| Author | Message | ||
     Maximum |
About a year ago I did a Badweb write up about the conversion of my 2006 Barricade Orange Ulysses to a one of a kind Sunset Orange (Red’ish) Ulysses. See previous post here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142838/268757.html Although I have tweaked a few things since then, I have had many ideas floating around my head over the past six months (mostly because of many of my fellow Badwebbers)…and well…I guess that I finally built up the courage to attempt many of them. So here is a new write up that I am titling “Metamorphous 2008”; but I could have titled “a fist full of dollars" (as this has become a pretty expensive Uly), or “Red is fastest, but Redder is Better" (as I switched from the red’ish color of Sunset Orange to the redder Racing Red). Here is a list of all the updates for this year: 1. Switched color to Racing Red 2. Powder coated wheels and some frame sections Black 3. Powder coated forks and rear spring red 4. Installed 2008 XB12X fork clamps and cable race 5. Added American Sport Bike breather catch can and K&N filter 6. Converted to full open inner airbox 7. Adjusted XM antennae location 8. Added Tuber (Hella) horn 9. Added HID lighting…times FOUR!!!!! As not to build too much suspense (I know that some of you guys are pretty old), here is the end result...  Many of these upgrades started with a simple desire last year to upgrade my steering lock capacity by switching to the 2008 upper and lower fork clamps. I began to get ideas for some other items that I wanted to change, so I started gathering up the needed parts, and was just waiting for the courage to start. About a month ago…I spent a half day in the garage, and this is what I ended up with...  It is amazing how easy this bike is to take apart, it kind of reminded me of the summer of ’83 when at the age of 18 I decided to dismantle my mothers 1977 Toyota Corolla SR5 liftback with the brilliant idea to turn it into a Hotrod! Well after stripping the car and pulling the engine, I joined the Army and left my parents with a shell of a car and boxes of parts. Although stripping the Uly down did invoke memories of the previous Toyota project…I did learn one valuable lesson; “never have friends help you to take something apart that you will be putting back together by alone". While parts were off getting powder coated I decided to take care of some unfinished business. Back in March I did an airbox and breather mod that were somewhat experimental (see http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142838/343000.html). Well I ended up cutting off the rest of my inner airbox cover to create my an “open airbox" system.  I decided that I really liked my “XM antennae under the airbox" mod, but that I wanted to move the antennae further forward. I picked up a piece of Lexan from lowe’s to create a way to better position my XM antennae and to organize the hoses and wires under the airbox. This is what I ended up with...  Moving the XM antennae about four inches forward actually eliminated all of my reception issues I had while riding north; it works great in any direction now! Of course the other piece of unfinished business from before was how to terminate my engine breather reroute job. I was trying to come up with an idea that looked good, but was cost effective. Well, I guess one out of 2 is not bad! I ended up going all out with a breather catch can and K&N breather filter from Al at American Sport Bike. Not cheap, but after seeing all the water and crap that comes out of the catch can after only one tank of fuel, I can’t believe that I ever let that stuff just go right back into the intake!   Ever since I had my header ceramic coated black I have wanted my Uly wheels powder coated black, and I decided to just go ahead and get some of the other parts done at the same time (which is why I ended up with the bike stripped down to the frame and engine). But it was probably a good thing that I had to pull out my bearings from the wheels for the powder coating process, because this is what I found...  At 23,000 miles, who knows how much longer those bearing would have lasted. Since I was in the mood for a little non-mind-altering experimentation…I just went ahead and mounted some Avon Distanzia tires on those newly painted wheels.   We all know who started the 2008 fork clamp upgrade business, thanks “Treadmarks" for being the “test pilot" for this conversion! Although I knew that I wanted to do this conversion, my main concern was how do it and still have the ability to lock my steering when parked. Fortunately “Markog” came to the rescue there and made an extra replacement pin for me while he was doing his conversion. With the switch apart, all I had to do was swap the pins!   I knew that fork clamps and other Uly parts would look great black...  But what should I do with the forks? Well since I was going to be switching the bike the racing red…why not some red forks? I don’t know...would it look good, or would it be too over-the-top? Oh well, life is too short to be indecisive.   The powder coating company had a minimum order charge for each color, so what else can I have painted red to get my money’s worth? How about the rear shock spring? Sure, why not?   With the black wheels and the red reflective wheel accents, the shock ended up looking pretty cool!   Of course while I had the whole front end off, I decided to go ahead and also upgrade to the 2008 steering cable race, which is much larger and more protective.  Since I was switching from Sunset Orange to Racing Red, I would also need to re-dye the aft portion of my 07 seat to more of a red. Last year I had an upholstery shop dye my seat for me (at the cost of $100)…but this year I decided to do it myself. So I went to the automotive paint store and found some SEM brand vinyl dye in a color called Flame Red. I have used this stuff before on some vinyl office chairs and it worked great, so I figured that for $12 a can it would be worth a try on the Uly.  It ends up that the Flame Red is a very close match to Racing Red! So I went ahead and dyed/painted my seat, and while I was at it I decided to dye my triple tail too! Again, is it over-the-top? Maybe, but I think that it turned out nice. My bike may be featured on an upcoming episode of “Pimp my Buell"!   While I had the front all apart, it would be a good time to add a voltage monitor to the instrument cluster. I had actually purchased one back in December after having both my stator, voltage regulator, and “77 connector" fail on me (all separate occurrences). Luckily Ft_bstrd installed the same voltage monitor earlier this year, so again I had someone paving the way for my upgrades! I elected to install mine in the bottom left blank of the instrument cluster, and I fabricated a clear lens from leftover Lexan. I scuffed up the Lexan a bit to help diffuse the light from the LED a little and make it look almost factory.   So the big question is…why did I switch to Racing Red? Well I had a couple reasons; number one was since the XB12XT came out in red, there would be one more piece that I could purchase in the future (the flyscreen) as opposed to ever having to repaint this part. Another reason was that I realized that Sunset Orange (although a cool color) was a hard color to match with other accessories and apparel. Since the Flyscreen was able to be purchased in racing red, the only pieces that I would need to paint would be the luggage accent panels. But I had wanted to try out those “Low Profile Air Scoops" from Trojan Horse for some time now…so I figured that this was as good of a time as any to give them a try. Since they come with your basic fiberglass gelcoat on them, I would need to have them painted too. So I enlisted the help of my friend Vern (aka ETENNULY). He hand matched the color for me perfectly and did an absolutely amazing job with the prepping, painting, and polishing!   I even went ahead and sent my extra Garmin Zumo decorative caps to Vern and had him paint them racing red too. A big thanks go out to Etennuly for a great paint job!  The last trick up my sleeve was to add HID lighting to the Uly. I have suffered extreme peer pressure from Ft_bstrd for some time now, and he finally got me to see the light (I know…that was a bad play on words).   I elected to use the existing Uly wiring, and I guess time will tell if that was a good choice, but it seemed to be the cleanest way to integrate these new lights.   Of course since Ft_bstrd recently installed his second HID…I had to out do that. So I ordered two pairs of HID lights, one as H7’s for my Buell light assembly and one pair of H3’s for my PIAA 510’s. That’s right, you heard me correctly, I was going to attempt to convert my PIAA aux lights to HID.    The HID bulb fit in the PIAA mount just fine (with about a ¼” from the lens to spare), but it was the back side of the housing that would be the problem.  So it took one of these (step drill bit)...  To cut one of these (7/8 inch hole)...  To make it look like this...  The rubber grommet that came in the HID kit was designed to have the back of the H3 bulb extend up to about ¾” past the back of the light housing, which ended up working perfect for the PIAA 510’s!   One of the biggest challenges with installing four HID lights is finding a place for four HID ballasts! It took me about a full day to figure out how to get four slim line ballasts, HID wiring, my new Tuber/Hella horn, and all the stock wiring in back of the fly screen. But I finally got ‘er done! It seems to be a good fit and very secure, but again…only time will tell if this installation withstands the test of time, weather and bumpy roads. Stay tuned.  Overall I really like all the upgrades, though I must admit that I was surprised how different the bike felt when I took my first test ride. It felt like the Uly had lost some on its' “flickability”. But I wasn’t sure whether is was the ’08 fork clamps, the new Avon tires, or the fact that I had serviced my forks with Race Tech 10 weight (medium) fork oil that I got from American Sport Bike. Maybe it was a combination of all three. The front end no longer dives hardly at all while braking; in fact I ended up reducing my normal preload setting by one line.  I really loved the additional steering lock right away. I was making low speed turns in about half the space as I was before, and I was not even hitting the stops. Electraglider1997: imagine what you could do in that MSF box with this extra steering capacity!  I also noticed right away that the bike had better straight line stability. It was not as twitchy (as some people would call it). I could be riding down the interstate with no hands, and then stand up on the seat, and it would be perfectly stable. Oh wait…that never happened…but it did feel like it could have.  The more I rode the bike, the more I felt like it was not that it handled worse, just different. It seems to take a little more effort to initially role into a corner, but once in the corner it seemed once again to have more stability. It felt like it was on rails (I know…an over used term); it took less effort to keep the bike leaned in the curve (no tendency to fall into or stand up during the corner). It just felt stable. I may have to make another trip back east to the Dragon to find out for sure!  While I had the front rotor off, I ended up cleaning up the rotor with some brake cleaner and 2000 grit wet sandpaper. Combined with a fresh pair of Lyndall brake pads, the minor pulsing issues I have had in the past seemed to be cleared up. Again, time will tell if this is permanent.  With a few additional tweaks and adjustments (like a new clutch cable) the bike is running great. Four weeks of Uly withdraw symptoms was very difficult, but I think it has paid off in the end. Man I love this machine!!!!  (Message edited by maximum on April 30, 2008) | ||
| Uly1080 |
WOW Max!! Yeah, I'd agree that the wait paid off. Your Uly looks awesome. I really like the matching low-profile scoops...might have to look into that myself. Thanks for yet another great right up. Enjoy your new beauty! Josh  | ||
| Sleez |
great looking uly | ||
| Gruly |
Looks sweet!!! Not to step on any sponsors toes but which HID's did you get, and where, especially the H3's for the 510s? Might have to go that route myself! Damn inspiring! Thanks for all the pics. GBW | ||
| Tipsymcstagger |
Max...next time could you include some pictures and details?  Seriously though...great work! I have such "garage envy." Question about your new quad HID conversion...are you still using the double pulse Autoswitch via the flash-to-pass to activate the Piaa's? If so, isn't it not-so-good for the health of the ballast to "tease" the HID high beam like that? Tipsy | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Bike looks awesome Max! Now you just gotta do something with that day-glo jacket of yours! LOL!!! With 4 HID's, i doubt anyone will have a hard time seeing you.  | ||
| New12r |
NOICE!!! | ||
| F_skinner |
Steve, great job on the bike and thanks for documenting it. I cannot wait to see it in person. Frank | ||
| Slowride |
Maxium, From one Uly Rider to another..... I am speechless~ For a minute there I thought I had surfed over the ADVRider board. I need to get off my lazy @ss. You inspire me! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Well, obviously you still need HID tail, brake, and turn signal lights!  I can just see the UFO reports rolling in from CO now... | ||
| Ksc12c |
I'm very impressed....... Kevin | ||
| Treadmarks |
Outfreakingstanding job Max.  Sweet looking ride brother. Looks like a brand new model Uly, The Maximum Edition. | ||
| Ulyranger |
Excellent work. Definitely worth the weeks out of service........................ ........of course it wasn't my ride tore apart.  | ||
| Ulynut |
Great job Maximum! That thing is RED! One question, what happened to the handgaurd extensions? | ||
| Thunderbox |
Nice! Very Nice! | ||
| Hoon |
As an avid fan of ratbikes Max,I am really impressed with your shiny Uly,was before and am even more now. It's looking beautiful,really nice job sir. The tyres and lights look good too,I look forward to hearing how you get on with it all. Happy Ulying. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Thats a Homecoming Fuell cover pic. | ||
| Markwoodlief |
Great Job, (how many people ask you if its a honda? people that cant see the big ass buell sticker on the air cover  ).. not a fan of red, but damn fine job.. mind if i steal your pic and photoshop a bunch of different colors..? Going to experiement to see if i should start painting mine.. (Message edited by markwoodlief on April 28, 2008) | ||
| Luftkoph |
does that sem dye work on cordura?  | ||
| Crusty |
That's beautiful! You've raised the bar once again. | ||
| Nipsey |
WOW! | ||
| Maximum |
Gruly: I ordered mine from here. They are $120 shipped for a two light/slim ballast setup. They probably don't have the best service, but I did have an issue with one of the ballasts and they did fix the issue. Tipsy: I did remove the autoswitch. For better or worst I am running both Buell lights as the low beam, and both PIAA's from the high beam switch. Obviously I have the switch mod that allows the low beam to always be on. Luftkoph: Yes the SEM products will work fabrics too. Everyone Else: Thanks for all your positive and/or sarcastic comments. That is what I love about BadWeb...nice guys that crack me up! | ||
| Oddball |
Very nice! Well thought out and executed. | ||
| Dick_stilton |
That is a great result and still understated which is cool with me. What I would like to know are:- What was the total cost and what were the man hours involved.    | ||
| Nevrenuf |
that turned out really nice. good rundown on the process too. | ||
| Maximum |
Ulynut: I missed your question from yesterday...I removed the hand guard extensions about six months ago when I added the Kaoko bar end / throttle control. The Buell hand guards were able to stretch nicely over the bar ends, but the extensions would have gapped on the sides. I guess that I could have added more rivets to hold it in place, but I decided just to remove them. Dick: I probably spend about 20-25 hours over the four weeks working on all of the mods (that includes taking the bike a part, putting it back together, and many service items). I probably spent about $1500 for all the parts, lights, hardware, tools, powder coating, and painting. This is an estimate...because in hiding the cost of my addiction from my wife I sometimes lose track myself!  | ||
| Windrider |
Truly a Maximum Uly. | ||
| Buelltoys |
Maximum that is a great job on the Uly!! Great color and looks fantastic. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Looks great! So when you selling it? Once it's just the way you want it, you'll need another hobby. | ||
| Etennuly |
Ha ha.  I got a preview of the pictures! Awesome job Steve! Great job on the write up and pics. XB12X Maximum Edition. Now that just sounds right! |
