| Author | Message | ||
     Strada |
Fiddlin with the bike again and thought I'd see what it looked like without the Beak and I quite liked it. Anyone else done it or comments? Cheers   | ||
| Pso |
Doesn't do it for me. I like it better without a rear trunk or frame, problem is it is just so convinient.I like it better with Tourteech front, and oil filter protector instead of chin spoiler. I think I like the Agricultural look. | ||
| Strada |
I agree about the rear box but like you say, it's too convenient especially when I'm posting parcels most days. I'd rather have it look like this than take the car! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Strada- Do you notice any difference in the fan operation with the beak removed? Someone posted a while back that removal of the beak on their Uly seemed to improve engine cooling considerably. | ||
| Tstone |
Hughlysses - I put a low fender on mine, and my Butt-O-Meter suggests the fan runs slightly less. My Butt-O-Meter has never been calibrated though. | ||
| Joenuclear |
Strada, If you replaced your plastics with XT in "Thrust Blue" you could be reminded of what the sky looks like and have a low fender.  BTW, Do you have a link for your hand guard extensions on Ebay? | ||
| Xbimmer |
I like it. I think the Uly needs a FULL low front fender AND rear fender. Stock IMHO is barely more than cosmetic. | ||
| Strada |
Haven't noticed any difference with the fan operation as I haven't done many miles without it yet but it will provide a lot more air directly onto the engine. JN, I have been thinking about a colour change but that would mean buying another seat so I'll with it for now! | ||
| Ry329 |
Strada How about a nice bracket for the headlight assembly adjustment with beak removed ... | ||
| Strada |
Had to make one but just used a small piece of ally bent into an odd L-shape. I presume there must be a Buell part for this as used on the XT? Sorry JN, just saw you asked about the Handguard extensions. They are on ebay at the moment until my website is up and running http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160248416589&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=006 (Message edited by strada on June 08, 2008) | ||
| Ratbuell |
I like the handguard extensions, but have you tried anything to extend the bottom portion? It seems the lower half is smaller to begin with and would benefit at least as much from an extension... Or is the shape close enough to just use a second set, but upside-down? I'll look up the XT headlight bracket at work in the morning, and post the PN  | ||
| Teeps |
A Uly without the beak is like a Bloodhound without his bay. Realistically, if there were a proper fender it would pass my aesthetics litmus. A proper front fender (IMO) would add to front of the existing fender, to about the 2 o'clock position, maybe 1:30. | ||
| Scottykrein |
Has anyone put a black beak on? I could swear that the CityX or the TT has a black beak. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
The tt has a SHINY black beak, the CityX doesnt come with one, Mine sports one, cuz I really wanted a ULY but am to damn short! Pic on profile as they never load from home. And yes I am riding dirty on it  | ||
| Strada |
Hi, Ratbuell, the lower edge of the moulding is a bit more complicated than the top so not so easy to to make a simple extension piece. I have simply lowered the standard guard to ensure it covers the levers plus a fingers and the top extension provides the extra protection. They are very effective and my hands were about the only dry bit of me after a 2 hour soaking a couple of weeks ago! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ah, good to know on the guards. I have big paws and am planning ahead for winter (ah...winter - can't wait, since it's 99 freakin' degrees here this week, BEFORE humidity and heat index is figured in...). Y0352.1AV is the part for the XT headlight adjust. $9.54 list price, looks like the same screws that hold the beak, hold the bracket. | ||
| Strada |
Ratbuell, looks like you have a point! Just been cleaning the bike and noticed that the extension pieces should fit nicely on the bottom as well. Offered up an old proto version and it looks quite good and like yo say, will give better protection! I'll try and get some photos of a set fitted later this week. | ||
| Atoms |
I rode through my first lake over the weekend. Ok, it was not technically a lake. It was a flooded viaduct. I reckon the water was at least 8" deep. The Uly handled it admirably. But the way water seemed to hit the beak did result in some odd drops of water flying up and around - none of which hit me though, so I guess that is good. So I'm not so sure about the functionality anymore... But I LOVES the look of the beak. It sets the Uly apart from the really soft wannabe dual-sports (like say, a Tiger) and places it firmly in the slightly less soft wannabe dual sport category. It does not look right to me without it. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I do NOT tread lightly like a tiger +1 on the beak  | ||
| Ratbuell |
I do get a vertical roostertail off my Uly's beak when riding in the rain ('06 with 616s). Some of it hits my helmet, but most of it is just a neat fountain show in the headlights LOL. I do wish someone would come out with a fuller-coverage "normal" fender - take the front half of an XT fender and mate it with the sweeper-ish rear coverage of the X lower fender.... | ||
| Hoon |
I lowered my beak not long after I got mine,it didn't keep the road dirt off the headlights (I wondered if it caught air underneath it too and helped add to the weave at speed) and I don't ride in thick mud so there's no clogging issues:  It keeps much more crap off the headlights now. (Message edited by hoon on June 10, 2008) (Message edited by hoon on June 10, 2008) | ||
| Hoon |
Here's the pic I was trying to edit in to the last post:  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Hoon's bike is soon to be seen in Mad Max 4 Return to Armageddon. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Did lowering the fender help with the weave? I did manage to get nearly a quarter turn out of my steering head capnut when I torqued it to spec after getting the bike...but I still get some weave. I chalk it up to my lanky ass (6'4") and broad shoulders catching wind...might just bite the bullet and stick a damper on and be done with it. | ||
| Treadmarks |
+2 for the beak. It just belongs on the uly. I may be convinced to go for a supermoto front fender and fork protectors, just incase anyone has tried that. I would like to keep the water spray off the headlight, keep plenty of air flow to the engine and look baddass. Is that too much to ask? | ||
| Froggy |
With the beak! I added one to my SS because it looks naked without one!  | ||
| Hoon |
Ratbuell, It didn't help massively with the weave. I didn't know it was probably down to the front Dunslop at the time and now I've got multiple spotlights and tank panniers/skulls/silly top case,etc which don't help. Mine is stable up to 90mph and will cruise at this speed loaded to the max or unloaded-this is enough for me. I'm looking forward to changing the front tyre when it wears out-we'll see how that effects things. | ||
| Bigkuri |
Weave - I took a real shine to this a few weeks ago and played a lot with things... - Suspension, even set up right does not cure it over 100mph. Over 120mph it gets really really scary. - I fixed most of it through taking off handguards (plus extensions), beak, screen, and bar-ends. I think the wide bars are also a huge factor. This pretty much fixed it, although you really appreciate the wind blast at 135mph (which is all I can get out of it). - experiment done; I then put it all back on... If I get weave now I just go find tighter roads (which are VERY tight given Uly's happiness to get right over at 120mph sweepers...). My beak stays on. Simply as it adds to the annoyance of ricers when just passed in a corner by a American crazy-bike, and one that looks like a fugly huge dirt-bike (Message edited by bigkuri on June 20, 2008) | ||
| Bigkuri |
PS - Froggy, that bike looks very nice! You should consider getting a tail-tidy though to sharpen up the back-end...? | ||
| Longdog_cymru |
OK, so who is going to make a replacement blade for the Uly??? Any takers Strada? |
