i never seen nor heard anything like this

[blac6886]

I recently discovered the world of Buells and what a wonderful world it is. But as i ventured forward into this world Ive that it does not come without its problems. I bought a 03 xb9s with only 375 miles on it about 4 months ago. It had been sitting in a garage in Ronoke owned by a State Trooper who bought it back in 05 brand new. After only a week of riding it he had to hang up the helmet dew to a very bad on the job car accident while chasing someone.So there the bike sat until i bought it 4 months ago.Needless to say the bike did not run very well or at all the day i pick it up so i immediately took it to my mechanic to have it serviced. We replaced all fluids, both injectors, did a tps reset and up until a few days a go it still wasn't running right. The problems are this, rough idle, stalling, i cant drive it in 1st or 2nd gear between 0 to 30mph ( school zones main street through town) without it jerking and running like its starved for gas, sometimes it sounds like the engine knocks sometimes it doesn't it all depends on how its running. This is the crazy thing, i found this stuff called Mechanic in a Bottle at the Dollar General ,don't judge me for buying some no name additive from a dollar store lol I was blind with disappointment and anger , took it home followed the directions took my bike out for a ride and and all my problems disappeared including the knocking sound. It ran all day like a bike with only 1300k miles on it should, power through the roof, torque like Ive never experienced before and the sound was unreal, its completely stock no exhaust by the way .So I fill it up after riding it for the day, with a NEW tank of gas, no Mechanic in a Bottle start heading home and 10 mins into the ride the bike starts acting up, the biggest problem being it feels like its being starved of gas. So i go by the DOLLAR GENERAL and get another bottle of the Mechanic put it in and almost right away it starts running perfectly. WTF is going on with my bike to need a no name additive to run properly does anyone have any idea whats going on.

 

[06XB12SS_LOVER]

That sounds like what my bike does ( I use some stuff made by chevron good stuff btw). My thought is the bike is running too lean and its getting to much air and not enough gas. i would pick up a ecm cable and hook your baby to a laptop and see what your afv is. The other day i did a tps reset and looked at my afv and it was 98% so i said what the hell changed it to 100% did a nice gentel ride on the highway and the afv didnt change(I might increase it to 105% because the 2% i did increase it help out but its not perfect). So maybe increasing your afv might help out just write down your old number just in case you have to put that back. Just to tell ya i have a 06 xb12ss with race ecm, D&D exhaust, breather reroute, k&n air filter, and ngk plugs. Hope this helps ya out alitte.

 

[wolfo68]

intake leak maybe? if it was just sitting I could see those gaskets going bad from age

 

[Theycallmecrash]

Did you run it with old gas? Could have gum'd up the O2 sensor, the additive might compensate for the inaccurate readings

 

[wolfo68]

[up] Didn't think about that.

 

[blac6886]

no i didnt run it with the old gas but who knows what was going on before i got it. its funny because i put all of the good brand name additives in it first they didnt work. then i came across this one and BAM it ran like a RAPED APE.. should i replace the tps sensor if so where would i find one, how about the plugs might that be the problem,intake gasket is located where (no laughing now) im learning and where to i go to get the program and ecm cable.i no the basics of how a bike runs i can change the oil short of that im a take it to a professional kinda guy but i would like to learn. what ive seen so far if you own a Buell you need to be a small engine mechanic. i love this bike ive owned quite a few in the 15 yrs ive been riding and this is by far the baddest raddest funnest bike ive ever ridden.so i dont want to give up on her just yet . im thinking its the intake thing because it jerks and sputers at low speeds much like and old carberated car would if a vacuum line had come off or had a leak. and somewhat dissappears when i get on it .

 

[Theycallmecrash]

Changing the throttle body/intake gaskets is fairly involved. Why change your TPS?
Lets not start throwing parts at this thing just yet.
Www.xoptiinside.com cable and programs.

Lets start with some
Basic trouble shooting: remove your air box/tank cover, remove air box inner, air filter and lower air box covers. Youll see your intake and other things. Heres a test to determine if your issue is fuel related, get your self a propane bottle and an adjustable tip to meter the output. Start the bike and introduce a small amount of propane to the air inlet. If idle and throttle response improves you have a lean condition (not enough fuel or too much air) now stick the propane tip around the base of the throttle body where the gaskets would be, any change is the way it runs? If not, then no air leak.

Also could you take a picture of the product and its ingredients post them for us to see?

 

[blac6886]

i took out the air scoop snorkel, would that have anything to do with it.? when i first got it serviced the mechanic that replaced the injectors he said were bad from sitting , really f$#kedv things up he bend and strip the screw that gos through the steel cradle and into the rubber intake and also one of the injectors came lose and gas went everywhere. i took it to a Harley dealership and they said they fixed it (fixed the rubber intake screw,re installedthat the injectors, tps reset,) it ran good for an hour or so then started its thing again. last time i was in there that rubber boot as i like to call it, still didnt look like it was sitting flush against the top of the steel intake it !! Sorry i didnt tell you this before i just assumed that since the Harley guys had a run at it........... Ill get in there and ill take a bunch of pics at every possible angle !! thanks for all your help

 

[BuellSki]

Impersonally would change the intake gaskets, plugs, and wires. Also get a service manual. You can download one from a link on the top of the screen. It'll explain how to do everything. But those are relatively easy things and they aren't expensive. I'd start there. If it doesn't clear the issue. Then I'd look deeper.

 

[sparky300]

Um...yeah. Not to be a douche nozzle but, stop taking it to the shop and do the work yourself from now on. That way you'll know what's been done and maybe learn a little something along the way.

 

[user_deleted]

when i first got it serviced the mechanic that replaced the injectors he said were bad from sitting ,

that would have been the first indicator that you needed to find a competent mechanic familiar with buells....or at least fuel injected sportsters. being a retired PA state police detective, your story about the trooper who stopped riding due to "on the job" accident??????.......reminds me of the 57 Corvette that was sold for $75 because the former owner died in it from carbon monoxide poisoning while parked in a snow drift. LOL LOL
your problem is simple and randomly replacing parts accomplishes nothing. you either have a fueling problem or ignition problem, or both. replace stock plugs with NGK DCPR9EIX and start there as a base line. while doing that i would remove the airbox cover, air lid, and stock filter. check to see if varmints have built any sort of nest in that area or have chewed thru any wires or vacuum hoses as they LOVE that specific spot on buells. then go online and purchase ecmspy program and attachment cable. use it to diagnose your bike thru its ecm, clear any trouble codes that might have triggered the check engine light (CEL) and a host of other things. fuel additives other than the occasional sea-foam or stabil are a waste of time and money. i tend to think you simply have a sensor on the way out that ecmspy will enlighten you on.

 

[blac6886]

update on the bike i did most of the above recommended troubleshooting and came up with nothing. the bike has a new K&N in it thats the first thing i did, if i did the propane test right the intake gasket isnt the problem,i went throught all the lines around the intake area they seem to be in working order. i went out for a ride yesterday and like always when i first started it, it stared right up nice and strong ran perfectly for about a minute then just quite. i started again and manually kept the rpms up a bit and took off, again it ran awsome for an hour then i , had to make a stop. it sat for about 10 mins, went to start, it would turn over but not fire, a couple of times it sputtered and backfired but would not start. Im changing the plugs and wires tomorrow and i order a spy cable from Bats racing yesterday so i guess will see what happens. thanks for your help......

 

[vroom]

How old is the battery?

 

[LocoLobo]

I would pull the fuel pump and clean the screen/filter that's mounted to it. I bought a xb12ss that had been sitting for a couple years. The old gas had clogged that screen and it would run fine when first cranked it up or let it sit and idle but after a few minutes it would start bucking like it was struggling to get gas.

It's fairly simple task to do, the fuel pump is on the shifter side right by the swing arm. Four Allen caps to get it loose and the work it out. I couldn't get mine all the way out, but I read if you remove the swing arm it will come out. I cleaned both sides of mine with carb cleaner in an aerosol can and it ran fine after reassembly.

Watch out for the fuel pump seals, mine wouldn't go back in because of the age they wouldn't hold their shape anymore. I did find some replacements from a couple of oil filters at advance. Hope this helps.

 

[LocoLobo]

... I can't imagine the battery would be an issue, especially if it cranks it fine.

 

[blac6886]

Cells brand new ...

 

[thrstrmech]

are the injectors seated and clips installed properly? connectors? O2 sensor wire chaffed/exposed? read the codes before throwing parts at it...

if it's a sensor, read through the thread in the general motorcycle chat forum for alternative part numbers to using Buell/HD parts, bought an O2 sensor from Autozone, which they priced matched to RockAuto's $12.06 vs paying 21 bucks for it

second it: download the manual from either here (link below Buellxb header) or buellmods.com, I have the parts catalog for an '03 if you ever need part numbers, let me know

let us know what the outcome...

 

[Matteson]

Really look over your fuses and be sure they are inserted between the metal clip and not "inserted" between the clip and the plastic. Happened to me once.

 

[blac6886]

hey everyone sorry ive been off line for so long. Well I bet this is a first my my fuel pump assembly came completely apart. As in the whole thing just kind of exploded. I guess from it sitting a round it just kind of let go of it self. anyway i ordered one from Buellster parts.com and it will be here today. While were in there im gonna change the drive belt plugs wires and go over the whole bike . Holy shit thats a big job, we had to remove the oilpan/swingarm to get to the damn thing. Thank you everyone for all your help this site is awesome and ill let you all know how shes runnin here in the next few days. OH!!!!! should i do another TPS reset after all the work is done and is that somthing you should do every time you mess with anything that has to do with then fuel or induction systems!!??????

 

[LocoLobo]

I would, especially if you reset it while the bike wasn't running right...