| Author | Message | ||
     Snub13 |
Hey Dualsport; I read your thread about tires over at ADVrider the other day and typed a lengthy reply only to hit a wrong button with my big fat fingers and it got deleted! Anyway; My wife and I rented a Uly (it was a stock '06 with the dunlops) in Alaska last year. Lots of dirt / gravel roads and WAY overloaded. We had a blast! truly the trip of a lifetime (so far anyway). The tires will be fine for what you'll find in AK. Don't sweat it! Take a plug kit just in case and some tools. Fortunately we didn't have to use any tools on our trip but I was ready. Oh, I also bought a 1gal gas can in Fairbanks....gas stations are kinda far apart in some places. And don't listen to those BMW GS nay-sayers!!!!!!!! We were just starting the Haul Rd. (to the Arctic Circle) and were met by two guys on GSes with big knobby tires....they laughed and said 'look at those little tires'. Well, we met them at a gas stop several hours later and they both had parts broken and dangling off! My wife said to them 'so much for your macho tires, we didn't fall once' then we both laughed outloud.....they weren't laughing, which of course made us laugh even harder. Practice around home (with the bike loaded heavier than what you will taking to AK) and you'll be fine. Besides, the scenery is awesome and it's hard to ride fast when your jaw keeps hitting the ground! I'd post pics but I don't know WTF happened to my photobucket account.... Tim | ||
| Snub13 |
See if this works..    some of the roads I thought this was an interesting way to patch a pot hole.  The road to McCarthy   The Haul Rd.    The top of the bridge is covered with wood, easier to fix than pavement but a little tricky to ride on. Top of The World Highway  Start of the Haul Rd. Just prior to meeting the BMW guys  We made it!  We had great weather and only hit rain a few times. This was after the Haul Rd. but it started raining after we got on the paved road so much of the grime has been washed off.  I want to go back..... | ||
| Tankhead |
Hey Snub, It's chris from the queensryche day..... Check out my report on my four corners trip in tale section. It is a work in progress. I hope all is going well. take care | ||
| Roostre |
Sweet pics snub! "Roostre: What tires are you running? And how did they handle the gravel in that last picture? Interested minds are interested?" Pirelli Syncs - didnt even have time to lower the pressure. The bike surprised the more dirt-oriented bunch who thought that they would be sending out a rescue copter. The bike actually handled the gravel as well or better than the KLR's. The only issue I have with the Syncs is that they are a little thin. I have had more flats than I would like to admit. A Sync type tire with a heavier carcass would be nice. I split one out a few weeks ago. I had to use a 3" patch, but I made it to the nearest dealer (200 miles from home) where I replaced it with the only tire they had in stock- Mich Road Pilot. I am still getting used to the Road Pilot, but it seems to make the bike dance more diving into a corner-especially two-up. I haven't tried it off-road and probably won't for a while. I'm prepping for a 3500+ mile Pacific Coast Highway trip in three weeks. We've been planning it for a year, so I don't want to take any unnecessary risks with myself or the bike. | ||
| Chadleys1 |
WOW !! GREAT WORK Snub13 and Roostre. What a fantastic bunch of photos ! I'm saving several of those to my Uly photo album. Thanks. | ||
| Buelldualsport |
Thanks to both of you. Great Pictures and real life data/info about tires. Appreciate all the encouraging words. Buells to Alaska ALCAN 5000 2010 | ||
| Treadmarks |
Great pics Snub. We are renting a new 08 uly in anchorage to do the circle next month. I'm getting stoked looking at your pics! | ||
| Snub13 |
Most of the pics were taken by my wife from the back seat. I could feel her swinging from side to side to get more shots. We took around 2400 pictures! (You gotta love digital, three flash cards and there was still space...could you imagine how much film that would take! Actually it would be 66.666 rolls of 36 exposure.) Chris, just read your report. Great job! I want to read more! I've been to Zion and Bryce Canyon but in a car, still very beautiful. One day I'll make a big loop of the country that would be a trip! Chadleys1, feel free to use the pics. Treadmarks, I know how you feel. I poured over tons of ride reports for about a year to get info for our trip. Every picture I saw made me more excited! But let me tell ya, the pictures just do not do the place justice! It is impossible to capture the grandeur and beauty of the entire state. Honestly, with every turn the scenery was more awesome than the last. You WILL be blown away! The Seward Highway (from Anchorage to Seward and back) is beautiful The Parks Highway (from Anchorage to Fairbanks) is also beautiful. Just talking about it is making me crazy! I want to go back! Have a great trip. I expect a report when you return. Tim | ||
| Adamd |
Fat Bast: "They ARE dual sports. You just have to not suck to be able to use the off road portion of the capabilities. If you need a 21" front tire and knobbies to be able to go off road, you do not have the skills to use the Uly off road." I'll race you off road with my DRZ400 for pinks.. When I win, can I say you suck? | ||
| Adrian_8 |
The pics of the roads in the above thread could be handled by a Goldwing, a Harley or grannys' Buick..The ULY is an "all road" vehicle where as a "Dual Sport" bike can handle single track, large rocks, down trees and mud...I would never give someone the idea that the ULY is a Dual Sport bike such as the DRZ, KLR. or my KTM 450EXC...Back when "Men were Men" Harleys, Indians, and Triumphs were ridden in National Enduros if you were man enough.....If thats all you have to ride ..thats one thing..but there is a right tool for the job...I have 30 + years of off road experiene and the ULY sucks "off road"...because it was never meant to be taken there. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
From wikipedia: A dual-sport, colloquially known as "dualie" or an "on-off road bike" is a type of street-legal motorcycle that is designed for both on and off-road use. Popular dual-sport models include the BMW GS series, KTM Adventure series, Kawasaki KLR, Suzuki DRZ and V-Strom, Honda XL, Yamaha XT and many more. If you can call a BMW GS or more so a Suzuki V-strom a Dual Sport, than I'd say you can call a Uly one as well. I don't personally call any one of those a dual sport though, my definition: Dual Sport = a Street Legal Dirt Bike. | ||
| Naiguy |
when men were men http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-781837513 3160709492&q=harley+hill+climb&ei=bFCOSL34JpnorQOC vYGwCA  | ||
| Court |
WOW . . .what a GREAT READ! The last picture I saw of that lovely lady was riding in a rental truck sipping coffee! Thanks for the super report! Court | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I'll race you off road with my DRZ400 for pinks.. When I win, can I say you suck? Only if it's a two part race including equal road distance. Comparing a scalpel to a Swiss Army knife isn't a fair fight. The comparison isn't between a dirt bike and a Uly, it's between other 500lb "dual sports". One of the best runs was running 60mph on wet dirt/gravel/sand/mud complete with water crossings and getting air and then dumping directly onto Deal's Gap and railing all the way to the resort. My tires have never felt so sticky. Of course, dodging the 328 dive bombing into a ditch 5 feet from our bikes and watching a drunk, well endowed, chick bail out of the passenger seat and yack in the ditch also added to the excitement. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
""Of course, dodging the 328 dive bombing into a ditch 5 feet from our bikes and watching a drunk, well endowed, chick bail out of the passenger seat and yack in the ditch also added to the excitement."" BMW: The Ultimate 'dive bombing into a ditch' Driving Machine . | ||
| Barker |
"One of the best runs was running 60mph on wet dirt/gravel/sand/mud complete with water crossings and getting air and then dumping directly onto Deal's Gap and railing all the way to the resort. My tires have never felt so sticky. Of course, dodging the 328 dive bombing into a ditch 5 feet from our bikes and watching a drunk, well endowed, chick bail out of the passenger seat and yack in the ditch also added to the excitement." I'll never forget that day. One of the best rides ever. The bike in the right hands is a weapon. On that particualar ride I got dirty/wet/airborne and a good pace. A pace that scared our riding buddy on his v-strom. What make the ride even sweeter, when we hit the dragon, we hauled the mail, covered in dirt. IMHO: Is it the best dual sport? no. Is it the best sport tourer? no Is the best heavyweight motard? no. Is the best dirt bike? no. Is it the best Bagger? no. Is it the best sport bike, no. Is it the best track bike, no. (thanx fatty) Can It perform well in all of those categories? Yes And that is what makes the bike so special. I don't think any other bike can beat the combination of versatilty/price/fun factor of the uly. Dual Sport, how bout multi-sport. Side note ("Is it the best track bike" it is a sight to behold new12r on his uly whoop'n up on all the bikes in the advanced class.) (Message edited by barker on July 28, 2008) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Don't forget track weapon:  | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Having had a KLR250 & Ninja 6R at the time of trade in for the City-X (too short for the ULY) I can honestly say it is the single most fun bike I have ever owned. I will do 1000 mile weekends on it, I will do 300 mile day off road on it, I will camp with it, I will track bike it , and I commute with it. Before I had to go home and change bikes to do each of those. The Buell really is the Swiss Army knife of the two wheel world. And on Dual sport, At the local rallye with 200 attendees on BMW, KTM, DRZ, KLR, XR, etc ... The dirtiest filthiest bikes there were the two Buells and the Camera event bike. We tackled more gnarly muddy, wicked off road than anybody else could claim too. And this after riding 3 days hanging with the sport bikes. www.soundrider.com They are doing it again this year. Come bring the DRZ and run both events with us.  | ||
| Red_chili |
Well, I suck. A month ago I took the Uly up a 4x4 trail. It actually did as well as my 1150GS did - better really, in some ways - but a rock ledge I tried to wheelie over got the best of the back tire, the bike jumped sideways, and she took a dirt nap. On me. They're kinda heavy when they do that. Kinda sorta. So my side has been bothering me for the last month. Went to the doctor, and this 14 year old Asian kid (I swear he looked that young) in a white coat does my vitals. Says it is really cool to see a 51 year old guy who "fell off his dirt bike". I suppose that gives the kid hope that he doesn't have to reserve space in the old folks home just yet.  I cracked a rib. Lucky I didn't break it clean (I hear there would have been no doubt if I had). So there is a price you may have to pay if you take the Uly on a 4x4 route. But according to a 14 year old Asian kid in a doctor's suit, the Uly is a dirt bike. There you have it. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Well if the suit fits!  | ||
| Cccpull |
You guys all know it's not a true-dual sport, since you've already mentioned real dual-sports in this thread. Any bike will go through the roads pictured above, I did that ride on a Vmax, 600+ pounds 2-up, and I'm sure others have done them on even heavier bikes. Although many times I wish I had more suspension, better tires for the dirt roads, and a 200lbs lighter bike.  Ah, maybe a Ulysses.  Treadmarks, Are you guys (you & Miamiuly) going to Fudd's this Thursday? We can talk Alaska all you want.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
A dual sport should not be defined by where it can go... a good rider can take almost any bike anywhere. Look at what Dave Barr did with a Harley Shovelhead. To me, a dual sport is defined by: 1) How hard is it to pick up... when it is the ninth drop in 30 minutes, and you are on a wet and slimy clay hillside. 2) How hard is it to push up and out of a ravine. 2) How expensive is it to restore to an acceptable condition for the next ride after that 9th drop. This is all predicated on the fact that off road riding around Ohio is woods riding. If I lived in AZ, then my definitions would be bent towards higher speeds and heavier bikes. Free the dirty Buell! | ||
| Johnboy777 |
""A dual sport should not be defined by where it can go... a good rider can take almost any bike anywhere. Look at what Dave Barr did with a Harley Shovelhead. To me, a dual sport is defined by: 1) How hard is it to pick up... when it is the ninth drop in 30 minutes, and you are on a wet and slimy clay hillside. 2) How hard is it to push up and out of a ravine. 2) How expensive is it to restore to an acceptable condition for the next ride after that 9th drop. This is all predicated on the fact that off road riding around Ohio is woods riding. If I lived in AZ, then my definitions would be bent towards higher speeds and heavier bikes. Free the dirty Buell!"" Sounds more like the definition of a 'dirt bike' to me.... just sayin' . | ||
| Jwnsc |
If I may borrow form Emerson, labels, like foolish consistencies, are the hobgoblins of little minds. The way to be is to do. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
The Wife: “You Are Soooo Argumentative.” Me: “No I’m Not!’ The Wife: “See!” . | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I have a local throw down with a guy on a DRZ that has failed to show 3 times running. I know the DRZ is way better at single track, but he hasnt made it to the trail head once with his bike. And yet, his is the 'better' trail bike. I have three full tanks of gas on those hills, still waiting on him to show. PS been practicing on the single track, as long as there are no out croppings, the Buellie will run the berm course to completion. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thats fair Johnboy. I would have classified a "dirt bike" as something that is basically completely innapropriate for the road. I.e. a two stroke with narrow powerband, something that requires rebuilds every few thousand miles, something that can land doubles or triples, or something that is not even remotely street legal (no speedo etc). Its fun to think about, sorry for hijacking a great adventure thread! For the record, the Uly would be my first choice for an Alaska trip. Or any long trip for that matter... | ||
| Snub13 |
Court said; "WOW . . .what a GREAT READ! The last picture I saw of that lovely lady was riding in a rental truck sipping coffee! Thanks for the super report! Court" That trip was an adventure as well!  There have been many awesome trips since then!  Hey who's that??  I have to agree with Cccpull....just about any bike can handle the majority of the roads in Alaska (last year there was a group of guys on H-D touring bikes going from Key West to Purdhoe Bay. Although I heard that at least one guy fell and had to be hospitalized, most of them made it.) I think Barker hit the nail on the head. My H-D riding buddys call the Uly a SUB (sport utility bike) All I know is that it is one awesome bike! Tim PS: Court.....How does someone like little old me get a signed copy of that masterpiece you authored???  | ||
| Hooper |
I really like the "SUB" description. I think it fits the "sport" and "utility" aspects. Many people in SUVs emphasize the "Sport" part of "Sport Utility Vehicle" and drive them like they're BMW M3's. The Uly is ALL about the "sport"! | ||
| Court |
>>>>PS: Court.....How does someone like little old me get a signed copy of that masterpiece you authored??? Hahahahaha . . .you can't! But wait, there is good news. . . . your wife can! I still have such wonderful memories of the kind "thank you" she sent. Drop me a note with your contact info. |
