[SteveFord]

2012 riding season is officially here!
The old Useless (pictured below in all it's unwashed glory)





finally had the original battery replaced today after 53,000 miles, I fixed the leaky clutch cable with some laquer thinner and clear nail polish, the snow is mostly gone and today was the maiden voyage for the season.
It feels great to be back out on a bike again after a couple of months of being in a Toyota and I have to say that this Buell is the best bike I've had the pleasure of owning.
Here's looking forward to the next 53,000 miles.

[doug s.]

awesome!  buells rock!!!  did we even have winter this year?   

as posted recently in another thread, biker scum has definitely been out and about:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=102336.msg1054198#msg1054198
 

only 43k on my buell; it has had to share riding duties w/other bikes and cars...

doug s.

[SteveFord]

I'm down to just about a slick on the rear of the Useless so ordered a Continental 180/55-17 Road Attack on eBay for $130 shipped (decent tire, get about 11,000 miles out of them) and also found a Norton Commando to save up for, maybe.
I have to get a battery for the '02 White Lightning and then it'll be ready to terrorize PA:


 

[pansixt]

Sweet lookin' Scoot's. The Buells at Best.

Man, I've got to push my ass and the restore to get my old cement mixer technology
back on the asphalt.
James

[doug s.]

I'm down to just about a slick on the rear of the Useless so ordered a Continental 180/55-17 Road Attack on eBay for $130 shipped (decent tire, get about 11,000 miles out of them) and also found a Norton Commando to save up for, maybe.
I have to get a battery for the '02 White Lightning and then it'll be ready to terrorize PA:


 

bee-yoo-ti-ful!   

re battery; the next bike needing a battery chez-sedon will be getting one of these:

http://www.nicecycle.com/Shorai-Motorcycle-Battery-s/2115.htm

doug s.

[SteveFord]

Everybody probably already knows this already but I'll mention it, anyway.
DO NOT use Mobil 1 85/90W Gear Oil in a Harley (or Buell) primary as it will eat the stator.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Does_Gear_Lube_Corrode_Yellow_Metals.aspx

It got the one in my S3 motor and I'm afraid it just claimed the one in my X1W.  I thought I'd dumped it out in time but guess not.

[doug s.]

Everybody probably already knows this already but I'll mention it, anyway.
DO NOT use Mobil 1 85/90W Gear Oil in a Harley (or Buell) primary as it will eat the stator.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Does_Gear_Lube_Corrode_Yellow_Metals.aspx

It got the one in my S3 motor and I'm afraid it just claimed the one in my X1W.  I thought I'd dumped it out in time but guess not.

my buell s2's stator gave up the ghost at ~40k miles.  what fully synthetic oil can be used that is not gl-5 rated?

doug s.

[SteveFord]

I just use Mobil 1 15/50 in the oil tank and the primary/gearbox.
Harlee says it's okay to use Syn3 everywhere (made by Citgo) so I figure that Mobil engine oil should be the same deal.
No gearbox/stator problems in over 75,000 miles with the 15/50.

I ordered an Accel stator for the X1W so we'll see how that works out. 

[doug s.]

I just use Mobil 1 15/50 in the oil tank and the primary/gearbox.
Harlee says it's okay to use Syn3 everywhere (made by Citgo) so I figure that Mobil engine oil should be the same deal.
No gearbox/stator problems in over 75,000 miles with the 15/50.

I ordered an Accel stator for the X1W so we'll see how that works out.

i had the local hardly dealership do my stator; i need to contact them to check their paperwork to see what they put back in it - i know i requested full synthetic...

doug s.

[SteveFord]

If the dealership did it and used synthetic they used Syn3 from the 55 gallon drum.
That works fine as does their Form+ fluid.

[SteveFord]

A couple of hours spent in the garage and the X1W lives again.
Boy, this is one rip snortin' bike.

The Mobil gear oil was only in there for 3500 miles but I guess that was long enough to eat through the wiring.

[doug s.]

A couple of hours spent in the garage and the X1W lives again.
Boy, this is one rip snortin' bike.

The Mobil gear oil was only in there for 3500 miles but I guess that was long enough to eat through the wiring.

were you able to repair the stator, or didja simply install the new one?

i never met a buell that wasn't a scream to ride!   

doug s.

[SteveFord]

I bought an Accel replacement off of eBay.
The stock one is off to it's final resting place at the local dump.

[Eric]

My new bike

[SteveFord]

That looks brand new, no?

[Eric]

No, It was a 2010 with only 3000 mikes on it. The guy purchased it, did a ton of upgrades, and never rode it.

[SteveFord]

My Biker Scum Season nearly came to an abrupt end this afternoon.
A college aged girl (Kutztown University sticker in the rear window so I guess that's where she goes) merged into traffic by cutting across two lanes and if I hadn't been riding with my fingers on the front brake lever she would have merged right through the center my motorcycle.
This was a very close call and I am so lucky I saw her coming right into me out of the corner of my eye.
That would have been bad as I was doing 70 and the oncoming traffic was doing about the same speed.  Whether I got launched into oncoming traffic or stayed on my side of the road and bounced off of the cement divider I would have been run over either way.
It didn't faze her a bit, I don't even know if the little numbskull noticed.

[doug s.]

My Biker Scum Season nearly came to an abrupt end this afternoon.
A college aged girl (Kutztown University sticker in the rear window so I guess that's where she goes) merged into traffic by cutting across two lanes and if I hadn't been riding with my fingers on the front brake lever she would have merged right through the center my motorcycle.
This was a very close call and I am so lucky I saw her coming right into me out of the corner of my eye.
That would have been bad as I was doing 70 and the oncoming traffic was doing about the same speed.  Whether I got launched into oncoming traffic or stayed on my side of the road and bounced off of the cement divider I would have been run over either way.
It didn't faze her a bit, I don't even know if the little numbskull noticed.

damn!  she was prolly texting....  so glad it was a non-ewent.  unfortunately, these incidents are more common than one would wish.

i yust got back from a test ride on the buell s2, after replacing the front isolator mount bushing, and installing a frame brace.  everything is cool.  except the weather - still 92f here, at 7:35pm.  and humid.

doug s.

[SteveFord]

How could you not HEAR an X1W with a race kit on it with the exhaust bouncing off of the divider?  Pinhead had the windows up with the AC going but even so...
I've had other young girls do the same thing; they don't even look to see if anyone is there, they just swerve into your lane (more like a spastic lurch instead of an actual driving manuever) and nearly run you over.
The Useless is momentarily down with a dead O2 sensor but I'll fix that this weekend - they've got that thing buried in there (remove airbox, battery, shock, fan, sensor, reassemble). 
Isolator replacement is always fun on those things.  I really need to buy some billet front isolator mounts before that rears up and bites me.
What sort of frame brace did you use?  The S2 has smaller diameter tubes than the later ones.

[doug s.]

How could you not HEAR an X1W with a race kit on it with the exhaust bouncing off of the divider?  Pinhead had the windows up with the AC going but even so...
I've had other young girls do the same thing; they don't even look to see if anyone is there, they just swerve into your lane (more like a spastic lurch instead of an actual driving manuever) and nearly run you over.
The Useless is momentarily down with a dead O2 sensor but I'll fix that this weekend - they've got that thing buried in there (remove airbox, battery, shock, fan, sensor, reassemble). 
Isolator replacement is always fun on those things.  I really need to buy some billet front isolator mounts before that rears up and bites me.
What sort of frame brace did you use?  The S2 has smaller diameter tubes than the later ones.

i have had similar ewents occur with men, women, kids, everyone...  one woman in her 40's (i'd guess) in a big suv on her cell fone actually had the audacity to honk at me and flip me the bird after almost running me over.     same thing - jersey barriers on an s2 w/race exhaust and upgraded engine kit...

it took me all of a half hour to replace the front isolator - piece of cake.  not looking forward to doing the rears...  i found a used banke frame brace; been looking for a long time.  some guy on ebay is selling his s2 (nice btw); he mentioned the frame brace damaging a coupla the cooling fins on the engine when the front motor mount gave way.  i got it cheap - even used, they usually go for >$200...  this ain't my bike (looks like an s1-l, like yours), but the brace is the same:



doug s.