Looking at a Blast

rpm97503 · 02-02-2012, 10:48 AM

Hello,

I've been riding for about a year, and have a friend who is new to bikes. He found what looks like a deal on a used Buell Blast. It's an 07 with 2200 miles. Claims to have been down once at 10mph.

I told my friend that I would look at the bike with him. What specifically should I be looking for on a Blast? Belt wear? Suspension sag?

Friend rides a scooter currently and wants to get a "real" bike. I think a blast would be a good starter for him, but I don't want him to buy a lemon.

Thanks for any insights offered.

Ryan

Michael of Burien · 02-02-2012, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by rpm97503

Hello,

I've been riding for about a year, and have a friend who is new to bikes. He found what looks like a deal on a used Buell Blast. It's an 07 with 2200 miles. Claims to have been down once at 10mph.

I told my friend that I would look at the bike with him. What specifically should I be looking for on a Blast? Belt wear? Suspension sag?

Friend rides a scooter currently and wants to get a "real" bike. I think a blast would be a good starter for him, but I don't want him to buy a lemon.

Thanks for any insights offered.

Ryan

I have and learned on an 07 Blast. It is a good to learn on bike. Look for air leak at carb to intake manifold. Easy fix but can make it run like crap or not at all.

There are a lot of cool mod's that can be done to them. And as long as they are done right, or at least not wrong, the bikes run good. Not Japanese good or FI good. Harley good. The stock exhaust makes it sound like a lawn mower. There is a cheap and easy fix to it that makes it sound like a motorcycle again.

By the time they made the 07's the rocker gasket wasnt a problem anymore (Better gasket material).

More info than you ever wanted to know about the Blast here:
http://www.buellforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=105

The stock tires suck ass unless they are the Pirelli's. Upgrade ASAP. If they need a sub 2k set of the Dunlops I have some for free. They are junk.

If it was layed down on either side the good news is that the foot peg brackets are freaking monsters and probably absorbed most if not all damage sans the handle bars. I have a spare one of those too. If the foot peg brackets are up against the motor case on either side look out. That means it went down HARD.

Neutral into first is notorius for clacking loudly into gear. The best method I've found for shifting that transmission is to slap it in hard to each gear. It seems to love that.

Check the primary adjustment bolt at the front bottom of the engine case. If it still has the aluminum spacer between the bolt head and the case it has not been adjusted. Doing so can radically improve the above mentioned gear shift clacking.

mjn · 02-02-2012, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Michael of Burien

I have and learned on an 07 Blast. It is a good to learn on bike. Look for air leak at carb to intake manifold. Easy fix but can make it run like crap or not at all.

There are a lot of cool mod's that can be done to them. And as long as they are done right, or at least not wrong, the bikes run good. Not Japanese good or FI good. Harley good. The stock exhaust makes it sound like a lawn mower. There is a cheap and easy fix to it that makes it sound like a motorcycle again.

By the time they made the 07's the rocker gasket wasnt a problem anymore (Better gasket material).

More info than you ever wanted to know about the Blast here:
http://www.buellforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=105

The stock tires suck ass unless they are the Pirelli's. Upgrade ASAP. If they need a sub 2k set of the Dunlops I have some for free. They are junk.

If it was layed down on either side the good news is that the foot peg brackets are freaking monsters and probably absorbed most if not all damage sans the handle bars. I have a spare one of those too. If the foot peg brackets are up against the motor case on either side look out. That means it went down HARD.

Neutral into first is notorius for clacking loudly into gear. The best method I've found for shifting that transmission is to slap it in hard to each gear. It seems to love that.

Check the primary adjustment bolt at the front bottom of the engine case. If it still has the aluminum spacer between the bolt head and the case it has not been adjusted. Doing so can radically improve the above mentioned gear shift clacking.

One of the best, most concise answers to a question like this that I've seen in a long time.

Props to you Michael! Great post.

Heavy-T · 02-02-2012, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Michael of Burien

I have and learned on an 07 Blast. It is a good to learn on bike. Look for air leak at carb to intake manifold. Easy fix but can make it run like crap or not at all.

There are a lot of cool mod's that can be done to them. And as long as they are done right, or at least not wrong, the bikes run good. Not Japanese good or FI good. Harley good. The stock exhaust makes it sound like a lawn mower. There is a cheap and easy fix to it that makes it sound like a motorcycle again.

By the time they made the 07's the rocker gasket wasnt a problem anymore (Better gasket material).

More info than you ever wanted to know about the Blast here:
http://www.buellforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=105

The stock tires suck ass unless they are the Pirelli's. Upgrade ASAP. If they need a sub 2k set of the Dunlops I have some for free. They are junk.

If it was layed down on either side the good news is that the foot peg brackets are freaking monsters and probably absorbed most if not all damage sans the handle bars. I have a spare one of those too. If the foot peg brackets are up against the motor case on either side look out. That means it went down HARD.

Neutral into first is notorius for clacking loudly into gear. The best method I've found for shifting that transmission is to slap it in hard to each gear. It seems to love that.

Check the primary adjustment bolt at the front bottom of the engine case. If it still has the aluminum spacer between the bolt head and the case it has not been adjusted. Doing so can radically improve the above mentioned gear shift clacking.

That brought back memories... I miss my old Blast. I wonder whatever happened to it...

Rojo · 02-02-2012, 11:39 AM

The Blast is a decent beginner bike but the Ninja 250/500 or Gs 500 offer more bike for often less money then the Blast. The Blast makes paltry horsepower for its 500cc size though it has decent torque. And while the Ninja 250/500 and Gs 500 have 6 speeds transmissions and tachometers standard the Blast sports a 5 speed transmission and the only gauge you get is a speedo. About the only real notable advantage the Blast has going for it is that for its size its pretty light. The Ninja 500 and Gs 500 by comparison are at least 30 to 50lbs heavier.

james1300 · 02-02-2012, 11:56 AM

Go with a Ninja or Suzuki. A Ninja 250 will out perform a 'Blast'.
Out Corner and, out run. Better mileage as well.
The Buell shifts like a truck. An old truck.
Both the 250 and 500 Kawasaki's ride better and, have smoother (2 cylinder)engines.
An added feature of the Kawasaki's is you can still get parts for them.
Go to a 500 Ninja and the grins are wider and you go even faster. The suspension is more tuneable with the Kawasaki's too. Resale will be greater with the Kawasakis.

Michael of Burien · 02-02-2012, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Rojo

The Blast is a decent beginner bike but the Ninja 250/500 or Gs 500 offer more bike for often less money then the Blast. The Blast makes paltry horsepower for its 500cc size though it has decent torque. And while the Ninja 250/500 and Gs 500 have 6 speeds transmissions and tachometers standard the Blast sports a 5 speed transmission and the only gauge you get is a speedo. About the only real notable advantage the Blast has going for it is that for its size its pretty light. The Ninja 500 and Gs 500 by comparison are at least 30 to 50lbs heavier.

Agreed. It always amazed me that it only makes 34hp. But it kept me out of trouble until I put the VFR back together. One major benefit over the Kawi's is lack of fairings. A lot less to break.

swooshdave · 02-02-2012, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by james1300

Go with a Ninja or Suzuki. A Ninja 250 will out perform a 'Blast'.
Out Corner and, out run. Better mileage as well.
The Buell shifts like a truck. An old truck.
Both the 250 and 500 Kawasaki's ride better and, have smoother (2 cylinder)engines.
An added feature of the Kawasaki's is you can still get parts for them.
Go to a 500 Ninja and the grins are wider and you go even faster. The suspension is more tuneable with the Kawasaki's too. Resale will be greater with the Kawasakis.

Slow and torquey isn't a bad thing when starting out. Remember this cat is coming from a scooter where any power is going to be enough.

Heavy-T · 02-02-2012, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by james1300

Go with a Ninja or Suzuki. A Ninja 250 will out perform a 'Blast'.
Out Corner and, out run. Better mileage as well.
The Buell shifts like a truck. An old truck.
Both the 250 and 500 Kawasaki's ride better and, have smoother (2 cylinder)engines.
An added feature of the Kawasaki's is you can still get parts for them.
Go to a 500 Ninja and the grins are wider and you go even faster. The suspension is more tuneable with the Kawasaki's too. Resale will be greater with the Kawasakis.

Yeah but nothing SOUNDS like a blast with Vance and Hines exhaust!

Phlebmaster · 02-02-2012, 12:30 PM

I almost purchased a 2009 Blast for my first bike. I heard about them from the Team Oregon rider program. I test rode it and loved it, but decided to go with the Kawasaki fixer for my first ride.

The Blast is still appealing to me, however by the time I get more riding experience and time on the road it will not seem as appealing. It is a "Blast" to ride though!!

james1300 · 02-02-2012, 12:30 PM

You mean nothing sounds as BAD/SAD as the blatting of a single with a noise maker?

james1300 · 02-02-2012, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by swooshdave

Slow and torquey isn't a bad thing when starting out. Remember this cat is coming from a scooter where any power is going to be enough.

Then a 250 Ninja will be a perfect beginner bike. EZ to ride and get parts for. Huge Following. And better resale.

Mitch F · 02-02-2012, 12:37 PM

I took the MSF on a Blast, and my buddy had one as his first bike. I hate those things.

They vibrate like a mother fucker, and being the first thumper I had ever ridden, I figured all singles did that. Then I rode OTHER thumpers, and realized that the Blast is far and away the worst one out there. I LOVE singles now, but the Blast feels very unrefined. Even at a stop, the signals shake violently enough to send one into an epileptic seizure.

My girlfriend had a Ninja 250 until a few months ago, and that bike was AWESOME. A million times better than the Blast at nearly everything, for about 1/2 the price. Add to that the availability and low cost of parts, I don't see why ANYONE would EVER buy a blast.

Seriously...

Tromatic · 02-02-2012, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Heavy-T

Yeah but nothing SOUNDS like a blast with Vance and Hines exhaust!

Yeah, probably close to the top of the list for shitty-sounding bikes.

Karbon · 02-02-2012, 12:43 PM

I loved my ninja 500, excellent commuter, comfy, 50+ mpg and could keep up pretty well in corners, I think they go pretty cheap these days... the 650r or sv650 could be a more forward thinking bike if this guy intends to stay in it for the long run. I hated going through my ninja 250 in 2 months and the 500 in a year... made me wish I would have just bought something I could grow into.

HoriWar · 02-02-2012, 03:11 PM

Also, almost all of the Ninjas seem to be indestructible. I had an ex-girlfriend who had a Ninja 500 and she dropped/crashed that thing on both sides and it never had any visual damage. If it were my money, I would go for either of the Ninja's before the Blast.

HoyaXC07 · 02-02-2012, 06:56 PM

I learned to ride on a Blast. But there is a reason Erik Buell crushed them.

JLev · 02-02-2012, 09:14 PM

I loved the shit out of my Blast. Screw the haters.

I ground those pegs down like none other, and loved every minute of it. Fun little bike, proof that numbers on paper don't really hold a candle to knowing how to handle your machine. I could hold my own just fine on that little beasty, I'd even venture to say I rode harder and faster on that than I ever have the 1125, I've slowed down a fair bit since I traded that thumper in.

There's a number of people who can lament to the fact that I was always right behind em in the twisties on that Blast

Quit worrying about numbers and enjoy the ride. Its not all horsepower and torque and what bike you're on... sometimes what matters more is whether you enjoy yourself out there rather than what kinda noise it makes or how it looks or what it runs on the dyno. Sheesh, some of you are scared of fun.

Mitch F · 02-02-2012, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by JLev

I loved the shit out of my Blast. Screw the haters.

I ground those pegs down like none other, and loved every minute of it. Fun little bike, proof that numbers on paper don't really hold a candle to knowing how to handle your machine. I could hold my own just fine on that little beasty, I'd even venture to say I rode harder and faster on that than I ever have the 1125, I've slowed down a fair bit since I traded that thumper in.

There's a number of people who can lament to the fact that I was always right behind em in the twisties on that Blast

Quit worrying about numbers and enjoy the ride. Its not all horsepower and torque and what bike you're on... sometimes what matters more is whether you enjoy yourself out there rather than what kinda noise it makes or how it looks or what it runs on the dyno. Sheesh, some of you are scared of fun.

I don't think anyone even MENTIONED its lack of horsepower, just that there are a LOT of other, cheaper, more reliable, more fun bikes.

mrwizard10 · 02-03-2012, 05:55 AM

Another alternative might be a Suzuki Bergman 400 or 650. Since your fiend already rides a scoot it will be a similar experience.


02-02-2012, 10:48 AM	#1
rpm97503 Training Wheels Joined: Mar 2011 From: White City, OR I Ride: 1992 BMW R100GS	Looking at a Blast Hello, I've been riding for about a year, and have a friend who is new to bikes. He found what looks like a deal on a used Buell Blast. It's an 07 with 2200 miles. Claims to have been down once at 10mph. I told my friend that I would look at the bike with him. What specifically should I be looking for on a Blast? Belt wear? Suspension sag? Friend rides a scooter currently and wants to get a "real" bike. I think a blast would be a good starter for him, but I don't want him to buy a lemon. Thanks for any insights offered. Ryan __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 11:39 AM	#5
Rojo Endorsed Joined: Apr 2011 From: Seattle I Ride: 86 VFR 750	The Blast is a decent beginner bike but the Ninja 250/500 or Gs 500 offer more bike for often less money then the Blast. The Blast makes paltry horsepower for its 500cc size though it has decent torque. And while the Ninja 250/500 and Gs 500 have 6 speeds transmissions and tachometers standard the Blast sports a 5 speed transmission and the only gauge you get is a speedo. About the only real notable advantage the Blast has going for it is that for its size its pretty light. The Ninja 500 and Gs 500 by comparison are at least 30 to 50lbs heavier. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 11:56 AM	#6
james1300 Track School Dazed Joined: Oct 2005 From: CENTRAL I Ride: When I can	Go with a Ninja or Suzuki. A Ninja 250 will out perform a 'Blast'. Out Corner and, out run. Better mileage as well. The Buell shifts like a truck. An old truck. Both the 250 and 500 Kawasaki's ride better and, have smoother (2 cylinder)engines. An added feature of the Kawasaki's is you can still get parts for them. Go to a 500 Ninja and the grins are wider and you go even faster. The suspension is more tuneable with the Kawasaki's too. Resale will be greater with the Kawasakis. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter Last edited by james1300; 02-02-2012 at 12:05 PM..


02-02-2012, 12:30 PM	#10
Phlebmaster Licensed Joined: Jan 2012 From: Oregon City I Ride: 1976 KZ400	I almost purchased a 2009 Blast for my first bike. I heard about them from the Team Oregon rider program. I test rode it and loved it, but decided to go with the Kawasaki fixer for my first ride. The Blast is still appealing to me, however by the time I get more riding experience and time on the road it will not seem as appealing. It is a "Blast" to ride though!! __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 12:30 PM	#11
james1300 Track School Dazed Joined: Oct 2005 From: CENTRAL I Ride: When I can	You mean nothing sounds as BAD/SAD as the blatting of a single with a noise maker? __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 12:37 PM	#13
Mitch F Knee Dragger Joined: Jun 2006 From: The Ham I Ride: every god damn day	I took the MSF on a Blast, and my buddy had one as his first bike. I hate those things. They vibrate like a mother fucker, and being the first thumper I had ever ridden, I figured all singles did that. Then I rode OTHER thumpers, and realized that the Blast is far and away the worst one out there. I LOVE singles now, but the Blast feels very unrefined. Even at a stop, the signals shake violently enough to send one into an epileptic seizure. My girlfriend had a Ninja 250 until a few months ago, and that bike was AWESOME. A million times better than the Blast at nearly everything, for about 1/2 the price. Add to that the availability and low cost of parts, I don't see why ANYONE would EVER buy a blast. Seriously... __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 12:43 PM	#15
Karbon Licensed Joined: Dec 2010 From: Hillsboro, Or I Ride: 05 Kawasaki zx6r 636c1	I loved my ninja 500, excellent commuter, comfy, 50+ mpg and could keep up pretty well in corners, I think they go pretty cheap these days... the 650r or sv650 could be a more forward thinking bike if this guy intends to stay in it for the long run. I hated going through my ninja 250 in 2 months and the 500 in a year... made me wish I would have just bought something I could grow into. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 03:11 PM	#16
HoriWar Training Wheels Joined: Jul 2011 From: Portland, Oregon I Ride: 2007 Triumph Speed Triple	Also, almost all of the Ninjas seem to be indestructible. I had an ex-girlfriend who had a Ninja 500 and she dropped/crashed that thing on both sides and it never had any visual damage. If it were my money, I would go for either of the Ninja's before the Blast. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 06:56 PM	#17
HoyaXC07 Permit Joined: Mar 2011 From: Dahlonega, GA then \|\| Yelm, WA now I Ride: 2011 BMW S1000RR Yellow	I learned to ride on a Blast. But there is a reason Erik Buell crushed them. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-02-2012, 09:14 PM	#18
JLev Pit Crew Joined: Feb 2010 From: Casper, WY I Ride: 2009 Buell 1125CR "Liselle" / 2007 883 Sportster	I loved the shit out of my Blast. Screw the haters. I ground those pegs down like none other, and loved every minute of it. Fun little bike, proof that numbers on paper don't really hold a candle to knowing how to handle your machine. I could hold my own just fine on that little beasty, I'd even venture to say I rode harder and faster on that than I ever have the 1125, I've slowed down a fair bit since I traded that thumper in. There's a number of people who can lament to the fact that I was always right behind em in the twisties on that Blast Quit worrying about numbers and enjoy the ride. Its not all horsepower and torque and what bike you're on... sometimes what matters more is whether you enjoy yourself out there rather than what kinda noise it makes or how it looks or what it runs on the dyno. Sheesh, some of you are scared of fun. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


02-03-2012, 05:55 AM	#20
mrwizard10 Licensed Joined: Jun 2009 From: Amboy, WA I Ride: Suzuki Burgman 650	Another alternative might be a Suzuki Bergman 400 or 650. Since your fiend already rides a scoot it will be a similar experience. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

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