Buccaneer SRT250 Classic or Cafe Purchase - Page 11

ChopperCharles · 02-23-2019, 03:25 PM

So yeah, just got back from the dealership. They're going to order the spacer and replace it under warranty. Well, technically I don't even think they're going to claim a warranty on it, it's a $3 part. Probably less for their cost.

I don't know how accurate this is, but the dealership says the bikes arrive fully assembled, and that the missing battery bracket and axle spacer aren't something they did. They insist they just rolled it out of the crate and onto the sales floor.

Running tally of warranty items or things wrong with the bike:

Warranty: Spacer missing from axle
Warranty: Battery hold-down bracket missing
Warranty: Rear cowling cracked at mounting bosses, and failed on the ride home. (appears to have been over-tightened)
Wrong: Bar ends loose, almost lost one on the ride home
Annoying: I had to adjust the throttle cable and mirrors myself, dealership should have but didn't.

Nothing mission critical was loose, just the bar ends. I can understand overlooking them. Seems cables and mirrors should be done by a good dealership, but again it's not a big deal to do it myself. The three major issues I've had appear to all be SSR's fault.

Also, the replacement cowling that came in was unfortunately flawed - the sticker was put on badly and was coming up at the bottom edge. Dealership sending it back and getting me a good one.

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-23-2019, 05:17 PM

Okay, more interesting news. I bought one of the aftermarket speedometers that exactly match the speedo on the Buccaneer. I had to hacksaw it apart. Sorry, there is no easy way to get into the thing to repair it.

So looking at the aftermarket unit, the needle is pressed and possibly glued onto a thin steel shaft, which goes to a servo motor that controls the speedometer. However, that needle is really, REALLY on there. I don't see a failure mode here. Nothing is obvious. If the needle separated from the shaft, it wouldn't rotate. It's a round shaft, not keyed in any way. If the servo motor was busted, it just wouldn't work. If any of the gears in there had play, they'd stop meshing with each other.

I'm wondering if the internal construction might be different. If so, simply replacing the speedometer with a $25 aftermarket speedo would work. I haven't taken the stock speedo off of my bike yet, but I'm guessing it has a single plug? It should be an easy matter to buy the same type of connector and wire the aftermarket gauge up like a stock gauge. Probably all you'd need to do is pop pins out of the existing connectors, and pop them into the new connector. I'll investigate the gauge wiring next time I'm in the headlight bucket.

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-23-2019, 07:20 PM

Okey-dokey, today is the Day Of The First Modification. I like to customize my bikes... sometimes to ridiculous levels. I'm not planning on anything crazy for the Buccaneer, but I did find the lack of a helmet lock rather annoying. So... a quick trip to eBay found a bunch of knock-off Yamaha locks. I actually have one of these on my Yamaha, and it's pretty okay. If I wanted to have two keys, I'd get one and be done with it. The chinese knockoff locks on eBay all have right keys, and my SSR has a left key. (If you hold the key so it's pointing away from you, a left key will have the groove on the left). Since the blanks look just like Yamaha blanks, I wanted to at least try and re-key a lock to the ignition key. So I scoured eBay for a used helmet lock with a left key.

As luck would have it, the Yamaha Virago 250 has a helmet lock and a left key. $19 shipped to my door for a used lock that looked nearly new.

Now, unfortunately the SSR key blank is slightly bigger than a Yamaha key. The SSR key would not physically fit in the Yamaha lock. However, I modified one my jewlers' files with an angle grinder to make it even smaller, and carefully filed away material inside the lock to make the SSR key fit. (this is with the lock disassembled and the pins removed). I also had some spare pins from my Yamaha re-key, so I was actually able to re-key the lock without having to do much filing of the pins themselves. I didn't actually take photos of this part, because it's likely a lot more complicated than most people are willing to do. Most people I think will just want to attach a helmet lock, and don't mind having an extra key. I do mind, and I'm a tinkerer, so I went the extra mile.

BUT for most people, what they want to see is where and how to mount the lock. So here are some pics.

First, I figured out about where I wanted the lock. I chose the right side of the bike, more or less where the seat lock is located but on the other side.

Here's a lock with a transfer punch. A set of these punches are cheap from Harbor Freight, and they make precisely marking where to drill holes an absolute breeze. Choose a punch that just fits in the hole and put it through like so:

Then place the part where you want it, and hit the punch with a hammer.

It makes a little divot:

Which I then used to drill a pilot hole:

More to come in the next post!

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-23-2019, 07:26 PM

Be careful when drilling your holes. The taillight wiring is right behind this area, so make sure to pull the wiring up and hold it out of the way.

Once the big hole is drilled the proper size, put the transfer punch through (or a bolt) and then slide the lock in a small arc to mark the plastic where the pin is. Then slide it side to side to mark again, and then drill another small hole. You can see the smaller hole in this pic, along with the marks on the plastic from sliding the lock. This is a quick, dirty, and yet quite precise way to position the hole!

Once the holes are drilled, bolt it up! I used a stainless flat-topped allen head bolt with an M6 thread, a small washer, and a locknut.

It looks like the bike came with the lock. Very slick, IMO.

Charles.

Buccaneer · 02-24-2019, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

Okay, more interesting news. I bought one of the aftermarket speedometers that exactly match the speedo on the Buccaneer. I had to hacksaw it apart. Sorry, there is no easy way to get into the thing to repair it.

So looking at the aftermarket unit, the needle is pressed and possibly glued onto a thin steel shaft, which goes to a servo motor that controls the speedometer. However, that needle is really, REALLY on there. I don't see a failure mode here. Nothing is obvious. If the needle separated from the shaft, it wouldn't rotate. It's a round shaft, not keyed in any way. If the servo motor was busted, it just wouldn't work. If any of the gears in there had play, they'd stop meshing with each other.

I'm wondering if the internal construction might be different. If so, simply replacing the speedometer with a $25 aftermarket speedo would work.

It certainly sounds like what you found is inconsistent with the theory that a mechanical flaw causes the needle to wander. And electronic flaws shouldn't be developing after a few hundred miles. So I'm thinking you could be right, and the model you bought on ebay is an improved version, maybe with better glue.

Quote:

I haven't taken the stock speedo off of my bike yet, but I'm guessing it has a single plug? It should be an easy matter to buy the same type of connector and wire the aftermarket gauge up like a stock gauge. Probably all you'd need to do is pop pins out of the existing connectors, and pop them into the new connector. I'll investigate the gauge wiring next time I'm in the headlight bucket.
Charles.

I took a quick look. There are four connectors attached to wires going to the dash/speedometer: one bullet connector; two "Hitachi-type" rectangular flat blade connectors; and one watertight tri-connector with somewhat different flat blades.

Good places for the parts are cycleterminal.com and vintageconnections.com. The latter has a $40 crimper that I've had good luck with for these kinds of terminals.

The tri-connector looks similar to a "3 pin MT .090 - 2.3mm Male and Female locking connector" that cycleterminal lists on this page: http://www.cycleterminal.com/mt-series-090.html

It seems like a lot of work. Good luck. It would be great if you figure out the problem.

Buc

ChopperCharles · 02-24-2019, 04:18 PM

Actually I ripped the gauge apart even more, and I do think the flaw is the mechanical bond between the needle and the metal shaft. It was on there tight... but it’s a smooth metal shaft pushed into a smooth plastic needle and held in only with friction. Not even adhesive, just friction. I’m going to contact SSR and see if they know about the problem and have a fix.

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-24-2019, 06:44 PM

I put the flat seat on the Buck and took it for a 145 mile ride today. I find the stock cafe seat MUCH more comfortable. The flat seat has a slightly more pronounced rise right at the front where it meets the tank, and it feels wider at the front as well. I feel like the seat is trying to get me to lean backwards, like it wants me to recline. The cafe seat wants me to lean forward, which is much more comfortable.

I think I'm going to have the flat seat modified to take out the rise at the front as well as the upturn at the back, and add a half inch to three quarters of an inch more foam to the top. I'm also debating cutting out the rear foam entirely and replacing it with a luggage rack, much like the Triumph Scrambler accessory seat with built in luggage rack. I attached a pic of the Triumph seat below, so you get what I'm talking about.

Charles.

Buccaneer · 02-24-2019, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

I put the flat seat on the Buck and took it for a 145 mile ride today. I find the stock cafe seat MUCH more comfortable.
Charles.

Me, too. I may have said that in my review. I thought about getting the flat one lengthened, but there is no frame support.

That Triumph seat is, um, unappealing. I wonder if there is enough length on the Buccaneer seat to make that approach worthwhile.

ChopperCharles · 02-25-2019, 12:52 AM

Well for touring I need some way to mount luggage. There is nowhere to put support bars to keep saddlebags out of the wheel. There aren’t any luggage racks for the bike. That leaves a tank bag and something strapped to the seat. If there was a luggage rack on the passenger portion I could mount a trunk of some type there. Not really sure what I’m going to do yet, but going to keep thinking about it.

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-25-2019, 01:50 PM

I sent SSR an email a week or so ago about the specs being incorrect on the website. Well today I checked again and the specs were updated. 3.43 gal tank and ECU ignition.

Also, have you run the bike on 87 octane? I accidentally filled up with 87 yesterday. Was just on autopilot and wasn't thinking. I'm thinking with the cold it should be alright to run the tank out. I'll be interested to see if the bike performs differently or has any change in mpg.

Charles.

Buccaneer · 02-25-2019, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

I sent SSR an email a week or so ago about the specs being incorrect on the website. Well today I checked again and the specs were updated. 3.43 gal tank and ECU ignition.

Super! That's a good sign!

Quote:

Also, have you run the bike on 87 octane?

Nope. No-alcohol high-test only.

I'd be careful to lay off the gas. Remember they alter the formula in the winter, so it's not necessarily as knock resistant as you might hope..

Buc

ChopperCharles · 02-25-2019, 06:56 PM

Well I did still have 3/4 gallon of 93 in the tank so it’s provably fine. I’ll have to try the non ethanol stuff. Got to find a place near me that has it.

Charles.

ChopperCharles · 02-26-2019, 05:08 PM

Check this out, a website where you can order some Buccaneer parts: https://www.motor-x.com/czesci,c.htm...ug=buccaneer-4

There are Italjet-specific parts as well, such as the headlight guard with the crossbars, which we don't have in the US. (although, with those bars in place replacing he headlight will be a lot more work). All the prices are in Euros. A replacement fuel tank in black is about $133. Not bad. They have the paddock stand for 54 Euros. The most expensive part is the stainless exhaust at 257 euros. Which is still pretty good for a full stainless exhaust system. They even have the euro-spec speedometer with the dummy lights on the bracket, where the four rubber plugs are on the US-spec bike.

Unfortunately they don't seem to ship to the USA. I've emailed them to see if they might add the US to their ship-to countries, because there are a few parts I'd definitely like to snag.

Charles.

Buccaneer · 02-26-2019, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

Check this out, a website where you can order some Buccaneer parts: https://www.motor-x.com/czesci,c.htm...ug=buccaneer-4

There are Italjet-specific parts as well, such as the headlight guard with the crossbars, which we don't have in the US. (although, with those bars in place replacing he headlight will be a lot more work). All the prices are in Euros. A replacement fuel tank in black is about $133. Not bad. They have the paddock stand for 54 Euros. The most expensive part is the stainless exhaust at 257 euros. Which is still pretty good for a full stainless exhaust system. They even have the euro-spec speedometer with the dummy lights on the bracket, where the four rubber plugs are on the US-spec bike.

Unfortunately they don't seem to ship to the USA. I've emailed them to see if they might add the US to their ship-to countries, because there are a few parts I'd definitely like to snag.

Charles.

This seems like the site I found, I thought in Poland. It's nice to be able to scroll through all the parts and see the prices.

That other speedometer is being dropped in favor of ours on the new Caffeina. To use it, you'd have to get the appropriate front-wheel mechanical speedometer drive and cable, too. At first I thought I wanted one, but after looking at enough photos I decided it was just another cheap fitting, in this case non-electronic. When it works, the one we have is pretty neat.

ChopperCharles · 02-26-2019, 05:53 PM

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of getting it for the dummy lights, and then fitting a different speedometer to it.

If the stock speedo worked without the vibrating tach needle, I'd be happy. But as it stands... it's not going to survive terribly long, and I hate to lose my mileage sometime in the future. High mileage is a badge of honor on a chinabike! Not sure what I'm going to do yet. Have you contacted SSR (and Cameron Hunter in particular) about the speedometer problems?

Charles.

02-23-2019, 03:25 PM	#151
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	So yeah, just got back from the dealership. They're going to order the spacer and replace it under warranty. Well, technically I don't even think they're going to claim a warranty on it, it's a $3 part. Probably less for their cost. I don't know how accurate this is, but the dealership says the bikes arrive fully assembled, and that the missing battery bracket and axle spacer aren't something they did. They insist they just rolled it out of the crate and onto the sales floor. Running tally of warranty items or things wrong with the bike: Warranty: Spacer missing from axle Warranty: Battery hold-down bracket missing Warranty: Rear cowling cracked at mounting bosses, and failed on the ride home. (appears to have been over-tightened) Wrong: Bar ends loose, almost lost one on the ride home Annoying: I had to adjust the throttle cable and mirrors myself, dealership should have but didn't. Nothing mission critical was loose, just the bar ends. I can understand overlooking them. Seems cables and mirrors should be done by a good dealership, but again it's not a big deal to do it myself. The three major issues I've had appear to all be SSR's fault. Also, the replacement cowling that came in was unfortunately flawed - the sticker was put on badly and was coming up at the bottom edge. Dealership sending it back and getting me a good one. Charles.
	1

02-23-2019, 05:17 PM	#152
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Okay, more interesting news. I bought one of the aftermarket speedometers that exactly match the speedo on the Buccaneer. I had to hacksaw it apart. Sorry, there is no easy way to get into the thing to repair it. So looking at the aftermarket unit, the needle is pressed and possibly glued onto a thin steel shaft, which goes to a servo motor that controls the speedometer. However, that needle is really, REALLY on there. I don't see a failure mode here. Nothing is obvious. If the needle separated from the shaft, it wouldn't rotate. It's a round shaft, not keyed in any way. If the servo motor was busted, it just wouldn't work. If any of the gears in there had play, they'd stop meshing with each other. I'm wondering if the internal construction might be different. If so, simply replacing the speedometer with a $25 aftermarket speedo would work. I haven't taken the stock speedo off of my bike yet, but I'm guessing it has a single plug? It should be an easy matter to buy the same type of connector and wire the aftermarket gauge up like a stock gauge. Probably all you'd need to do is pop pins out of the existing connectors, and pop them into the new connector. I'll investigate the gauge wiring next time I'm in the headlight bucket. Charles.
	0

02-24-2019, 04:18 PM	#156
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Actually I ripped the gauge apart even more, and I do think the flaw is the mechanical bond between the needle and the metal shaft. It was on there tight... but it’s a smooth metal shaft pushed into a smooth plastic needle and held in only with friction. Not even adhesive, just friction. I’m going to contact SSR and see if they know about the problem and have a fix. Charles.
	0

02-25-2019, 12:52 AM	#159
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Well for touring I need some way to mount luggage. There is nowhere to put support bars to keep saddlebags out of the wheel. There aren’t any luggage racks for the bike. That leaves a tank bag and something strapped to the seat. If there was a luggage rack on the passenger portion I could mount a trunk of some type there. Not really sure what I’m going to do yet, but going to keep thinking about it. Charles.
	0

02-25-2019, 01:50 PM	#160
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	I sent SSR an email a week or so ago about the specs being incorrect on the website. Well today I checked again and the specs were updated. 3.43 gal tank and ECU ignition. Also, have you run the bike on 87 octane? I accidentally filled up with 87 yesterday. Was just on autopilot and wasn't thinking. I'm thinking with the cold it should be alright to run the tank out. I'll be interested to see if the bike performs differently or has any change in mpg. Charles.
	0

02-25-2019, 06:56 PM	#162
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Well I did still have 3/4 gallon of 93 in the tank so it’s provably fine. I’ll have to try the non ethanol stuff. Got to find a place near me that has it. Charles.
	0

02-26-2019, 05:08 PM	#163
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Check this out, a website where you can order some Buccaneer parts: https://www.motor-x.com/czesci,c.htm...ug=buccaneer-4 There are Italjet-specific parts as well, such as the headlight guard with the crossbars, which we don't have in the US. (although, with those bars in place replacing he headlight will be a lot more work). All the prices are in Euros. A replacement fuel tank in black is about $133. Not bad. They have the paddock stand for 54 Euros. The most expensive part is the stainless exhaust at 257 euros. Which is still pretty good for a full stainless exhaust system. They even have the euro-spec speedometer with the dummy lights on the bracket, where the four rubber plugs are on the US-spec bike. Unfortunately they don't seem to ship to the USA. I've emailed them to see if they might add the US to their ship-to countries, because there are a few parts I'd definitely like to snag. Charles.
	0

02-26-2019, 05:53 PM	#165
ChopperCharles Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: RDU, NC Posts: 677	Well, I was thinking more along the lines of getting it for the dummy lights, and then fitting a different speedometer to it. If the stock speedo worked without the vibrating tach needle, I'd be happy. But as it stands... it's not going to survive terribly long, and I hate to lose my mileage sometime in the future. High mileage is a badge of honor on a chinabike! Not sure what I'm going to do yet. Have you contacted SSR (and Cameron Hunter in particular) about the speedometer problems? Charles.
	0