I HAVE A 2009 BUELL ULYSSES THAT HAS AN INTERMITTENT CEL THAT OCCURRED WHILE RIDING ~50MPH (STEADY) ON HWY 89 S/B IN PRESCOTT VALLEY. WHEN THIS OCCURED, THE IDLE BECAME ERRATIC & POWER DROPPED NOTICEABLY. THE BIKE NOW SHOWS DTC 'FUEL PUMP SHORT TO GND ' DTC 33-1-3'. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ON-LINE RESEARCH LEADS ME TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A WELL-KNOWN & SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED MANY OTHER BUELL OWNERS; HTTP://WWW.BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM/BUELL/MESSAGES/142838/227943.HTML HTTP://BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM/BUELL/MESSAGES/142838/687395.HTML?1342928158 ). THE ROOT CAUSE IS WIRING INSIDE THE FUEL TANK THAT RUBS/CHAFES ON A 90O EDGE OF THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING; HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/SEARCH?Q=BUELL+FUEL+PUMP+WIRES+CHAFING&RLZ=1C1SQJL_ENUS888US888&BIW=1422&BIH=678&TBM=ISCH&SOURCE=IU&ICTX=1&FIR=LLRV44I8AFNWWM%252CMYSTFULWUW0ZKM%252C_&VET=1&USG=AI4_-KSZODRS7RCBJJHFHZZY-3QRZB32VA&SA=X&VED=2AHUKEWJO7PKLIDVVAHWKZM0KHSD6A_IQ9QF6BAGPEAE#IMGRC=LLRV44I8AFNWWM HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/SEARCH?Q=BUELL+FUEL+PUMP+WIRES+CHAFING&RLZ=1C1SQJL_ENUS888US888&BIW=1422&BIH=678&TBM=ISCH&SOURCE=IU&ICTX=1&FIR=LLRV44I8AFNWWM%252CMYSTFULWUW0ZKM%252C_&VET=1&USG=AI4_-KSZODRS7RCBJJHFHZZY-3QRZB32VA&SA=X&VED=2AHUKEWJO7PKLIDVVAHWKZM0KHSD6A_IQ9QF6BAGPEAE#IMGRC=LLRV44I8AFNWWM&IMGDII=S7PGVQR3CIP4-M ). OBVIOUSLY, I NEED MY MOTORCYCLE TO BE SAFE & WANT IT FIXED PROPERLY. IF NHTSA NEEDS AN EXAMPLE TO PROVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO BRING THE BIKE TO A CENTRAL OR NORTHERN ARIZONA HD DEALER FOR
2009 Buell XB12X
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filings2009 BUELL XB-12X MOTORCYCLE: ENGINE STOPPAGE BROUGHT ON BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE WITH ONLY A PARTIAL TANK OF FUEL SEEMS TO RESULT IN THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP OVERHEATING OR OVERLOADING, RESULTING IN A BLOWN FUSE. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. MY 2009 BUELL XB-12X HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN THREE TIMES, RESULTING IN MY BEING STRANDED IN TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AVOIDING A CRASH. REPLACING THE FUSE IS A TEMPORARY FIX. ACCORDING THE BUELL WEB SITE (BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM) IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE THAT CAN RESULT IN A CRASH OR INJURY. HARLEY DAVIDSON (THE PARENT COMPANY) SHOULD RECALL THE AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES AND INSTALL NEW FUEL PUMPS THAT DO NOT OVERHEAT OR OVERLOAD THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM. *TR
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.