on the Neotec 2, though.
I'll see if I can get something sorted and post it up.
I would love something old school as a project to work on but unfortunately I don't have the time or space at the moment.
But that being said this new batch of super bikes or phenomenal. The R1 is literally a rocket on 2 wheels but at the same time it's relatively easy to ride on the road. I can't help but giggle when I'm out in it, it's pure fun in mechanical form.
Here are some pics of her out and about.
She's in for her run in service soon so once that's done I'll be able to spend less time managing the revs and more time enjoying that cross plane grunt.
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Oh man... gorgeous bike.
My dad used to work for Yamaha back in the day. Always had a soft spot for them. But this one is especially cool. Suppose one of the upsides of the shrinking superbike market is that the ones that do still get made are absolutely insane.
My dad used to work for Yamaha back in the day. Always had a soft spot for them. But this one is especially cool. Suppose one of the upsides of the shrinking superbike market is that the ones that do still get made are absolutely insane.
The Yamaha's have to be the best looking Japanese superbikes out there. That blue looks fantastic with the titanium exhaust.
Hey guys, i did it.
I drove an hour & 40 with a friend to pick up a 2016 R3. Lightly slided, but everything else checked out.
Got it for $2500. Gonna practice for a while before i get on the road.
Thanks!
I drove an hour & 40 with a friend to pick up a 2016 R3. Lightly slided, but everything else checked out.
Got it for $2500. Gonna practice for a while before i get on the road.
Thanks!
Cheers pal. This the first Yamaha I've owned after only owning Honda's, I'm over the moon with it. I agree I don't think there is a bad superbike out of the current crop.
I'm biased obviously but I'll have to agree with you. For me the best looking of the big sports bikes at the moment are the Ducati V4, R1, and new S1000RR.
popparoks - congratulations on the R3. Love the colour scheme.
I've made the same mistake so many times. One thing that does teach you is not to do that (except maybe if you really want to out of love for the machine). It doesn't add a dime of value when you sell.
Also, congrats popparoks! I see there's already a nice looking silencer on there.
Make sure the tire pressure is correct and have fun. Let us know what you think once you've put some miles on.
Hah, you're right there. I just did it in the end because I don't fuck with cambelts, if they need changing, I change 'em. Still annoying though, but if one buys a Ducati, complaining about maintenance costs is a bit silly
Might be some news on the itch front this week, I have a few things in the pipeline. If they don't work out I'm keeping the Monster another year I think
Been looking at green energy locomotion as an option to get around and see things, and I wish electric motorbikes were far more available out there. Zero are the only company available in my country, and their bikes look like absolute dreams for my objectives, but they're quite pricey in comparison to ICE stuff.
The dream will have to wait another while, I guess.
The dream will have to wait another while, I guess.
Well, my man Erik Buell is developing what looks to be a very affordable electric motorcycle. And odds are 'affordable' doesn't even have to be a relative term in this case. The brand is called 'Fuell'.
Affordable, decent electric bikes are 5-10 years out at least I reckon. The new Zero is lovely but it's also 20k, for what, build quality and performance wise, is at best a 10k bike.
We're only just getting there with cars, which can rely on volume a lot more than bikes can. I have no doubt that I'll own an electric two-wheeler, but it won't be anytime soon (unless I start commuting again and buy an e-Bike)
We're only just getting there with cars, which can rely on volume a lot more than bikes can. I have no doubt that I'll own an electric two-wheeler, but it won't be anytime soon (unless I start commuting again and buy an e-Bike)
Just 'fuel' I think.
There's some colleagues of mine that pronounce 'Buell' -> boo-ell, but that's not right.
There's some colleagues of mine that pronounce 'Buell' -> boo-ell, but that's not right.
New helmets... I think it's down to a Shoei GT-Air II with the new Sena system, or a Schuberth C4 (currently on offer) and their Sena system. Anyone have any more suggestions? I want integrated comms if possible, and a sun visor. Don't give a shit about design as I want either plain white or hi-visibility yellow. Under £550 is really my absolute limit too, as I need to buy one for Mrs Dougald as well.
I really, really wanted an Arai QV, but then I'd have to spend £90 on their sun visor system and £250 on comms on top of an already £500+ lid. Fuck that.
I really, really wanted an Arai QV, but then I'd have to spend £90 on their sun visor system and £250 on comms on top of an already £500+ lid. Fuck that.
As I'm sure you can all guess, its an R1200RS, because I've only been banging on about it for like 4 years at this point. 2018, one-owner last of its kind (now the 1250 is a thing) and fully loaded. Got a good enough trade-in on the Ducati to make it work.
Picking it up next week after it's been serviced etc and they've fitted some panniers.
Picking it up next week after it's been serviced etc and they've fitted some panniers.
As I'm sure you can all guess, its an R1200RS, because I've only been banging on about it for like 4 years at this point. 2018, one-owner last of its kind (now the 1250 is a thing) and fully loaded. Got a good enough trade-in on the Ducati to make it work.
Picking it up next week after it's been serviced etc and they've fitted some panniers.
What are your plans for a country spanning trip!?