Buell Blast

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Kbenton · #1 Unread post by **Kbenton** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 2:05 pm

Hi there, I've been researching the different models of bikes suitable for beginners, and I really like the blast. Only problem is I did some snooping on different sites and found one site that really had people bashing Buell's left and right, for terrible mechanical problems. I realize that it was only one site and most of the posts were dated 2001 on back, but I'd like to here from some of you here that have had a buell and let me know of any issues you've had, and if you had to do it again would you buy their products.

iwannadie · #2 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:28 pm

ive herd ALOT of problems with them from alot of different people and sites. not sure how buell can have their name on something with so many reported problems. im sure youll find plenty of people that say they are great and everything. but i wouldnt go near one, plenty of other proven bikes out there like the ex500. if your set on the blast i would get a brand new one and hope the warranty covers anything that happens to it.

rnr262 · #3 Unread post by **rnr262** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:23 am

The blast had been on my list for a bit too. I think most of the problems were with the 2001/2002 models and have been fixed. The only knocks I found recently were that they need the oil changed - ALOT, and they're hard on tires.

Google Badweather (?) or Buell message forums. The badweather forums are dedicated to Buell and they have tons of info on the blast, including the good and bad.

I went with the V Star due to personal preference, but would have bought a Blast if I hadn't found a deal on the Star.

Sun Sep 18, 2005 5:36 am

go to badweatherbikers.com for Buell info

I have a 2002 Blast and it is great. I put 1,600 miles on it and now my wife has it. It is nimble, has lots of torque. It is light, so if you lean it over too far in the grarage or at a stop, you can power it upright, or pick it up.

Being a single-cylinder "thumper" means there is vibration, but there are also "sweet spots" where there is none at all.

I got 69MPG

If I could have only one bike, the Blast would be in my top 3 choices.

Don't let the naysayers and people rehashing old issues bother you.

Yes, the rear tires can go fast you you like jack-rabbit starts.
If broken in improperly they can use oil. If overfilled, it will blow it through a hose into the carb and burn the excess.

If properly cared for, there are no problems. This is a LOW maintenance bike.

Joe Mc · #5 Unread post by **Joe Mc** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 7:10 am

Two of my Landlords friends have Blast's. They love them but had a serious problem while riding last weekend.

He told me a screw fell out inside the carburetor and made it's way into one of the cylinders.

It bent the valves and left them stranded 200km from home in the middle of nowhere.

I don't know if that is a common problem. I sure hope not!

Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:25 pm

Joe Mc wrote:Two of my Landlords friends have Blast's. They love them but had a serious problem while riding last weekend.

He told me a screw fell out inside the carburetor and made it's way into one of the cylinders. It bent the valves and left them stranded 200km from home in the middle of nowhere.

I don't know if that is a common problem. I sure hope not!

Sounds a bit odd, if you ask me.

klohiq · #7 Unread post by **klohiq** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:03 am

Joe Mc wrote:Two of my Landlords friends have Blast's. They love them but had a serious problem while riding last weekend.

He told me a screw fell out inside the carburetor and made it's way into one of the cylinders. It bent the valves and left them stranded 200km from home in the middle of nowhere.

I don't know if that is a common problem. I sure hope not!

nissan has had problems with screws getting sucked into their car engines with the sentra se-rs 2.5 i4, but that's due to them using a butterfly valve for a long intake runner and short runner to allow better flow. The screws on the valve loosen over time and eventually can get sucked into the engine causing bent valves and an engine that is barely useable afterwards...

Not the same issue, but something similar on the buels intake might explain that. However this is the only time I've heard of this issue on a blast, whereas everyone who owns an altima 2.5 or sentra 2.5 knows about this issue or should lol.

Robkhb · #8 Unread post by **Robkhb** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:20 am

A local bike shop here which also offers the MSF course uses all Blasts for their students. These bikes have thousands of miles on them and get dropped all the time and they just keep on trucking. I don't know much about mechanics but that seems to be a pretty good endorsement..

TechTMW · #9 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:57 am

A blast is a single cylinder bike. It's pretty tough to mess up from a design standpoint, and it's also easy as heck to maintain.

Sounds like a good deal to me - especially when you look at the used prices.

Probably the only single more desirable to me would be the 650cc Kawasaki KLR. It's ben around alot longer, plus you can take it offroad - a true do-everything motorcycle.

JCS · #10 Unread post by **JCS** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:16 am

Another thing to consider with a Blast is your physical size. I sat on one but did not ride it. At 5'8" and 155 lbs. I am too large to fit this bike. The one I sat on had the "high" seat. There is no way I could ride this bike for any distance farther than a few miles.
I am sure they did the small size for a reason. Not intimidating for a newbie or smaller people. But a "normal" sized male does not fit.

My wife sat on it and asked since when were mini-bikes street legal.