This sounds like the Earth Gremlin. Go to my post about it. It has taken me nearly two years to find it on my bike. Mechanical things do not, most of the time, do this sort of thing. No logic to it. You have become confused and going off "in all directions" rather than sorting one thing at a time.

Diagnose and prove one thing at a time, in a logical manner, until the fault is found. Even if you have to put the bike back to stock to do it.

Oh and any dealer can void a warranty for use of none OEM parts. That is for everything - bikes, cars, cookers, dish washers, ICBMs, M-16s, etc. If a HD dealer fitted the can then he should fix the problem if it is with the can.

I cannot remember all the details of your bike - year, miles, mods, etc. The bike needs 4k to bed in and, IMO not fully run until 6-8k, is still running very hot. Tracing an intermittent problem is very hard even "hands on" and it will be almost impossible via Net Posts.

I mentioned the earth issue about 2 pages ago........
At the end of the day the answer is going to be found on the bike..not by asking the same question over and over again on a forum. Sorry but just my opinion.

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aka DrBagiva, DrBusqvarna, Uncle Knobhead

Yep, so you did Dr B . Its a long list .

Good advise THE FLYING DUCHMAN - thank you

Yes thanks for that advise and I havn't forgotten. Just not sure where to look cause if it's a bad earth where do you start looking as there are many wires? I will have another look at your post again though. Also, although similar my problem has always occurred after a ride when I start her up after a short cooling off. If it was a bad earth surely the problem would happened when the bike is hot, cold and indifferent?

Edit: Re read your post as mentioned. Not checked bike yet but the difference between your problem and mine is

1. Mine is an 09 model and ECM spy is not compatible
2. I've never had any engine management lights on.
3. My problem occurs right through the rev range rather at certain rev points.

My Symptons Are

1. Intermittent problem. Taken my camera out to video a possible failure - never happens then arrrgh!!
2. When it fails it's always after a run when the engine is hot.
3. Always when I restart after a short stop.
4. Very poor idling and it sometimes cuts out when the idle falls too low.
5. At poor idle I can often here squeeks from the airbox area.
6. Feels lumpy,
7. Can pop more than usual,

Lastly. My apologies if I keep asking same questions over and over I'm just trying to find answers. As it's an intermittent problem I know it can take some time. I always post hoping to find the smoking gun by someone else having had same problem cause it would appear I'm alone with this type of problem from day 1. My local HD dealer don't seem to have the expertise or knowledge with Buells. Next nearest place is Riders of Bridgewater but thats a 160 mile round trip. As I never fitted exhaust myself, changing it requires some logistics. So I am between a rock and a hard place hence my posts from time to time. I'm trying to make plans now to get my stock exhaust put back on but nothing can be done overnight unfortunately. I am not convinced my exhaust is to blame.

I'm not an expert - hell I'm still waiting for delivery of my XT !!!

But I do have years of tinkering on older bikes, Honda's and BMWs and one thing I have found is that things sometimes act differently when cold and when hot...and sometimes electrical thingies see intermittant problems when the bike heats up.

If it were me......thinking it might be electrical I'd try get my meter out and check a few readings when the bike is hot and when its cold......resistance etc on sensors or plug leads etc etc. How is your battery ? did you load test it ?

Dont know if this will help - other than that start buying new parts and putting them in one by one.

Else bring the bike to someone who knows these bikes....from reading the forum I would say Maz but you seem to have issues with him so I dont know of anyone else.

Good luck and while it might be frustrating with the issues you're having I think throwing names around on here is not the best idea as its these people you need help from.

Eric.

_________________
'09 XB12XT
'02 Beta Alp 200
'82 + '83 CX500 euroSports's
'83 CX650 Custom
Green "4 Legged" SUV

PH4824. All the details are at this link.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2678

For what it is worth I do not think it is the can either and would not change it back for the OEM one just yet. An IC engine will run with no can at all.

Just as a matter of interest - How many miles on the bike and what mods done?

About 3000miles now. Mods; exhaust, belt tensioner, Alarm.

Update: Was talking to a Buell mechanic today. Now works for BMW but has worked on Buells in the states up until recently. His first thought was to refit same exhaust with new gaskets as it sounds like there may be an air leak. I used the original exhaust gaskets when changing the exhaust. Plus the front header exhaust gasket was not changed when the header popped out and although tight there may be enough of a gap to cause a problem.

Edit: Read your thread, very interesting, very similar to DrBuella. In order to check my wiring, how much of my bike will I have to strip down to access the important earth points? Where are the earth fixings?

I should say that I wasn't speaking from experience with my bike- but I had read FD,s posts and thought there were some similarities.
My STT is just feckin' perfect



The search button is there to help!

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aka DrBagiva, DrBusqvarna, Uncle Knobhead

I would say that the inlet temperature sensor will be reading a lot higher when the bike is left after a ride. If it is covered in oil, it may take a lot longer to cool down...

The higher the reading, the less fuel is delivered cos the ECM is compensating for hot air, which may not be there...

Might be worth whipping the airbox cover off and having a look (it sits between the breather pipes).

As for your exhaust gaskets; before you take it all apart, put your hand near the joint (don't burn it) and see if you can feel it blowing on your hand as you blip the throttle...

_________________
08 Specialized Langster

The XB12 uses a combination mechanical and electrical earths.

Start at the battery negative and trace the fat black wire, this is for the starter motor, to the place it is bolted to on the rear subframe. This is the electrical earth.

The mechanical earths are were the subframe bolts to the main frame, then to the engine and the starter bolts to the engine. All of these points need to be 100% clean and tight or you will get high electrical resistance that can effect starting.

The point at which the fat black wire is mounted to the subframe, on the XB12X anyway, there is also the loom main earth. It should be two small black wires on a single lug. This also needs to be tight and clean. These are the ones that could effect the ECM/ECU if the earthing is bad.

The point is that it can look and feel normal, even from new, but in might not be. Paint on the earth mounting point, as well as using Loctite on the bolt threads, acts as electrical insulation.

I am not saying that this will cure your problem but after two years of intermittent engine running problems mine was sorted in 15 min. I also thought it was a heat problem at one point.

My bike now runs as sweet as a nut and better than it ever has. No problems at all apart from the odd cough from stone cold but its fine after about a mile even in this cold weather. The mpg has also gone up by about 5 mpg around town. 38 to 43 and thats with a Remus can, Remus Powerizer, K&N filter, breather mod and Ultimate air box. It also runs fine with the Powerizer off, but better on, and fine with 95 RON fuel but again better with 97 RON fuel.

With 3k on the bike it should be close enough but the breather mod is a must as it does smooth out the running big time. I noted this straight away and I did this mod at about 3k. Cost about £10 if you DIY and very easy to do. No catch can is needed on the XB series bikes.

Right then, I have my work cut out for me now. I will take a look when I have time this week and report back.

One more thing has come to mind. Before anything was changed on my bike, I distinctively remember changing the fuel on one occasion to 97ron soon after buying the bike. To that point std tesco/sainsburys unleaded was being used. Filled with Shell V Power unleaded and the bike ran lumpy for a while. Pulling away from the petrol station and it didn't seem to like the fuel I put in? I also remember parking up, leaving it on tick-over and it cut out then at least once whilst on idle after a good run. I was convinced that my Buell didn't like anything other than std unleaded. Maybe this was the first signs of this problem and it's only gotten worse since?

Went for a longish ride yesterday, 2-3 hours and the bike never mist a beat - typical! I'm waiting for the opportunity to video this but hasn't happened yet!

So it does work and it is just a matter of finding the fault. Sounds electrical rather than mechanical. Remember to file all terminal surfaces and most of all on the subframe mounting point.

Could be anything but worth a try.

Put my bike on my new bike lift today only to find that the rear paddock stand I'm using for my RD500 is not wide enough for my Buell - arrrgh!! No one tells you these things when you buy them - m&p!!! Managed to lift the bike turning the cups upside down. Tightened front header nuts which were not lose but tightened up some more without straining the bolt. Only removed the seat to check wires. The two grounds I could see looked good but I didn't have torx allen keys to unbolt to check. Also remember an alarm has been fitted so if I had a poor earth would this effect it?

Lastly, checked oil on paddock stand and it didn't even register on the dipstick. Manual says on level on side stand which I then did where is only slight registered on the bottom of the dip stick. Rang HD who says they used 20/50 mineral based oil. I had some Castrol 4T 20/50 which BMW sold me and told me that was mineral based so topped up with that.

If you hold a rag over the can outlet and rev the bike you will soon notice if you have a bad leak at the headers. I believe that you need to replace the seals if you do any work on the headers.


Like I said all looks ok but might not be. You should have a Torx key that fits this bolt in your bikes tool kit.


It should not, given your problem, but you can never be sure.



Always use the same brand/type engine oil and change the oil and filter every 2.5k. It is easy, cheap and keeps the engine sweet in the long run. The oil level check is on the side stand and the gearbox level check is with the bike upright. The engine uses some oil to start with, like a BMW boxer engine, but very little after about 4k miles. After that I think most is vapour loss from the breather system.