Help, my new XB12r is dying!

[Buell xb12r]

Hello, I just bought my first Motorcycle, a 2008 Buell Firebolt XB12r, my knowlege of how a motorcycle works or (in my case) is supposed to work is very very limited so if you have a response or a possible fix, talk to me like I am four years old. Alright heres the deal. When i went to buy the bike the guy who was selling it, started it right up for me, and rode it around a bit then put it in the back of my truck and i drove it home. The next day i took it to a local place that had a ramp, unloaded it, started it right up and rode it home without a single problem. It sat in my garage for a day then I rode it again. The second ride was great as well, started right up no problem. The very next day I went to start it and it took me a couple of tries to start it and i took off, the bike died a couple of times as i engaged the clutch and i would have to restart. I also noticed that there wasnt a whole lot of "giddyup" when i accelerated. The next day i rode and it had more trouble starting, and died on me essentially every time i stopped and my acceleration was pretty much completely gone. Now i cant get it to start at all, it will turn over and occasionally fire, but it wont start. The mods that the guy i bought it from were a jardine exhaust, and a power commmander which has not had any dyno time or been "calibrated", i dont know if either of these things could be the problem or not. Ive also been told it could be spark plugs, fuel pump, or battery. The spark plugs have less than a thousand miles on them, the battery is the original one that came in the bike. I put a brand new tank of premium gas in it with some techron fuel system cleaner to no avail. The battery was kept on a battery tender while the other guy had it, however i had not had it plugged in until it wouldnt start. This bike has just over 4100 miles on it. The only things i really know about the bike are that the fuel is in the frame so there is no tank, it is a v-twin, and is fuel injected. UPDATE: I just bought a new battery yesterday and tried it out, i got a lot more life out of her, she is trying to start but still wont. If you have any suggestions about this or any possible fixes I am more than willing to hear them and try them out. I have read through some of the similar threads and i see suggestions but tps and ecm and other things like that dont make any sense to me. remember its ok to talk to me like im handicapped. im trying to learn here, lol Thanks!

 

[sledhead007]

I COULD BE VERY WRONG BUT MAYBE VOLTAGE REGULATOR? SOMEONE WILL CHIME IN AND CORRECT ME. GOOD LUCK MAN I HOPE YOU FIX IT

 

[roxxx]

For starters I would get the Power commander off of it !!!
and then do a Throttle Position sensor reset (TPS)

Resetting the TPS on 08+ Buells does not require external Software to perform a TPS reset, but
DirectLink can be used to confirm that it is set correctly. The 08+ Buells are equipped with Idle
Air Control logic, and the idle air and speed is under ECM control. The fully closed butterfly
position is set by a stop that is cast into the throttle body, and there is no external throttle position
stop screw.
To reset an 08+ Buell, do the following:
1. Turn on the key.
2. Set the kill switch to the run position.
3. Don’t start the engine. Rotate the throttle from fully closed (gently forced closed) to fully
open (gently held open), and then back again to closed (gently forced closed).
4. Repeat 3 times. Hold each position (fully open, fully closed) for 1 full second.
5. Turn the key off and on.
6. If you connect to Directlink, a fully closed throttle should indicate 3.7 to 4.2 degrees. If it
doesn’t, repeat the above steps.

 

[Ralph S]

Check your basic things first, make sure you're getting fuel and spark. Check your fuses, pre 2010 bikes had crappy fuel pumps which would blow fuel pump fuse and eventually burn out. I had that issue with my 09. First time my fuel pump fuse blew i spent about 3 hours on the side of the road and took half the bike apart. One thing i didn't do was check the fuse. It got to the point where the fuse would blow 3 to 4 times on a 12 mile ride. Dealer put in updated 2010 fuel pump and that took care of the problem. Also i don't think these bikes work well with a piggyback tuner like PC, you are better off tuning the ECU that's in the bike or getting a race ECU that is tuned for your exhaust. Hopefully your ECU is not fried.

 

[freak2180]

Im taking a shot in the dark here.............Have you put fuel in it?

 

[anrkizm95]

For starters I would get the Power commander off of it !!!

[up]
then check the plugs,could also be fuel pump,crank sensor,bank angle sensor.

check for codes using info from this site.
http://www.bcrider.com/DDFI.html

 

[Buell xb12r]

Lol, yes there is fuel in it. I put in the post i filled the tank all the way up with premium fuel and techron fuel system cleaner. Im not sure what the voltage regulator is but if you could possibly give me a little more detail i will check it out. roxxx, is the power commander very difficult to take off? i know where it is but havent looked too much at it because all of the wiring around it kind of freaked me out. lol... as soon as i make it home ill try the tps reset and also to see if i can figure out the power commander. with the aftermarket exhaust installed is it imperitive that i have the power commander or can i just change the way the ecm is set up?

 

[anrkizm95]

with the aftermarket exhaust installed is it imperitive that i have the power commander

no its not
welcome to buellxb

 

[Buell xb12r]

Haha, awesome... is it very difficult to take that thing off then?

 

[kab]

Post a pic of how the power commander is wired in, im curious

 

[anrkizm95]

is it very difficult to take that thing off then?

no its not just follow the wires from the power commander to where they tap into the stock harness.

 

[cb750]

Possibly crappy gas. it has happened to me twice now, same station. Siphon out as much as you can and fill with some known good gas. Unhook the gas line from the throttle body, point it into a gas can, and cycle the key on and off 5 or 6 times. Put everything back together and try starting it.

 

[strmvt]

fouled plugs?

 

[roxxx]

Either they have tapped the wires or it will be piggy backed
The link shows another brand of Module but will give you an idea
http://www.freewebs.com/martin_brown/buellpage.htm

If you choose to take it off or leave it on , Check your plugs we noticed the Bike was fouling allot with the power module on it

 

[Alfatango1]

This sounds like when my fuel pump went out. Bike sat way too long and gas varnished the pump.

 

[Buell xb12r]

I cant figure out how to get pics of the PC up here. As far as checking the plugs ill take it to a local shop and have them check it out for me, i dont have the tools to get to them. And i didnt get very far with the power commander, i figured out how to unplug it from the bike but couldnt figure out where to plug the bike in factory. I hope it isnt the fule pump as ive heard those are pretty expensive to replace. I really appreciate all of the help and suggestions and will definitely post once i get it all straightend out. Many thanks to all of you.

 

[christianmb]

strmvt, That is the exact thing I thought...mine does that exact thing when mine fouls them.

Just out of curiousity, the rides you went on, were they more than 10 minutes each? If not, I'd bet on plugs. Our bikes don't do well with little puddle jumps

 

[Morbid]

My advice would be to take it to someone who has experience working on Buells and has all the tools to do so.

 

[Miami78]

My advice would be to take it to someone who has experience working on Buells and has all the tools to do so.

Agreed, where are you located? Pretty decent chance there is someone near you who can help...

 

[uly luigi]

[up] plugs on these can get you in trouble quick, if you are not very experienced mechanically, even the oil plugs