worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 18, 2006 07:18 AM
....are the bolts a propriety design or could they have been easily replaced with better quality rust resistant bolts from a hardware source, same as we seem to change anything from the factory on any of our bikes?...and a little can of black header paint or BBQ paint is easy stuff (wrap the surrounding areas with aluminum foil to protect it from over-spray, spray away, unwrap when dry, toss the foil in the recyclables)...still not enough to disuade me from the bike, but I'm listening 
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“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
  
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 18, 2006 07:25 AM
..I could imagine the amount of road debris being kicked onto the can that would chip away at the muffler finish and cause it to rust...maybe this is an area where Buell could use stainless steel?...
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“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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D
Needs a job
Posts: 3365
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posted May 18, 2006 09:02 AM
Well HBD futhermuckers.
Wormy - I was worried last year when ya turned fiddy that it would all be downhill, this Buell crap clearly confirms my thoughts that it's all over for ya.
Get the Bueller then the van and don't forget yer drool cup for those evenings sittin in yer rocking chair on the porch :P
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 18, 2006 09:16 AM
 you're just jealous because my AARP car insurance is lower than your's...enough of a cash difference to help with the purchase of another bike
____________
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 18, 2006 10:05 AM
quote:
...still not enough to disuade me from the bike, but I'm listening
I gotta hand it to ya....You're definitely a glutton for punishment! I only wish someone would have directed me to the sites that I showed you and I would've liked to have read up more on the Muell! Good luck with your purchase and get ready to constantly "tinker" with your new purchase. For the price they're asking, I def would've gotten a Duc over the Buell. Enjoy it before the parts start coming off
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 18, 2006 12:57 PM
I think motorcycleing lends itself to "tinkering"...I think its important to "tinker" up to a point ie. check your steering head bearings, bolts, screws, the wear/tear components etc. ( not yearly engine overhauls or 3000-mile valve adjustments)...reasonable safety checks any motorcyclist should adhere to...our lives depend on it, yes?
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“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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Speedbump
Expert Class
Posts: 229
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posted May 18, 2006 01:33 PM
I have owned a buell blast before and that thing is a pc of sh!t . I now own a XB12Scg you learn that before you go out on long hauls you just check it over all the nuts and bolts and stuff. But i got my XB12S cause they took my lemon of the Blast and gave me this one at a awesome deal i couldn't pass up. I am liking my XB12S i don't care what people think it's a fun bike to ride and i fit it.
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Please tell your pants it's not polite to point.
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 18, 2006 02:44 PM
...and there you go! 
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“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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blueford
Needs a job
Posts: 2984
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posted May 18, 2006 03:38 PM
 Edited By: blueford on 18 May 2006 16:40
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Ozzy
Needs a job
need guberment cheese
Posts: 3172
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posted May 18, 2006 05:15 PM
quote:
i don't care what people think
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 19, 2006 04:01 PM
OK..here goes...each and every day, I will post a quote from another pissed off Bueller who's bike is fucked up! This could go on for years! Here we go (From BadWeb):
"My bike started making a tapping sound, I thought it was the primary sprocket I called Javelina Harley and setup an appointment to have it checked, also to have the melted clutch cable replaced. After 3 weeks they managed to replace the cable but didn't check the noise, I had them load the bike in my truck and took it to Alamo City Harley, The tech checked the primary and said the sound is coming from the top of the motor and gets worse with more throttle. So now my bike is sitting there with the engine torn down and I am being told that "This is a slow process especially if parts need to be ordered" So my question is -Can Buell do anything? Also I am wondering if I can get my warranty adjusted seeing that it is up in July. Any suggestions."
By the way it's a fairly new XB12R!
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 19, 2006 04:09 PM
Edited By: crip2nite on 19 May 2006 17:09
Oohhh here's a good one from an'05 XB12S owner:
"Ok.. my fan is out of commission. It started a afew weeks ago when the fan was running inconsistently and at more than just the 2 speeds it was set for. It would go fast, slow, fast, slow, off, on, off, slow, fast, off, on, fast, etc... you get the idea.
now it doesnt work at all.
service manual is telling me i need to replace my ecm. I'm currently running the buell race ecm but I still have my stock unit. My question is: if I replace the unit here in my garage, do I have to go to the dealer and have the tps reset? I cant recall if it holds the setting or not. The stock unit has been unmounted for about a year."
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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blitzkrieg
Needs a job
Road kill = Free lunch.
Posts: 2044
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posted May 19, 2006 05:41 PM
Edited By: blitzkrieg on 19 May 2006 18:43
I'm sorry wormie, but I can't even believe you are considering buying a POS Buell.
The only guy I know that owns one is KRAM (Mark to me) and even he will tell you if he could have his money back he'd reverse that decision in a NY minute. Thats a guy that has a Goldwing, zx-12r and God knows what else. 
You need to look below at the link and get a bike that will rock your world and take you wherever you want to go without the Harley reliability factor. If I were to buy a cross-terrain bike tomorrow, the KTM 990 would be in the garage.
You can call it Buell, but its got a Harley motor (and always has) and it was designed by an ex-Harley employee. Do the math.
http://www.990adventure.com/
Edit: And yes, I know you own a Harley but I don't hold that against you.
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"BTW....You need to get a girlfriend who's last name isn't .jpg"
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 19, 2006 05:52 PM
...more...please, more
____________
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 20, 2006 02:17 AM
quote:
...more...please, more
OK....But only one a day because this Buell shit is bringing back baaaad memories!:
"why does new xb12scg cough off the line? for all that is great about this corner king stalling at the line SUCKS. less than three hundred fifty klicks from the showroom. breakin rules have been adheared to. WHAZ-UP??????"
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 20, 2006 02:56 AM
...ok
____________
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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Ozzy
Needs a job
need guberment cheese
Posts: 3172
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posted May 20, 2006 05:08 AM
Edited By: Ozzy on 20 May 2006 06:43
I seem to remember reading the KTM 990 is not the great , reliable, do everything bike that it is supposed to be. I'll have to do some searching again.
Lots of info at http://www.micapeak.com/reg/view/LC4
Telegragh . uk .co said: The sweetest spot is in the 5,000rpm to 7,000rpm range, the muscularity enhanced by the eager and predictable throttle response. It vibrates quite harshly in this area
Motards said: When slow speed control is necessary I found the throttle to be too light. Small bumps in the road upset the right hand enough to slide off and on the throttle with a jerky injection response as the result.
Window Licker @ Adventure rider on his new 990: "300 miles on my new 990 , so I thought I would give some initial impressions :
The weather was very warm for my first running in day, but not everything was great.....
No complaints with the comfort, getting numb bum after about 150 miles but something seemed off with the stability. I was getting a vague shimmy from the front bars, so thought I would take a peak over the front windscreen whilst the bike was doing about 30mpg . I noticed the front tyre was wobbling! I think this was setting up this vagueness at the bars , when later i took my hands off them and coasted, the bars started to wobble about 1 inch or so at the end plugs.
My dealer thinks I might have a duff front tyre. We are checking it out next week at its first service.
I thought I would take the opportunity of ordering a set of grippier tyres but I can't get anything. No BT45's Avons am26's or metzelers, the only thing I was offerered are the AM41,42 Avons, but on reading the website they say they are designed for choppers and cruisers where hard wear rate and quiet running are the requirements. No mention of grip
Im stuck now for what to do.....
Fuel consumption seems poor, getting 140 miles to a tank before the light comes on.
The worst problem though, the dreaded FI glitches were there. After riding the demo I confessed I was happy with the throttle response, but my bike has got what others have complained about. Snatchy response from a closed throttle. The bike would often snatch , no matter how smooth I was.
I drove over some tarmac roads with bumps varying in size from ripples to crests where the bike would go light , it was very difficult to retain perfect control, the throttle seems very sensitive, not helped by a pretty light throttle.
I also sat at about 25mph at 3000rpm, the bike "hunted" coming on and off the gas as if the injection didn't understand what a neutral throttle position was.
I ended up spending most of my ride getting more frustrated .
Needless to say Im not very happy with this. A call to my dealer calmed me down a bit , as Im having aftermarket carbon cans fitted the ECU will be reflashed and I was told this would improve things considerably. We shall see.
My worst bit of news though was this e-mail I received form KTM about my proposed wheel changes:
It's not just the fact of the 19" wheel and how that would influence the performance of the ABS, the tyre would also be an issue. The calculations and formulae that are programmed into the ABS ECU are specific to a 21" front wheel and a Pirelli Scorpion Tyre together with standard brake pads. Throughout all the extensive ABS testing on the 990, it was only fitted with this combination. No other wheel/tyre combinations were tested and therefore the outcome of fitting such items cannot be predicted. Also the changes that you propose may, due to deviations in load geometry, wheel dimensions, suspension and centre balance lead to unsteady driving conditions and even cause the motorcycle to tip over, i.e.. rotate about the front wheel spindle. Please remember that the ABS system on the KTM is not a linked system and that the front and rear brake systems are independent of each other. Therefore, because of the safety aspect of an ABS system, we cannot condone any deviation from standard.
So now we have bike manufacturers dictating what tyre I can use
To top it off, a bike mechanic who is very familiar with ABS said the only way he would risk a 19" wheel was to disable the ABS completly
You can guess how much I love KTM at the moment . "
There is much more, just look without rose colored glasses.
My point is EVERY make and model bike is not perfect. One guy buys one and it is the greatest thing since sex, the next guy buys one and has a dog on his hands.
2000 ZX12R- the clutch petition comes to mind, steering head bearings. poor fuel injection.
2004 ZX10R, bad front wheels, cracked frames
ZX11 1990-1999 #3 rod, warped front rotors
FJR 1300, bad cylinder heads,
GL1500, cracked frames
the list goes on, and on.
On this forum the general opinion is if it isnt a track weapon, or foreign made, it is crap.
Just pick your favorite target and you can pick it apart, or you can hype it up, just depends on how you wish to view it.
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 21, 2006 03:15 AM
Buell fuck-up for today (remember folks...only one a day):
On another Buell site:
"Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 09:51 pm:
My engine light will come and cutout at normal to high speeds.I have the Buell race kit on it.I was told that my race ecm is the problem so I put the stock ecm back in.The same problem is occuring.Every time I take it to the shop no codes show up.I even installed a efi box and still did not fix it. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!"
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 21, 2006 11:58 PM
Buell fuckup for Monday :
"Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 10:46 pm:
I posted this on the BB&D page, but thought all XBers should know. I was riding yesterday 400+ miles from home and had the front spark plug blow out of the head. My Ulysses has 3500 miles on it, plugs have never been taken out by me or a service tech. Looks like it was cross threaded from the factory, jammed a little more than half way in. The plug took out about the top 3/4 of the threads, luckily there was still 1/4 left, so I was able to screw it back in and limp home. Now, time to deal with warranty work. Let's see how buell stands behind their word!"
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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zx12adam
Member
Posts: 878
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posted May 22, 2006 01:46 PM
How about all three Buells falling out of the Daytona 200 due to mechanical failure?
Followed by this weekend's mech DNF which was not a 200 mile endurance race but a sprint race?
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CBR1000RR
Best Literbike: Performance Bikes, Superbike, BIKE, MCN, Road Racing World, and Motorcycle USA
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 22, 2006 02:11 PM
Can't resist...I'll do 2 for today This one's funny:
"I wondering how many of you guys have experienced burning out your tail light bulb after riding on the rain. I lost mine after every rain storm or any time the streets were wet. I cludged a fix, but am curious if this has been a common issue with Xbs."
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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zx12adam
Member
Posts: 878
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posted May 22, 2006 05:27 PM
Worm in all honesty I not only considered getting a red XB12S several years ago but even went to Gainesville, FL to buy one...
Salesmen all treated me like shit(when they actually got off their high horse and talked to me) so I went to talk to the sales manager about ordering one(only had 2 XB9's on the floor) and was told "We can't get'em". That was it! All he could say. Not another word. Don't look for much dealership support after you buy one. From what I've found from Buell owners are "Buell is the redheaded step-child of the Harley line-up". One guy told me they were nice enough to him to sell him one but afterwards ignored him altogether especially after he started having problems with it. That's the general idea, they get them in and rush them out to get rid of them to protect the dealership's "image" and after their gone their done with them.
After I started seeing all the constant mech problems with those old tractor motors and piss poor(non)quality, blown motors at trackdays across the country I said fuck'em. I'd consider getting an XB12S today IF the price were $7000, with a 5 year warranty that they actually honor, AND they fix their problems and make them reliable. But that would still only make it a $7000 bike. I wouldn't pay the $11,000 or sometimes $12,000 they ask for them unless they had the V-rod motor in them plus the increased warranty and reliablity. But then again I wouldn't pay more than $10,000 otd,
Bitches.
They contract the water cooled, dual overhead cam, VR1000 motor out to Porsche to make it streetable...
... but stuff it in yet another $17,000 cruiser...
... but for the "sportbike" they throw in the old, depressed, 1957, air cooled, pushrod, weak, unreliable, turd, pussy, limp, tractor motor. Think the "heritage and simplicity" will make it reliable and easy to work on? Guess again.
Bitches I tell ya, bitches.
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CBR1000RR
Best Literbike: Performance Bikes, Superbike, BIKE, MCN, Road Racing World, and Motorcycle USA
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 23, 2006 01:52 AM
Here's a silly one for Tues. Remember in my earlier posts about the "TPS Reset? :
"hey perkins boys, whomever . got software to do ecm tps reset and am having problems. anybody have time to help rockland county xb rider get back on road."
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 23, 2006 11:41 AM
worm~hole, think you'd find this Uly fuck-up real interesting! :
"I had four days off, met up with my Dad and his Ultra-Classic, and had the perfect route planned from Toledo down the Blueridge Parkway and back. Then came the first kick in the pants. I was going to pass an oil change interval on the trip, so I decided to take care of it Friday night before we left. I take the drain plug out, and with it come half of the aluminum threads from the swing arm! Cross-threaded drain plug, thanks to some incompetent service tech who shouldn't even be trusted with a wash cloth around a bike! I took the bike in to the (as yet unnamed) dealer to do the 1000 mile service a few weeks prior. The dealer was even recommended to me on this board as one that was particularly Buell friendly. Anyway, that's the "bad" part, the worse is still to come. First though, anyone have any suggestions as to how I can actually get the dealer to take responsibility for their mistake. To complicate matters, I had the service done when I was on the road for work, 12 hours away from my home.
Now for the "worse". Turns out the drain plug had enough threading left to make the trip anyway armed with a rubber emergency plug and 3 quarts of oil. So, on Saturday we hit the road bright and early and made it to a heavenly section of West Virginia highway 60 along the New River. Great road! Now, you're not going to believe what happend next. I was down-shifting into a gas station and all of a sudden POP POP POP POP! What the hell's going on? Sounded like the muffler fell off. I came to a stop, left it running, and took a quick look, muffler, OK, so I felt around a little and ZAP! Looked on the other side, and saw the front spark plug sticking out next to the air scoop!?!?!! I killed the engine and took the scoop off for a better look. STRIPPED SPARK PLUG THREADS! The spark plug was blown right out of the head! Looking closer, it seems that the plug was cross threaded from the factory, it was screwed about 3/4 of the way in and must have jammed there. Luckily, there was about 1/4 of the threads still OK at the bottom. My fist thought was that this was again the doing of the incompetent, unnamed dealer, but I don't think they did anything with the plugs at the 1000 mi service. Anyway, I got the plug screwed into the few remaining threads with a little loc-tite just for good measure. We found a hotel for the night, and rode 400 miles back today. I've never taken it so easy on the throttle, not even on break-in, but we made it back home. I still love my Uly! Now, lets hope Buell gives me a reason to love them too. I've heard that they're good about standing behind their product. It's clear that this is a factory defect, and a case for warrenty repair if there ever was one.
So, a warning for anyone wanting to ride their Uly to the ends of the earth, better run your plugs in and out first! "
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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crip2nite
Zone Head
Posts: 820
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posted May 23, 2006 11:43 AM
Ummmmmmm...Stop me anytime if you've had enough....otherwise, I have this thing about making my point!
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'08 ZX-10R ~ GREEN ~
Long Island, NY
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