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Message started by zipidachimp on 01/06/17 at 12:05:29

Title: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by zipidachimp on 01/06/17 at 12:05:29

http://www.cyclenews.com/2016/10/article/mahindra-buys-100-percent-bsa/

http://bikeindia.in/mahindra-acquires-bsa-to-launch-jawa-motorcycles-in-india/

Gold Star single will likely be first new model. 8-)

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/06/17 at 12:39:51

Old news , you should get out once in a while ! ;D

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by zipidachimp on 01/06/17 at 13:33:36

I must have fallen asleep, never saw it!
'68 thunderbolt was my first road bike, fun! 8-)

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Papa Bear on 01/06/17 at 17:31:58

I had a '65 Lightning Rocket and traded it on a '68 Suzuki Titan...
Holy crap - that was 50 yrs ago !! :o

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/06/17 at 21:00:23

Welcome to the old farts club , glad you still Ride !

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by MMRanch on 01/06/17 at 21:37:29

A company might look at the success of the Yamaha 400 (retro ) and see the market for old style bikes ?

I would much prefer the old style , but the 400 Yamaha put their troublesome brush-type alt. on it instead of a permanent magnet type . :(
I don't need that kinda trouble .... :-/ what were they thinking ??? I'll suspect that High $ wound rotor has put more Yamaha's in the bone yard than wrecks !

But who wouldn't buy a new SR500 just like the original ?
or
A BSA Gold-Star with electronic firing system and modern carb.

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by zipidachimp on 01/07/17 at 00:23:32

A new 'goldstar' may be the first bike, maybe 2018, with EFI.

I'm old enough to remember carbs in below zero weather, my 2012 civic starts first click this year after sitting still for 3 days in this season's frigid weather. Gotta love EFI ! 8-)

If the 'new' BSA is viable, I'd love to see a new 650/750 twin. They looked better than the bonnevilles of that era!

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/07/17 at 12:13:53

As I recall they will be selling bikes this year.

Google : BSA Dealers ;D ;D

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Dave on 01/08/17 at 03:35:08

We will just have to wait and see what it looks like, and how reliable it is.

The new Triumph's are nice bikes - however the local dealership doesn't have a mechanic, and their parts department isn't stocked with much of anything. I ate dinner last week with 3 fellows that bought new bikes at this dealer, and they have to take their bikes to a different dealer to get warranty work or to buy parts!

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/08/17 at 09:30:50

Dave,

This Triumph dealer is why so many people end up buying Harleys.

No matter what you have bad to say about Harley, every major town has a Harley dealer and they employ mechanics that can fix a Harley.

Generally the parts departments have what I need in stock and what they don't have only takes about 4 days to get. I am still able to get Buell parts from my Buell friendly American Eagle Harley .

My 2 cents worth.

Kenny G

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/08/17 at 12:55:19

Kenny , What Buell do you have ?

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/08/17 at 18:12:05

Ruttly,

I have a 2009 Buell Blast.

The Blasts get a bad rap because the Harley dealers used them in the Riders Edge Program. After they were worn out they sold the Blasts to bargain hunters, when instead they should have been scrapped. You take a worn out bike that has never been higher than 3rd gear and drop it on the shift side 50% of the time that a beginner falls off you can expect a lot of trouble. And you have unbelievable trouble.

You have to split the cases to work on the Blast transmission and imagine what it is like for a guy that never held a wrench before. The junk they have is the junk they try to sell to the next bargain hunter that will now own a basket case.

I purchased my Blast from a private seller who bought it to learn to ride and then teach his kids to ride. It had a couple of scuff marks on it but I was able to buy replacement parts, and the parts are quite inexpensive compared to Suzuki parts.

The Blast is not nearly as civilized as the Savage/S40. I changed the exhaust system and the intake system. Powder coated the brake cylinders red. I also had the peg hangers powder coated silver. I had a Corbin customize a seat so my long legs weren't under my chin and I modified the clutch per Harley Service Bulletin.

The better part of owning the Blast other than changing oil and tires there is very little maintenance. It has cast wheels and tubeless Pirelli tires, the valves have hydraulic lifters so they never need adjusted. It has a spin on oil filter and the transmission and clutch oil is separate from the engine oil. The engine oil is stored in the frame. The pegs are properly located for mid controls.

The Blast has disk brakes front and rear and will stop on a dime and give you 11 cents change.

We have a guy like Armen on the forum and he designed the intake system and produces and sells the parts to make the Blast efficient and fun.

Many of the engine, clutch and transmission parts are the exact same part number as the Sportster. Although they quit making the Blast in 2010, when Harley was in trouble because of the economic slow down, I still get parts in 4 days or less.

I am not going to try to defend the Blast from it's detractors because it is a totally different motorbike than the Savage/S40. I wouldn't own it if I didn't like it.

Kenny G

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/08/17 at 18:39:35

Kenny , Wow that really looks nice and well kept. Thats one bike I've never ridden but always wanted to. I know I could get some H/P out that. I like that intake & exhaust, the stock exhaust was weird looking as I recall. What is the displacement ?

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/08/17 at 19:03:33

How much did you pay for it ? Sometimes I see them cheap. I see one on C/L a 02 for $1300 with 14,000 miles looks clean , most I see are pretty well beat up !

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/08/17 at 20:30:49

Ruttly,

Every Buell that I have ever seen had a weird looking exhaust on it.

The standard Blast engine is 500 CC.

IIRC I paid $2000.00 about 5 years ago. It came with black skins which are the most prized by the cult following, but I changed it to yellow skins when the Harley dealers were unloading their inventory of body parts when they switched over to the Harley Street made in India.

I attached a pic with the Buell decals which make the tank look a lot better.

Incidentally, all the skins are made out of the same rubber compound that covers a golf ball.

You are probably going to have to look around a while to find a good one. Don't even consider buying a Blast that was used in the Riders Edge Program.

I have a yellow front fender on it now, I must take some new pics.

They still race Blast's and there is a couple of guys run them at Bonneville. You can really hop them up because it uses mostly Sportster engine parts.

Kenny G

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by zipidachimp on 01/08/17 at 21:55:23

Kenny: what are those large casting-like parts on the side? frame? I watched a lady ride one in vancouver, it really moved out quick from a stop light, very surprised. 8-)

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/08/17 at 22:22:05

Chimp,

The casting like parts are the frame and the frame is mostly made out of pressed steel. The backbone is hollow and that is where the oil for the engine is stored.

The Blasts do take off quickly, I only got 2300 miles on the first Pirelli that I had on the back wheel before the fabric was showing. The factory clutch is considered to be a racing clutch, I did modify my clutch using Harley's Service Bulletin #B-101 and that improved taking off without leaving a black track on the road. I have to work now to pull a wheelie, before the modification the front wheel was up in first and second gear. The second Pirelli on the tail end I got 3400 miles before changing.

The clutch can be a problem and there is now a guy making the LeeLever which is similar to the Clever Lever, which is made for the Yamaha V-stars, either lever moves the friction point back towards the handlebars. The other potential problem is the Isolator, which is how the engine is mounted to the frame to reduce vibration. Wheelies cause most of the damage to the Isolator. The Isolator is mostly rubber and if the bike is stored indoors they seem to hold up, the Isolator in my bike now has about 7000 miles on it and is still functioning as it should.

Miss Ellen uses the Blast to go to the swimming pool and pulls wheelies to show off for the ladies at the pool. Here is a picture of her, right before she almost got her first beating, she is now wearing a helmet, long pants, and a shirt with sleeves when she uses the Blast.

Kenny G

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/09/17 at 10:15:17

Kenny , What other big singles are you hiding in that garage ?

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/09/17 at 10:18:17

I've done my best to make my tracker as uncivilized as possible ! It no longer looks or acts like a Savage !

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/09/17 at 10:23:56

Patrick,

The S40 and the Blast are the only thing in the garage with 2 wheels and at the price of motorbikes today I don't think there is much chance of 3rd one. However, I would love to have one of the Yamaha Singles and a Royal Enfield Café Racer.

Miss Ellen will be in the garage permanently the next time I catch her riding without proper attire and a helmet. She thinks because the speed limit here at The Ranch is only 20 MPH it is safe to ride here. The only time I have ever been hit by an automobile when I was riding is here at The Ranch.

Kenny G

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Ruttly on 01/09/17 at 19:44:08

Is that Buell carbed or EFI ? Does it feel like a 400 lb bike ?

Title: Re: This really slipped under the radar!
Post by Kenny G on 01/09/17 at 20:37:10

Patrick,

It has a Kehin carburetor like the Sportster without the accelerator pump.

It really feels light and not top heavy at all, more like a 300 LB bike. It is really maneuverable and I like to show off on it a little.

I mostly ride with guys that have full size V-twins and in the beginning they were worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with them. They wanted to ride the rural roads that I ride all of the time and they had trouble keeping up with me. LOL

Kenny G