Let's start by saying this thing came in a HUGE crate. Forget about "Lift Gate" front door delivery. Lift gates will not be long enough to get the whole crate so a fork lift or loading dock is 100% necessary. The BMS 1000 Dune buggy comes with a one piece frame which is surprisingly sturdy. An overhead chain hoist will make the assembly process much quicker than trying to use floor jacks. Assembly is relatively easy once you've removed the metal packing crate. The buggy comes with these parts already mounted: Seats Steering wheel Steering rack Complete engine - had oil Transmission & shifter - had oil Cooling system - ADD FLUID Brake are bleed and ready to bolt to hub Tires on wheels Windshield Head lights and turn signals
You will receive these in boxes: Front suspension & control arms Bearing blocks & hubs with rotors front and rear Rear suspension & control arms Drive Axles Fuel tank Rear bumper Light bar Roof rack Entry step
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:39 pm Posts: 20 Location: Ruckersville, VA
BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy Review Part 2
Assembly was straight forward even with the VERY LIMITED instructions included. Some bolts of are poor quality but all were usable and all were included. We expect to replace a lot of nuts and bolts over time. The huge tires with 14" wheels are cool but seem to be difficult to find decent street tires for because of the width. Seating the bead was easy but remember to check the recommended pressure on these tires as it is a low 5psi. After installing the fuel tank, we checked all the fluids and only need to add coolant and fuel because the engine and transmission came with oil in them. We'll use this oil during break-in but change to Ams-oil for the life of the dune buggy. Initial start up was difficult due to air in the Fuel injection system which took some time to smooth out. The brake calipers were zip tied in place with spacers between the brake pads for transport. All of the brake fluid reservoirs were full and the system didn't require any further bleed once the calipers were installed on the bearing blocks.
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:39 pm Posts: 20 Location: Ruckersville, VA
BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy Review Continued
The engine has enough gusto to really spin the 28" diameter 12" wide rear tires. .
What I like: One piece frame is sturdy and seems well designed. Full skid plate with nothing protruding below. Smooth 5 speed transmission Peppy engine Lots of decent quality parts for a low price Suspension and tire combo take big bumps well Both front seats are very comfortable and adjustable 4 point harness adjusts easily Sounds like a race car!
What could be better but for the money it is acceptable: Powder coat paint is of poor quality Heavy steering likely from the large tires
What I don't like: Came with a number of flaws that are taking a while to correct for the customer Gas petal reminds me of a sewing machine foot control Speedometer has kilometers as the primary numbers Limited replacement parts as of 7/28/09 Manufacturer support is limited as of 7/28/09 Owners manual was relatively worthless
As we break in the vehicle, I will update our evaluation. -Shaky Jake
I have the BMS 800cc 2 seater it to was easy to put together. It has the HH368QA1 3cylinder EFI motor and it is way under powered . I also had the gas tank taped and had a return fuel line added. I hope to one day have a different motor put into it but for now I'll have to do with it the way it is.
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:39 pm Posts: 20 Location: Ruckersville, VA
BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy (Continued)
Generally, it's not in the best interest of a dealer to post a negative review of a product he sells. However, my loyalty is primarily with the customers I serve. It would not be honest to hold back information that will allow customers and prospective customers to make a more informed decision on the products they purchase. That said, here's today's update........... "don't kill the messenger."
Right Wheel Position Issue The right rear wheel was out of alignment by a number of degree's. After some diagnostics, the fault was determined to be in the frame bracket position for the right swing-arm. The shop corrected this by elongating the attachment holes and welding a large washer to hold the bolts in the correct place once alignment was corrected.
Engine Issues From the beginning, we had difficulties getting the engine to run well. While the BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy is running, it seems very peppy but dies if you don't pump the gas. We have attempted to locate a diagnostic port to attach a code reader to the EFI but after several calls to the factory and a few other dealers, I am still searching. No resolution is in site.
E-Brake issue A test ride produced some scary results. Smoke started pouring out of the left wheel when I pulled the BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy into my dealership. A 3 mile trip at 60 mph resulted in a small flash fire of the e-brake caliper on the left rear wheel. The emergency brake caliper failed to release with the E-brake handle.
At this time, I have suspended sales of the BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy from my web site.
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:21 am Posts: 4044 Location: Seattle, WA
VaDuneBuggy.com wrote:
BMS 1000cc Dune Buggy (Continued)
Generally, it's not in the best interest of a dealer to post a negative review of a product he sells. However, my loyalty is primarily with the customers I serve. It would not be honest to hold back information that will allow customers and prospective customers to make a more informed decision on the products they purchase. That said, here's today's update...........
Thank you for your candidness about this product. The integrity you revealed will pay off in sustainable future business.
After much convincing, BMS has agreed to send me the electronics from a showroom model. I will switch in parts till the computer responds correctly. Let's cross our fingers and hope this works.
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