| Author | Message | ||
     Trakmastr |
I am looking to buy soon. Anyone have negatives about the Uly that might be nice to know before I buy? I rode a 07 Tiger and like the motorcycle ( handling and comfort ) but the noise in the cockpit on the freeway made me crazy. I would hate the need to buy countless windshields or seats right from the get go just to try and make it work. We're talking upwards of $10k for either motorcycle. I own a 96 S1 and love it! ( bought in 96 and have about 32k on it now ) I love the Uly's looks and all but I am 5'7" and wonder if I might have too much of a problem with the height. ( the XT is way more than I might want to spend. ) Has there been a problem with wind noise or other issues that are very annoying and might need addressing right up front? Thanks Dazed and Confused | ||
| Old_mil |
The Uly is a great bike, but it's tall. At 5'8" with a 29" inseam, it's all I can handle. If you have an inseam that is shorter, you may have to look into lowering it. However the Tigers that I've seen have been every bit as tall, and heavier to boot. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Check out the new XB12XT. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Isn't it the same price as a Uly with bags? | ||
| M2nc |
The Uly is very similar to your S1. I have the Uly and the M2. The M2 actually shakes more than the Uly. The M2 handles slower and more stable in comparison to the very quick handling Uly. The M2 finds the ground quicker even with a 1" up, 1" back riser than the Uly. The M2 with the Sportser cams has more low end torque but less top end power than the Uly. With a 29" inseam I am on the balls of my feet on either bike since I had to get the Corbin seat to help with the distance rides on the M2. The Uly is much more comfortable, capable of traveling comfortably past the ranges on the M2. The Uly rear suspension is heads and shoulders better than the under bike rear shock of the M2. It handles weight the M2 just can't. In comparison to the Tiger, the Uly has less motor for sport biking, but as good for touring. The Uly will match the Tiger in the twisties if not throw in a little quicker. The Uly will spank the Tiger in comfort especially two up. And lastly the Uly does not have windshield turbulence though less wind protection than the Tiger. As for negatives on the Uly, fan noise and heat in ambient temperatures north of 90°F. Oh that last negative is a plus in colder temperatures. I was hunging the frame on the ride home last night. | ||
| Littlefield |
I switched from a Ulysses to a 1050 Tiger recently. I owned the Ulysses for about a year and put 7000 miles on it. IMO, the only solid negative on the Ulysses is the low speed control. A combination of fairly high bottom gear with a coggy engine at low rpms. In parking lot situations where you're trying to balance sharp turning with throttle control it's a pain. Other than that it's all personal preference. I owned a Speed Triple when the Ulysses was purchased so I didn't want to get a Tiger at that time. The V-twin gets the nod from stoplight to stoplight and is adequate on the road. But all around I prefer the triple, it's sweet and smooth. Definitely more powerful. The more conventional chassis geometry on the Tiger feels better to me. The Buells are rated tops in cornering but it always felt more quick than stable to me, almost to the point of being touchy. I agree the Ulysses seat and wind protection are superior but I find the Tiger seating position a little better. Both are plenty comfortable. Luckily I was able the use the Ulysses hard bags on the Tiger. One thing for sure, the BadWed is tops. Most of the stuff on the Tiger forums is about farkles. Odd because the Speed Triple groups are good. Anyway, decide what's important to you a see which fits the best. Proximity to a decent dealer is important, also. | ||
| Iugradmark |
Both bikes are excellent. I'm not sure where you live but a couple of items to consider are riding temperatures and amount of slow riding in traffic areas that you might be doing. The Buell does not like slow speeds unless you go the conversion route. Heat is a highly debated topic on this board but I have found it to be an issue when temps get above 80 her in Northern California while others are fine with it. To avoid a rehash here, just do a quick search on engine heat or fan noise and make your own conclusion as to whether you think it will be a problem for you. | ||
| Treadmarks |
If you enjoy working on your bike (farkling) go with the Uly. I went from a tiger to the Uly. In the two years of riding the tiger daily, I had zero problems. It was a very worthy machine. I went with thunder bike exhaust and crashbars with a corbin seat. It never overheated in traffic, and was always very smooth. That being said...I find the uly a much more fun bike, even in high heat and traffic. The uly is way more comfortable than the tiger, for me. at 5'10" with a 30" inseam-I can ride the uly all day. Two hours on the tiger and it was time for a break. There is just something about the Uly that makes me grin every time I ride it. Good luck with your choice, as they are both great rides. | ||
| Jim_williams |
This is a timely thread for me. Last summer, I was bike shopping. It was down to a Tiger 1050, Uly or KTM 990. I wanted the ULY, but, I didn't want to wait until the 08's came out, and, got antsy. I needed a new bike now!!  Anyway, I bought a Tiger. It is a great bike. It's very comfortable. I really like it, but, I can't get that Uly out of my mind! I've been thinking about it, literally, since the day I brought my Tiger home. I've more or less decided to sell the Tiger and am currently looking for a pre-owned 08 Uly. They're more or less non existant as of yet, but, I expect to start seeing them pop up in the next couple months. Anyway, I'll be watching this thread closely! | ||
| Crusty |
Buy a Uly. | ||
| Bigkuri |
I've only owned a Uly for 2 months - 1500 odd miles.... But, I used to own a GS adv (poor me), and both before and after owning it I took out a Tiger for a long weekend test ride. The before was the old 955, and the after the 1050. Both were uncomfortable. Both seemed to have more sports-bike grunt than the Uly. The 955 seemed a lot softer set up - not in a good way, and in comparison the 1050 was a lot better around corners. The Uly is way better at turning in, and lean angle (I think - it felt like it). Also the Uly is better at the lights - the torque comes into play. I really wanted a Tiger - hence the two weekend test rides (which I had to pay for!), but the Uly is just more fun. If I had no car, I'd most likely get a Tiger, however anything else (for my needs) - then the Uly hands down. Depends what you want it for though - the Tiger, once farkled, is most likely better in the dirt (but better than the GS on the road)... It'll never be as comfortable as the Uly for touring though. The GS was awful for touring - my height, weight, and riding style did just not get on with it. The Tiger was a lot nicer than the GS for my use - that's why I sold it and took out a Tiger afterwards, however I just liked the attitude of the Uly and so was won over completely by it. Like said above - if you like to farkle, or work on your own bikes, then its the Uly hands down. Good luck - you cannot go wrong either way in a certain perspective!  PS - the Uly SOUNDS better!  (Message edited by bigkuri on February 04, 2008) | ||
| Bigkuri |
BTW - I try a lot of bikes before buying anything! I also took the KTM 990 out for a whole week - a rental type deal. It was magnificent, however that seat was a killer on the freeway, and the mechanical issues scared me a little - simply due to the expense. It was very nice though - I probably would have chosen that over the Tiger too. | ||
| Jmhinkle |
I recently got rid of my Uly after several problems. On my short list were the 1)Tiger 1050 2)Multistrada 1100 and 3)KTM 990 ADV. If those didn't work I was going the sport-touring route. In the beginning I was leaning towards the Tiger because of all the things I have heard about it and price seemed good. I hated it. It was the most awkward ride I've ever been on. I found the cockpit just plain wrong to the point of worse than the Ulysses. On the highway the blast was far worse than my Uly, but with bad turbulence to go along. I've always heard the triple was the perfect combo of the v-twin and inline 4. It was nothing different than an inline 4 to me. Felt like it had no torque at all. The brakes were great, but the suspension sucked so it was hard to tell. The Ducati was last on my list because of price for the S model, but was 2nd to ride because the Triumph dealer is the Ducati dealer. I took the Multistrada out and 5 miles into the ride I knew this was the bike. It is the most absolutely perfect bike to me or for me depending on how you look at it. I've got just under 1000 miles in 2 months, but we've had snow, ice and rain on and off for 3 weeks of that time. I have only added the handguards to the bike, a 14t front sprocket because it was geared too tall for commuting, and the topcase off my Uly along with a few small farkles here and there. I bought the Gel seat, not for comfort, but for the grippy material it has. I decided not to swap it because the stock seat is fabulous for comfort and put the gel seat up for sale. It took me 17 months to get 6000 miles on my Uly between the problems and lingering hatred of it. I never got to the KTM because I loved the Duc so much. Everyday with it is just pure heaven and it seems like it runs better with every mile I put on it. My Uly was a nightmare in every sense and every day was an attempt to make it run right/better or be more stable/comfortable/reassuring. If those bikes are your two choices and your not sure of having to tweak on 10K+ motorcycles, broaden your scope. You might find something better as I did. I already have less invested in my Ducati than my Uly. Starting price may be higher for a different bike, but if you aren't happy with the cheaper one, you will spend a lot more in the long run on it. Riding a bike should make you feel at peace in motion and rewarded when you are done. You shouldn't be questioning the purchase or the bike itself during every ride. | ||
| Friedduck |
To the OP, I've heard about heat being an issue w/the uly, and on the Tiger some have complained about the transmission being notchy. I've heard complaints about buffeting on the Tiger but it's not bad. Not as clean as the airflow on the Uly but also not a problem. (The R1200GS and KTM 990 Adv both have buffeting, and badly. It was immediately noticeable and clearly something you'd have to deal with.) The suspension on both are good. I'd say the Uly has better chassis control, but I felt immediately confident on the Tiger, and it soaked up potholes and RR crossings without complaint. The Uly feels like it has a more compact riding position and weight distribution. The Tiger has a lanky feel to it. Personally I think I prefer the cockpit of the Uly only because I like the seat (make that love the seat.) In trying to describe the differences I'd say that the Tiger places the rider lower, and the handlebars higher relative to the rider. Of the three (1050) Tigers I've ridden only one had a notchy transmission, and the other two were fine. It has a monster motor, and nice fueling manners. I had no problems with low-speed maneuvering and small throttle openings. About equal with the BMW R1200GS, and better than the KTM 990. The Uly has similarly great throttle control, but I think a higher first gear. No problems with slow speed parking lot stuff there either. The Uly has great power and grunt where you need it, and the Tiger is a monster. A little buzzy, but the vibes on either bike shouldn't be a problem. For me? I think the Uly would be more livable on a daily basis due to the lack of maintenance and the relaxed engine manners (it's not as high-strung.) However I'd be perfectly happy with the Tiger. The motor rips, and on either bike you could ride 500-600 miles a day without breaking a sweat. HTH, Jeff |
