Don't want to sell her...HELP!

[BikerGirl27]

I have an 08 Firebolt XB12r with about 2,500 miles. I don't know really anything about bikes as I am new to the motorcycle world (learned to ride 1 year ago)

I ride the Buell to work (about 10 miles) in traffic and I can only go about 15 min before the bike starts to run poorly. If I get caught at a stop light for more than a few minutes the bike WILL cut itself off. Before that happens it starts to idle very low...until it goes so low it starts to make a clunking noise like it's trying to stay on but it can't.

On the highway the bike is perfect, no problems. Just at stop and go traffic it can't handle. The bike also burns the crap out of my right leg...right where the seat connects to the bike. It gets so hot that when I'm riding slow I have to stand up to get some airflow to cool my leg off. It's a horrible commute. I even have to wait until after rush hour so I can make it all the way home. One time I even had to pull over on the side of the road and wait like 30 min for it to cool off enough to ride another 2 miles home! The fan doesn't come on while riding but it does right after I turn the bike off. The only mod on the bike is a D&D exhaust. I bough this bike from someone else, who got it from someone else so I don't know what has been done to it if anything has been at all.

My husband keeps telling me to sell it because it's too much of a hassle and thinks it will turn into a money pit (he has a 2009 Harley Nightster)
But I really like this bike. I'm not sure what to do. I'm just stuck.

How can I keep my bike running and keep it from burning my leg off?

Jessica

 

[gtp3800]

as far as the heat goes, Id highly suggest a right side uly comfort scoop, and some header wrap on your headers. it sounds to me like it needs some serious tuning.

--------------> check out the tuniversity ad on the right.

 

[netty2424]

Are you wearing shorts?

As gtp800 said above, a right side scoop will help a little, but if you're in stop and go it may not help much there. Sounds like you have some tuning issues, but with an 08 with only 2500 miles on it, theres something else going on.

What mods have been done to the bike?

 

[WIGGLE2]

Hi Bikergirl!
It IS overheating....all classic symptoms of such.I too would start with checking ALL your basics...TPS re-set, plugs, etc., Then move on to an EBR ECM. Yes a custom tune would be better perhaps, but with your said background, I think this would prove very frustrating for you! All good suggestions from gtp above. Good luck and welcome!! DON"T give up!! You just have some bugs to work thru, thats all!

 

[bfletcher]

http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-prodshow/16130.html

 

[buellxb9rs]

I'm going to say the bike is running too lean and that is causing the excessive heat

 

[BikerGirl27]

I'll check on all those suggestions.

netty2424 - I always wear jean pants and sometimes my motorcycle pants if I'm going on a longer ride.

Also, my I heard this bike is mainly built for racing? Is this why running at slow speeds isn't good for it because it's built to run hot and go fast?

Thank you all for the quick reply!

Jessica

 

[freak2180]

Also a updated flash may help her. The newer flash cycles the fan at lowspeeds while riding where as the old flash didnt turn on the fan till it was NUT cooking hot.

BG27......these bikes do not like stop and go traffic. Maybe you should explore other routes home that dont require so much Stop and Go. Sure it may be a longer ride, but hey.........any excuse to ride is a good excuse in my book.

Your deff running lean with that D&D and either should buy a ECM for your bike pre tuned for your pipe, try to tune it yourself, or consider a Diff pipe that does not require tuning.

 

[WIGGLE2]

Jess;
Your bike ISN'T a race bike....it IS air-cooled, but so is every Harley and Ducati Monster! But..that being said, stand-still traffic for LONG periods of time,is something ur bike won't like. I've been in 'traffic jams' MANY times with mine with NO ill effects. You DO have what sounds to be an extreme lean condition that is causing your problem...I think all the advise on this thread so far has been pretty much right on. I wasn't aware of the re-flash for the cooling fan....good call and advise there!

 

[BikerGirl27]

freak2180 - All options to go home get me stuck in traffic, back roads and all. I live very close to DC and it's pretty much impossible to go the long way home to avoid traffic.

I got the bike in the winter so I didn't notice how hot the bike actually got. It was kinda nice in the winter because the bike would run fine even at slow speeds in the 35 degree weather. The Buell was running hot then, but kept me warm on the colder days paired with my heated gloves.

I have looked into the scoop before but like netty said, it won't really help when I'm going 5 mph for 20 min.


Jessica

 

[freak2180]

Check out the Newer fan/flash at your freindly Buell dealer, or Give EBR a call. Its a pricey option but I beleave their tunes include the fan update along with the proper tune for your bike. Regaurdless of your speed in traffic the RSS will help you out. It allows air to the rear cyl easier and faster when the fan does come on. I myself need the RSS and have just been too lazy to order it.

 

[xtreme]

I would say for sure, Play around with the ECM or buy the preprogrammed from EBR. Thats the way I went. It was a simple install!

 

[BikerGirl27]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I will let you guys know what I end up doing and if it works. Hope this will help someone else in the future.

Jessica

 

[redrider]

Running a high grade syn.oil will help alot also. Do you hear your fan running when your bike is running and is it coming on in the stop& go overheating condition. maybe your fan is not working at all.

 

[XRorXB]

Hi Jessica,
When you turn the key to ON, the Check Engine lamp will turn on for four seconds and then turn off. After that 4 seconds, does the light come back on and start blinking? Or, does it then come on and stay on?

With the problems you describe on an '08, I would expect the ECM to have stored some type of trouble code.

 

[07Bolt]

After 4 yrs it might be the battery. Thats low mileage for an '08. Plugs too. Check for low tires as well.

 

[Iamarchangel]

You've got a lot of blahblahblah here so you have to learn to cut through all that.

Leave the heat alone for now. It's an internal combustion engine: combustion is fire. Hot and not so hot are all the same to skin so overpants are a good idea.

Lean engine is a condition that kills your engine. If there's no hole in the piston after 15 minutes, it's not lean. Running bad after warming up, and not blowing up an engine, is a rich condition.

Scoop does diddley if you're not moving. Don't waste your money.

The reality is that you may not have the best bike for a traffic commute but I like mine. Most bikes are too hot for stop and go.

Okay, real issue is the way it is running. It should be a happy potato noise through all that heat. If the sensor thinks it's too hot, it tells you. There will be a flashing engine light and then the rear cylinder will go into skip. No flashing light means it's not that.

It keeps starting through all that which means it's not the battery. Probably not the plugs for the same reason (also you don't get fouled and lean plugs, there's only three choices: fouled/rich, lean, or good).

TPS and flash updates are good ideas, not sure that's the problem but it's the right direction.

Me, I'd look at what happens around the 15 minute mark that's different and not on a sensor. Up to that point everything seems good so probably everything is good except… Around the 15 minute mark, everything is hot, especially in traffic. The gas tank is building up pressure and things are getting wonky.

Suggestion: (and it's easy) check the fuel vent line. Pop off the airbox cover and you'll see the vent line to the front and right of the fuel cap. DON'T TAKE IT OFF. Just follow the vent line all the way to the back off the bike and make sure it's not kinked anywhere. (There might be a canister and that's a different scenario.)

Also, while you're there, might as well have a look at the air filter and see what it's like. Purists will be purists but if you can see daylight through the filter, it's not the problem. Changing it to a K&N is a very good idea, though.

 

[theMelvster6]

I'll chime in...If you or your husband are at all mechanically inclined, these machines are fairly simple to work on. A shop manual is very helpful (which can be downloaded from the link at the top of this page). I live in Vegas 110-115 degree summers. I ride everyday even in blistering heat.

The solutions to my own heat concerns are these 1) I wrapped the header which tremendously reduces the heat on the right side of the bike in general. 2) I installed the right side scoop for airflow once I am moving, and I ride everywhere. 3) I did flash the RACE fuel mapping to my ecm which is a richer fuel mapping. RICH = COOLER ENGINE, but also RICH = QUICKER FOULING SPARK PLUGS. 4) I put in NGK Iridium Spark Plugs which are very foul resistant.

I have an 05 xb9sx...with D&D exhaust and K&N air filter. Generally speaking if you run higher flowing exhaust and air filter, it will make your bike run lean on the stock fueling. LEAN = HOT!! Can do damage!! But Those 4 things have made my bike run so much cooler. The fan hardly ever comes on. I get no more pinging. It is much happier in traffic and on the road. I too was new to BUELLs a few months ago, but with reading up on the manual and using the forum I did all the work myself. I basically repeated what was already said, but from personal experience it worked wonders!!

Cost: $65 for Header Wrap
$57.95 + shipping for Right Side Scoop
$40 + shipping for ECM cable and programs to do Fuel Maps
$14 for NGK Iridium Spark Plugs part# dcpr9eix
Approx. $200...well worth it!!!

 

[BikerGirl27]

I think I'm going to try the computer first. That seems to be my best bet. I'll let you guys know how it works out. Here is a pic of my Buell...

 

[xtreme]

Good looking bike[up][up]

I would reccomend wrapping the front headers as well!