New Ulysses - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

**intimid8er** · 04-30-2007, 10:34 AM

Okay. I did it. I took the plunge.

I went and re-demo'd a Buell Ulysses last Saturday. I couldn't get the damn bike out of my head all week, after a demo ride the previous Saturday. I went down with full intentions to look for reasons to not buy the bike.

I was taken on a demo with a ride captain, and another rider buying that new factory customized Sporty. Being a little more familiar with the Ulysses this time around, I could focus on some other aspects of the ride that I did not focus on previously.

First thing I noticed was this ride captain had something wrong with his right wrist. It was actually able to turn the throttle! He was rapidly becoming a speck in the front of the line. I had been wanting to check high speed stability and windflow. I gave a quick check over the left shoulder, a push on the left grip, and a twist of the right wrist, and BANG! I'm out in the passing lane going from 60 mph to 90 mph in a blink of an eye. Smooth as hell, and relatively quiet at speed. We then took a long off camber at 70 mph with no effort put forth by the Uly.

Long and short. I negotiated a hell of a deal. Got luggage on the way too.
I'll save that process for another thread or post, but to put it bluntly, it wasn't that great of a buying experience. Not the type you'd expect from a Harley dealer. I thought I'd be getting the Neiman Marcus experience, but I got the Dollar Store instead. 'Nuff said about that. Just further validates some of my arguments about the motorcycling industry in general.

The bike has far exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I rode a whole lot yesterday. Which is saying a lot in and of itself. The M was an exercise in pure torture, and one of the questions I asked myself yesterday, is why I put up with pure and utter nonsense for that long. Ultimately, I've wasted two years of my riding time, on a bike that was completely (ergonomically) wrong for me.

The biggest revelation was riding on the highway this morning in rush hour traffic. Sure, being able to look over the top of most vehicles is a bonus, but the real surprise that had a grin on my face was the ride itself. On the slab, the M at the very least was an adventure in and of itself. Every day held a different set of trials and miseries to endure. Some include the bike wandering all over the road due to striations cut into the surface for rain grooves. Throw in some good old fashioned wind gusts, and of course the 80 mph omnipresent headwind, that would force me to fight to stay upright. Which in turn would cause discomfort and fatigue quickly. The Uly however, stays firmly planted, no hint of wiggle or anything like remotely resembling it. Effort to stay on the saddle was non-existent. I can't recall any pressure on me anywhere that I had to struggle against to stay upright or comfortable in the saddle. Again, the thought of "I missed out on this for two years!" came to mind. Roll on power is instantaneous at any highway speed, and a pure pleasure to call upon whether it's needed or not. Another thought, dare I put it out there? May the forum gods strike me down, but I'd almost go as far to say that the Buell lineup is almost.....almost.....newb friendly. Maybe not as extreme as a complete newb being safe on a Buell, but maybe one that has had some experience on some sort of two wheeled conveyance.

One niggling problem I'm having at low speeds. Either it's some mapping issues or driver error (as in gear selection), although I think I should be able to slow down for a corner in second gear, and not have it hitch and stumble. I find it a little dangerous, but it's either me or an ECM issue. Either way. It's an easy fix, so no biggie there.

Another niggling item is the fork lock clearance. It's a short side to side lock, so maneuvering in and out of the garage is a bit more of a chore than the M50. The Uly is lighter, but it was easier to move the M around without power. This again is no big deal, just the quirks of a different bike that I'll have to get used to. Some may ask, if that hinders slow speed parking lot movement. I'd say to them just evaluate your riding skills. I just point the front in a general direction I'd like to go. Let the clutch out. Counterweight the saddle and go. The Uly will move around a dime if you can ride. I've got accustomed to the top heavy nature of the Uly. At first it's weird, but the same motorcycling skills you have learned over time still apply when operating the motorcycle. You just have to trust in your skill sets, and the bike will follow accordingly.

SKTR · 04-30-2007, 11:58 AM

Congrats Dude ! Sounds Like It Was A Great Choice And Experience For You. Like Others Was Enjoying Your Literary Skills Describing The Test Rides, So The Exuberance Of The New Thrills And Funs Will Be A Great Substitute. Enjoy It All And Know You Will. Jim

**intimid8er** · 04-30-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKTR

Congrats Dude ! Sounds Like It Was A Great Choice And Experience For You. Like Others Was Enjoying Your Literary Skills Describing The Test Rides, So The Exuberance Of The New Thrills And Funs Will Be A Great Substitute. Enjoy It All And Know You Will. Jim

Thanks Jim! I will! I'll try and still ride some more bikes too. Being my nature, I am never satisfied!

Apertureguy · 04-30-2007, 12:53 PM

Sounds like a load of fun...I should be test driving one of those at Americade.

**intimid8er** · 04-30-2007, 02:05 PM

It is fun. If you test one.....be prepared for the fact you may want to trade out!

Something funny about riding this bike. I've never been one to give a rat's ass about the politics of "The Wave". I just generally wave at everyone. If they wave back...fine...if not who cares....they may be busy actually driving their bike, or didn't see me. But the Uly........that has elicited some weird assed responses.

Some cruiser riders, just apparently incorrectly identify the Uly as a sport bike and either give me a look of disgust or pretend they don't see me. Which is damn near impossible, especially when I've seen 'em look at me.

The second type of rider waves....but hesitantly, and certainly not if he's riding point for the group. Then once one of them waves, it becomes okay for the rest, but you can see the confusion on their unhelmeted heads.

The third is the true Harley guy who knows what he's looking at. These guys get it, and I get the most enthusiastic responses from these guys. One guy almost wrecked himself, another was sitting alongside the road on his bike, and threw the most enthusiastic thumbs up I'd ever seen. By and large, the Harley guys that "get" what a Buell is and about give me the thumbs up.

No point to my post, I just found the weird dimension to the oft discussed "wave" to be interesting.

**Clint** · 04-30-2007, 03:30 PM

Hehe. Good stuff. I'd love to take a ride on that puppy.
Where're the friggin' pictures? I had to do a search to realize that it's the XB12. I don't know Buell's names yet.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photo...ssesXB12Xa.jpg

**intimid8er** · 04-30-2007, 03:43 PM

Clint if we ever meet. You would be one of the first people I'd toss the keys to without hesitation.

Pics are coming.

**Clint** · 04-30-2007, 04:01 PM

But... I don't even know where you live! Let's see--28 degrees, 3 minutes....

Edit: North of Plant City? I could be there Friday if I left right now.

65460 · 05-01-2007, 05:40 AM

People are really unaware on how good of a bike a Buell is. Im 53 years old and have had everything form a Harley to a Honda VFR1000, encluding some bikes some people have never heard of (Rokon) and my Buell XB12S Lightning is probably the most enjoying bike Ive ever had. Just a great all around package that most people will never give a second thought to because of the relationship to Harley. Too bad, because they really dont know what they're missing.
Glad your Uly is giving to enjoyment, make sure you get the service manual for it, its worth the price.

**intimid8er** · 05-01-2007, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

But... I don't even know where you live! Let's see--28 degrees, 3 minutes....

Edit: North of Plant City? I could be there Friday if I left right now.

Actually, the exact coordinates are for a little patch of the lake we ski in. That little patch has for some reason, a high concentration of gators in it. Coincidentally, it is the best place in the lake to ski. (Leeward side.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65460

People are really unaware on how good of a bike a Buell is. Im 53 years old and have had everything form a Harley to a Honda VFR1000, encluding some bikes some people have never heard of (Rokon) and my Buell XB12S Lightning is probably the most enjoying bike Ive ever had. Just a great all around package that most people will never give a second thought to because of the relationship to Harley. Too bad, because they really dont know what they're missing.
Glad your Uly is giving to enjoyment, make sure you get the service manual for it, its worth the price.

Thanks for the good words. I'll take your advice on the service manual.

Every time I ride, I get a little more smoother on the bike, and learn what it likes. As the miles go by, the smile gets wide!

**intimid8er** · 05-01-2007, 12:21 PM

BTW Clint..... 2+ years, and almost 5K in posts, and that's the best you can come up with for my first custom title?

I thought you were a little more creative than that?

**Clint** · 05-01-2007, 01:05 PM

Hey, I thought that was awesome.

65, you're right, but that exclusivity is kinda cool, too. I admit getting goose bumps when I saw my first piped Buell go by. There's some serious voodoo about that engine in a sporty bike.

**Louis** · 05-01-2007, 01:13 PM

davidc83 · 05-01-2007, 01:16 PM

Louis, my settiments exactly. No pics, no bike, Hey Intimi8er, where are the pics.

MagnumForce · 05-01-2007, 01:23 PM

Hey Tim, congrats on getting the Buell! So I guess you either sold or traded the M50. I am really trying not to pursue another bike, but whenever I go to the Honolulu HD dealership, it seems the XB-12R Firebolt is calling my name!

**intimid8er** · 05-01-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Hey, I thought that was awesome.

65, you're right, but that exclusivity is kinda cool, too. I admit getting goose bumps when I saw my first piped Buell go by. There's some serious voodoo about that engine in a sporty bike.

I'm a dyed in the wool narrow angle V-Twin guy. I get the best of both worlds this way. The handling performance of a Buell, and the farm implement characteristics of the Harley engine.

No kidding....when you thumb the starter it reminds you of a big ole International Harvester/Massey Ferguson/Case tractor

in the way it sounds when it fires. The whole thing shakes like a paint mixer at idle, but it rides smooth. It's almost too quiet. My lane has been invaded more times than I care to count since Sunday. Hmmn...I wonder if that's enough ammo to open up the old "Loud Pipes" debate again....

But maybe there is something to it. I really never had this problem before.

Sunday, I dropped keys off at the dealership, and my salesman fired up a Buell for me that they traded for after I left. It had some aftermarket muffler on it. I gotta go back up and look at it to get the name off of the muffler. It was nothing short of awesome.

techgesture · 05-01-2007, 02:06 PM

I was really hoping to hear the rest of your reviews before you bought... sounds like though that Buell bit you hard. Very cool to hear you enthusiastic about it.

I took the MSF class at Harley and we learned on Buell Blast... Granted, not the Uly... but the Blast to me just didnt have a "quality" feel to me.

**Clint** · 05-01-2007, 02:09 PM

Something about that fake plastic "tank" doesn't sit right. Maybe a nicer looking cover would do it.

**intimid8er** · 05-01-2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techgesture

I was really hoping to hear the rest of your reviews before you bought... sounds like though that Buell bit you hard. Very cool to hear you enthusiastic about it.

I took the MSF class at Harley and we learned on Buell Blast... Granted, not the Uly... but the Blast to me just didnt have a "quality" feel to me.

I'm still thinking about demo'ing the other bikes because of the positive responses about the write ups.

Shoot....what's the worst that could happen?

(I could end up with another bike in the garage!)

**intimid8er** · 05-01-2007, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidc83

Louis, my settiments exactly. No pics, no bike, Hey Intimi8er, where are the pics.

They're coming.....I'm always a little slow on the uptake on pics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagnumForce

Hey Tim, congrats on getting the Buell! So I guess you either sold or traded the M50. I am really trying not to pursue another bike, but whenever I go to the Honolulu HD dealership, it seems the XB-12R Firebolt is calling my name!

John you won't be disappointed.....Matter of fact....Go demo one for the hell of it. They'll let you. Buell is running a demo promotion right now.

Did Uncle Sam get both your bikes over to the Islands for you?

04-30-2007, 10:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
intimid8er It's A Conspiracy Joined: May 2005 Bike: '06 XB12X Location: 27 44'17.07" N 82 45'20.16" W Sharkbait Posts: 9,102	New Ulysses Okay. I did it. I took the plunge. I went and re-demo'd a Buell Ulysses last Saturday. I couldn't get the damn bike out of my head all week, after a demo ride the previous Saturday. I went down with full intentions to look for reasons to not buy the bike. I was taken on a demo with a ride captain, and another rider buying that new factory customized Sporty. Being a little more familiar with the Ulysses this time around, I could focus on some other aspects of the ride that I did not focus on previously. First thing I noticed was this ride captain had something wrong with his right wrist. It was actually able to turn the throttle! He was rapidly becoming a speck in the front of the line. I had been wanting to check high speed stability and windflow. I gave a quick check over the left shoulder, a push on the left grip, and a twist of the right wrist, and BANG! I'm out in the passing lane going from 60 mph to 90 mph in a blink of an eye. Smooth as hell, and relatively quiet at speed. We then took a long off camber at 70 mph with no effort put forth by the Uly. Long and short. I negotiated a hell of a deal. Got luggage on the way too. I'll save that process for another thread or post, but to put it bluntly, it wasn't that great of a buying experience. Not the type you'd expect from a Harley dealer. I thought I'd be getting the Neiman Marcus experience, but I got the Dollar Store instead. 'Nuff said about that. Just further validates some of my arguments about the motorcycling industry in general. The bike has far exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I rode a whole lot yesterday. Which is saying a lot in and of itself. The M was an exercise in pure torture, and one of the questions I asked myself yesterday, is why I put up with pure and utter nonsense for that long. Ultimately, I've wasted two years of my riding time, on a bike that was completely (ergonomically) wrong for me. The biggest revelation was riding on the highway this morning in rush hour traffic. Sure, being able to look over the top of most vehicles is a bonus, but the real surprise that had a grin on my face was the ride itself. On the slab, the M at the very least was an adventure in and of itself. Every day held a different set of trials and miseries to endure. Some include the bike wandering all over the road due to striations cut into the surface for rain grooves. Throw in some good old fashioned wind gusts, and of course the 80 mph omnipresent headwind, that would force me to fight to stay upright. Which in turn would cause discomfort and fatigue quickly. The Uly however, stays firmly planted, no hint of wiggle or anything like remotely resembling it. Effort to stay on the saddle was non-existent. I can't recall any pressure on me anywhere that I had to struggle against to stay upright or comfortable in the saddle. Again, the thought of "I missed out on this for two years!" came to mind. Roll on power is instantaneous at any highway speed, and a pure pleasure to call upon whether it's needed or not. Another thought, dare I put it out there? May the forum gods strike me down, but I'd almost go as far to say that the Buell lineup is almost.....almost.....newb friendly. Maybe not as extreme as a complete newb being safe on a Buell, but maybe one that has had some experience on some sort of two wheeled conveyance. One niggling problem I'm having at low speeds. Either it's some mapping issues or driver error (as in gear selection), although I think I should be able to slow down for a corner in second gear, and not have it hitch and stumble. I find it a little dangerous, but it's either me or an ECM issue. Either way. It's an easy fix, so no biggie there. Another niggling item is the fork lock clearance. It's a short side to side lock, so maneuvering in and out of the garage is a bit more of a chore than the M50. The Uly is lighter, but it was easier to move the M around without power. This again is no big deal, just the quirks of a different bike that I'll have to get used to. Some may ask, if that hinders slow speed parking lot movement. I'd say to them just evaluate your riding skills. I just point the front in a general direction I'd like to go. Let the clutch out. Counterweight the saddle and go. The Uly will move around a dime if you can ride. I've got accustomed to the top heavy nature of the Uly. At first it's weird, but the same motorcycling skills you have learned over time still apply when operating the motorcycle. You just have to trust in your skill sets, and the bike will follow accordingly. __________________ Song Pick of the Week 07/02 Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Ever wonder if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's all about? I'm not foul mouthed. I just like to use the eff word. A LOT!

04-30-2007, 02:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
intimid8er It's A Conspiracy Joined: May 2005 Bike: '06 XB12X Location: 27 44'17.07" N 82 45'20.16" W Sharkbait Posts: 9,102	It is fun. If you test one.....be prepared for the fact you may want to trade out! Something funny about riding this bike. I've never been one to give a rat's ass about the politics of "The Wave". I just generally wave at everyone. If they wave back...fine...if not who cares....they may be busy actually driving their bike, or didn't see me. But the Uly........that has elicited some weird assed responses. Some cruiser riders, just apparently incorrectly identify the Uly as a sport bike and either give me a look of disgust or pretend they don't see me. Which is damn near impossible, especially when I've seen 'em look at me. The second type of rider waves....but hesitantly, and certainly not if he's riding point for the group. Then once one of them waves, it becomes okay for the rest, but you can see the confusion on their unhelmeted heads. The third is the true Harley guy who knows what he's looking at. These guys get it, and I get the most enthusiastic responses from these guys. One guy almost wrecked himself, another was sitting alongside the road on his bike, and threw the most enthusiastic thumbs up I'd ever seen. By and large, the Harley guys that "get" what a Buell is and about give me the thumbs up. No point to my post, I just found the weird dimension to the oft discussed "wave" to be interesting. __________________ Song Pick of the Week 07/02 Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Ever wonder if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's all about? I'm not foul mouthed. I just like to use the eff word. A LOT!

04-30-2007, 03:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
intimid8er It's A Conspiracy Joined: May 2005 Bike: '06 XB12X Location: 27 44'17.07" N 82 45'20.16" W Sharkbait Posts: 9,102	Clint if we ever meet. You would be one of the first people I'd toss the keys to without hesitation. Pics are coming. __________________ Song Pick of the Week 07/02 Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Ever wonder if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's all about? I'm not foul mouthed. I just like to use the eff word. A LOT!

05-01-2007, 12:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
intimid8er It's A Conspiracy Joined: May 2005 Bike: '06 XB12X Location: 27 44'17.07" N 82 45'20.16" W Sharkbait Posts: 9,102	BTW Clint..... 2+ years, and almost 5K in posts, and that's the best you can come up with for my first custom title? I thought you were a little more creative than that? __________________ Song Pick of the Week 07/02 Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Ever wonder if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's all about? I'm not foul mouthed. I just like to use the eff word. A LOT!

05-01-2007, 01:13 PM	#13 (permalink)
Louis Administrator Joined: Sep 2003 Bike: SV650S '05 (Blue) Location: Gatineau, QC, Canada Posts: 10,626	__________________ Louis

04-30-2007, 11:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
SKTR Clunked into first gear Joined: Nov 2005 Bike: Suz Marauder VZ800, Kaw Fll 250; Sons Suz Intruder LC1500, Yam YZ 125 Location: Ortonville MI betw Pontiac-Flint Posts: 246	Congrats Dude ! Sounds Like It Was A Great Choice And Experience For You. Like Others Was Enjoying Your Literary Skills Describing The Test Rides, So The Exuberance Of The New Thrills And Funs Will Be A Great Substitute. Enjoy It All And Know You Will. Jim

04-30-2007, 12:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Apertureguy Bridal Boutique Manager Joined: Jun 2006 Bike: 2006 Blue M50 Location: New York Posts: 2,920	Sounds like a load of fun...I should be test driving one of those at Americade.

05-01-2007, 05:40 AM	#9 (permalink)
65460 Where Am I ? Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 27	People are really unaware on how good of a bike a Buell is. Im 53 years old and have had everything form a Harley to a Honda VFR1000, encluding some bikes some people have never heard of (Rokon) and my Buell XB12S Lightning is probably the most enjoying bike Ive ever had. Just a great all around package that most people will never give a second thought to because of the relationship to Harley. Too bad, because they really dont know what they're missing. Glad your Uly is giving to enjoyment, make sure you get the service manual for it, its worth the price.

05-01-2007, 01:16 PM	#14 (permalink)
davidc83 Seat Tester Joined: Apr 2007 Bike: 2006 Suzuki gz250 Location: Scottsburg, Indiana Posts: 82	Louis, my settiments exactly. No pics, no bike, Hey Intimi8er, where are the pics.

05-01-2007, 01:23 PM	#15 (permalink)
MagnumForce Throttle Jockey Joined: May 2005 Bike: 05 M50, 06 CBR600F4i Location: Sitting on the can... duh! Posts: 3,159	Hey Tim, congrats on getting the Buell! So I guess you either sold or traded the M50. I am really trying not to pursue another bike, but whenever I go to the Honolulu HD dealership, it seems the XB-12R Firebolt is calling my name! __________________ "I love the smell of toner in the morning… it's the smell of victory!" MAJ M, Staff Officer

05-01-2007, 02:06 PM	#17 (permalink)
techgesture Brought his own beer Joined: May 2006 Bike: '05 Black M50 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 830	I was really hoping to hear the rest of your reviews before you bought... sounds like though that Buell bit you hard. Very cool to hear you enthusiastic about it. I took the MSF class at Harley and we learned on Buell Blast... Granted, not the Uly... but the Blast to me just didnt have a "quality" feel to me.

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