| Author | Message | ||
     Mattmcc00 |
Hi all, Just baught my first Buell. a 2008 XB12X with a set of XT bags. now I gotta sell my Sprint! Anyhow... one of my motivations to buy the uly, was the unique combo of a small touring (compared to a GS anyhow)motorcycle that can handle gravel raods, and our warzone raods (massive 2 feet deep 4 feet long potholes) that we have in Montreal! the whole married into a technological frame, with a retro harley engine! that's pretty sweet. I love how the bike shakes during idle, loads of charecter, and thier is no understating the definite grin factor here. Back to my question; not sure if this is heresey or not in the Buell comminity but... I'd like to try to emphasize the harly-davidson"ness" more. any ideas on how to do that? enter the frakle. I thought that a good way would be to make it sound more like a harley. Any recommendations about that? note that i'd like to make the SOUND more like a harley not the VOLUME. Basically the idea would be to harley"ise" the uly. Anyone done this before? Pics? Alternatively, I could frakle it "a la" touratech adventure bike. I am planning to cross labradore on it so this could be a good way to go. decked out with some PIAA lights and loads of touratech goodness. But, i'd still like it to sound like a harley. That could be cool, sounds like a harley driving down the fireroad, oops no wait it looks like a BMW?? nope guess again its a BUELL! thx, and sorry if I commited and heresy I am still new to Buell, and the board. I had a V-star 650, then a YZF600r, then a triumph sprint ST, and now my Uly. Looking to get dusty now! Ciao, MMcC | ||
| Jim_williams |
Hey good luck to you on that but I'd like to de-harley mine  Never identified with Harley and still don't  | ||
| Hangetsu |
Yes, 1)Pull the muffler off and run the open headers. 2)Instead of a rack & top case, install a sissy bar. Be sure to strap your helmet and bedroll to the sissy bar when riding in areas where riding without a helmet is legal. And don't forget the do-rag. 3) Invest in Touratech Zega panniers, adorn them with large HD or Scream'm Eagle stickers and don't forget to have the brackets chromed. This is all that comes to me at the moment, but I'm sure other's can expand on this. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
you are just asking for  The only "Harley" thing I would do, would be to put a Spec.Opps muffler or Drummer on it and that's it... Harley hasn't been looked on to kindly around here since they killed Buell | ||
| Mattmcc00 |
I was afraid i'd get flamed for this. I think i'll go with the adventure setup, like I mentioned I am working on a trip through labrador which is some 5 days of hard gravel riding out of cell phone range. regarding the harley sound, drummers are very popular, as are D&D, and Remus. I really like the look of the D&D's. However, I am afraid that any of these would be too loud. I;d like a lot of the charecteristical sound without so much of the volume. The stock ones I find a little too quiet and missing in a bit of charecter. | ||
| Ronmold |
Hey guys, be nice! I don't think Matt wants to identify with the current Harley management (or mis-management!) I think he's looking to identify with the long-running heritage & uniqueness that HD is (was) known for. You can add a chrome Drummer and get the sound, and chrome ceramic headers for more of the look. You may even add a few skulls here and there on the controls, but the main Harley icon, IMHO, is those big 'ol air cooled jugs sticking out in plain sight. That's just something you can't have on the XB frame. I for one would love to see some pictures. Make your bike your own and yes you may be razzed here occasionally but it's just because we care. | ||
| Tocino |
There's a post around on getting rid of the riveted on points (sorry, elec pickup) cover - you could then put on one of those HD or Eagle covers (I for one am going to try and put on the Biltwell Alcohol-Powered Racing points cover (it's a bottle opener  )) You could remove the Buell logo from the tank and put HD stickers on it. Of course if you think people on this board are harsh wait until you see the response some of the HD-fanatics give you. Too much judging and not enough riding, but the season is upon us! Do your own thing for what makes you happy. | ||
| Hangetsu |
I was just having fun. But if it's the adventure look and functionality you're after, I do have some pics and more serous suggestions. When I have access to my own computer, I'll send you some photo's & links. Cheers. A- | ||
| Badrap |
If you want a little more sound but not as much as an after market pipe will give you, try the drill a 1" hole in the stock muffler technique. I haven’t tried it yet but that might just do what you want. | ||
| Mattmcc00 |
Thanks for the suggestions. I still want to keep my uly a Buell, so not HD logos or eagles for me. I just want to help bring out more of the Sportster engine. ceramic chrome headers could be cool, although I really do like the bronze-ish look of the buell pipes... hmmm... black ones are also nice. Badrap thanks for the suggestion, any threads about that? | ||
| Pso |
Mattmcc- There at one time was a good post on this forum outlining thediferencesbetween the Buell Uly engine from the Harley's. Potato-potato-potato-potato-potato. That is most definatly a unique sound, but even though they attempted to Hardley was not able to copyright, nor patent the sound. One of the fellows I ride with a lot tells me, in all sriousness how much my Uly sounds like a 1950's tractor (I forgot the model) that his grandfather had on the family farm. He likes it because it brings back early childhood memories. Myself I like the sound of the fan, reminds me of the sound of my ex-wife's Saab's turbocharger spooling down after a hard drive. | ||
| Ourdee |
Shine the stainless pipe and it will return to the bronze color with a shine. | ||
| Badrap |
I couldn’t find the post of the pipe mod but it goes something like this. You cut a rectangular hole in the top back portion of the muffler which gives you access to the interior pipe just before it leaves the muffler. At that point you take a hole saw and drill a hole, approx 1” wide in the exit pipe. This allows some of the exhaust gas coming from the smaller first pipe to exit the bike while the rest must pass through the other 2 pipes on it way out. You then weld the rectangular piece back to the muffler and re paint. The nice part is you can always cut it open and repair the hole that was drilled if you don’t like the sound. It will buy you a little more sound at lower RPMs and shouldn’t hurt the low end much if any. The drawback of this is your pipe is probably not be a legal spark arrestor any more. | ||
| Smokey3644 |
The fifties tractor was probably a Ford 8n, my Uly sounds just like my 8n at idle. I hope the Uly is as easy to maintain and as trouble free as the old tractor. | ||
| Hangetsu |
Maybe I'm too easily satisfied, but when I'm riding, on the gas or just thrumming down the highway, the stock pike has a plenty pleasing sound to me. Now, listening to an Uly driving away, maybe a little more rumble would be nice, but I honestly hope I never have to hear that sound on my own bike.  | ||
| Pso |
I just thought of another mod that was very popular several years ago and I had done it. I took a lttle clamp on lead fishing weight pulled the cable, that is attached to the exhaust valve acuator under the plastic airbox cover, and clamped the little weight on the cable that opens the acuator,holding the exhaust valve open. For sound it worked much better on my Wife's Scg than my Uly but did have a nice affect on the sound. One or two folks reported a little problem w/power down in the low range, but I have not noticed it. I think if anything the bike might be a little smoother.patato,patato,patato, patato | ||
| Trevd |
Mattmcc00, Once you've had your Uly for a season, you'll learn to love it for what it is - which is not a Harley. I wouldn't bother with trying to make it something it isn't. Soon you'll appreciate it for what it is, and you'll be wondering why guys with Harleys aren't trying to make their bikes sound like yours! | ||
| Xbeau12s |
this kind of reminds me of that south park episode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY6h-D6Dvm4&NR=1 | ||
| Badrap |
Here is a link to what I was talking about in the above post. http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Do-It-Yourse lf-Buell-Mods/-Thee--exhaust-mod-by-Captain-Ron | ||
| Tootal |
That's not a sportster engine anyway, it's a Buell engine. Only three parts will interchange with the Harley. Ourdee put a switch on his handlebars that opens the muffler valve and it sounded real nice yet he can close it manually and it goes back to stock. Pretty cool! | ||
| Tootal |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/544835.html?1268774753 Here's the thread with Ourdee's video. | ||
| Itileman |
I have a chrome heat shield off my old Road King that fits where the 2010 Rider Comfort Kit piece fits. Also have a set of very large Softail genuine imitation leather throw over saddle bags that I'll sell cheap. Messed with the bags one cold winter day and it's a really ugly concept. Better you go the Adv route. May want to start here: http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/usa.lasso?SubCat =Ulysses Touratech is German for "Bring your wallet." | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Basically the idea would be to harley"ise" the uly think CHROME!!! lots of chrome, add weight. ape handlebars with a sissy bar on the rear. leather tassels on the handlebars and seat. Leather saddlebags with more tassels and lights. Make the muffler loud and chrome plate it. Don't do anything to the engine's performance since it is already faster than any Harley to begin with! Now for the most important part of owning the bike I just described is to keep it away from all Buell riders because they might get sick at looking at it and just might throw up on it!  | ||
| 7873jake |
To add to Cyclonedon: Make sure everything you buy for it from his list costs more than $100 and it will begin to feel like a Harley. Trailer it around alot. Come to Volusia county and rev it at stop lights incessantly. Man, I could go and go with this one, all tongue-in-cheek of course. (Message edited by 7873jake on March 18, 2010) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I have a Harley FLH turn signal biscuit as my timing cover  also available in Red, Clear, Smoked.... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Nice! All you need now are some flashing LEDs in there, that pulse with the pickup signal....I bet Kuryakyn could fix you up! | ||
| Pso |
Matt-Welcome to the group that is pissed at Hardley for what they did to Buell and all his Elves. I think perhaps you would have gotten less razzing if you had wanted your bike to sound more like a 400cc 2 stroker.  | ||
| Hooper |
I've heard a Drummer...loud and nasty, with frequent popping on decel...sounds kind of cool. My '06 is stock, and is starting to develop a nice mellow growl when I gas it. Idle? Sounds pretty tame. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
http://www.kuryakyn.com/index.cfm/go/Home.ProductD etail/IMID/150 no orange ... and certainly not at $189! | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
IMO, Buell cams will prevent these engines from ever sounding like a Harley. (a good thing) Not even my X1 (a lot more "Harley than any XB model) can really be compared to a sportster sound. XB sound even more different due to the higher lift cams. (XB cams = .551, X1 cams = .497) stock sporty cams are mid .4xx's? Those lift and duration figures are what identifies the bike's sound, most exhaust systems are only going to change the volume and frequency of the sound. |
