Buell Longevity

[jared]

i am new to the ownership of a Buell but i am not new to wanting one or being impressed by the idea of owning one. i recently purchased a 2008 Firebolt. Its in excellent condition and i want to keep it that way. My main concern is having it around and operable forever. (My best friend is redoing a 1974 Honda 550, so why not However i am concerned about the availability of parts. I have not started working on bikes yet but grew up working on ATV's and vehicles. is there someone on here, multiple people or a guru with Buells or XB12R's, that can tell me some parts to purchase and put on a shelf that will be hard to replicate in the future or potentially can't be replicated, i.e. maybe, fuel pump, ecm, belt, fuel injector, etc. or am i worrying for nothing. i plan on passing this to one of my boys as a classic and want it to always be available. I do NOT want to wallet slap my bike for no reason, however i want to be prepared. Thanks!!

[Cooter]

Just ride it. Spend that money for premium gear and premium fuel

Maintain it well (doesn't take much, and the aftermarket has what you need), fix what goes wrong as soon as it goes wrong. There isn't that many things on the bike that could go wrong that are proprietary Buell MFG stuff. Theres always a way.

Or stuff the shelf full of expensive parts that will rot? Up to you.

[Barrett]

Sir: follow Shaughn's advice above and if the 2008 model as you stated, is presently in excellent condition, it should need little if anything to keep it that way. perishables such as tires....wheel bearings and hub spacers....brake parts...electrical parts....seals and gaskets....drive belts and clutches.....and all fluids will always be available. WHY? because many XB parts interchange with automotive, several harley-davidson models, and other popular motorcycles. if there are THREE THINGS you should immediately be attentive to, they would be as follows:

1-ditch the stock OEM brake pads if still installed and replace with EBC HH pads front and rear. huge immediate improvement.
2-remove...flush....replace....bleed both F&R brake fluid supplies and clean both calipers well. probably never done and if so, stuck caliper pistons and corroded master cylinders imminent. easy to do with a tender touch and patience. and replace with DOT-4 fluid.
3-always carry a few spare fuses and at least 1 spare fuse box relay at all times. small water-proof plastic bag taped under the seat somewhere gets the job done. and remember these bikes are hell on batteries. have the best onboard and it will minimize and eliminate all sorts of potential electrical oddities and gremlins. DEKA ETX-14 very popular and the finest on the market for the price. marketed under several DEKA house-brand names and manufactured right up the road from me in good old PA.

[Cooter]

This guy ^^^^ is right

[mike lowary]

Seats, body panels, anything to do with the frame, wheels, etc. These are the things that will be hard to get one day. Still plenty available at the moment. Like John said pretty much all engine and electrical stuff will always be available either from Harley or cross referenced to aftermarket.

[jared]

A7521595-5592-49B7-A86A-532A5C7CD753.jpgThank you guys so much!!! Advice noted. I feel like a kid the more I’m on it. Yes to the battery. My son picked it up for me and from New Hampshire to Arkansas the battery wouldn’t crank the monster. I’ll order that battery you suggested. It has a jardine exhaust on it. Is there any way to tell if it’s tuned correctly? Purchase a jardine ECM?A7521595-5592-49B7-A86A-532A5C7CD753.jpg

[jared]

I’m new didn’t mean to post two pics.

[34nineteen]

Also, be sure to do a through search for your ground connections and make sure they are clean and tight. By that I mean, disconnect them, clean them and tighten down to spec. Also do the same with where the subframe connects to the fuel tank.

The all-knowing Lunatic Fringe has taught us that these bikes are extremely hard on batteries and ground connections.

Nice bike, btw.

Your best bet is to buy a Bluetooth adapter from Cooters buddy over at Revision Moto. He used to/sometimes does offer tunes for specific mufflers that you can upload to the bike with an Android device via the Bluetooth module.