| Author | Message | ||
     Chris_in_tn |
I put 1600 miles on my new Uly riding it to Daytona from TN. I left with 300 miles on it. I varied the speed up and down for a few hundred miles and then said the hell with it and rode it at a constant 80-85mph. It ran flawlessly, and used only about half a quart of oil and now seems to have stopped using any at all. Before leaving I installed some heated grips and you can not put a value on these things in cold weather they seem to warm your whole body. I also put on a Laminar Lip. It works great, takes the air off your body and puts it up at about my chin bar on my helmet( I'm 6'0") there is a little "dirty" air that comes up from the bottom from behind the forks up from the frame. It seems to work better at 90 than 75. I have the three bag set up and they can hold tons of stuff. I had them loaded up to the hilt along with a tent, sleeping bag, fold up chair, and fold-up cooler. I set the suspension up as recommended buy the book for up to 260lbs. and it performed flawlessly. Even with all the weight I have had no wobble, tank slappers or problems as described by others. I tried to replicate it many times and could get no wobble at all. The seat is absolutely the best seat I have ever spent any time on. I have had Corbins and custom seats built and this is by far the best. No burn no sore spots just great. I got to Daytona a couple of years ago on my old Guzzi and was hurting so bad I almost rented a uhaul to bring me and the bike back. I just can't get over how well this bike works for me. I have never been so pleased with a motorcycle. Here are my only complaints, the low speed hic-ups at just above idle it surges and jerks. Not bad just annoying. I would like a little better wind protection from the factory but the after market seems to be getting this straightened out. Also, when you go to check your oil, and have been riding around a camp ground in FL, sand tends to collect around the dip stick and it is nearly impossible to get it clean before you open it up, it always looks like junk will drop off in there. And lastly a problem that has been mentioned here are the flimsy saddle bag latches, they wobble and bend and feel like they may break any time. I have had Hepco Beckers on my Guzzi and they were good bags, just something they will have to address on these bags eventually. I met Mike aka RCK00 at the speedway, seems to be a good guy and lovin' his Uly too. Met a lot of people interested in the bike. Sorry this post is so long but There is a lot to say about this great bike. | ||
| Rkc00 |
Chris, It was great to meet you and and the others down in Daytona. If you are ever in the NYC/Long Island area let me know. Glad you got the Black one!!! Mike Long Island, NY 06 XB12X Black of course (Message edited by rkc00 on March 13, 2006) | ||
| Chris_in_tn |
One of my best friends from my days in the Marine Corps lives in Staten Island. We go up to visit from time too time. Perhaps I'll look you up on our next visit. | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Chris, you must not have been riding on the old G5 Guzzi seat. The G5 seat is the best seat that I have ever used. Installed it on my SP and loved it! The Uly seat is a close second and I enjoy it. | ||
| Chris_in_tn |
The seat I rode to Daytona was a 98EV it was a torture device, had it rebuilt by Rick Mayer in CA while better not as good as the stock Uly seat. I too had a 78 G5, are you sure it was a stock G5 seat because mine was not a seat I would want to spend all day on, the most I ever rode on it was about 350mi. and while not as bad as the EV I can't imagine riding much more than that on it. | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Yep, 80s G5 seat, broad, flat, soft, and long. Passenger loved it to (ok, Lowflyer and Snub, you can make your comments now!). | ||
| Lowflyer |
Slayer, I'm confused. Are you talking about a motorcycle seat or your face?  | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Both! | ||
| Snub13 |
As posted by Slayer: "broad, flat, soft, and long." I thought he was standing in front of a mirror and describing what he was seeing!  | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
YES! | ||
| Crusty |
3090.1 miles from Saturday March 4, to Monday March 13. Leominster, MA to Daytona Beach and surrounding areas and back. When I started out, the temp was 21 degrees F with some pretty strong gusts of wind. It got colder through the hills of Connecticut, but started warming up once I hit New Jersey. Thank God (and my wife) for my electric vest. I had a couple of scares when the wind blew snow across the roadway, but I made it through the patches without incident. The wind didn’t ease up, though. It was “interesting” going over the George Washington Bridge, the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and riding along beside the Airport in Newark. Although the temps were gradually rising as I went south, once the sun went down, so did the temps, and I wound up stopping a little earlier than I had hoped, and got a room in Selma, NC, roughly 750 miles. After that first day, it got progressively warmer, until my last day going home. It’s roughly 1250 miles from home to Daytona; the rest of the mileage was put on riding around the area while I was there. The Ulysses is a GREAT Sport-Tourer. It was rock steady at all speeds on the Interstate up to 95 MPH. The saddlebags are enormous, and can hold everything I’d want to pack, plus 13 souvenir T-shirts for friends and Family; and there was room for more. I had no trouble with the stock windscreen. The windblast hit me around mid chest, and my head was in clean air. I have the low seat on, and I considered taking it off and putting the stock, taller seat back on, but I’m glad I didn’t. The low seat was comfortable enough that my butt didn’t hurt after 750 miles, and it’s easier to mount and dismount with the low seat. The only things that I feel like changing at the present time are I want to install grip heaters, and I’d like some sort of throttle lock. I’d put a Throttlemeister on, but I’d have to sacrifice my hand guards; and they were way too helpful in the cold to get rid of. The more I ride this bike, the more I like it. I can’t wait until this summer, when my wife and I head out to Montana and Idaho. Three weeks and probably 8,000 miles. That’s going to be Fun! | ||
| Coolice |
Good to see ya Crusty, (orange is faster!) Glad to read your ride report, mine was used as the packmule/pitbike all week for the racers so I didn't get to ride much. Hope you liked the ride we did thru the park and along the ocean. See ya at Homecoming? | ||
| Lorazepam |
Crusty, that is the kind of report i like to read. I had planned on going to the MOA national in Vermont, but I think I am going to go west instead, and not have definite plans. How was the fuel range? I sure hope mine gets better over time. The fuel light coming on at 130 miles is a bit early. | ||
| M2nc |
Awesome Crusty and good meeting you. I am a light-weight next to you but still managed 1300+ miles on the trip to Daytona from North Carolina on the Uly. I started the trip at just under 4000 miles and got home with 5300 miles showing on the ticker. I too have the low seat and am not sure I did the right thing or not, but did manage a comfortable 100 miles between stops due to one of the guys in our group riding a short range Yamaha. We also did not hold a stead speed on the way down. We ranged from 75mph-100mph on the way down and the Uly was getting between 40-44 mpg. The group split up on the way back so the range limited Yamaha was not with us. We slowed down to 80mph plus increased the distance between stops to between 140-150 miles. I was okay at that distance but I could feel my legs and butt by then. I am not sure if the Uly low seat is as comfortable as the Corbin on the M2, but the rest of the bike sure is. Gas mileage also improved from 46-52 mpg on the way back home. That is the first time the Uly broke 50mpg with three out of the four legs of the trip averaging 51-52 mpg and the last leg falling off due to traffic. I made it home by 8:30pm which was about 13 hours from the time we broke camp in Deltona. That time includes breakfast at Cracker Barrel by the track, a 30-45 minute stop at Daytona Harley Davidson-Buell (We left Daytona after 10am), two other gas stops and a lunch stop in South Carolina. Wind protection was pretty good considering the small shield. A strong head wind did make me work when we were running north of 80mph but I was having a better time than three of the four other guys since two had no protection, and Jim was on the standard seat and so much taller than me, I'm sure the protection was far less for him. The bike also moved around with the wind. I think the bike is so reactive to commands that the buffeting of the wind was enough to make slight course changes. The bags were great. It took me three trips to unload the bike into the house. I could not believe how much stuff I had on the bike and all in the three bags. The bike with the bags is very stable at speed. Also this is the first bike I have ridden that actually rides better with a load. Be it riding two up or with loaded bags, the Uly settles down with the load and actually rides better than with just me on the bike. All in all it was a great trip. I got to meet so many Badwebbers including Court and the man himself. I think this event tops all the others so far and I have March Badness around the corner. I can not wait. | ||
| Lorazepam |
wow M2, nice report as well. You guys are making me jealous. |
