new XB12Ss....damn she's fine!

[theoctopus]

Hey all,

I just picked up a brand new 2009 Buell XB12Ss in Black. I just wanted to come here and say that this bike is everything I've ever wanted. I moved up from a 2006 KLR650, and I don't think I'll ever go back to anything other than a 1203 cc Buell. This thing is fast, sounds mean as hell, and is sexy to boot (in that Transformers kind of way....and yes I am that kind of nerd).

I'm breaking her in hard (and yes I know there are those of you who will disagree with that method), and she's performing wonderfully. The method makes sense to me, so it's the one I'm going with on this bike. Don't worry, though, I'm not redlining her and destroying her just yet (that's going to have to wait for a few more miles from now). Can any of you explain to me how a break-in differs for a pushrod engine? I'm a little mechanically foolish, and would love it if someone threw a little bit of knowledge in my direction.

A little over 100 miles on the clock so far, and it just keeps getting better. I can't wait till I get to the point where I can just let her cruise.

I know this is strange, especially to people who generally are fans of the common sport bikes, but I really enjoy the noise of the XB. I love the fact that I can hear the engine purring loudly, that it sounds like a Harley at stoplights, that I can hear gear shifts and parts moving. Most of the time sounds like that make me feel a little uneasy on motorcycles, but for some reason they're remind me of the amazing engineering that's gone into this bike.

Anyway, just had to share my excitement with some likeminded people. Hope y'all don't mind!

 

[xtremelow]

Welcome, here is a helpful link if you are new to Buelling.

New Buellers

 

[chase12s]

what do you mean when you say your breaking her in hard?

 

[theoctopus]

xtremelow: Thanks for the link, I'm enjoying what it has to offer as we speak.

chase12s: I mean that I'm not following what the manual says. I'm not really limiting myself in RPM range (short of redline) and doing lots of short bursts of accelerating up to about around 5500 rpm and doing plenty of engine braking. Never staying at a constant RPM, and not babying the bike. I'm not doing it as extremely as Motoman suggests on his website (which I know is a popular resource for many new motorcyclists), but loading the engine well while it's still young makes sense to me in terms of making sure everything seats appropriately.

 

[xtremelow]

Hope it all works out for the best.

 

[theoctopus]

Me too! It's worked out on all my other engines up until this point!

 

[LeFox]

 

[theoctopus]

Thanks so much for the warm welcome LeFox! I certainly appreciate it!

 

[G FORCE]

Welcome fellow newbie! I just got mine last week and love it! I'm not sure how to properly break in a motorcycle engine as I bought mine used, but I break in my car engines exactly as you are describing. Full throttle bursts a thousand or two RPM below redline and never constant engine speeds. Sounds fine to me! Good luck and ride safe.

 

[Stevenc150]

to the Forum and the Buell "family" ! Great to have you on the Board. Yeah, I remember when I first got mine....I'd pack a stupid grin around for hours after a ride. Ride safe. Just curious, any meaning behind the screen name?

 

[theoctopus]

Just always been fascinated with octopodes (and yes that's really the silly plural term for octopus). I've had the pleasure of having a few of the wonderful creatures as pets, and I've got a big tattoo of one on my arm. Plus, the gastronome in me loves them as a source of food. I know that seems like a conflict of interest, having pets that I'm also willing to eat (well, not my personal pets, but certainly fresh ones from the ocean), but it's worked out for me so far!

 

[ROJO]

Welcome "theoctopus". Congrats on the bike. You seem like a very interesting dude.

 

[theoctopus]

Anyone know if a break in like the one I described above would show up in an ECM dump and therefore void my warranty? I'd never cop to a hard break in at the dealership if only to maintain my warranty, but I was wondering if it'd be something they'd be able to detect on their own.

 

[Stevenc150]

Your golden. Only thing recorded I know of is engine/trouble codes.

 

[theoctopus]

Beautiful. That's exactly the answer I wanted to hear.

 

[theoctopus]

Just got off the phone with my Buell dealer. They said the same thing. They said as long as it wasn't obvious that I was street racing my Buell and causing significant engine damage, then it wouldn't void my warranty.

Phew.

 

[theoctopus]

Another quick question that I'll confine to this thread so as not to create another one. I'm still getting used to the bike and the way she sounds and feels. Is the engine supposed to be fairly loud? I'm not talking about the sound coming out of the exhaust, but rather the engine internals within the case. Especially when the bike starts warming up, the "whirring" is pretty noticeable. I know that's a SUPER noob question, but like I said above, I am totally not mechanically inclined. All I have to compare it to is my KLR650 which, being a single cylinder, was incredibly noisy (thus the nickname "Thumper").

Also, are Buells pretty thirsty during their break in?

 

[Stevenc150]

After Break-in is complete, replace engine/primary oil with full synthetics; will help the engine noise. But yeah, they're noisy by nature so no worries.

Also, the MPG will continue to get better the further you go past the break-in period.

 

[badgerbuell]

Welcome man. hope your enjoying your new bike. ride safe and enjoy.