2006 XB12X Stumbling/popping on acceleration and Speedo dies but comes back to life?

[c3powil]

I recently purchased an '06 Ulysses with just under 18k miles. Looks like it has been well taken care of, as the PO had been documenting service intervals, installed a new battery, had the forks serviced by a reputable company, re-routed the breather lines, had spare parts well documented, etc.

I have owned if for just over a week, and ridden it almost every day for short periods of 15-30 minutes. Just yesterday, I adjusted the idle, checked the oil level (it was low, surprisingly, so I added about .25qt), adjusted the suspension as per the manual, and took it on an extended ride, finally. It was just fine until about 30 minutes in, I opened the throttle and heard a loud pop, the engine quickly resumed revving and creating more power, though. Since then, I started noticing the engine will stumble unpredictably under heavy throttle. Even from a stop it sometimes stumbles under acceleration. I noticed the speedometer also failed and figured that it was just time for a new cable. However, after stopping and letting the bike cool down while I bought a few groceries, I noticed the speedo had come back to life! I'm not at all sure this isn't just a coincidence, since I have no idea how the engine stumbling has anything to do with intermittent speedometer failure.

I have not yet purchased a Buelltooth, although I am ordering one tonight. In the meantime, what would you all suggest I look at first? I'm thinking it is possibly related to intake seals?

Thanks for any/all help.

 

[Barrett]

Entirely electrical-related. And there is NO speedo or tach cables on any XB models. Both gauges driven electronically via the onboard ECM. The ECM receives coil pulse signals which trigger the tach....the ECM receives rotational signals via speedo sensor which triggers the speedo.
It's not coincidental that your 2 issues occurred at approx. the same time. And neither issue will dump an active fault code into the ECM historicals. Electrical gremlins almost never generate FC's. Your XB is now 16 years old and needs the following to try and resolve this:
1-Check condition of your new battery terminals and all 4 battery cable ends. Clean and tighten if necessary
2-Remove right side switchgear cover and clean and lubricate kill switch and connectors
3-Clean and lubricate ignition switch and its harness plug
4-Remove front belt black plastic pulley cover...separate every single plug...clean and lubricate...reinstall
5-Remove front plastic fairing/windshield assembly from its mount. Check every single plug and connector and ground wire for cleanliness and tightness.
6-Check every single ground wire. They are front cluster grounds....frame tie-bar...ECM...sub-frame harness to sub-frame attachment point...negative battery cable end to sub-frame attachment point
7-Check for the dreaded "main power feed red positive wire" failure. Wrapped in OEM harness at the steering neck area. There is a specific way to test it for continuity
8-Replace the KEY SWITCH relay. Click my name...click active posts...scroll down to RELAYS comment...click same. I list the part number and cross-references for all relays.
9-Lastly, the Ulysses debuted in 2005. The 2005-2006 models had a propensity for the seat pan to rub against the ECM and its wiring harness plugs causing cracks and damage to both the plugs and the ECM. With seat removed check your ECM for signs of tell-tale seat interference. A cracked/compromised ECM will cause precisely your identical problems.

Good luck and report back with findings.

 

[Cooter]

Barrett has great advise as always ^^^^
Was it the speedo that died? or both the speedo and tach? If it's indeed only the speedo and/or it dropped to 0, it is the speed sensor or circuit only. The sensor is located on the engine above the belt pulley, black, one bolt. Take to out and clean it off. It's magnetic and can get gunked up. Look close at the wires too.

If it was both gauges that died or just stayed at whatever reading, it is power or ground to the gauge cluster (instructions above). The ground mount at the steering neck is notorious for breaking.

If it's stumbling under heavy load it could also be a weak fuel pump or compromised pressure hose/ clogged filter. It's all in the tank. Fuel pump replacement is very easy if you know the cheats, but test it first. 16 year old motorcycles do this kind of stuff. Barrett above offers OE quality re-build or replacements and do NOT be tempted by cheap e-Bay junk. It is... well.... junk. Easy to test fuel pressure with a gauge and adaptor (Rev-Mo.com) before you commit to that. 49psi is spec.

 

[ztied]

Good advice from Barrett, and Cooter as always. I can also vouch for Barrett
, fast shipping, and a great person to deal with.

 

[c3powil]

Thanks guys. This is really great info. I realized the speedo was all electronic last night when I was inspecting it. I have been wary of the ECM cracking issue, but it seems to be okay, so far. The PO or maybe the PPO put a strip of fuzz/velcro on top of it, I'm assuming to cushion the top, but I don't see it being that effective. I will go through all the points Barrett listed above.

Cooter, it was the Speedo only that died. It dropped to zero, and the next time I started up the bike it was up and running again. I'll include that sensor in my list of cleaning.

Fuel pump issues makes sense with the stumbling. Might be a good idea to get ahead of the game and do a rebuild whether it really needs it or not.

I will report back after doing some cleaning and inspection of the terminals and ECM.

 

[Cooter]

Theres a relocation bracket for the ECM to get it away from the weight of the seat, but its also something you could probably bend up in the garage. Having a PO 'repair' isn't a good sign. Nothing wrong with disconnecting the plugs and 2 bolts to inspect it.

OK, if it's just the speedo its either internal in the gauge (super rare) or the sensor/wiring to it. I've been pretty lucky cleaning them but they are interchangeable between all XB's except '03 where they were a 12v signal not a 5v like they are '04-current.

The best choice is a new fuel pump (ask Barrett) to breath new life into something you're hopefully going to ride a lot and far away! A new fuel pump assembly will have a clean sock, a clean filter, a new pressure line, o-ring, correct regulator, and pump. Erasing 16 years of abuse can be easy if you do it right. Just ask my girlfriend (snicker).

To paraphrase the fuel pump cheat:
Chock the front tire and hang the rear of the bike from the pillion peg mounts to the rafters (or A-frame) ladder to let the rear tire off the ground slightly. Pull the lower rear shock bolt out and let the swingarm down. That will give you enough room to sneak the pump assembly past the swing arm with a little twist. Uly's are pretty tall already and that helps immensely. I've got it down to about 10-15 mins if the o-rings don't fight me too badly.

Like this:

 

[c3powil]

Awesome garage! Appears to be pretty straightforward. You think my old wooden 6ft A-frame ladder is up to the task?

 

[Cooter]

Thanks I rent a space out of our workshop down the street, I leave the garage for detailing stuff and drinking 34:19's beers I steal

Ya it's maybe 200lbs at most and even less when you drop the swingarm.

 

[34nineteen]

Thanks I rent a space out of our workshop down the street.

Cooter calls it renting. Legally its considered squatting.

Cooter is like that stray cat who comes around looking for food. Once you feed him, he'll never leave. All I hear at night is 'you know who' with a clapped out 307 with cherry bombs driving past my garage hoping to see the light on. I can hear that power steering belt squealing a mile away.

 

[Cooter]

I can her a beer fridge opening a state over and know what kind of beer it is.

 

[34nineteen]

I can her a beer fridge opening a state over and know what kind of beer it is.

Unfortunately, I cant hear rattly lifters until its too late.

 

[c3powil]

I check the battery terminals and ECM today and everything looked good. I haven't gone through everything yet but I went on a ride and none of those symptoms seem to be present. Heavy throttle and not one pop the entire 30 to 45 minute ride. I know that doesn't mean I'm out of the woods yet, but maybe I have some time. The bike seems to be in pretty good shape otherwise. I plan to replace the fuel pump and the fan some point in the near future just to give myself peace of mind. The fan has that gravelly grinding sound so I know I've got limited time on that.

 

[c3powil]

I purchased the key switch relay and a new fan replacement, so I should have those done pretty soon. I experienced another misfire wile on a ride last night, so hopefully I will have time this weekend to go through all of those electrical checks and cleaning.

 

[c3powil]

Good news update:

My Buelltooth arrived. I used it to perform a TPS reset, and oh boy, what a difference did that make! The RPM range below 3k was so vibratory it was borderline unusable before the reset, and I just thought that was part of having a thumping "Harley" v-twin motor. Now I can happily sit between 2-3 thousand RPM without getting my hands shaken off the bars, and 3k and up is almost completely vibe free. I haven't noticed any of the misfiring or stumbling since performing the TPS reset. There are no current errors in the "trouble codes" section of ECM droid, but the "stored errors" sections seems to indicate AMC stuck open, AMC stuck closed, and AMC short to ground.

I'll still check each of those grounds and connections to avoid future troubles, but I think the TPS was the solution I needed. The Speedo malfunction/short may well have been a coincidence, or perhaps even cause by the jolt of the misfire/backfire. I've ridden the Uly a total of 200 miles so far, and I've filled up twice. Before the TPS reset, I calculated 34 MPG. Of course this was while I was testing out the bike, going on shorter rides, giving it a lot of WOT. After the TPS reset, 50 mpg with more highway riding than city riding. I have a feeling the TPS reset did result in higher MPG, since I smell less, if any, gasoline in my garage after a ride now. But I'm aware it would logically increase due to my riding style being more MPG friendly on that run.

I also decided to check my primary oil, and it seemed quite low, although hard to see exactly where the level is through that adjustment window. I rode down to the Harley dealer and picked up a quart of Formula + and changed the oil. Last change was done about 7K miles ago, and the new primary oil really seems to make the shifting easier. Neutral is a lot easier to find.

Another "improvement" I've made is to tape up most of the gaps in the frame directly under the front of the seat with heat-reflecting HVAC tape. Huge improvement on seat comfort. I still get a blast of hot air to the right calf when the fan is on, but no more burning thighs.

Now that the vibration and shifting has gotten better, fueling seems to be sorted, and the heat managed, I'm really enjoying this bike.

 

[Barrett]

There are no current errors in the "trouble codes" section of ECM droid, but the "stored errors" sections seems to indicate AMC stuck open, AMC stuck closed, and AMC short to ground.

Interactive Exhaust Valve system glitch. Lube IEV atop stock muffler...lube IEV actuator cable....adjust cable to remove all slack when IEV in closed position.

 

[c3powil]

There are no current errors in the "trouble codes" section of ECM droid, but the "stored errors" sections seems to indicate AMC stuck open, AMC stuck closed, and AMC short to ground.

Interactive Exhaust Valve system glitch. Lube IEV atop stock muffler...lube IEV actuator cable....adjust cable to remove all slack when IEV in closed position.

Thanks, Barrett. Will do! How effective is the IEV? It's another one of those Buell oddities that I really admire, but I also might like to swap the muffler one day for something a little nicer sounding.

 

[Cooter]

Good news update:
Another "improvement" I've made is to tape up most of the gaps in the frame directly under the front of the seat with heat-reflecting HVAC tape. Huge improvement on seat comfort. I still get a blast of hot air to the right calf when the fan is on, but no more burning thighs.

I wouldn't. I know the Buell-heat-on-the-thigh sucks but its the output of the scoop airflow and engine fan. Blocking the cooling flow output is as bad an idea as it sounds.

Super happy it's all coming together for you! You're doing the right stuff and should be rewarded with a dependable travel steed:angel:

 

[Cooter]

Thanks, Barrett. Will do! How effective is the IEV? It's another one of those Buell oddities that I really admire, but I also might like to swap the muffler one day for something a little nicer sounding.

With a completely stock IEV system, it reduces the dip in the 2500-3500 torque curve well enough that Erik 'king of reduced mass' Buell thought it was worth the complication and weight. To my knowledge it's not an 'EPA thing'. There are quiet-ish aftermarket systems that eliminate that and a legit Buell "race tune" would work with all of them and is a really good map, but careful of imposters!

If you want to keep it functional, theres detailed diagnostics in the manual. It's a servo on the airbox lid (Do NOT crank it by hand or the plastic gears will strip), a cable to the muffler, and a butterfly diversion valve in the muffler. No, wiring it open won't do anything Don't worry if you cant find parts, theres of replacements available from people that eliminated the system. Like me.

 

[c3powil]

Thanks, Cooter. I have the right side air scoop and may even modify the fan curve to come on at lower temps to help with the heat. I have seen others do the same, and there even used to be a nice product by Odie which seemed to block those gaps as well. I know that doesn't necessarily mean it wont cause a problem, but I have yet to notice engine temps any higher than they were before. I'm using the live data on my buelltooth to monitor the engine temps every now and then. At any rate, doesn't the ECM include a high heat mode that stops the spark on the rear cyl when temps get too high? If so, wouldn't that be an indicator that the blockages are causing issues, or am I risking something more?

The ideal solution would definitely be to provide a better route for the hot air to flow, rather than blocking off the current one. Maybe I will look into that.

 

[Cooter]

Up to you I guess? We can all justify anything we want to Yes there are engine overheating protocols for extreme situations. Not sure if I’d want mine bouncing off those parameters myself.

Yes you can lower the fan on temp, it will make that little guy run more but I dont think that lowers engine running temps as anything past 10-15mph has more airflow than that tiny fan.