| Author | Message | ||
     J0hn0tt0 |
I was awoken at 10 a.m. by a phone call: "Hey, John? This is Dave. I'm outside with the bike right now." "Oh, ok. I'm coming out," I say in the best of-course-I-didn't-just-wake-up voice. I get outside and there she is, my Black '06 Uly sitting in the bed of a red pickup (hey, wtf? It said "enclosed trailer" for shipping method! Whatever...). I greet Dave and we get the bike off the truck (only after Dave almost drops it -- can't tell you how quickly I LEAPT forward to help, aided by a nearby garbageman that also saw what was going on). We roll the bike into my garage, I pay him, and off he goes. Ahhhhh, at LAST! The bike I've been pining over for YEARS is finally here! Oh, look, the key is already in the ignition -- I hope he didn't travel all 1250 miles like that. I'm as giddy as a school girl. I almost forget how to start a bike, I'm so excited. Finally, I turn the ignition on, and toggle the killswitch. I'm greeted by a very low whirring sound and the gauges cycling, lazily. Almost there, almost there! I hit the starter, awaiting that 45 degree V-Twin to roar to life so that I could ride into the *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*. "What the •••• was that?!" Press again -- *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*. "Are you ••••••• KIDDING me?!" The battery is D.E.A.D. The starter didn't even THINK about turning over. I figure out how to get the seat off and install a battery tender plug and get the battery charging. Off to school I go...muttering expletives the whole time... ~5 hours later (3:30), I come home ready to fire up the Uly and ride off into the *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* "••••••• christ...still?" Judging by the dimmed lights, the battery still wasn't near operating conditions. Being the impatient sumbitch that I am, I grab some jumper cables out of my car, take the seats off the Uly and my Husqvarna SM610 and try to negotiate the cables onto the tiny motorcycle battery terminals. After a few minutes, SUCCESS! They're clipped on and staying still, albeit at angles that reminded me of a Kama Sutra book that I once skimmed through. I say a prayer, turn the ignition on the Uly and am greeted by a stronger whirring sound and brighter lights. "Hmmm, looking good...so far." I hold my breath and hit the starter. The starter is trying its damndest to turn and, finally, *POO-TATO* *PO-TATO* *PO-TATO* *PO-TATO* "YES!!" It was running strong and SHAKEY (just how I like 'em!). I made a new world record for the fastest time to get a helmet and gloves on. I pointed the bike down the street, clicked into first gear, gave it some throttle and clutch and "HHOOOLLLYYYY SSHHHHIIITTT!!!" I tore down the block at breakneck speed, not realizing how ••••••• FAST this thing will throw you down the road. The brakes slowed me down just as fast as the motor sped me up, although they are pulsing pretty badly. I loved the shake of the bike, the torque, the comfort, the handling...EVERYTHING! I spent 15-20 minutes riding around the immediate area (no plates or insurance yet -- doing that friday) and came back with the biggest damned grin on my face. My neighbor was on her way inside and said "Had fun?" All I could say was "...I finally get it." | ||
| Nutsosane |
Great post!  Welcome. NUTS | ||
| Tginnh |
In your haste to ride after it fired up, did you take the time to replace the seat?  Congrats on your ownership. | ||
| Ulyranger |
Nice post. Congrats and welcome, you're going to love it. Check your battery connections, if that doesn't do it you may need a new battery. A Husky 610SM too? Between the two your license is in serious jeopardy......... | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
NEW YORK CITY?? in my best "They make salsa there" voice.... Welcome to Buelldom! If ya need a battery, I just picked one up from O'Reilly's SUPERSTART - BATTERY (MAGNA POWER H/P AGM) Item No: ETX14 $73.99 Each [plus: $10.00 core charge] 1year free replacement | ||
| Court |
Fun day in NEW YORK CITY the last day or two . . . | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Glad you were able to satisfy your obsession! You will not regret your choice. | ||
| Staves |
I'm glad you got the bike! Hope it's what you expected/was advertised. Buying sight unseen can be a little nerve-wracking. - Scott | ||
| J0hn0tt0 |
No wonder I kept getting a shock in the ass! My ass was completing a circuit with the battery! 
I tightened up the battery terminals and trickle-charged it to full charge. The bike starts on its own now, but I'm probably going to replace the battery, anyway, as well as checking the charging system. As for my license....it's already restricted!! I can only go to school, work, doctor, and DMV until Aug 13. I'm in the stages of planning a trip for Aug 14th, though. 
Thanks for the tip!
I've learned the downfalls of buying sight unseen. First, the battery, then on closer inspection I noticed that some items needed some TLC. There are some rusted screws here and there (no big deal). The passenger foot pegs, seat lock, and right side rider footpeg were all either stuck or difficult to move, but some white lithium grease took care of that. The brakes are pulsing bad, so some sanding of the rotors and new pads are in my future. Other than that, the bike's fine. Just gonna run some seafoam through a couple of tanks, since I feel it's been sitting for a few months and want to clear out any gunk that may have accumulated. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I'm in the stages of planning a trip for Aug 14th, though. Do tell...... | ||
| Mnrider |
Great story,good luck with your new ride. I've found my tender won't charge my batt if its too low on charge. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Congrats!!....Awesome machine! | ||
| Glen |
thats weird that the tender didnt juice it up in 5 hours, mine charged a dead conversion van battery to the point of starting it in about an hour....x2 on checking connections. congrats on the new bike and thanks for the story, brought back memories of my first spin. | ||
| Itileman |
Welcome to Buellaland. Uly's shake & vibrate? Funny, none of my Harley's ever did.  | ||
| Ulynut |
"I finally get it" "It" is hard to explain, aint it. When people ask me how I like my bike, all I can say is I love it. People need to demo these things to understand. Too bad most people are too intimidated by the bikes height to try mine. But maybe thats a good thing for me. | ||
| Froggy |
Swap in a SS suspension  | ||
| Ulynut |
Why? Then everybody will want to ride mine. I barely get to ride it anymore. | ||
| J0hn0tt0 |
Other than the battery terminals, what other connections should I check? I rode the bike around today and started it up about 6 or 7 times and it hasn't missed a beat.
There's just something about this bike. I've never leaned over so far with any other bike than I have with the Uly, and that's only in my first 50 miles of ownership. After setting the suspension for my weight, it was like the bike read my mind and turned/leaned by itself. It just...works.
Swapping for the TT suspension (I want to keep a little more travel than SS) is at the top of my "to do" list, second to XB9 primary. The gearing is definitely higher than needed. I was cruising at 55 and still was in 4th gear. With an XB9 primary swap and a TT suspension....oh man. I think I may just cream my jeans on every ride... | ||
| J0hn0tt0 |
So, I took my girlfriend for a ride on Friday. This is what she had to say: "You know, I never wanted to tell you this but I never liked riding on your motorcycles....until you got this one. It's so FUN! I can't stop smiling the whole time! It's so fast and comfy and turns so easily! You did really good job by buying this bike. And to think...it's American."  (Message edited by j0hn0tt0 on April 20, 2009) | ||
| Crusty |
Just a suggestion; wait a while before you go making major changes. You need a little time to get used to the bike. I like to wait at least 10,000 miles before making serious modifications to a new ride. It's noteworthy how priorities change with familiarity. If you change out the suspension, the bike might not be as much fun to ride. Anyway, Congratulations! I hope your Uly gives you as much pleasure as mine has given me! |
