| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
How might Buell lighten the ULY? If the perimeter rotor allows for a lighter front wheel then how about following through on the rear. What are the heavy parts on the ULY and how can they be redesigned, eliminated, ect to reduce the weight? Can other parts do double or even triple duty like has been accomplished with the frame/gas tank and the swingarm/oil reservoir? Can the ULY be made 50 to 150 lbs lighter? Can the engine be hybridized for better fuel economy? How about 6 stroking it with water? http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq =t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLL,GGLL:2008-13,GGLL:en&q=6+stro ke+engines I only mention this because a typical engine wastes 3/4 of it's energy creating the heat we all love to complain about. That waste is just ridiculous as it certainly is not being used to propel our bikes forward. As I've wrote before, 40 to 55 mpg isn't that great when you consider what cars will shortly be getting. It'll be hard to justify long haul motorcycle trips if the car gets twice the mpg. Buell Motor Company engineers had better be thinking hard about this and I sure hope they are. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Blast engined adventure bike that will claim 70 mpg on the highway. | ||
| Froggy |
Not sure if less weight will make a huge difference, my xb12ss gets 8mpg less than my uly, yet it is over 100lbs lighter, no bags, no windshield. Both bikes were modded the same. As for 50-60mpg being poor, you needd to remember that we are on sportbikes. A non performance bike like my Suzuki GS500f would get 75-80mpg, but sure as hell wasn't as fun. | ||
| Buelltoys |
I think that my 50mpg on my Uly is great. I know other guys who get 30-35mpg on their sports bikes, harleys and bmws. I'll take my 50 for sure. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
put the S tail on it and drop the passenger pegs, bags .... You loose some functionality, but that should drop the weight off the bike. Take a big truck for a spin and realize that you are way glad that you are not getting 8-12 mpg | ||
| Prowler |
I'm guessing that aerodynamics play a huge role in MPG with bikes. I wouldn't want to be riding a bike with a totally enclosed fairing or even a 3/4 fairing. Also, we obviously could increase our mileage by putting a blast (or smaller) motor in it. I prefer having a little acceleration instead. So in conclusion, we could have slow aerodynamic motorcycles and get great mileage or....have what we've got. I'll hold, thank-you. On a side note, when I worked for Outboard Marine Co in R&D we had an engine that ran with large volumes of injected water, unfortunately, if left for the weekend, it'd rust up solid and you couldn't get it to spin on Monday....... | ||
| Towjam |
Buy a treadmill. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
You guys are missing the point I've tried to make a couple of times now. 50 seems great to you guys but wouldn't twice that seem way easier on the pocket book? When gas reaches the prices that Europe purportedly is paying then you'll all get the mpg religion. As for comparing trucks getting 8-12 mpg, why drive one unless it's a necessity for the job. Here's a thought, when one of the Jap bike manufacturers comes up with a bike that does everything the ULY does except goes twice as far per gallon or maybe does 250 miles on quick charge ultracapacitor for about a dollar, you'll be wondering where Buell's answer to that is. Crazy talk, I don't think so. Just look at what Japan has done to the Big 3 by being proactive in every engineering facet, Toyota is eating their lunch. They've sold over 1 million Prius hybrids and all the other manufacturers have their collective mouths hanging open wondering how this has happened. This may help http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx? ch=specialsections&sc=biofuels&id=19128&a= Look at this http://www.ls9.com/news/ (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on May 24, 2008) | ||
| Brazeau |
On a pure linear track, Electraglider is probably right. Higher gas prices = more innovation. That innovation, however, won't be felt evenly. We already have 100 mpg (cough cough) motorcycles...they're called mopeds. And the perception by most - rightly or wrongly - is that they're dangerous. The higher-mileage-seeking-public won't rush to them; they'll buy a Prius. Less relative demand = less relative innovation. However... I do believe that particular dynamic won't last forever. We need only to look to Europe and their higher acceptance of mopeds there. And at the end of the day, and in a quiet moment, I'll admit that the more folks on two wheels there are - the better it is for us "real" motorcyclists. We motorcycle buyers just aren't looking for higher mileage per se. On my list, there are many, many things ahead of it. And as I think about it further, just getting reliable mileage info is a challenge for motorcycles. There you go...my two cents. DB | ||
| Sachmo |
Not sure anyone wouldn't want double the mpg but buells seems to use what they can get it's hands on, but uses it to the limit. I have a Japanese cruiser that has a 800+ cc engine in it and it does get as good of gas mileage as my Uly does. Buell just doesn't seem to be about using cutting edge power-plants. I'm sure (hope) that fuel cells technology will get us off gas eventually. Hopefully my son will be the one that develops the "cure," that is if he does blow up the world trying. | ||
| Buelltoys |
I'll agree with the wanting more mpg but you have to sacrifice the way you drive. I have gotten up to 55mpg with the ULY but have to drive around 55 or 60 to do it at all times. I like the 70 to 90mph better. If I were to take a Jap sportbike at 70 to 90mph I would be getting around 30 - 35mpg. | ||
| Jlnance |
How might Buell lighten the ULY? If you're after MPG, I don't think weight is the way to go after it. I consistently get better mileage when hauling a passenger. The only way that makes sense is if it is aerodynamics that are the main cause of fuel consumption. Wrap a fairing around the bike and see what the mpg does. | ||
| Maximum |
And it would have to be an aerodynamic front fairing/windshield, as opposed to a BAW with cost Etennuly 1 or 2 MPG!  BTW...EG...did you get my PM yesterday? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Maximum, Biking is more fun when everyone in the family is involved. I PM'd you back. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There aren't many parts on the Uly that can be stripped off for weight without constructing new parts. You could lose all the plastic guards (beak, front fender, rear hugger, belt guard, front sprocket cover). You could swap out the rear foot pegs and tail for an STT. Use the STT seat. Carbon fiber air cover. The issue is that you'd probably only get 20-25 lbs out of that. I don't think that would save you much. The aerodynamic component, as mentioned, will make quite a bit more of a difference. You'd need to change the gearing so that you'd be running at 4,000-5,000 RPMs in cruise. You'd also need to limit your speed to 60-65 MPH. You'd also need to only ride in KS or IA so that you could minimize the up hill runs. The key is smaller displacement. You can run a motorcycle with a chainsaw engine and get 200MPG. We make trade-offs based upon what we want out of our ride. | ||
| Joenuclear |
"You guys are missing the point I've tried to make a couple of times now. 50 seems great to you guys but wouldn't twice that seem way easier on the pocket book? When gas reaches the prices that Europe purportedly is paying then you'll all get the mpg religion."" Really? It seems the Uly is very popular overseas as it is now. Sportbikes in general are selling well in the U.K. and Europe. I'm not sure whose problem you're trying to fix but my Uly gets 40 mpg at an indicated 85 and thats fine with me. If I want a scooter I'll get one. Of course I'll port it and change the exhaust and modify the intake and it will go from 100mpg to 60 mpg....  | ||
| Bertotti |
I for one would love to keep it as is and still get 100 mpg. Probably just me though! ;o | ||
| Roostre |
"I for one would love to keep it as is and still get 100 mpg. Probably just me though! ;o" Take the piston out of the back cylinder and let us know how it goes! (Message edited by Roostre on May 27, 2008) | ||
| Darrell_ks |
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and any other flat windy states do not help you increase mileage. I did about 1400 miles this weekend. My worst mileage was running 75 on the turnpike headed straight into a 30 mph wind. I got about 35 mpg, my worst ever. In the twisties of the Ozarks, riding hard, up and down hills, hard on the throttle, I got 55 mpg, my best ever. Wind makes more difference than anything, with speed being the next highest contributor. To lower weight or increase performance, would require an increase in cost. Since Buell's are well engineered bikes, they have probably already reached the point of diminishing returns for lightness verses cost. Ditto for performance. If a Uly cost $18k, I imagine there would be a lot fewer of us riding them. For the future? I wouldn't even want to guess, I just hope that whatever is being built in 6 more years is as fun as my Uly. | ||
| Arcticktm |
Aerodynamics is a much bigger factor on bikes than lowering the weight. Drag increases at the cube of speed, so the faster you go, the more energy goes in to overcoming wind drag. The Uly is especially rough, because we sit so high up, and have no fairing to speak of. Lots of frontal area. Look at the streamliners that are used at Bonneville to set speed records. The teardrop/raindrop is the ideal shape to minimize drag coefficient, but few people want to drive a bike that is shaped like a sperm! I just don't think our folks at Buell have the resources to be doing their own groundbreaking powertrain research. Engine development can bankrupt a company that is not used to it. Look at Cannondale when they tried to do dirt bikes, and Indian when they were in Gilroy CA. Engines killed them both. | ||
| Dick_stilton |
...Buy a treadmill. Nearly pissed myself there Towjam! My 2 Rappen worth.... Just build the whole thing out of Carbon fibre and Titanium.... the way gas prices are going the astronomical cost will soon be recouped. | ||
| Javadog |
Take a look a the parabellum.com website. One of Charly's bullet shaped contraptions is said to have achieved 372 mpg,and that was over 20 years ago. |
