1st Ride

[TaxicabDriver]

I may buy and '09 SCG 800 miles from home and ride it back this weekend. 200 mile sets good 1 hour break in between maybe 1 overnight stop.. Seems to be meticulously maintained. Owner states its ready to roll.
Anything I should look out for upon iinitial nspection?
Anyone have suggestions for temp insurance for the 2 day journey?
What tools are recommended to ride with?

 

[njloco]

"Owner states it ready to roll " famous last words. While I know it's tempting to ride it back that far without a thorough check, I wouldn't do it or suggest it. Many of these are now starting to have pump problems and or fuel filter problems just from age. While I find them to be very dependable bikes, you don't know this bike or the owner.

The most notorious problem is the battery, these bikes take a lot of juice to turn over and if the battery isn't 100% it could be trip breaker also you have to make sure all of the grounds are clean no matter how they visually look, then apply an anti-corrossive.
If as you say the owner was meticulous, then it should come with the owners manual and the tool set.
Check the oil level, warmed up and on the side stand, Do Not Over Fill it ! Big headaches if you do.
Check your tire pressure, the usual stuff.
Check the drive belt and pulleys.
Check the wear on the tires, that it's relatively even, no cracks on the rims
Check the trip!e tree bearings for excessive play.
" " clutch and lever for proper adjustments.
You want it stone cold when you arrive, should start smoothly, might be a slight pause due to compression stroke. Should idle smoothly and when you test ride it, it should shift pretty smoothly.
I'm sure there are other things that I might have forgotten but I'm sure others will pitch in .

Good luck.
Make sure it was never down, tell tale signs, scrapes on low hanging parts.

 

[Barrett]

In addition to Ken's great info above...CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
an 800 mile trip on an 11 year old high-performance motorcycle with only the seller's assurance of rideability and reliability, is a crap-shoot at best. ONE large oil leak....broken drive belt...broken control cable....dying charging system...continually popping dedicated electrical fuse...can cost you more than a day and hundreds of dollars in unexpected out-of-pocket expenses plus the associated torment and anguish. consider an economical 2-way 2-day basic pickup truck rental. most are reasonably priced, unlimited mileage, nice rigs. seller's assistance loading and a $10 pack of tie-downs gets the job done, plus resolves the initial step of getting you to the bike. consider it.



1-i'll only mention ear plugs and all direct route backroads wherever possible for return. i would avoid interstate pounding at high speeds on an unknown machine, particularly this bike.
2-ask the seller if he has a decent assortment of shop tools on hand and can give you 1/2 hour of his time to check out the bike prior to you riding it back home. if he bulks, reconsider the entire deal.
3-if affirmative to #2 above then check the following closely: tire pressures 35F/37R will get you home...check all visible fasteners for tightness including the 17 total primary cover fasteners and inspection plate fasteners....remove seat and check battery terminal fasteners for cleanliness and tightness....properly latch the seat....do a minimal suspension adjustment for your weight. minimal being front and rear pre-load. you can mess with front and rear rebound and compression settings once home. confirm there is NO ACTIVE CEL(check engine light). if there is, do NOT ride it home. period.
4-lastly...check fluids! front and rear master cylinder fluid levels...confirm lever and pedal are firm and that both operate the rear brake light....both headlight bulbs working....turn signals working....engine oil level and primary fluid levels are full and correct.

SUGGESTION: try 100 continuous miles at a relaxed pace...then 15 minute break. take the break at a fuel stop. kills 2 birds with 1 stone and allows a quick check-over of the bike while at fuel stop. and if staying overnite anywhere....LOCK THE BIKE with something more than just the factory steering lock.
good luck.

 

[34nineteen]

Exactly what they said^^^^^^

in addition:

What if you get there and find out it wasn't meticulously maintained? His idea of meticulously maintained, may be completely different than yours.

Being that you are now 800 miles away from home, the seller knows you didnt drive/fly all the way there to come home empty handed. It puts you in a bad spot to negotiate if the bike is less than what was presented and they know that. If you fly out to the seller, and you decide to pass on the deal... how are you getting home?


On this forum is a thread about a guy who sold his beautiful super clean Firebolt to a guy in the next state. In the ad, he states how carefully maintained it is and how well it runs. I saw the pics and videos and it looks and sounds great. Of course, a little reading of the backstory shows a history of problems, and him basically calling the bike an unreliable money pit.

Caveat emptor.

 

[TaxicabDriver]

Loco, will be making a checklist and I ride with a pocket jumper
Barrett, I wanted to pack an extra belt and clutch cable. One hr rides with 15 minute breaks sound good and will be inspecting components under the seat. Seller had/has a few Buells and a list of shippers he's making calls to.
34, thx for the caveat. Owner seems to work directly with tuners, a strong history working with Buells, and at 5k miles I have to take a look.
Will report back

 

[RidetheLightning]

Barrett speaks truth, always.

I found this link useful when purchasing mine:
https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?23933-Buell-XB-Buyers-Guide

 

[34nineteen]

Loco, will be making a checklist and I ride with a pocket jumper
Barrett, I wanted to pack an extra belt and clutch cable. One hr rides with 15 minute breaks sound good and will be inspecting components under the seat. Seller had/has a few Buells and a list of shippers he's making calls to.
34, thx for the caveat. Owner seems to work directly with tuners, a strong history working with Buells, and at 5k miles I have to take a look.
Will report back

Here is something to be aware of: When the key is turned on, make sure to listen to the sounds the fuel pump makes. If you're unsure, there are a ton on videos where people do walkarounds of their bike and you can hear the pump priming before they hit the starter button. As these bikes are getting to be 15+ years old, some are still running the original pump and are giving up the ghost. Changing the fuel pump is not a side of the road repair on these bikes. Some of these pumps work well intermittantly and will give all sorts of weird problems.

If you need a pump, Barrett the Buell Whisperer sells a kit to bring the pump assembly back up to snuff. He also makes a Mr. Fusion kit, but dont buy it as its a total scam.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[kz6fittycent]

I rode mine 500 miles - had the wife in the minivan tag along just in case.

If you know what you're doing, follow some/most of the helpful advice already stated above, you'll be fine.

If you've gotten too worried, rent a trailer/truck and take it back that way. In any case, I wish you the best when you get your Buell. I love mine -even when it breaks down!

 

[TaxicabDriver]

Flew out that wknd. Truly super clean perfectly maintained 09XB12SCG with only 5k miles. Thank you Mr. K up in Seattle.
Stock with Hawk exhaust and map with no issues Mr. K states it runs "cold-blooded." I found it to run lean.

Cruised 100+ mile sets to Grants Pass. Stayed overnight, then 100+ mile sets to the Sierra Nevada Foothills 209. Then back to TheCity.

MOST AWESOME RIDE EVER BEEN ON...then I tucked it away in the garage.

Since then installed a breather re-route with DK catch, K&N airfilter, headlight mod and Avon mask

 

[Cooter]

Heck ya!~ A success! Congrats on the new ride and a fun adventure

Wheres the pics man!!

 

[TaxicabDriver]

 

[TaxicabDriver]

 

[Cooter]

Looks good!

Wow I haven't seen a gas mask mod in a decade:black_eyed:

 

[RidetheLightning]

Awesome! I would pick up a buelltooth dongle and check on that lean setting. If you buy it from buelltooth they'll send you a tune for your K&N/Hawk combo and could help. Don't forget TPS reset after. Other common things to lead to lean scenario are failing fuel pump and intake seals. Barret sells a top notch fuel pump rebuild kit from what I've heard, and intake seals are a pain but nothing crazy. Once you have the buelltooth I would also recommend checking to make sure your cooling fan works, unless you've already heard it kick on. Glad you had a successful ride!