| Author | Message | ||
     Erz |
You hear this nonsense from folks that have never ridden a Uly engine. I took a 4 day trip with on my Uly with another guy that had a Triumph Trophy. We ran at about 90 MPH out Rt 50 - NO CARS and over the course of the trip I averaged 45-48 MPG he got right around 28 MPG. Yea, this thunderstorm sure is old tech. It ran 4 days without a hickup up at high speed and got great mileage. Nice work Buell ! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Don't believe the hype. The Thunderstorm engine is the closest thing to a late 60's muscle car with racing cams. Idles rough, but runs like a scalded monkey. | ||
| Etennuly |
scalded monkey   Only a few monkeys were hurt testing that statement! | ||
| Bluesboy99 |
I got my 09XT this spring and have 18,000 KM so far this year. Old tech? I went on several long trips and easily kicked my buddies Ducati Monster butt any time I wanted to. This bike can do the superslab, twisties and nearly anything else. It is way too much fun to be legal and has to be the most under-rated bike on the market. Just like every-one else here I love my Ulysses. I agree with the point of the thread. Low Tech. NOT | ||
| Slinky |
I too doubted that an air cooled engine would be the thing for me. After having Honda CBR's I figured a Uly would be slow boring and of course unreliable. So I bought a used one with 10k on it. Changed the oil, tires and some other small things, and went out to Colorado with it. 2400 miles in 3 1/2 days, not one single hiccup, nothing. Ran at 75-85mph all day. No other bike I have owned has put such a big smile on my face every time I ride it. I love my Hondas, in fact both my vehicles and wifes bike are Hondas, but my Buell has a "soul". | ||
| Metalstorm |
It is old tech. Just don't believe the hype that old tech is bad. As proven by the XBs and Ulys, old tech is good. Really, really good  This is just personal preference but I much prefer the feel & character of the XB/Uly engine. That it gets excellent mpg and requires very little maintenance is just icing on the cake. | ||
| Blake |
I've been waiting for years for someone who says the Buell engines are old tech to explain what exactly is old or inferior in their technology. Never have gotten a good answer to that. It's funny how some think that an engine that requires valve adjustments and liquid heat exchanger and circulation system is higher tech. Adding more parts is higher tech? When aiming for the most elegant design, engineers strive to reduce complexity, not increase it. Then there is the computer controlled, variable speed, ducted, forced-air cooling system. And the EPA compliant without catalytic converter DDFI-III system. Apparently gear driven cams are less high tech than a chain or belt driven cams? Seems the other way around to me. The use of hydraulic components to eliminate the need for valve adjustments is low tech compared to hard components that require periodic adjustment? Seems the other way around to me. And the roller bearings on the crank and pinions that allow greater efficiency. Those are low tech? The V-twin engine configuration with a knife and fork connecting rod arrangement is less exotic than one with two side by side plain journal bearings? I sure don't see that either. Old basic engine architecture (45o air-cooled, pushrod, two-valve/cyl, V-twin) is not the same as old tech. Higher HP/cc is not necessarily the same as higher tech. There are other parameters with which to gauge performance such as maintainability, repair-ability, efficiency, simplicity, even aesthetics. Harley was building overhead-cam four-valve engines almost a hundred years ago. But that's new/high tech? (Message edited by blake on September 13, 2009) | ||
| Cyclonedon |
back in the early 70's when I was riding two-stroke Suzuki's and Kawasaki's, everybody was saying that the Harley-Davidson V-twins were going to go away. But now it looks more like the two-strokes are going away. I like my Thunderstorm engine, it does exactly what I want it to do. Plenty of power with an attitude. | ||
| Metalstorm |
By old tech, I simply mean it's been around for quite a while. Long enough to be perfected. There certainly isn't anything inferior about it I see many gains and and very few minuses. If fact the only minus I can think of is a lower rev limit which doesn't really qualify as a minus when you consider all the usable power within it's range. | ||
| Court |
The Porsche 6 cylinder Boxer . . as well as the Corvette V8 are both equally "old tech". Yackity . .yackity . . yackity. | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
When folks say old tech, they are talking about the paint shaker syndrome. If they made it as smooth as an SV the Uly would be considered modern. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
"I like my Thunderstorm engine, it does exactly what I want it to do. Plenty of power with an attitude." +1 I agree  | ||
| Tootal |
The funny thing about "high tech" is that most of the designs originated in the 40's during the war. There was so much experimentation back then to build the best engine that most of todays modern designs are really old news that has been made more feasible with today's electronics and automated machining capability. | ||
| Chadhargis |
I think the air cooled motor is a good engine, for what it is. It meets the needs of a wide variety of riders. Most people can't use all the power it puts out, yet feel like they need more. | ||
| Erz |
I forgot to mention in my original post that my buddy riding the Trophy also spent part of the first night,where we stopped, adjusting his chain since he discovered that he had paid no attention to it prior to leaving and it was way too loose. I really had to bite my tongue so as, not to be a jerk and rub in the belt drive advantage. By the way, I loved the poster that stated the muscle car with cams analogy. I have felt the same way since climbing on a Uly | ||
| Court |
This was designed and manufactured in the 50's . . . . You make the call . . .  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The manufacturing process was as old as Adam.  | ||
| New12r |
The only NEW tech engine I see out there is the Motocyz(sp). | ||
| Etennuly |
Well if being water cooled is the new hi-tech ya better see if you can still find a Model T Ford! | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I wouldn't mind it at all if they smoothed it out and gave it a 6 gear transmission. Maybe modernize it with 2 fuel injectors per cylinder. One outfit is using Diesel as gasoline 'spark plug' to improve economy and emissions. http://www.gizmag.com/diesel-spark-plug-gasoline/1 2484/ | ||
| Chadhargis |
Ooooh....a diesel Ulysses. Now THAT would be cool! I'm a diesel head. My last two 4 wheeled vehicles have been diesels. The current one is laying down 440ft/lbs of torque at the rear wheels....from a 3.0L engine and gets 25mpg highway in an SUV that will tow 7500lbs. Diesel baby!! | ||
| Tootal |
I agree, a slick 6 speed and maybe dual plugs to help it out. I did dual plugs on a 91 electra glide and it started easier, ran smoother and got better mileage. | ||
| M2nc |
As a kid I went to the dealership to watch my dad buy a life long dream of owning a Mercedes Benz. This 1977 sedan had dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinders, port fuel injections, four wheel disk brakes and independent front and rear suspension. These things are common place today, but even then this technology was not new. Now more than thirty-years later they going to say my Buell is old-tech because it shakes? It sound like some do not understand the difference between old and timeless. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
This was designed and manufactured in the 50's . . . . You make the call . . . Hey Court, I was designed and manufactured in the 50's. I would certainly make that call if only I had her phone number!  | ||
| Danger_dave |
I sold my Triumph Trophy 2 months after I bought the Uly. Wasn't worth anything on a trade in and I thought I would still use it for touring. Duh. | ||
| Danger_dave |
The insurance company wrote off my V12 S600 because it kept toasting the ECM. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Having some experience in design and engineering of some pretty familiar consumer products, often the best design is not complex and technology laden, but rather, when presented a simpler, more elegant approach, it is usually more reliable, cheaper and better accepted by users. ~jammer PS. Before some exhaust and dyno race tuning, loaded with saddle bags and an overnight bag on the back, my Uly got into the 60mpg range on several multi-day trips including large applications of 80, even 90mph stretches. | ||
| Alershka |
I'm hoping that makes the next Book of Buell. Thunderstorm engine, idles rough but runs like a scalded monkey. Thanks for the great visual, Ft_bstrd. I will quote you from now until eternity. | ||
| Thetable |
Last time I was waxing on about the pleasures of belt drive, within 12 hours, I was sitting by the side of the road waiting for a tow, and nearly a week waiting for a belt. I suggest whatever you do, keep biting your tongue. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Thanks for the great visual, Ft_bstrd. I will quote you from now until eternity. My other favorite primate reference is that it "runs like a raped ape". |
