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Hey Opto, I was in a Fastenal the other day and you'll NEVER guess what sealed bearings they carry on the shelf.... all of them:angel:. 6003-2RS, 6005-2RS, I think the idler and steering neck bearings were there too. Derrrrrrrrrrr....
 
European motorcycles are less reliable even than American motorcycles, so I would not buy KTM either.
 
Lunatic,

Sorry is all mine, feeling a little touchy today. BTW I invested heavily in custom molded earplugs that didn't work any better then the foam ones.

The whole tinnitus issue is something that no one understands until you are afflicted. For sure the dealer didn't show me any sympathy when I traded back in for the '08 VFR. (new in 2013)
I had a similar experience back in around 2001 when I traded my faithful VTR V-twin (80,000 km, never missed a beat) in on a naked 4 banger Suzuki. That produced the first tinnitus bout so that time traded for an old gear cam VFR --awesome bike, all dialed in but the noisy bevel gears made the tinnitus even worse, traded that back in for another VTR and everything settled down in the ear dept.

Sorry to bore you with ear tales but I have seen people literally go near crazy because of it. Can't sleep etc. I know it exists bigly in the motor bike community



Cooter came up with some white silicon earplugs from the drugstore that look even better. I am going to try them soon.

On those bearings, Coot, sort of live and learn -- that is a good thing--living/learning
 
Cooter said:
Hey Opto, I was in a Fastenal the other day and you'll NEVER guess what sealed bearings they carry on the shelf.... all of them:angel:. 6003-2RS, 6005-2RS, I think the idler and steering neck bearings were there too. Derrrrrrrrrrr....
Click to expand...

Fcken eh did not know that... I need to replace my wheel bearings and I was dreading getting Chinese parts. Fastenal carries Koyo and ***.... I'll have to take a walk to the Fastenal down the block.... Thank you.
 
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It's my whole hearted opinion that every Buell tool bag should have wheel bearings in it. Even if you don't feel capable of replacing them like I did roadside, having them is half the battle. When they go, they go catastrophically.
 
I just changed 3 of them yesterday in my rear wheel, Should not have to worry for a long time. :up:

I would NOT want to ever change them on the road side.
 
Without the right tool getting them out is a PITA !!! Even with the right tools could be a PITA!!!
 
Cooter said:
You're right.

IMG_1290 by Cooter!, on Flickr
Click to expand...

That Buell looks like a tuber with an xb front forks and rim?
Am I right?

I would not go with Ducati or KTM for a long trip. If it's a brand new bike under warrenty, it's too hard to find reliable dealer service.
Something as simple as an oil change could void your warrenty on one of those uppidy brands.


That's just my 2cents.
 
It is! Good call Chicken.
A good friend bought it brand new near Sturgis and has since put a 1250 kit, good carb, 6-speed, XB bits, and over 50k miles on it. I rode it over 2000 miles on one trip and it was quite the eye opener for awesome performance, great comfort (up to 500 miles a day), reliability (except the "new" bearings), and fun, fun, FUN!!

IMG_1228 by Cooter!, on Flickr
 
I would not go with Ducati or KTM for a long trip. If it's a brand new bike under warrenty, it's too hard to find reliable dealer service.
Something as simple as an oil change could void your warrenty on one of those uppidy brands.


That's just my 2cents.
Click to expand...
I agree actually. I am really trying to get him on a Ulysses. Easy to work on and relatively few electronics. Sportster based engine. The plan is already to hit up as many harley dealers along the way as possible. Carry an extra drive belt and evidently wheel bearings ;). And a really nice bike can be had for less than 5k! He's written off Japanese bike because of peer pressure (not from me). That Vstrom is a damn good bike for the money it seems though. I found one 30 miles from me yesterday a 2006 looked clean had 42000 miles on it only $2500. thats KLR 650 money for a 1000 twin!
 
Guy in Dallas who works on my shocks, had a brand new 2017 KTM 1290 adventure drop a valve at 600 miles while touring around Texas.
Also just remembered another guy who I have done a couple of trips with on a brand new 2017 Tiger had an issue with the computer.
 
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So true nj. You can't damn an entire brand for issues with one bike. I know a guy sworn off Chevys because his dad had problems with his Chevy. In 1959:confused:

But this is truly the question of the times:

Over-engineered whiz-bang gadgets now-a-days have performance and features from electrons. You can't fix electrons by yourself when you're in Alaska with a bear breathing down your neck.
They should be more dependable, and honestly they usually are. They also offer things we could never have old skool, safety and performance figures that are unreal. Like comfort and sport ride modes, ABS, traction control, and a whole list of acronyms that can be fun and are usually safer. The problem is when things go awry, you better have a Phd and a warranty. Last I checked Mr Murphy and his law, is alive and well.

If you get your suck, squeeze, bang, blow from old skool dinosaur bones and nailed together (...crafted:D) in a shack in Wisconsin, then you can fix it with a modicum of basic knowledge, a hammer, and a beer can. It might break down more often, but you'll always get home without a tow truck. Your ride mode is putting sheepskin on the seat, your traction control is in your right wrist, and your ABS is in your carefully calibrated fingers that were tuned by you, and not some guy named Klauss crunching numbers in a white office with no windows.
 
njloco said:
What year Tiger ? I have a 2013 Explorer (1215cc) they're usually pretty bomb proof but, nothing is perfect.
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The guy on the 2017 Tiger blew the motor on his 2013 Tiger Under extended warranty. He thinks he dropped a valve or valves stuck? Here are the pics:
image000004[1].jpgimage000003[1].jpgimage000002[1].jpgimage000001[1].jpgimage000000[1].jpg

This happened this year and afterward he received his 2017 Triumph Tiger which had a computer failure. Personally I do not want a computer to control my suspension, clutch, brakes, traction, throttle, etc... I do not think they are safe especially when there is a failure. My opinion is a well maintained and tuned motorcycle is the safest way to go and will get you out of more risky situations than a highly computer controlled motorcycle ever will.
 
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njloco said:
That's exactly what happened to my 2013 engine, I now have a new engine and trans which, come as a single unit. I agree with you, simple is better !
Click to expand...

The guy who owns this bike is probably one of the best riders you could ever meet, and I have ridden with him on a couple of occasions in Arkansas. He has been riding for 40+ years and is a legend in the group we ride with. What happened to him on his 2017 Tiger Explorer was much worse than this engine failure on his 2013, nearly fatal for rider and catastrophic to the Tiger. His protege who also traded his 2013 Tiger for a 2017, and now is returning it to the dealer as well as his BMW GSA 1200 and giving up on riding all together. Can't say more as there is ongoing activity with this, but I will personally continue to own motorcycles that does not have a high level of computer control.
 

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