new to buell, x1 with 20k, runs poorly

[adealeric]

i recently bought a 2000 x1 from a used bike dealer. when i went to see it for the first time it ran great. when i went to get it we didnt start it, just loaded it on the trailer and left. when i got it home i rode it around the block and it was running well. after a few days i got it out again and rode it to the ins agents office and down a back road, about a mile out of town it started to backfire and lose power. it has a k+n and a v+h and a wiseco fuel controller to compensate. i have replaced the intake seals and they dont leak. anyone have a clue as to where else to look for the problem? and btw the dealer, who will take a look at it for me, is 60miles one way, so i'm trying to get this handled myself.

 

[kbaddict]

I had a similiar problem on my buddies X1. The back was losing major power. I thought it was something in the ignition system. I changed wires then plugs about 4 times and cleaned the intake, nothing worked. I ended up taking it to the dealer and it turned out to be the engine temperture sensor. The actual part is pretty cheap and easy to change I think I think. Worth looking at.

 

[adealeric]

thanks, i'll look at that. i also wonder about the placement of the intake sensor, it was on the air filter mount outside the k+n. is that right?

 

[adealeric]

nevermind about the intake sensor, i'm doing as much research as i can and found, http://www.buellx1-li.ch/sm04d.pdf, very helpful, it showed me that what i thought was an aftermarket intake is just the stock tube with a k+n slapped on the end of it. great, more money to spend!

 

[martinwill]

get ecmspy and learn to use it, a must have with an x1,
you can then see if your sensors are dodgy, reset the tps, load race maps(also a must have), check the AFV etc etc.
make sure your battery is good and is charging, make sure the earths(grounds) are clean.
Check your wiring connectors are clean and tight and you dont have any frayed wires especially where they enter the connectors.
Remove the clutch and sidestand switches and connect the two wires that enter them together.
with ecmspy and mega log viewer you can tune your own fuel maps to suit you intake/exhaust set up.
Throw the fuel controller away, add-ons like this and power commander are known to cause problems with buell DDFI.
The intake air temp sensor should be in the intake air stream, but i have mine behind the headlight with no problems.
Good luck

 

[adealeric]

thanks for the info, i found the culprit. bad injector on the front cylinder. got a new one and disconnected the fuel computer and it runs good. i will be working on finding a forcewinder type intake and getting ecm spy as the summer progresses. thanks again for the help

 

[williegoat]

How did you identify the injector as the problem?

 

[adealeric]

ah yes, i took the bike in to the local harley shop (sauk hd in sauk city wi). a couple of the techs there ride buell so they are fairly familiar with them. anyway, the tech looked at the bike for quite a while, he disconnected the fuel computer and tried to read codes on it, to no avail. he then told me he would start by getting the injectors cleaned and changing the fuel filter. so, i took the injectors out and for @40$ each had them cleaned at weaver auto, one came clean and tested good, the other didnt. gotta say, the guys at sauk hd were very cool, and didnt charge me an arm and a leg to check it out. i figured they spent between an hour and an hour and a half looking at my bike and only charged me for half an hour.

 

[terrible]

Sauk City HD is one of the better dealers to work with.They stay a little past closing one time so I could put a charge in my bagger(shot alternator) so I could make it the rest of the way home.