| Author | Message | ||
     Pirnie |
Okay folks, I’m rather a noob around here, but I’ve come to respect the honest opinions expressed on this forum. I’m an older guy in my 50’s and I’ve been considering the Uly X for a couple of months. I tend to ride at the speed limit (No, really, I do!) and would use the bike for commuting (5 miles one way, each day at 35 mph or below) with weekend jaunts when the spousal unit allows. No real need for speed with me. Currently ride a KLR 650. My question: Is the Uly the right bike for me? I took a ride through a nearby park today in 90-degree weather at 20 mph. Would the Uly handle my style (relaxed) of riding? Thanks for your opinions, Pirnie | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
The uly can literally do it all. It works good for a daily rider,over the road tourer and can be nasty when you want it to. | ||
| Mad_doctor |
I'm also 51, I just bought an 08 XT. I have had a bunch of scooters, (and that is what they were compared to this ULY. This is the most fun bike I've owned. It does like to run between 3 & 4 grand. the motor really likes to come alive there. It may not be a real good bike to chug at 20 M.P.H., especially for a long distance. But if the wife likes to ride, this would be a GREAT bike for two ups. Usually I ride farther than a few miles, but it might be O.K. as long as you warm it up before you take off. Just my $.02. Good Luck | ||
| Gotj |
In a word, No. First, your short commute would likely lead to frequently fouled plugs. Second, it would have been a miserable ri9de through the park at 20 mph. The KLR 650 seems like an ideal bike for your applications. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
""I’m an older guy in my 50’s "" The problem here is that you're too damn old. . | ||
| Larryjohn |
I would not worry too much about the short commutes fouling plugs. I commute on my Uly and most of my trips are under 5 miles; my work is only one mile from my house and I usually have to make a few trips daily to a client site about three miles from the office. I think the longer runs on the weekend help. I have 5300 miles on my Uly with no ill effects so far. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
You will need to keep the bike on a battery tender.......The battery will never be charged on such a short trip. My commute is 10 miles each way at highway speeds and it plays heck with the battery. I top off my battery every friday night.....takes about 5 hours to get to the green light on the tender. Fouled plugs??????? I hear of fouled plugs but have never experienced one. Exactly how does one foul a plug?????? And letting the bike warm up for 5 minutes is non-sense. I start it and put on my helmet and gloves while standing beside it and ride, never a problem. Now I don't ride like an idiot on cold bike and tires. I also don't blip my throttle, maybe that is the difference. If you like the Uly buy it and enjoy it, just be aware of some of the quirks. | ||
| Davo |
Pirnie, The ULy is a great platform. I had a Uly and I now have a KLR and several other bikes. I miss my Uly. The Uly has many traits that are very different than any other motorcycle but in many ways that is what makes it so unique. I could ride my ULy all day and feel more refreshed than if I had been on my Ultra Classic. | ||
| 4_pete_sake |
I'm with Larryjohn and lost in ohio... I commute daily less than 5miles.... no problems beside the daily temptation to jump on the interstate on ramp and open it up and take a long way home... any long way home... ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to say about my Uly.... except that I wish I would have bought it sooner... Cheers-pete (Message edited by 4_pete_sake on August 14, 2008) (Message edited by 4_pete_sake on August 14, 2008) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Keep the KLR (NEVER SELL IT!) The Uly will be fine. I would make sure that you warm it up well. The 5 mile trip will make it hard for the bike to get up to temp and will cause it to tend to spit and buck for the first mile or two if you don't let it warm up. It's great for two-up. Age is irrelevant. I do track days with the Uly. I do off highway, wide trail on the Uly. I do two up with the Uly. I have run the occasional short jaunt errand on the Uly. The Uly will be a nice complement for the KLR. | ||
| Adrian_8 |
If you put around on the KLR why buy another bike?... put around on the KLR and take the wifey out to dinner on the money you saved.. | ||
| Jlnance |
The only problem I see is that the Uly isn't good for the 20 mph park ride you mention. Switch to XB9 primary gearing and that problem will be fixed. | ||
| Troyyz |
I echo the comments of the crowd here. My commute is 5 miles as well. I normally let it warm up for a minute or two while getting ready to ride, i.e. jacket, gloves, helmet and it runs out fine. Live in Denver and ride year round minus snow/ice days. Run weekends on cross-country slab, asphalt, and gravel to campsites. Best bike I have ever owned. Comfortable, responsive, low maintenance, reliable, and a great two-up ride. You should try a test ride, it sold me inside of 5 minutes. Good luck! | ||
| Hooper |
This is so funny...how we all have different opinions and experiences about a bike that - at least the vast majority of us - love to death and would never be without. I like to warm mine up for about 2 minutes. Just enough to get onboard, pull on the gloves, and test the brakes and controls. It does alleviate the initial startup hiccups. Never had a fouled plug, now at 10,000 miles on my '06. I've gone well over a week without riding it and it fires right up without a battery tender (I have to park my Uly in the street - no driveway). In my humble opinion, riding the Uly at 20mph in 90 degree weather sounds like hell. It just doesn't like going that slow, and in that kind of climate, you're going to experience some real discomfort from the engine heat/fan unless you can get moving. I've never used a heat blanket or the heat diverters, so I can't say what they do, but I know what going around on city streets is like in the dead of summer. Ugh. Get me out into the country or onto some neighborhood roads! That said, if your riding goals fit in with the variability of the bike, it's the best all-around bike in the world. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
Can you say Honda Ruckus. 42 MPH. 90 MPG. | ||
| Teeps |
Hooper Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 In my humble opinion, riding the Uly at 20mph in 90 degree weather sounds like hell. It just doesn't like going that slow, and in that kind of climate, you're going to experience some real discomfort from the engine heat/fan unless you can get moving. +1 on the above statement; I rode my Uly during a Ride For Kids event last May. Much of the 35 mile ride was below 35 mph, it was not good... I would have been better off on a scooter. At 56, I've owned over 30 and ridden hundreds of different bikes. The Ulysses is the best of the street bikes by far. But as "Clint says: a man has got to know his limitations" or in this case know the Uly's limitations. | ||
| Curly |
you'd better stay with the klr. i love my uly but i would rather sandpaper a bobcats a$$ in a phone booth than ride the uly 20 mph in 90+ temps. just my .02. | ||
| Xbimmer |
How about a new Bonneville? Or a Versys? Or drop your KLR and turn it into a supermoto-style? Buells are like thoroughbreds and like to run. Not saying you can't stroll a Uly, mine is my primary vehicle and gets plenty of use at both ends of the spectrum but it gets cantankerous lollygagging around. And pretty friggin hot in the summer. My guess is if you were to get a Uly it would suit you fine for your commutes, with the added bonus that your S/U would find your weekly jaunts a necessity once acquainted with how comfortable two-up riding is on a Uly!  | ||
| Ulynut |
I've only ridden one other Uly. But after being on Badweb for a while, I've realized that they seem to all have their own quirks, or personalities. Mine doesn't seem to like to go slow. 20 MPH is a drag. I would rather have the KLR for that type of riding. Two up is much better on the Uly. And I don't think 5 mile commutes would be a problem. I use mine for short trips quite a bit and have never fouled a plug. Personally, the heat issue hasn't been a problem for me either. No heat blankets on mine. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Don't worry about the short commute. I ride mine to the gym every day which is only a couple of miles, but on the way home I go out of my way to hit I80 for a few miles and by the time I get home the fan comes on when I shut er down. Just because work is a 5 mile jaunt doesn't mean that you can't make it into a 10 miler. It's kind of like Frito Lay potato chips where you can't eat just one. Well you can't just ride a little bit with the ULY, not possible. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Get up early take the long way in. Let the ULY get some cardio and stretch its legs. I live 12 miles from work, sometimes it takes me 45 minutes to get to the 'office' and on the route home, well that can last for hours. PS it only gets to be 90 maybe 3 days a year. |
