Reply With QuoteI have an appt scheduled for Thursday at a Harley dealership that works on buells.
why post all of this up if you had an appointment made at the local H-D dealership?
Ok. I had a similar issue not too long ago. Symptoms: Would crank 10+ times before starting unless I opened throttle while cranking. Once running, it ran okay, although fuel pump was a bit louder than it used to be. End result was that the hose going from my fuel pump to regulator had two pinholes in it so it would not hold enough pressure to start. That hose is prone to failure over time, and it requires removing the pump assembly out of the frame. To check if you have any holes in the hose, an easy way is to dip the entire assembly in a bucket of gas for 10-20 seconds and then lift it out of the bucket. If you have have holes, you will see the fuel squirting out of them (ask me how I know that :P ). You can buy a fuel pump rebuild kit from MotoEnthusiasts.com for a good price if that is the case and be done with it. If it isn't a hole, you could also try cycling the pump while you have it out to check fuel pressure to see if your pump is on its way out (you will need a tester, so take it to a shop to have it checked). Here is a video of how to remove the pump assembly without actually removing the swingarm.
<edit>: Oh, and as someone mentioned above, check your gas. Bad gas would be a simple fix!
Last edited by ocgreenmachine; 05-31-2017 at 02:44 PM.
I have an appt scheduled for Thursday at a Harley dealership that works on buells.
why post all of this up if you had an appointment made at the local H-D dealership?
I think lunatic is spot on about the plugs. The fact that the bike ran fine before you started taking it on short "trips" while blipping the throttle on a cold engine is a ckear indication that the plugs are now fouled.
I've found that blipping the throttle, on an XB with a cold engine, or with the bike sitting idle is a recipe for fouled plugs.
Replace your plugs and then start your bike up and let it idle for a few minutes before you take off. Once you're on the road avoid blipping/revving the engine unnecessarily.
Trick to the rear plug is to use an extension and a universal joint to get the plug out. Go through the space between the top tie bar mount(triangular looking mount on rear cylinder) and the frame to get to the plug. You'll have to remove the rear plug wire to make access a little easier. When reinstalling plug use a light coat of antiseize on the plug threads and a 4" to 5" straw or piece of tubing to hold the plug when threading it back into the cylinder. Turn the straw or tubing to get the threads started. If straw or tubing starts to bind, you're probably cross threading the plug and need to start over. DO NOT FORCE THE PLUG INTO THE REAR CYLINDER. It should thread in easily with the twisting motion of the straw or tubing. Once you get it to thread in correctly with the straw or tubing then and ONLY then use your socket wrench to tighten it up. Plug needs no more than a 1/4 turn past the fully seated point. You can be a real noob and use a torque wrench if you want. I've been doing my plugs this way for the 10 years I've owned my Buell and have NEVER had an issue.
Here's a link where you can find a service manual.
www.buellmods.com
Good luck
To begin a learning process about a new hobby and purchase I made with like minded people.Originally Posted by lunaticfringe
I have an appt scheduled for Thursday at a Harley dealership that works on buells.
why post all of this up if you had an appointment made at the local H-D dealership?
Tb
So went to autozone and looked up the correct battery for the bike and picked one up. The one on there was a 12 volt wal mart special that was toast and the bike is rated for a 14. Picked up the new one. $114. Nbd We shall see. Bet it's still the plugs. Also, how open/ honest should I be with the cats at Harley/ how open / honest will they be with me? With me not knowing jack, only what y'all have read, should I go in blabbing about what I think it could be or just let them do their thing. All I want in any service is a fair reliable job for a fair price.
Tb
Good luck with that at the Hundred Dollar shop.
I would ask them what they think the issue could be. Then I would tell them I think it's the plugs or TPS. That will at least plant the seed for them to start looking in the right direction.
I would first ask to speak to the Buell tech. If they do have one, then expect your bike to be gone awhile. Oh and hold on to your wallet. At approximately $80/hr them trouble shooting your bike won't be cheap!
I wouldn't tell them anything more than explaining the symptoms as detailed as you can.
Remember, you made the choice to be there ($$$) because you are unable to diagnose it yourself. You are paying them to diagnose it correctly, the first time
Agreed, the guy said he estimated an hour diagnoses. Then once I find out $ and tech difficulty level I'll proceed accordingly. Thanks y'all
Troy, where do you live? Maybe a fellow owner is near you and can provide some guidance?
Located in Nashville tn. I hit up a guy at a gas station and he's been kind enough to atleast say he would come take a look and if they diaionose it "level 3 or lower me and him would do it". Also, put the new battery on... as I suspected no fire up, just turn turn turn next time turn turn cliiIIIIIiicks
And the smell of gas.
