New Buell S2T owner exhaust contacting frame

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • ffms650tt
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2025
    • 1

    New Buell S2T owner exhaust contacting frame

    Recently bought a 1996 S2T from an estate that has about 30k on clock. I've owned dozens of street bikes in my 50 years of riding, mostly 1970s twins and big singles. Got it running in an afternoon. The bike appears to have had some work done as evidenced by some illegible receipts from Zipper's, a Vance and Hines exhaust, a later model big aluminum swing arm, and a Mikuni carb. The Mikuni had some cobbled up linkage for the throttle cables so I reinstalled the stock cv carb after rebuilding and re-jetting (190 main) and the bike runs great and has wonderful power, handling, and braking.

    One problem so far is the header pipe from the rear cylinder is in contact with the frame. Since the engine is rubber mounted, would this transfer vibrations into the frame and possibly be the reason the bike shakes so much until it's over 3200rpm? Anyone else have this problem? How did you solve it?
    Also the Vance and Hines muffler is extremely loud. Can they be repacked? I have stock headers that came with bike with a supertrap megaphone (with the disk baffles,)on them but the headers appear to have had some badly done weld repairs that need to be addressed before I could reinstall.
  • 1313
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2025
    • 13

    #2
    On an S2 (or S2-T) with the stock header, there should be plenty of clearance between the read header and frame. Are the isolators is good condition and not failed? The S2's never really failed rear isolators - which is what I would suspect most likely if the rear header clearance was reduced. If engine work was done, maybe something wasn't put back together right, or some other parts added that might influence this clearance - rear isolator stiffeners, perhaps - which shouldn't reduce this clearance either. And you're sure it is the stock S2 header - segmented, welded, SuperTrapp produced 2" outlet header? Someone didn't erroneously put a later tuber (under the modified frame tube) header on? There is one other possibility, but it is so far out in left field, that if it is this you should buy a lottery ticket (and share the winnings with me...) The RS/RSS header looked very similar to the S2 header (as the construction was very similar), but the RS/RSS header will not fit on an S2. If, somehow, an RS/RSS header made it's way onto your S2-T, I'm sure you could make an RS or RSS owners day by selling it. Got any pics?

    Comment


    • ffms650tt
      ffms650tt commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks for responding.
      I'm sorry I wasn't very clear. The stock header with a supertrap meg was included with the bike but the header and mufler on the bike are Vance and Hines and the rear head pipe goes under the frame instead of over it. I can see that part of the header pipe is flattened a bit where it passes under the frame but it still touches the frame. Perhaps I'll take it all loose and wiggle it around a bit.
      Also, this bike uses 4 keys one for ignition and seat lock, one for fork lock, one for gas cap, one for saddle bags. Any way to get this down to one or two?
  • Airdale
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2025
    • 8

    #3
    For the key situation money and a Locksmith can get it down to 1 or 2 keys That's what i ended up doing in a similar situation.
    Last edited by Airdale; 3 weeks ago.

    Comment

    • 1313
      Junior Member
      • Jan 2025
      • 13

      #4
      From the factory, the ignition and seat lock were the same key, and if originally equipped with bags they would match the ignition and seat lock. Updating to the later tubular key opening gas cap will reduce the key count (psst, don't tell noone, but ANY H-D/Buell tubular key will open the later gas cap - they are not key coded). The fork lock will likely be the oddball. The later fork locks which were also tubular keys were a much different design and will not retrofit. So, getting down to 2 keys is feasible.

      Yeah, that explains the header/frame contact! The later tube framed Buells - the ones that had the rear header tube go under the frame tube - had revised frame geometry providing more clearance for the header to go under the frame.

      Comment

      Working...