"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
06/13/2018 at 11:29 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good
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"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
06/13/2018 at 11:29 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good | 13
| 17 |
Update: Found out more about second gear. It’s not that second gear requires me to be at a higher speed, it’s just that when I accelerate hard, I use more force to shift into second. I figured this out by doing a hard shift into second at slow speed and the “lugging” wasn’t there. If I don’t shift with aggro force, 2nd jumps.
Doing some research, it looks like the Blasts aren’t the most reliable bikes (I love unreliable things). However, my problem is likely more that I need to do the shifter pawl maintenance. The “lugging” is actually the bike jumping out of gear, a common problem with 2nd gear on the Blast.
Outside of the jumping out of gear, the bike’s other poor shifting quirks (grinding through the gears) are normal. This was one of the first bikes to come out of the Harley-Buell relationship and allegedly Eric himself hated how poorly built the early Blasts were. Oh well, I love the unloved.
As for the handling, I realized why this bike handles so well: It has a crazy short wheelbase. I parked next to a Rebel 250 last night and despite being a bigger bike, the Blast is actually decently shorter!
Original post:
And I’m slowly discovering its quirks.
First, it doesn’t like going into second any sooner than 20mph. Engaging gear too soon causes both the transmission and the engine to lug.
Second, the speedometer does a calibration when you turn on the ignition. Sometimes it’ll calibrate itself to read in kph on the mph marks. I was wondering why everything felt so slow but I was going “60". Restarting the ignition fixed this.
It’s also easier to lean into turns than the Rebel I learned on.
It also accelerates so fast to the speed limit that you can stall and still catch up to everyone before they reach the limit.
Manny05x
> Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2018 at 22:00 |
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Awesome loving the motorcycle content is good to get to know your machine.
shop-teacher
> Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2018 at 22:04 |
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Excellent!
I couldn’t today, because I was hauling plywood, but tomorrow when I go to school to work on stuff, I’m taking my 150. The Helix is at Skim Milk’s house, and for reasons I can’t explain, his Helix is at my house with a flat rear tire.
wkiernan
> Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2018 at 22:08 |
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First Day Actually Riding the Buell, and I’m slowly discovering its quirks.
(you all be safe out there, OK?)
RacinBob
> Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2018 at 23:24 |
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Apparently the impound was apparently a speed bump in your ownership. good for you! Victories count, keep winning.
TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 04:00 |
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you think a 500cc buell is fast, wait until you ride a 600. Heck even my sv650 gets to 70 real fast because of the low end torque
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Mercedes Streeter
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
06/13/2018 at 09:03 |
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Remember, my baseline is a car that gets to 60 around 12-14 seconds. It’s not hard to impress me. lol
Gerry197
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
06/13/2018 at 11:38 |
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Well to be honest, a SV650 does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, faster than any production Harley and probably faster than any Buell of any size except the 1125R, which of course has a liquid cooled Rotax motor.
I just recently purchased a Harley Iron 1200, and my SV650 will absolutely smoke it. But that’s not the point about that bike.
The Blast is interesting, not my first pick for a Buell since Buell himself didn’t like the bike, but the OP likes unloved things, so perfect.
Ash78, voting early and often
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 11:59 |
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Quick MS Paint hackjob just for you:
cmill189 - sans Volvo
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 12:01 |
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No wonder you feel like a Blast is quick. I bet you’ll get used to it pretty quickly but maybe not. My VFR still feels like a rocket ship despite it being a hefty “sportish bike”. I think it’s because the VTEC (yo) is mildly terrifying.
Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 12:31 |
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Bad Ass Motorcycle Mama! I also like unreliable things.
itranthelasttimeiparkedit
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
06/13/2018 at 12:44 |
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500cc buell = slow. Mine felt like a 250
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itranthelasttimeiparkedit
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 12:44 |
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Evidence of how proud Erik was of the blast: https://newatlas.com/2010-buell-blast-crushed/12389/
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Mercedes Streeter
> itranthelasttimeiparkedit
06/13/2018 at 12:53 |
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Those poor things! I hope mine never meets a crusher and that most of its unreliability is behind it.
Decay buys too many beaters
> Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2018 at 13:15 |
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Wait, people shift to second before 20? I almost feel bad for my bikes now.
My experience with “unreliable things” is that people on forums are usually just whiny... unless it’s an Audi product.
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Gerry197
06/14/2018 at 02:54 |
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yea i havent explored that yet. Its deff quick tho compared to the GS500 I started on
bob and john
> Decay buys too many beaters
06/17/2018 at 16:42 |
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“what do you mean i’m not supopsed to shit at redline?!”
jokes aside though, i could do 95% of my day to day street riding in 1st on the Z
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Decay buys too many beaters
> bob and john
06/18/2018 at 00:59 |
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100% of my legal day to day riding in Oregon could happen in first on the Triple.
The Grom... not do much