Buell S3T?

[Donkey Hotey]

You're making this way too hard.

There is no such thing as an upgraded exhaust, just LOUDER exhausts. Put a stock muffler on it, put the stock air cleaner on it and just ride it. The bike makes 101 HP stock. If you're buying this bike for all-out horsepower, you're buying the wrong bike.

All the aftermarket air cleaners will be a problem when they get wet (you said you want to tour on it). There is nothing wrong with the fuel injection if you just ride it and fix any broken sensors. If you don't screw with the exhaust or the intake, you don't need to screw with the fuel mapping and sure as hell don't need a race ECM.

AFAIK, the only thing the race ECM does is eliminate the rev limiter. You gonna' rev the piss out of a pushrod twin?

Just ride it.

[EmptiMind]

I'm not really planning on upgrading it. I must've misunderstood, I thought the Race ECM had more control over the FI, and that the 99 being the first year had issues with FI. I read somewhere the race ECM fixed it. The exhaust was taken care of by the previous owner.

Only reason I'm thinking about suspension is for 2-up riding, not for performance sake, but for the ability to ride without bottoming out. I'm all about touring, don't plan at all to race this. It'll only break 100 across Montana, and it'll never be rev'd to redline. I want this bike to last, the only upgrades I'm considering were ones I thought necessary to keep this machine running long.

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by EmptiMind

I'm not really planning on upgrading it. I must've misunderstood, I thought the Race ECM had more control over the FI, and that the 99 being the first year had issues with FI. I read somewhere the race ECM fixed it. The exhaust was taken care of by the previous owner.

Only reason I'm thinking about suspension is for 2-up riding, not for performance sake, but for the ability to ride without bottoming out. I'm all about touring, don't plan at all to race this. It'll only break 100 across Montana, and it'll never be rev'd to redline. I want this bike to last, the only upgrades I'm considering were ones I thought necessary to keep this machine running long.

Well, I suggest that you ride it for a while before you make any changes to the exhaust etc. I agree that if it runs fine you should just leave it alone. I had a vance and hines pipe, hi flow air filter and a Race ECM installed before I picked up the bike, so I don't know how it would have ran completely stock. Never had an issue with the engine with the set up I had. The factory 'bread box' air filter assembly is great crash protection.

[Tim McKittrick]

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Hey! That's my bike!

I thought I had the only other black and orange S3t..... The most awful color combo Buell ever came up with, I think. I love the bike for its handling, lightish weight, and ease of maintenance. It's worst feature is the box of rocks transmission- if you buy the S3 just plan on installing the Baker shift drum kit. It'll make the bike shift almost like a real motorcycle and it eliminates the failure prone circlip that holds the indexing cam to the shift drum.

This circlip is a known failure waiting to happen and when it fails you will be left with a box full of neutrals. It's not hard to repair but if you are on the road it's going to be more than a little inconvenient.

As for the rest of the bike, it has been as or more reliable than any other machine I've owned. Like any bike it has its weaknesses (just plan on sending the shock to Race Tech for rebuilding- it's cheaper than an aftermarket shock and if you have then install their gold valve it works just as well) but with the exception of the stupid circlip in the transmission mine has been very reliable. I have used an aftermarket exhaust on mine that did yield a little more power, but I went back to stock for the quiet. And note that only the stock air box will be clear of your right knee. I average 50-55 mpg and am not kind to it. It isn't hugely fast but is comparable to a Ducati ST2. I have one of those as well, and the Buell is more comfortable and roomy, and with the race tech shock will match it for handling. The Ducati is a little more stable and the fit and finish is far superior, but it's a lot more work to service. Acceleration is probably best on the Buell, as is top speed, but the Ducati is easier to ride fast- but the Ducati will consume a LOT more gas. And timing belts. And clutch parts. And chains and sprockets. The Buell has a way of not telegraphing ones true speed, though, and you will find yourself going a lot faster than you would have planned.

These are great bikes and are extremely underrated. If it breaks its easy to fix, it has a terrific seating position for us over 40 guys, and it can eat up highway like few other machines. Don't pass it up.

[Donkey Hotey]

This bike?

http://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/3560446395.html

Dump that stupid D&D muffler, put a stock muffler back on it and ride the piss out of it. The noise of that exhaust will tire you quickly.

I see the 16.5" Showa recall shock on it. They die. You can get them rebuilt but, that's false economy on the 16.5" Showa.

You can often find the 14" replacement shocks on Ebay (new). You need the updated front mount to install them. Sometimes, they are bundled together as leftover 'recall kits'. It's also a Showa. Not perfect but, the best of the later factory shocks.

It makes so much torque that I often forget that it makes power above 4500 RPM. Hate to tell you but, it's not going to cruise at 100 MPH for very long. 101 HP just isn't enough for that and you'll be wound out to get past the century mark; it happens but, not very briskly. It doesn't matter. It's brilliant between 40 and 80 MPH and that's where most sane people spend the most time.

[Donkey Hotey]

Originally Posted by Tim McKittrick

I thought I had the only other black and orange S3t..... The most awful color combo Buell ever came up with, I think.

You are on drugs!

That is the BEST S3 color combo, second only to the Blue/Orange.

Black or silver frames are a yawn fest--necessary on some of the colors (green, red, etc) but if mated to black or silver bodywork, they are completely intolerable and boring.

[EmptiMind]

Originally Posted by Donkey Hotey

This bike?

http://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/3560446395.html

Dump that stupid D&D muffler, put a stock muffler back on it and ride the piss out of it. The noise of that exhaust will tire you quickly.

I see the 16.5" Showa recall shock on it. They die. You can get them rebuilt but, that's false economy on the 16.5" Showa.

You can often find the 14" replacement shocks on Ebay (new). You need the updated front mount to install them. Sometimes, they are bundled together as leftover 'recall kits'. It's also a Showa. Not perfect but, the best of the later factory shocks.

It makes so much torque that I often forget that it makes power above 4500 RPM. Hate to tell you but, it's not going to cruise at 100 MPH for very long. 101 HP just isn't enough for that and you'll be wound out to get past the century mark; it happens but, not very briskly. It doesn't matter. It's brilliant between 40 and 80 MPH and that's where most sane people spend the most time.

Oh yeah, not at all planning on cruising at 100, just saying the only time it'll even break it is in Montana. I'll probably be at 50-80 majority of my riding. That is the bike I'm going after. Didn't know it was posted on Craigs too, saw it locally.

I called Buell, and they said it had all recall work done already, was that showa not recalled for the 99 S3T?

I also love the orange frame, think it looks great.

[brucifer]

Originally Posted by Donkey Hotey

You are on drugs!

That is the BEST S3 color combo, second only to the Blue/Orange.

Black or silver frames are a yawn fest--necessary on some of the colors (green, red, etc) but if mated to black or silver bodywork, they are completely intolerable and boring.

+1

Originally Posted by EmptiMind

Oh yeah, not at all planning on cruising at 100, just saying the only time it'll even break it is in Montana. I'll probably be at 50-80 majority of my riding. That is the bike I'm going after. Didn't know it was posted on Craigs too, saw it locally.

I called Buell, and they said it had all recall work done already, was that showa not recalled for the 99 S3T?

I also love the orange frame, think it looks great.

Yeah, that orange and black looks sweet!

Question to anyone--does the S3T have the most leg room of the tube Buells?

[brucifer]

Thanks kioti.

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by Tim McKittrick

..... The most awful color combo Buell ever came up with, I think.
.............
It's worst feature is the box of rocks transmission-

Ha! Tim, I agree, that orange frame is an eyesore. These other guys must be nuts.
But I can’t agree on the transmission. My ‘96 S1 shifts great, even better than my 2006 Uly, no issues.
Years ago I bought one of those shift cam things from HD that are supposed to make it shift better but never even put it in. I think it cost me less than five bucks. I have never replaced the circlip & had the original one off once or twice.
Very low cost of small parts from HD is another plus for the Buell. Compared to the cost of parts for other brands it is a pleasant surprise.
Oh, yeah, the drive belt. Yes you do want to run it pretty loose.

Tim, it occurs to me that you or Don probably wouldn’t even have tuber Buells if I hadn’t let Don ride mine years ago. He gets off the bike & says, “This thing is a beast!”
Now he has two S3Ts.

[Donkey Hotey]

Originally Posted by kioti

The S3 pegs are 2-1/4" forward and 1-3/4" lower than the X1's measured from the swing arm pivot hole.The S3T is much more comfy on longer rides.

+1 The S3 and M2 Cyclone share frames. My S3 purchase was AFTER the S1 and S2. The first time I climbed onto the S3, I tried to naturally find the footpeg from muscle memory (everything else felt familiar). The footpeg position was so different that it was weird. At that instant, I 'got it'. This was going to be my next sport tourer (had to justify buying a third Buell).

The only difference between the S3T and S3 is that it has taller bars (pretty sure they're from the Blast), saddelbags, fairing bags and fairing lowers. I have the fairing bags and saddlebags on mine, I don't care for lowers or the taller bars.

Originally Posted by EmptiMind

I called Buell, and they said it had all recall work done already, was that showa not recalled for the 99 S3T?

There were two generations of Showa shock: the earlier 16.5" and the later 14". They had some failures on the 16.5" shocks and they came up with a safety containment loop thingy that clamped around the shock in case the shock eye failed. They were butt ugly. I would imagine that bike got it and somebody removed it.

When they ran out of 16.5" shocks, they started installing the 14" shocks from the factory and any remaining bikes got it for the 'recall'. Plenty of aftermarket replacements are available in both lengths.

The 16.5" Showa is rumored to be at risk for the eye breaking (hence, the steel safety loop added later). From posts on Badweb, nobody ever ACTUALLY had one fail but, the margin is questionable. I would probably start looking for an aftermarket or at least the 14" replacement Showa. Even if that shock were perfect, it will leak sooner or later.

[Tim McKittrick]

Hi Tom! So it's YOUR fault then. At least I now know who to blame!

I have ridden Dons S3 and his has aftermarket shift linkage and it shifts better than mine- but it's still not great. The Baker shift kit reduces the effort required to shift and makes shifts a little more positive, but doesn't make things any "crisper". I don't miss 1-2 shifts anymore and the 3-4 change is much better. I may just have a poor example, but I really don't think this is a gearbox that will ever be comparable to what one finds in a typical Suzuki.

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by Tim McKittrick

Hi Tom! So it's YOUR fault then. At least I now know who to blame!........ I may just have a poor example

Are you really saying it’s my fault or is it just that you’re gonna blame me?
Poor example? Maybe so. From my very short time on a ‘98 S1 I don’t recall having any complaints about shifting. Not familiar with that Baker kit. My shifter & linkage are all stock items.
Suzuki? I don’t want to touch another one.

[Donkey Hotey]

It just dawned on me that the radical differences in shifting descriptions are probably boomerang and post-boomerang shifters.

Boomerang shifter--nice shifting, a bit of free-play but effective:


Later, non-boomerang shifter--stiff, shifts like a truck but looks cleaner:


People on Badweb said that if I changed the spline position on the shift-shaft and adjusted the tie rod to get everything to have 90 degree angles that it would clear up. That would make perfect sense because the geometry of this is all kinds of screwed up. No clue if it came from the factory that way or if the PO did it (like the shift peg repair he did? ).

If I'm not mistaken, the 1999 has the earlier boomerang shifter. If it does, I'd leave it alone.

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by Donkey Hotey

It just dawned on me that the radical differences in shifting descriptions are probably boomerang and post-boomerang shifters.shifter.

Was wondering the same thing. I gots the boomerang.