| Author | Message | ||
     Caffeinedreamz |
Just wanted to say hi and thank you to everyone on bad web! I have found a ton of useful info here and some great stories... very inspiring. I used to do a lot of long cross country stuff in a jeep… still love jeeps  but until I master the two wheel trick on the jeep, I’ll probably ride my bike as much as possible and see where the ully takes me If you are even slightly considering Ulysses… you won’t regret it. I never really had a passion for bikes, like you would for girls or guitars, until I got to ride a Buell Little info for anyone interested, I recently traded a new xb9sx, after only barely breaking it in lol, for a brand new ully… lost a couple bucks, but what the hell worth every damn penny, best bike in the world… after having so much fun on the xb9, I realized I’d be needing to make longer more comfy trips with no particular destination in mind… the ully is even more FUN and now I have a bike that’s not just for errands around town anymore. By the way I met “southern marine” from the site here while trading my bike, nice guy & hiya if you read this... Wanted to chime in on a few topics I have read about here. I won’t even pretend to have 2 cents. My opinions are just out of the miles I’ve ridden. 1. kickstand… y’all had me so fu**ing paranoid, I had the bolts replaced just in case! Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson/Buell split the cost with me, after showing them a printout of the broken bolts here on bad web they agreed I shouldn’t have to worry about it. “Replace and locktight”. If there is a problem with kickstand bolts backing out, or the kickstand itself, my experience with buell customer service so far tells me they will fix it. They have gone out of their way to answer any q’s I’ve had and seem genuinely interested in customer feedback. 2. Wobble on the ully (mostly) I believe is do to user input (death-grip lol, get used to a cityx then hop on ully for your first time to effectively induce the death-grip scenario without fail!), also floppy cloths, and AIR PRESSURE for sure. I noticed the wobbling/weaving or whatever you want to call it, out the dealer lot at 9 or 10 @ night closing the sale… hour & a half ride home, was pretty much “wtf?” (still with a smile though, figured it was something easy to fix) after getting the tire pressure 36/38 as in manual and adjusting suspension… it’s hardly there now unless really windy out it seems (I do have the side bags) and/or I forget to charge my ipod and have nothing to focus on besides traffic  it might even be me perceiving it now just cause I noticed it at its extreme once. Think I might try a steering dampener for the highways, even if only not to worry about it getting worse? 3. Foot pegs… too damn slippery, imho we really need some like these pictured below. Rather go through soles on boots then worry about sliding boots when the pegs only have a little condensation on them, or I step in a lil' oil, or in a puddle… anyone have any suggestions for some that will fit or can be made to fit on a ully and not change the height of the pegs? It’s my only real complaint about the bike… I’ve tried three different boots/soles… the foot pegs suck, any suggestions besides Velcro on my feet and pegs or double sided sticky tape is appreciated! Anyway, thanks again to everyone for all the great info on this site, owner of the site and people here Seems to be the best place to get real info and feedback about buells, cause so far… lol I have not seen any buells in Wilmington, NC!! Only other one I’ve seen was southern marine’s in Jacksonville… and the FEW on the HD floors (way back over here somewhere (when I asked) near where I live.  | ||
| Ulywife |
Welcome!! You can find Southern_Marine and other NC Buellers on Storm Fronts, C3 (Carolina Corner Carvers). Oldog is from Wilmington and looking for other Buellers. Look him up and say HI on C3. Kristi | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Don, try Cortech Solution boots by Tour Master. My other footwear slipped on the pegs also. When I started using these boots I had to get use to them sticking to the pegs like glue. Now I love them and they are comfortable when off the bike walking around. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Touratech makes some no-slip foot pegs. | ||
| Javadog |
I really like the Touratech footpegs but wish there was some way to mount them so they would be an inch lower than the stock position. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Anyone thought of sharpening the "waffle" on the stockers with a triangular file? Perhaps something to do while watching TV? | ||
| Caffeinedreamz |
Howdy Ulywife and thank you Way dig the touratech site Lowflyer! Wicked, prices seem pretty reasonable to looks exactly like what I was looking for... Natexlh1000, I actually thought about that, just don't know if I can get my bike in the front door an into my living room so I can watch TV while I do it Your probably right though, I think that might be best quick option/solution, but still think buell really needs to change those pegs, they seem to be a bit unsafe as slippery as they are. I'd hate to hear of someone standing up and slipping off these pegs. Aside from oil/grease or water... even a little sand on em' could pose a problem? no? I'd like my feet to stay where I put them, just the vibrations of the bike make my boots slide around a bit. and thanks for the boot suggestion Dragon... I just googled those up... they look comfy to | ||
| Thunderbox |
Welcome to the Bad Web. If you are as happy with your Uly as I am with mine you are in love. Congradulations on chosing a bike with heart over a bike with HP figures. | ||
| Lowflyer |
I wear the Aerostich Combat Touring Boots and they stick to the stock pegs under most conditions. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Congrats on the Uly. You're mistaken on the "wobble". I've ridden tens of thousands of miles on Buells - not to mention other street bikes and a dirt bike, my Uly will wobble when it wants to with hands on or off the bars. The only time I feel like the wobble is a problem is in sand or deep gravel when it has come dangerously close to a tank-slapper a couple of times. I was standing on the pegs both of those times which I now believe exacerbated the situation a bit - the low bars cause me to lean forward while standing placing too much weight on the front tire. I'll switch tires at some point and see what impact (if any) that has on the situation. For street riding it's fine, the occasional wobble is only a curious occurrence, but sand requires caution. On Sunday I ran into a stretch of sand on a long dirt road and stayed seated with my weight as far back as possible. The Uly wobbled a bit more than I would prefer but not as badly as my prior encounters. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Spoof |
My Sidi Discoveries grip well n the stock pegs--with a titch of slippage in the wet. Someone drilled their stock pegs and screwed in their own spiky pins. I've seen other guys file down the stock "peg tread" and then wrap them with skateboard style grip tape. Fastways has said it'll take a lot more interest before they seriously consider a peg set for the Ulysses. just fyi | ||
| Lowflyer |
I think the 'wobble' -- like the chin-spoiler contact issue -- is specific to certain bikes, load configurations, and/or riders and not generally characteristic of the Uly. Mine has never had any sort of wobble at any speed or under any conditions and has never bumped its chin on the front tire. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hello Lowflyer, Have you ridden the bike in sand say about 4" deep or more? BTW I did have my bike checked by the dealership, they said the steering head was set within the acceptable range per the FSM but at the "tight" end of the range. FYI my serial # is in the 900 range so it's not like I got the first bike out of the shed. Regards, Jim in SB | ||
| Lowflyer |
Mine is #650. I have ridden it on dirt and in the mud, but no sand. I should qualify my former post to say that I consider a 'wobble' in the context of this discussion as any oscillation that would not be considered normal or reasonable given the circumstances. Circumstances such as worn tires, high winds, mechanical problems, deep sand, mud, ruts, washboard, etc... where most any bike would exhibit a 'wobble' is sort of outside of the Uly wobble phenomenon as I understand it. I have no data to back me up, but I would guess that 4 inches of sand, 500-pound bike, 200-pound rider, and 17-inch front tire will always result in wobble to some degree. If you have a wobble in deep sand, an easy fix would be to avoid deep sand.  Cheers, Lee | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hello Lee, I've seen guys ride alongside me on big KTM's and BMW GS bikes that weigh as much or more than the Ulysses in sand far deeper than 4". How about in sand dune depth? And no, they don't have the wobble my bike exhibits in a little bit of sand. You suggest the 17" wheel, and that may be the cause, but I suspect it is the aggressive geometry of the bike that makes it such a joy to flick around on the street. BTW, I only get the wobble under 2 scenarios - the previously discussed deceleration wobble at say 45mph which is no big deal so far and in sand or loose gravel about 4" deep or so (haven't had it in anything deeper yet) which nearly spit me off the bike twice. It does great on dirt, hard pack, typical gravel roads and gets through ruts / washboard okay if you manage your speed and line. My front tire is still in fine shape. As for avoiding the sand, sure, it would be nice, but ya' know sometimes it's between you and where you need to go! I'm not crying "uncle". I'll keep tweaking things and if I decide I need more stability I'll get a steering damper which I believe will resolve the matter. That sounds like more fun than avoiding sand. Best, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Lowflyer |
Hey Jim, I suggest the combination of 17-inch wheels and 700 pounds of bike/rider do not make for easy going in the sand. It is Hell in ruts as well; especially with the wide bars. I hadn't thought of the tighter steering geometry, but that fits into my combination of things that, working in concert, could not reasonably be expected to perform well in deep sand. The Uly is not really very comparable to the GS or the KTM insofar as off-road ability is concerned. Those two bikes have decades of off-road racing engineering behind their designs. The Uly is a street bike with "agressively-treaded" street tires, "adventure" styling, and a long-travel suspension. At least that is my observation/opinion based on my Uly experience. Your decel-wobble is puzzling to me. The point of my whole wobble discussion is that I doubt that I could live with any wobble where I would not expect wobbling. Have you test-rode other Ulys and experienced the same thing? Cheers, Lee | ||
| Roadrailer |
The Uly is not really very comparable to the GS or the KTM insofar as off-road ability is concerned. Those two bikes have decades of off-road racing engineering behind their designs. The Uly is a street bike with "agressively-treaded" street tires, "adventure" styling, and a long-travel suspension. At least that is my observation/opinion based on my Uly experience. Thank you!!!!!! | ||
| Lorazepam |
Mine does the decel wobble, but it only happens with hands off the bars. Goes away with a touch. NBD | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hello Lee, The decel wobble seems to be induced by engine vibrations. Very noticeable on a freeway exit ramp decelerating downhill in 5th gear through 45 mph (throttle off). Even with hands on the bars it's quite noticeable. Others have reported similar symptoms. It appears to be an engine harmonic being transmitted through the rubber mounts. Again, a non-issue. In the sand it does not appear related to speed or gear, but standing on the pegs exacerbates the issue. Stay seated with your weight back. I have not ridden my Uly "off road". I have ridden it hundreds of miles on gravel and dirt roads, as it was marketed (and designed). Out here (SoCal) those roads will have sections of deep gravel or sand from time to time. There's no reason why the Ulysses should have to avoid that, it's not a traction issue (front or rear). I'm really thinking it's the geometry and that the end result (for me) will be a steering damper. I realize many folks won't want to take their Uly's off pavement, I am not one of those people. I plan on riding mine to Alaska and back eventually. If it's going to exhibit any off pavement quirks I want to find out about them down here, not up there. I also want to do some Baja trips. If your bike can't handle a little bit of sand, I recommend you avoid Baja entirely or remain on pavement only. Best regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Adrian_8 |
Simple footpeg fix...I have posted this before but one more time..yes.. I thought the pegs were slippery too.. I drilled and tapped the pegs and put four stainless steel pointed set screws in each peg between the rows of the squares and locktited the nuts on the underneath side. No more slip. | ||
| Aeholton |
Adrian_8 - Can you post or pm a picture of your modified pegs? |
