XB9S Motor Uses

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c3powil

c3powil

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Joined
Aug 11, 2022
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I was lucky enough to notice an XB9S motor being sold near me for local pickup only on ebay. I submitted an offer and won it for $250. I have no ideas if the motor is any good, or the mileage on it, but since I have an XB9 I thought it might come in handy.

Firstly, are there any parts that I might want to harvest and keep? I hear the front isolators are getting hard to find, so I'll check if it is there and in good condition.

Secondly, how might I determine the age of the motor?

Any other tips or suggestions on what to do with it are welcome.
 
Absolute steal @ $250.
XB engines do NOT have a VIN. They only have a serial number
XB """""""" serial number stamped into flat pad on left side toward front

The last 6 digits on the engine serial # will have matched the last 6 digits on whatever XB it was removed from

FIFTH DIGIT of the engine number is the model year of the XB it was installed into
 
Just got it home.
PXL_20240312_165507127.jpg

PXL_20240312_165546538.jpg

Looks like this is the engine code:

PXL_20240312_172050642.MP.jpg

SX123452125

Is that an '05 City X?

If so, it's a perfect match for my bike. What are the odds...
 
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We'll... true enough!

After comparing with the vin on my 05 City X, it looks to be from an '03 Lightning. I took Barrett's info to mean that the 5th number in the engine code was the year number, but he meant the 5th character, letters included.

SX = Lightning
KX = City X

So it's not a perfect match, but I don't think there are any differences in these motors, anyway. Are there?

Regardless, I see the front and rear isolators are present and look in decent condition, so I'm going to pull and keep those. Not sure what else I may need and what I'm going to part out. If it were an '06 I would probably pull the oil pump drive gear, but this one has the weaker version, so I'll leave it.
 
AGAIN:
When it comes to Serial Numbers and Vehicle Identification Numbers....American manufacturers seldom, if ever, use vernacular such as "letters" and "numbers". Most always "digit" and in the Harley Davidson production world....always "digit".

Your engine serial number breaks down as follows: SX123452125

SX12----Wauwatosa, WI DRIVETRAIN MANUFACTURING FACILITY SEQUENCING NUMBER
3---2003 MODEL YEAR FOR BUELL MOTORCYCLE
2125---INSTALLED IN THE 2125TH BUELL BUILT THAT MODEL YEAR
INSTALLED IN EITHER A LIGHTNING.....FIREBOLT....LIGHTLING LOW(SL)
984CC DISPLACEMENT

PS-I'm using my digits to type this.
 
Thanks Barrett.

As it happens, I already have a spare set of headers and a race muffler. Then I found this decent looking XB9R fuel tank/frame on Facebook marketplace for $250 shipped to me, including the clear title, and can add an ECU for $100...

You guys thinking what I'm thinking? A full XB9R build. I have nowhere near the experience or know-how to do this, but that clearly isn't a deterrent for me. How difficult of a task are we looking at here? Doing a "from scratch" bike build like this has always been a dream of mine. Could I accomplish this on a sub $1500 budget?

I suppose first I need to check compression and see if this motor is even worth the effort.
 
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Boom, done. Like I needed another excuse to buy one of these. I got one with the screen built in, because I'd rather drop a $40 gadget in the garage than my (admittedly cheap, but still relatively expensive) cell phone.

I'll check it out after work later. I assume what I'm looking for is cracks, holes, etc in the pistons, or large gouges in the cylinder walls?
 
Well, I can't post the videos, because I actually don't own something that can read a micro SD card at the moment. However, I can say for certain the this engine will not run. The rear cylinder and piston look all good, but the front piston is completely missing, and the rod has scratched some deep grooves in the cylinder walls.

I might open up that side and see if the damage is only limited to the cylinder walls first, but if the piston was penetrated, I'm thinking pieces likely made their way into the bottom end.
 
I don't consider myself hosed. I can remove the front and rear isolators at least, and part out the rest, probably making back the original $250, don't you think?

But I might just decide to rebuild it. I've attempted an engine rebuild before on an old Honda, and never was able to complete it due to moving around frequently during college and not having a stable place to keep it, much less a garage. Now that I do, this may be the best time to try again. I see there are oversize kits online. Do you have any experience on if something like that would be worthwhile?
 
Sure! Re-building it yourself could be a satisfying project. They are one of the simplest MC engines to do, not counting anything 2-stroke:cool:

But IMO, go stock or the mighty 'might-as-wells' can bury you so deep it won't ever see daylight.
 
You could ask Mike Lowery if you can get a little extra out of it.
LOL
Seriously Cooters suggestion is golden. Do a stock rebuild and if the head is damaged look at some of the performance rebuilders that specialize in these heads there’s some potential gains available without going down the rabbit hole of custom tunes and exotic parts.
 
I think that's what I'll be going for. Nothing too crazy, just a nice relaxed rebuild. No doubt, you'll hear form me on this subject at a later date. Appreciate the advice, Gentlemen!
 
"But IMO, go stock or the mighty 'might-as-wells' can bury you so deep it won't ever see daylight. "

So is stock considered the best bang-for-the-buck setup for power? I'm too old now to spend a bunch of $ chasing HP (I'd be better off losing some weight!), but I'm curious about this. HD engine / Buell engine world is still new to me.
 
Sir: I respect you....your intelligence...your work ethic and initiative....and the fact you're one of the few active people still remaining on this board. Buell built close to 20,000 units for the 2003 model year.
Consider this:

Early 2003 engines had some teething problems and weaknesses
Your engine very early in the model year run
A major component grenaded and is scattered throughout the engine
You'll need several "specialty tools" to rebuild...none of which you have
You will need the cylinders....heads....crankshaft attended to by a professional along with the contemporaneous costs

The heads...engine covers....drive pulley....ISO mounts....clutch components....complete primary drive...stator....all combines valued at approx 2X your buy-in costs.

Part it out accordingly and keep the balance for posterity.
 
motoguy said:
"But IMO, go stock or the mighty 'might-as-wells' can bury you so deep it won't ever see daylight. "

So is stock considered the best bang-for-the-buck setup for power? I'm too old now to spend a bunch of $ chasing HP (I'd be better off losing some weight!), but I'm curious about this. HD engine / Buell engine world is still new to me.
Click to expand...

Totally, yes. Eric and the Buell motor minions did such a good job of squeaking out max power out of that 50's engine architecture that Buell has been the cheat code for Sportster power for a long time:cool: Keep in mind they did so, and Buells still have a rep for amazing longevity.

Of course there are speed parts available and you can balance their cost vs. something you'd need to buy anyway but I don't know of any easy tweaks for big gains.

Can you get more power? Yes! Should you?

Barrett is right, but only if you look at it financially. If you want a hobby/project/learning experience, well heck, It's better than wasting away watching other people do it on YouTube. I can't think of a more satisfying feeling than starting a basket case engine that you built yourself.:angel:
 

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