| Author | Message | ||
     Cabexbx |
It's all about the seat height. I went to a dealer to try the Uly on for size today and came away with second thoughts on the Uly due to the height of the bike. I knew it would be tall for me and I thought it would be ok, but actually seeing the bike and sitting on the bike in person made me have second thoughts. I ruptured my achilles tendon a few years ago so I don't have the same strength and flexibility in my left calf as I do with my right. If it were my right leg that I would be relying on to support me at stops I probably would be ok with the shorter seat (either Corbin or Buell) but because I have a hard time being on the ball of my left foot I don't think I'd be able to flat foot the bike at stops. I won't make a complete determination until I take one for a test ride, but the BMW GS may have just moved up to #1 on my list. | ||
| Dave |
I don't think you are but don't abandon the Ulysses yet. Wait for the low seat. I'm interested in getting the low seat as well and I'm 5'10". The bike is awesome! DAve | ||
| Ftd |
I rode a Ulysses at Biketoberfest with the Buell Low seat. I am 5'11" with a 32" inseam. I could almost touch flat footed. Seat was 1 3/4 inches lower than stock. Frank | ||
| Blake |
In addition to the lower seat, did you try adjusting the suspension preload towards max sag (minimum preload)? | ||
| Dave |
Blake, After riding my Uly for about a month now, I'd caution anyone contemplating buying a Ulysses on compensating for seat height by setting to minimum preload. How would that affect suspension performance with a rider that's 5ft 7in & a lean 220lbs? DAve | ||
| Jim_sb |
Dave, Glendale HD/Buell had the rear preload dialed down on their demo bike. It still left grins all over my face. I'm right around 200 pounds. I've got mine set a little more snug. Still waiting to see Buell's low seat to decide it I'll get theirs or Corbin's. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Daves |
The suspension should be set up properly. Doing otherwise will affect the handling. Maybe not as much as on the short wheelbase XBs but? | ||
| Cabexbx |
I don't think compromising the suspension is the best way to accomodate the ride height. It just seems to be counterproductive. I want the best suspension capabilities. I will wait for the low seat to see if that works for me. For the record I'm about 5'9" with a 30 inch inseam. | ||
| Rhinowerx |
If the GS is an option that fits your budget, I'd say go for it - I doubt you'll be unhappy with it. | ||
| Jim_sb |
We all want the suspension set properly. But let's face it, Buell goofed up on the seat height on this model and in the meantime we do what we have to do. Lowering the rear by reducing pre-load generally makes a bike more stable and slows turn-in. That is not a recipe for problems. If you want a GS, go buy one, they are fine bikes. I'm keeping my Uly and I'll be getting a low seat. In the meantime I'm riding it and enjoying it. Just have to think a little more when coming to a stop. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Can't the rear shock be modified by some manufacturer to make it shorter thereby lowering the rear. Then open the triple clamps on the front to level out the bike. You'd lose an inch or whatever in travel but so what. I don't want to hear how it will affect the handling except to make it better because then the guy wouldn't be on his tippy toes at the stop sign. The Lightning Long has shorter shocks and forks and it has the same frame. My suggestion would just put the ULY somewhere in between. Personally, I've got to have good padding for my butt or it takes the fun out of riding real fast. The low seat can't be as comfortable as the stock seat for the long haul. I've got about a 33" inseam but when I've sat on a demo Uly my feat certainly weren't flat footed. An inch lower would help. | ||
| Dave |
Jim- I won't agree with the opinion that Buell goofed on the seat height. May be clever marketing.... That said, I may just be in denial due to my slightly biased feelings towards the line.  DAve | ||
| Smcnamara |
Jim_sb said: "But let's face it, Buell goofed up on the seat height on this model and in the meantime we do what we have to do." I disagree completely with you here, as I find the Uly to be at just about the perfect height for me. If it were a few inches shorter, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much. I realize that it's quite tall for many folks, but hopefully the lower seat will solve those problems for them. I'd hate to see Buell change the design, since it's one of the features I really like. If folks really find it too tall, why not get a Lightning Long and throw the D616 tires on it? It seems like that's what you are really after. Being that the bike is somewhat of a big-bore supermoto, I don't find the seat height out of line for that type of bike at all. The Suzi DRZ-400SM is quite long legged, but I don't hear many of it's riders clammoring to bring it down lower. E.B. & Co, I hope you keep the Uly pretty much as is, as I'm finding it to be just about the perfect bike for me (and enjoying it more by the mile.) -Sean P.S. I will, however, happily buy a taller screen when one becomes available. :-) (Message edited by smcnamara on November 04, 2005) | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hello Sean, I own a 2004 DRZ400S and a Ulysses and I have not lowered the suspension at all on either. Manufacturer's claims aside, it's harder for me to ride the XB12X. And I've ridden the DRZ in some very challenging single track trail conditions. Deep ruts, rocks, sand, etc. The Uly effectively is among the tallest bikes offered by any manufacturer because when you sit on it (if the suspension has been adjusted for your weight) there is little give. Bikes such as the DRZ start out taller but actually provide more access to terra firma due to a combination of a more supple suspension and a narrower seat. IMHO the way BMW did it on the GS is superior with the seat being adjustable (up or down) to accommodate the rider. Buell Marketing requested this feature on the Uly but Engineering couldn't come up with a way of providing that feature that maintained acceptable seat / frame visual lines (I heard the gaps became unacceptably large). The suspension on the Lightning Low is simply unacceptable for extended off pavement use and defeats the purpose of owning a Uly. One may as well go buy a GS. Dropping the Uly's height by lowering the suspension, while technically feasible, is not preferable. When off pavement ground clearance can be critical plus the suspension requires room to do it's job well. I must tip-toe to reach terra firma on the Uly. I can flat-foot a brand spanking new GS - with the seat higher up than the lowest position. The Uly is still my first choice despite the excess height. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Rhinowerx |
You guys talk about the Uly being tall, ever sat on/ridden a KTM950? Now that somonabeech is tall. Lowering options exist for the GS, beyond the seat adjustment... | ||
| M2nc |
Okay, I'm 5'7 and 210#. I have the preload set soft, but not to the minimum. In fact the front is set at 5 of 8 lines and the rear is at 7 of 20 turns. I have increase compression and rebound damping and the bike handles and rides great. It does dive a bit too much under braking, but other than that, it's perfect. I can get the balls of my feet down on both sides or flat foot my left foot with my right foot on the rear brake. I have become use to it and like the height now. I just rode through heavy traffic (Okay, heavy for these parts) and could see easily over or through any vehicle in front of me. You know your on a good perch when you are looking down at the guys in the standard half-ton pick ups. I will probably look at the the lower seats (Corbin or Stock Low), but I do not know if I will like it. | ||
| Dave |
... I hear riding a horse is tall too! Some may prefer a lil Pony that's closer to the ground. (hahahaha) DAve | ||
| Half_buell |
wow, I can't believe this I'm 5'6 & with the corbin seat I'm totally in love with this machine. I can flat foot either side but not at the same time of course but I'm not having any trouble in riding it anywhere. The main thing I guess is you got to be happy. I'm taking this bike to Alaska when I retire in 07& after that all over NA . I put on 70k on my first sporty&49k on the one I traded for the uly. I hope I can meet some of you folks you all sound cool. I'm full Buell now. Amen | ||
| Lowflyer |
Wow. This is one dead **********ing horse.  My advice is to just avoid the Uly if you think you can't handle the seat height. | ||
| Blake |
Preload/sag does not significantly affect the "softness" or "harshness" of the ride. Damping affects those characteristics. "After riding my Uly for about a month now, I'd caution anyone contemplating buying a Ulysses on compensating for seat height by setting to minimum preload. How would that affect suspension performance with a rider that's 5ft 7in & a lean 220lbs?" The main effect would be less ground clearance, less compression travel and more rebound travel. Increase the compression damping accordingly to prevent bottoming out. Being not a real tall man, Erik Buell himself recommended reducing spring preload to lower the bike for the not so long legged Uly rider. Preload adjusts ratio of compression to rebound travel and ground clearance. Short of the suspension bottoming out, preload/sag adjustmets to not noticeably affect softness or harshness of ride. Ride softness/harshness fall to the effects of the damping settings including the fork oil viscosity. | ||
| Blake |
Lowflyer, You ain't seen a dead horse here on BadWeB if you think this is one.  This horse is still in full gallop. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
One would think that after noting all the women and short folks and amputees and people with MS and people with other disabilities that had bought Buells because of the low seat height they'd know better than to make the Uly so tall... or at least offer some easy options to shorten the Uly a bit! | ||
| Wasions |
Maybe they made it that way so the rest of us could ride Buells, uhm, Shorty.   Steve Gear up! | ||
| Blake |
Buellgrrrl, Let's take your commentary and change it around a bit... One would think that after noting all the tall guys and people with long legs that didn't buy a Buell because of their diminutive size and crampish ergonomics, they'd know better than to not make the Uly so tall, since they at least offer a model, the XB9S Low that is especially for short people. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Why do we have to have some bikes for short people and some for tall folks- these aren't bicycles where an ideal ergonomic distance is needed between the pedals and seat. Given some adjustment in things like footpeg height, handlebar reach, seat height, etc. it should be possible for the same Buell frame to fit 1st through 99th percentile sized riders. Think in terms of a Uly with ride height adjustment front and rear, a height adjustable seat, and maybe a handlebar "pillow" with two or three sets of mounting slots to put the handlebars forward or aft as needed. This would give us a Uly with say a 29-35 inch adjustable seat height with the option of hard bags and a longer seat for passengers as well as more fuel capacity that the XB9S Low doesn't have. | ||
| Court |
EAST TROY, WI - Buell Motorcycle Company, an innovative designer and manufacturer of Americana made v-twin motorcycles, has today announced a program without precedent in the history of vehicle marketing. Buell, as the result of some extraordinary research, development and engineering by an exceedingly odd group of engineers, has actually produced a motorcycle that is better than 49.7% of human bodies. To that end, in an effort to enfranchise more potential buyers and to satisfy the outcries of loyal owners, Buell has announced a program to physically alter "lacking" owners, those with known physical "SHORT-comings", to make them suited to the unique ergonomics of the recently introduced Ulysses. Commencing in the 1st quarter of 2006 certain Buell dealers will travel to the Wisconsin College of Orthopedic Surgery (where Founder and CTO Erik Buell has an unlimited account) where they will receive specialized instruction in "lengthening the lacking lacky" . . also billed as "making •••• fit". Preference will be giving to potential buyers LONGING to own a Buell. Owners, at first understandably skeptical, have hailed the news with enthusiasm. In fact, additional programs, with similar goals are now in demand. Programs requested have been "Make a Brit Behave". . . "Buell 12 Step Program for folks with 12 Buells" . . . "Make me go to the Firehouse at least once a week" and "why wicker". Applications from folks of diminutive physical stature may be downloaded at www.buell.com. Applicants should state their inseam, riding style and choice of anesthesia as well as providing a preferred date. Buell . . . everything, to everybody . . ALL THE TIME | ||
| Brotherbuell |
***Press Release**** LONDON, ENGLAND - The Tower of London sues Buell Motorcycle Co. for patent infringement on leg lengthening scheme. (Message edited by Brotherbuell on November 05, 2005) | ||
| Lowflyer |
"You ain't seen a dead horse here on BadWeB if you think this is one. This horse is still in full gallop." Yeah, you're right. So, given that the Uly has such a high seat height, which brand of motor oil is the best and how should I break in my motor?  | ||
| Crusty |
Use Pirelli Demon oil for the break in, and Michelin Synthetic Pilots after the first filter change.  | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Lowflyer, I am sure you know which type of oil to use and how to break in your engine, I am just surprised that you did not mention the limited steering lock!  By the way, I have a 33" inseam and become accustomed to the height. WHAT HEIGHT ISSUE? |
