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Buell Ulysses

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JTM

JTM

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Yep, I am starting a separte thread just to talk about Ulys.
 
I love my Uly and beleive I made a great decision by buying it. My wife has no complaints riding on the back and you could easily fit a kitchen sink in one of the side cases. My only complains are first gear is too high I really think there needs to be a sixth gear. But I feel this way because I am used to a 6speed Ninja ZX and a 6speed dirt bike, where I use the lower first gear for more low speed stability to compensated for not being able to put a foot down easily.
 
Well I have the 2006 XB12X complete with the higher (than the XT) suspension and taller seat. The XB's have such a low red line, they take some getting used to. The torque far outweighs any perceived lack of top end hit. I often find I have an extra gear when traveling 70 mph.
 
Don't have one [yet] but its on the top of my "next bike" list. I quickly fell in love with it after test riding one at the show back in '06, and have been drooling over them ever since.
If the planets aline, and the God's smile, and I sweet talk my wife enough, I'm hoping to look for one late spring.
 
quote brought over from another thread to redirect the thread jack...

Buellboy said:
One of the reasons my Ully Lite did not sell last year was potential buyers did not realize how much difference these up grades make. The Buell ECM was around $300 and the Special Op's pipe was around $600 with your old exhaust acting as a core (exchange).
The labor was around $200 to install because a lot of stuff have to come off the bike like the hardware for the exhaust valve (actuator on airbox, cable to pipe) when making the change. So it was about a grand I spent on mine no one wanted to pay for. But it eliminates the "lean (EPA) drive ability issues", ups red-line to almost 7K RPM and adds 10% to HP. The pipe is "twin tip" on a shortened stock looking pipe and it has a deep powerful sound. Sound is somewhere between quiet stock sound and "open pipe" HD.
Regrettfully, none of the American made v-twins run good unless you open up the exhaust. Adding more fuel to air cooled Buell motors makes them run cooler and they have a tendency to run hot when stock even with the fan pulling air over the motor.
I was told last week that all Buell new race parts will be sold through Eric Buell Racing.
I do not know if Buell parts prices will be effected by this move from HD to EBR or not.
Hope this answers your questions....
Buellboy
Click to expand...

Are there cheaper exhaust solutions that ant one?
Would the upgrade ECU work well with stock exhaust? If the time comes, I'd like the ECU upgrade, but want quiet exhaust. I feel comfortable enought to do all the installs (provided the ECU thing is plug and play)

That's very interesting about riching it up, and brining engine temps down.
What's your opinion of wrapping the headers to help keep the heat down
 
I agree with Kurt, because the large amount of torque available I often forget which gear
I am in at highway speeds. The sixth gear is just not an issue for me. And Poser can bring his wife over here to Montgomery and chat with mine about the comfort of the rear seat with the "triple tail" flipped up for security. My wife loves it second only to my last Gold Wing (first year, 1800 in yellow).
I went to Erick's site and saw a listing of "race" parts but no pricing until January 2010. Has something changed on the site since yesterday?
Buellboy
 
As to the exhaust question, there are cheaper (Jardine, D+D) but according to American Sportbike they just do not help with performance because the ECM is not set up for the way they flow exhaust. You can check the stats at www.americansportbike.com.
Eric put a lot of R&D into the stock exhaust and that is why most exhaust suppliers use stock header and then "gut and modify" the stock cannister. Regrettably, as I said earlier, it is hard to get a performance gain with a stock exhaust. As far the ECM is concerned, it was designed for the Buell ceramic race exhaust which were sold out in 2006 when HD got out of "race exhaust business". If you can find one of those on E-bay they go for about twice the MSRP they originally sold at . The ceramic coated race exhaust is about as loud as my Special Op's set up. I have a stock exhaust for my bike but have not tried it with the race ECM. The best flowing stock pipe is on the Xb9xs.
If you want to leave it stock, buy the 2008 and up air box cover, a K&N filter and the
race spark plugs Buell sells. All these make the bike more responsive. The ECM/Pipe took my XB12X to a new performance level. I hate noise to but on this bike it is the price you pay to get it to run reliably at a higher performance level. As for pipe rapping, I had a 2000 X-1 with it done and it helped with heat to the rider but not heat level of motor.
Buellboy
 
The Ecm is easy to plug in and install but you cannot "play" until someone resets your
TPS (throttle position sensor) on your fuel injection. Up until lately, the only one who had the diagnostic tool was Buell (HD dealers) and they charge about $75 dollars to perform this function. It is done by loading in the VIN # of your year make and model bike. You have to do this or the bike will not run or idle without serious problems. I heard you can now buy the tool from some other tool suppliers but must go through training to use it. Fuel injection changes everything as far as simplicity of service.
Buellboy
 
Both of my friends have Buells.....the Uly XT and the 1125R. Both have been back to the dealer 8+ times for problems and recalls. I am a Buell fan and almost bought one or 2....but never did. Not sure if I'd buy one now.
 
Hey JTM...is the rumor I heard true about Harley droping Buell from production? If so
are they still going to honor the warranty? I've never driven a Buell but they look like a fun bike.
 
drackrider said:
Hey JTM...is the rumor I heard true about Harley droping Buell from production? If so
are they still going to honor the warranty? I've never driven a Buell but they look like a fun bike.
Click to expand...

Dropped 'em like a hot potato... they (HD) will still honor the warranty.
 
I have owned three current generation Buells. A 2006 XB9XS "City X", a 2007 XB12X Ully,
and a 2009 1125CR. The XB9 was a "zero defect bike". Never went back to the dealer for any warranty work the year I owned it. My highly modified Xb12X has had a fan motor replaced under warranty in two years and currently has 13,300 miles. My 1125CR was purchased in April 2009 and has had both rear blinkers replaced and has 2500 miles on it. I understand there was a bank angle sensor and kickstand recall on 2006 Ully's.
None of these bikes has had any recalls and I have been very satisfied with my warranty
treatment at Independence H-D in College Station. JR, Sevice Mgr., worked for Buell corporate before moving to Navasota. Since HD pulled the plug on Buell, I am told my warranty will be honored for 2 full years on my 1125CR and parts will be available to 2017
on my ULLY. We will see.....
 
drackrider said:
Hey JTM...is the rumor I heard true about Harley droping Buell from production? If so
are they still going to honor the warranty? I've never driven a Buell but they look like a fun bike.
Click to expand...

Yep, they dropped Buell, but claim they will support the warrenties and stock parts for 7 years. Actually I can not ride mine again until I get it to an HD dealer for its initial service, so the warrenty will be vaild. (really I could but if I didn't what I wanted I would pass the 1k mile marker)
 
I love my Uly and the seat is OK for 6-8 hours for the wife. I have the XB12X. I've added the the Hepco Becker Journeyman bags, the race ecm, and a SS Drummer exhaust. The Drummer is on the loud side but what the hey I'm saving lives right. The Journeyman bags are cavernous and don't have the weak latches the stock XT bags do. I average 48 MPG. Maintainance is about as simple as a motorcycle can be; after break-in switch to full synthetic and run the same lube on both sides, change it every 5K miles and plugs every 10K. Keep air in the tires and gas in the tank, do a pre-ride inspection, adjust cables once in a while, ride it like you stole it.

Cheers, Will
 
I just did the 1k inspection and oil change, went full synthetic, and there was a major difference in the motor. The vibrations while riding smoothed out quite a bit and the vibrations while sitting at a traffic light are nearly gone. The only down side is they adjusted my clutch, too much.
 
I just passed 15K on my 2007 on my XB12X, I had a blown fuse my first day, but it has not been back to the dealer, until I let JR and the folks at Independence do my 10K service. During that service, they replaced the front motor mount and the seals around the clutch cable and shifter under warranty. I replaced the front rotor and pads at 15k because there was a vibration under heavy braking. But this bike has been the most enjoyable ride that I have owned in 30 years of riding. It gets me in trouble because it rides best at the upper 2/3 of the rev range and the upper 1/2 of the speedo. My only complaint is that I cannot seam to keep rear tires on this bike. I have been through 3 Pirrelli Scorpions rears and one front in 12K, at 15K I changed the front and rear to Road Pilot II's to see if I can get better life from them. The only warning I have for someone cosidering a Uly, is you will become addicted to twisty backroads and you have to be used to having a permagrin pasted on you face.
 
JTM said:
Yep, they dropped Buell, but claim they will support the warrenties and stock parts for 7 years. Actually I can not ride mine again until I get it to an HD dealer for its initial service, so the warrenty will be vaild. (really I could but if I didn't what I wanted I would pass the 1k mile marker)
Click to expand...

I hope you weren't being serious about the service/warranty comment. Your warranty won't be void if you do your own service properly.
 
IF you own a Buell, eventually you will be the servicing dealer...
Thanks to the wisdom of the current management at H-D.
 
In regards to wrapping the headers, my S3T has the stock header coated inside and out with JetHot ceramic in "extreme silver" I have only ridden this bike 2 to 3 miles at a time since I got it, but the headers are cool enough to put your hands on. The silver is very nice looking also.

I have a Uly XT as well as the S3T and a FJR and could not be happier with the Uly. Feels like riding a heavy dirt bike, the handling is better than the very good S3T. Riding position is comfortable and the stock bags are huge. Looking forward to the first trip with this bike.

I, like Kurt, find myself riding on the higway in 4th a lot. To be in 5th you have to have the speed up as the Buell's don't like rpms below 2500, or at least my hands don't like the under 2500 rpms...too much engine vibration. I don't see the need for 6th gear.

I have only run one tank of fuel through the xt and go slightly over 40 mpg which with 4.4 gallon fuel tank is less range that I would like. What fuel mileage is everyone else getting on Ulys that are broken in.
 
Kidder said:
I hope you weren't being serious about the service/warranty comment. Your warranty won't be void if you do your own service properly.
Click to expand...

My paperwork stated that only the 1k service had to be done at the dealer, I will do everything else.
 
My 1K service was done at a dealer and since I worked their at the time I watched
the tech change my oil and filter, adjust the clutch cable, adjust the slack in my
primary chain (done while that fluid was changed and very easy to do I might add),
check fluids/pads on my brakes , adjust my throttle cable, and check tire pressures.
If you have a service manual it is a snap. If your Throttle Position Sensor must be
adjusted to sync your fuel injection, you must have that done at the dealer. If you
do not have any other "driveability issues" you are good to go. No valve adjusts at all.
 
I'm considering selling my Uly due to a house that I'm building.

2007 XB12X
14K (ish) miles
Factory side & top cases
Factory Seat
Corbin Seat
Factory Service Manual

PM me for more details!
 
NUTT said:
I'm considering selling my Uly due to a house that I'm building.

2007 XB12X
14K (ish) miles
Factory side & top cases
Factory Seat
Corbin Seat
Factory Service Manual

PM me for more details!
Click to expand...

NUTT what's been going on? How's married life?
I'd love to buy your Uly, but unfortunately now is not the time.
Where are you guys building?
 
I tried to sell my last spring before H-D "pulled the plug" and could not get
a decent offer (offered $4500 when I owed $7K). Hope you do better now
that they are "collectors items". Two bike payments hard in this economy.
I love mine to much to take $2.5K to the bank to be free of the payment.
I hope you have better luck or at least own it outright if you have to sell it.
 
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