| Author | Message | ||
     Keith_mahoney |
That pretty much sums up my first ride on my 08XT. I actually wish I was still riding it but I figured 50 miles was about the limit I wanted to ride until I get my plate in. Let me give some observations from the standpoint of someone who bought their bike back in July and while waiting on it being shipped here has read everything possible about this bike all over the net. I have been wondering if I made the right decision for the last six weeks or so, so let me address some of the things which bothered me. Right side heat - I honestly did not think this one would bother me since it is always cold and raining here, but you can definitely feel that heat. Even feels pretty hot through my Olympia Phantom suit. Motor roughness or fueling issues - this issue really worried me but it was all for nothing. Other than when stopped at a stoplight, which is when it shakes like a paint shaker, I find this bike to be pretty darn smooth. It's a little vibey below 3k but this bike revs so quickly there is not reason to spend any time below 3k. She seems to pull hard right off idle to me. Literally jumps from a standstill to 30mph. The general consensus I got from reading the boards is keep it above 4k but honestly my bike feels smooth as silk above 3k when compared to my Suzuki Boulevard. I tried but couldn't find the 3500 rpm surge others have mentioned. My mirrors are also smoother than on my Bully, but before I rode it I installed heavy throttlemeister bar ends on the ULY . Brakes - I love them but man do they have a scary amount of initial bite. I hope I do not need to panic stop before I get some time to adjust, or else I am going over. I have some EBC HH sintered sitting on the shelf to prevent brake pulse but I am not sure I want to put them on yet. Foot position - I will be happy once I stop trying to put my feet up in the air about a foot in front of the pegs on take off. I can definitely tell this position is going to be a pain in my bad knee but at least on long trips I can scoot way back in the seat and change the angle my knee sits at. The ease of standing is nice too. Suspension - I did not know a bike could feel planted and still deliver the amount of plushness over these rough Belgian roads that this bike does. I am in comfort heaven. I can actually feel the suspension hydraulically working like on my expensive mountain bike forks and not just the spring-tight/bam-bottoming feel of my last bike. Fan running after shut down - doesn't bother me a bit. I wear a dayglo green one piece suit, so I am really not in it for looking cool. Now I just hope my bike gets above 40mpg, intake seals last at least a year, the wheel bearings last 10k miles a set and I can get 15k out of a belt. | ||
| Etennuly |
I think you have been reading too much. Just ride. Give it time to break in and get used to riding it before you make a lot of changes. Break in on my Buells has been at about 8000 miles. Crusty has just had a clutch bearing problem, heretofore unheard of. Better buy one now before the rush at the parts counter!  | ||
| Svh |
I had all those concerns when I bought mine. The way I looked at it was there is all this information on here about what could go wrong so if something does then the "braintrust" on here is there to help. Along with the service manual and dealer at times but mostly the great people on here. I hope in a few years I can be telling a Buell newbie like myself to just ride it and enjoy it and quit worrying about what might go wrong like I was told. Love this bike it is everything I wanted and needed. The heat will get better as it gets broken in also. Mine was unbearable for the first 900 miles but now its not so bad at about 1200. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I remember reading about all the different issues before purchasing my 2006 Uly and the one I remembered most was all the people complaining about the headlights. The day I purchased my Uly, I rode it all day and took it home about sunset because I was thinking I would have to change the lights before riding at night. After sitting at home for about an hour with a brand new Uly sitting in my garage, I said the hell with the lights I wanted to go and ride! I rode it for a couple of hours in the dark with the stock lights and decided that the stock headlights were not a problem. I did finally change the light bulbs when the low beam burned-out with just over 19,000 miles on it. My advise is to just ride it! After a few months of riding, then you can make whatever changes you feel is needed. | ||
| Sekalilgai |
what? clutch bearing ? good grief! of to the parts counter again....call Court!  sounds like a T-shirt in the making there..."Uly ...just ride it!" Life sucks...the weather is just a tad wet, there's an advrider TAG not an hour away but my head's about to explode from some lousy cold I caught... I'm thinking mebbe a ride on the Uly might clear things up.... BTW Mr. Mahoney...Congrats! | ||
| Steve046 |
Welcome to the club. I hear you on the knee thing. My right one gets real unhappy after a few hours on my 06 X with the low seat. But, I've read here on BadWeb that you can put a 2006 stock seat (the tall one) on an XT, which should let you straighten out your knees a bit. I've considered it on my X, but I can barely reach the ground as is! | ||
| Brazeau |
Foot position - I will be happy once I stop trying to put my feet up in the air about a foot in front of the pegs on take off. That made me laugh. I came off a Road King, and for the first thousand miles, I'd do an air walk from the stop light. Must've looked hilarious from behind. DB | ||
| Keith_mahoney |
Man I am loving this bike. I only have a hair over 300 miles on it but I am really glad I decided to pull the trigger on a Uly. Strange thing happened when out riding with my wife yesterday. We pulled up to a table at a cafe (yes in Belgium you can pull your bike right up to your table at a lot of places) in downtown Ath. All of a sudden lots of moto-jockies stand up and start heading over to see us. This is weird I thought, then I look at all the bikes lined up at the cafe and every single one of them is a Buell. The other Buelligans were pretty excited to check out the new XT and it was nice to see about every model Buell must have made in the last 5 years. And here I thought I was never gonna see another Buell here in Belgium. Unfortunately I don't speak French and they didn't speak English so I did not get to find out any interesting info about their club. | ||
| Froggy |
At least the enjoyment of Buell is a universal language  | ||
| Etennuly |
That is awesome. Nothing like riding a Uly  and coming across a bunch of Buells on the trail. | ||
| Crusty |
Keith; first off; Congratulations! Neat bike, ain't it? I wouldn't worry about wheel bearings too much. My '06 Uly had 34,000 miles on the originals when I traded it, in and they were fine; and my '08XT bearings have 11,500 and they're O.K. as well. The belt on my '06 was original, as well. Your gas mileage will improve as time goes on and the engine wears in. I'm averaging around 43 MPG on the XT. However, if your Transmission sounds like a cement mixer when you put it in gear (but it sounds normal in neutral) you'd better replace your clutch bearing. | ||
| Keith_mahoney |
However, if your Transmission sounds like a cement mixer when you put it in gear (but it sounds normal in neutral) you'd better replace your clutch bearing. Thanks for the tip. I am definitely a do it yourself kind of guy so I will keep this in mind as well. I'd rather replace a $50 part beofre it really needs it than replace a couple hundred worth 0f parts just because I waited too long. | ||
| Rsrss |
I see that others are having Uly clutch bearing problems. Anyone getting moisture in the trans? I commute 75 miles a day in all weather. At the 1000 mile mark everything was fine. At 5000 mile there was moisture in the trans. Looked like a thin milkshake. Did a thorough clean-up and topped up with Trans+. At 7400 miles the clutch bearing went. Warranty covered. Tech service had not heard of any other situations. Ideas? | ||
| Jlnance |
I'd rather replace a $50 part I'm not sure of the details, hopefully someone can fill them in. I'm told the clutch bearing is a standard bearing you can get from a bearing supply company for cheap. Or you can pay a LOT more to get it from HD. | ||
| Jlnance |
Anyone getting moisture in the trans? Yes, it happens frequently. Make sure your adjuster boot is in the right place. If you get water in the adjuster, it has no place to go but the transmission. I have an 06 which would always have a bit of white paste in the transmission. I changed the clutch cable this summer and in addition to pulling a lot smoother, have had zero water in the tranny. If you've got a bike with a couple of years on it, change the transmission cable. It makes riding a lot more fun. I'm not sure why the new cable makes a difference with respect to water. It may be as simple as the boot not being as brittle. But it definitely makes a difference. | ||
| Keith_mahoney |
Ok, just to add some more thoughts to my WOW thread. I just got back from a 2 day trip to Germany for a medical appt. Anyhow yesterday was great, bright and sunny and the highway through Luxumbourg and in Germany is never flat or straight. Oh yea and no speed limits. I had a great time on the Autobahn blowing past most other vehicles on the never ending curves, of course I was still being passed by some Porches and Mercs, but hey I am a little more sane than I used to be. I can say I was grinning ear to ear for a couple hours. But most of what I learned was on today's return trip. The trip is 250 miles each way and today it was storming the entire time. Things I learned 1. The bags on my March 08 XT stay perfectly dry. 2. Sometimes the Uly doesn't put out enough heat. 3. The seat offers near limitless positions to sit in. I did not notice this the day before because I was having so much fun hauling ass and never felt like I was just "traveling". 4. Grips don't heat evenly. Right side in way hotter than left. | ||
| 818guy |
I think the right grip "seems" hotter since you are holding it more since it's the throttle. | ||
| Svh |
I agree with Keith that the right is warmer than the left. I will scan it sometime and post up here. Summer time its too much heat and the fall and spring its not enough. Had to ride an hour in 24 degreeF with my Tourmaster Transition 2 jacket and caliber pants to keep me warm and I was cycling the grips from high to low. Love those warmers. My bags also stay dry inside April 08. | ||
| Froggy |
I used a thermometer to check, there is a slight difference in temperature of the 2 grips, I want to say 5 degrees F. I will check it again later. | ||
| Tootal |
The left grip is contacting the handlebar which is dispelling some of the BTU's. The right one is on the plastic throttle which insulates it from the bars so it keeps more of the BTU's. Not much you can do about it. tootal | ||
| Pso |
It was posted earlier this year on this board that a simple zip tie on the clutch adjuster boot lip will help to seal out water from draining down the cable into the trans. |
