| Author | Message | ||
     Kosick |
I want to upgrade my V-Strom 650, and have all but decided that the Ulysses is the next bike for me. Before I purchase one, I was hoping to take one for a quick test ride, including a few highway miles. The local dealer is willing to let me take a brand new bike off the showroom floor, but does not like the idea of me going on the highway (understandably). Would any of you Ulysses owners in the Mass, RI, or NH area be willing to let me take your bike for a 15 minute test ride? You can follow along on my 08 V-Strom 650. I would be happy to reimburse you for gas or buy lunch. Thanks | ||
| Froggy |
My Uly is down for wreck repairs, but you are welcome to my 1125CR and Blast  | ||
| Pso |
I took my wife's 09 Wee Strom on an 8 day trip to NY and Vermont from Maryland. I liked the bike a great deal. I am thinking of going from my 06 Uly to a new Wee strom this winter. The reason being is that I do not feel as confident about my Uly getting me there and back as I do about the Wee. I did not miss the power or even notice much of a difference in the power(once in Vermont I needed to down shift two gears and on the Uly probably not at all, and also when wanting to pass hard a down shift was required). My major complaint with the Wee was the suspension. I had it set for my Wife and not for me. My Uly blew out a fork seal the night before the trip. All in all the Wee has better wind protection, is as easy to work on as the Uly (excet for the valves), according to my web searches it is fairly bullet proof, and is vey comfortable, also good aftermarket support. I am just getting tired of taking care of the Uly and also the fear of a long trip to remote places w/ limited resources for dealership assistance. If I had the money I would seriously consider a brand new Uly. All the problems I have had are sort of endemic to the first run models and each iteration buell has corrected them incremetally and when available made the fixes retroactive to earlier models. I will add that the Uly is the most comfortable bike I have every owned, a step up even from my 01 GoldWing. Handles almost as good as the Wee. Has lots of character and is an fun bike, just very tired of fixing things that should not need to be fixed. So all in all if I could aford the outlay after trade in, I would get another Uly but it would need to be the '10 model only with the substantive changes. | ||
| Kosick |
Froggy - thanks for the offer. I'll probably wait for a Ulysses though. I really wanted to see how I fit on one and get a feel for how it handles on the highway. Thanks | ||
| Kosick |
Pso - you did a nice job of describing the Wee. Mine has been nothing short of a loyal soldier. Just gas and oil changes. She hasn't let me down once. The engine power is the main reason for selling the Wee. I'm a big guy, and the engine lugs a lot at lower speeds. I'm concerned about wind protection on the Uly (the reason for the test drive), but hope that can be resolved with a winshield. I understand what you said about the 06 model year Uly's. I'm going to look for an 08 or later. My Wee is going on the market. If you wanted to do a fly-and-ride to Massachusetts, PM me. Here's a link to some pics. http://kosick.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/For-Sale/924 6070_zhgCq/1/617321897_wgdGK | ||
| Froggy |
Whats involved with turning that bike blue? About the wind protection on the Uly, there is a dozen options available in terms of windshields, and then you can get adjustable brackets to angle it better. A windshield that works great for me might not work at all for you, luckily I was pretty happy with the stock setup and even happier with the adjustable brackets. Also, which dealer did you ask for the demo? Precision is a good dealer, but I know that 95 is nuts in that area so if they wouldn't let you on the highway its understandable. They had a demo day several months ago and the loop included some highway, and to be honest that part sucked!  | ||
| Pso |
Kosik-pm sent. | ||
| Kosick |
Froggy - it doesn't appear to be easy to change the color of a V-Strom. You'd have to paint the tank or get a new one, and they can't be too cheap. I understand what you said about the windshield setup. I have a the stock screen and Madstad bracket on my Wee and am very pleased. I think I'd be just as pleased if I can do a similar setup on the Uly. I was a Precision HD in RI and their sister store in Framingham, MA. Eric was very helpful and answered all my stupid questions. You're right about being on route 95. There are also fresh tar snakes on the exit ramps which made for an exciting time. |
