| Author | Message | ||
     Skifastbadly |
I figure that the bikes are so weird and since everybody on here is so weird there must be some pretty entertaining stories about how we all ended up on Ulys instead of Vstroms or RS1200s or the like. Here's mine: I have an 04 HD Heritage that I was enjoying bombing around Utah on, and I have a riding friend with an 1200 GS who kept pushing me to get off my "20 thousand dollar fart machine" and get something I could ride on the many dirt roads in Utah. One day I was out on the Harley and I came to the end of the tarmac, and looked at the gravel road that went up into the mountains and thought "yeah, I need to get something that'll do that." But this friend of mine is such an insistent dickhead that I refused to give him the satisfaction of getting a BMW so instead I started looking around and decided that a Tiger would be just the ticket. This is when the new Tigers were 955s. I wasn't COMPLETELY sold on the bike but I knew it would do off piste. So I go to the Utah BMW/Triumph dealer and tell him I want to test the thing. I ended up talking to a guy who was one of the owners and I said "Look, here's my one concern. I have a lot of friends who have bought BMWs from this store and they have lots of complaints about your customer service." He gave me the old "Oh we fixed all that, we're under new management, etc." So I took the keys and test rode the thing and while I thought it was kind of ugly, thought I could get used to it. I returned after my test ride and I couldn't find anyone who could be bothered to check me out, everybody was too busy or in the bathroom or something. Finally I managed to find someone who I could give the key to and sign the form saying I returned the bike in fine shape etc. and left. Later that day I had a talk with my wife who said "Hey, go for it." So the next day, Saturday, we were headed back to Salt Lake from Park City and I called the dealer and asked to talk to the owner with whom I had spoken previously. I got some receptionist who said he was busy. I told her "Look I'm in town, I want the Tiger, I have my checkbook, I'm ready to buy, please have the guy call me." He never did. Saturday goes by, then Sunday, then Monday, then I decide to do some more research on the BMW maybe I should reconsider, or maybe I was trying to sell myself on the Tiger. I came across this blurb on a BMW site saying "Man, if only BMW had seats like the Ulysses." Ulysses? What's that? Now it turns out that I'm originally from Wisconsin and was very familiar with the company because I had been trying to get them to replace their CAD software with my company's, some years back, and my sister in law has a Lightning but I had never heard of the Ulysses. So I call the Harley dealer and he says "Yeah, we got a couple" so I headed down and took a test ride. It seemed like a great bike, and hell, I was used to spending money at the HD shop and they knew me etc. So I bought an 07. On the way home I thought "Jesus, this is hot on my leg maybe I made a big mistake with this. Of course a few months later I was a total convert because not only could I go off road but I could ride it like a sport bike, which of course a Heritage is not designed for. What about you? | ||
| Pontlee77 |
first Buell I saw was on the back page of a magazine it was an X1 thought what an ugly bike it was (now i'd love to have one) on year 2004 or around that time i was driving towards a harley dealer, just to have a look at the bikes saw the XB9 City i was taking to the guy of the shop, but at that time i had no such money for the bike a couple of year later february 2006 after a few changes in my life i went to see the bikes saw then the Ulysses, i was offered a test ride, so next day i went to test ride it, the shop was on a slope so first thing the bike tipped over and broke a turn signal light, i did put me off a bit as the bike was tall, and the bike i currently had was a Honda CB 250, but as i was there they guy of the shop put it on the street and told me it was ok, take the ride, so i did the road i was riding was full of twisties, and the bike was so stable so full of power, so when i returned i said i can deal with the tall seat, so i phoned my parents and told them i was going to order it. so i ordered a new black Uly, they had one on the shop, but i was willing to wait for a new one, the owner of the shop offered me his orange uly with under 1000 miles and side cases for 1 grand less, but i refused i wanted my first new bike, so on 7th march 2006 i was ready to pick up the bike, again it tipped over but this time nothing broke, my dad said are you sure you want this bike, i was clear that it was the bike i wanted, i got home and decided to get sorted a low seat (got a corbin) the next day i took it for a spin coming out of a round about i twisted the throttle like on the Honda i used to do, the bike did a wheelie, and i cut the throttle and said, I need to learn how to ride this machine. Up to now the bike has 52K kilometres and some up grades: Rizoma led turn signals, stock low seat,volt meter, EBR Race ECM, K&N air filter,open air box, D&D exhaust, Black painted wheels, alu sprocket cover painted in orange, catch can, 8 piston front caliper, CRG levers and orange translucent (valencia orange) fly screen and air box. But haven't finished yet just a few more details and the bike will be what i completely desire, A month ago or so i tried out the new triumph Tiger Explorer, what a bike, 6 years of evolution and a well balanced an thought out bike.... far to much money right now but could be not the substitute, but could maybe one day share the garage withe uly, Also have a friend who wont be able to ride his bike any longer and he said he would sell it to me really cheap, it's a X1 really tuned up, to much to write about what it has. | ||
| Paul56 |
I was pretty much set to pull the trigger on a DL1000 in mid 2005. Saw an article (can't remember where) on this new fangled Ulysses thing and got interested. December 05 rolls around and they're giving demo rides at the Long Beach Intl M/C show. Couldn't find anyone to allow a ride on the Vstrom. Took my wife to the show, ogled the display bikes and signed up for a ride. Rode maybe ten miles with the demo group, learning how to slide one cheek off to keep the two-story thing upright at stops and marveling at how much my face hurt from grinning so much. Left the show and went straight to the nearest dealer (both to my house and work), California H-D Buell and put down a deposit. Jan. 23 they called me to pick it up, and the regular Buell guy wasn't there, so another salesman gave me the required walk around inspection and comments. He clearly wasn't impressed. Said "somewhere an International Harvester bus is missing its mirrors- here they are". Rode it home after buying a couple of oil filters. Except for buying a few more filters and various odds and ends at times I haven't been back. So. Here I am, 76 months and 105,000 miles later, contemplating what course to take to repair the recently developed engine noise (thats a separate post). I still love this bike like no other I've owned. Gotta fix it and continue the story. One more thing. After getting a ride at the show (and others since) I've decided I will never buy a bike I can't ride first. If the dealer doesn't allow test rides, no sale. Period. | ||
| Zane_t |
At the time, late Fall of 2007, after hitting a deer with a brand new Yamaha FZ1, an adventure/touring bike was what I had in mind as a replacement for the totaled out Yamaha, and the Buell Ulysses was the best bargain I could find after shopping around. With my right arm in a sling yet with a broken collar bone from the motorcycle/deer collision, I took home a brand new 2007 Ulysses from St. Paul Harley Davidson with the low seat, tall windshield, and the hard luggage which they threw in with the deal. To this day, it's still the most trouble free and enjoyable motorcycle I've ever owned. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Over a period of 22 years I had put over 300k miles on four BMWs. I was dead certain that I wanted a GS. When I was ready to buy I took one for a test ride and found that I did not like the bike. Nothing specific, I just was not thrilled. I bought nothing. Six months went by and I did another BMW GS test ride. Still no joy. Then, a friend who owned a 1200GS was going out of town and asked to store his bike at my house. He told me that I could ride the bike while he was gone and that I could adjust things to my heart's content, so long as I reset everything upon his return. Two weeks later, I was still disappointed. I desperately wanted to like the GS, but didn't. A year goes by. One day I find myself teaching a workshop in Texas. One of the attendees has a Ulysses (07 I think). I keep looking at the bike and asking questions. At our lunch break on day three he hands me the key. I skipped lunch that day. (Message edited by Mark_weiss on May 13, 2012) | ||
| Eulysses |
I have had a lot of bikes. Was riding a DR650...just to have something I could ride about anywhere. I was in Great Falls mommysitting my mother with dementia. A good friend stopped by and took me to the Harley dealer for a mental health break. Been a long time since my Harley days and had no interest other than being around iron and wheels. He was hunting an Evo. I am wandering around the shop and see this weird bike. Looks like a Harley motor...but it would fit me (long legs) and looked like fun just sitting there. They had a used 2007 yellow I could come back and ride. So I did. Another mental health day. Wow! Like train on a track...even hit some back dirt roads at high speeds. I was SOLD! I was leaving Great Falls and even though they fell for the offer I made...they did not have the bike ready before I left. I found an 09 with 400 miles (owner had a heart attack just after purchase) so scooped it and trailered it to OR coast Hwy 101 for a vacation. I passed a slow car on a curve (wife on back...part of the choice for Uly...decent 2-up) and when I rolled off the throttle I felt the front wheel touch back down. Oh baby! What a bike. | ||
| Ourdee |
I was riding a 1980 Honda XL500S. Wife said I could pull the trigger on any bike I wanted. At the time I wanted 200 mph. So, I was dreaming Busa and ZXs. Looked at mpg and saw a Buell on the web. Really wanted a 52 Vincent Black Lightning, and that was in the search parameters. Stopped at hd dealer and test rode an XT after eyeballing a custom painted Blast. It fit like my 500 enduro/dual sport. Just didn't turn right at low speed.=] Then I took it out of the figure eight box in the parking lot. Wasn't out of second gear before I knew it was mine. Still want 200 mph but settled for practical. 25k and still rolling. | ||
| 4_pete_sake |
Loved the goofy looking things from the moment they hit the magazines..... but young and newly married, living off of one income for 5 years..... all I had was desire. Changed careers and all along was dreaming that when I graduate and get a job i'll up grade from my DR350 that I supermoto modified for work and school (70+ mpg...70 mph wide open top speed...). 3 years at nursing school and a move so she could go to grad school and I stumble (searched it out).... in a Bumpus HD store.... it now 2009... look at a new CityX but the price point is still too thin.... leave disappointed, contemplate buying a lotto ticket but don't. Month or two passes and stop at the other Bumpus HD shop on the distant side of town and drool over a Ulysses sitting in the Buell corner of the store.... GM of the shop comes over and wipes the drool off the floor and says the keys are right there, you got a helmet with you or do you want to borrow one???.... we talk about Buells for 45 minutes or more, another sales man comes over and chimes in too..... huh.... what is everyone talking about "dealer support sucks..." ... huh... so its a black 2006 and its March 2009.... I leave excited this time.... go home punch the numbers.... do the taxes... get a refund.... and a credit card application in the mail.... "balance transfers 0% for 18 monthes".... make a call and talk to the GM.... i tell him my price and he pauses and says "when do you want to pick it up???" Charged it to the current credit card... got the miles... then transferred it and paid it off 24 monthes later.... now ex-wife, hated riding motorcycles...period... 3 years of solo riding later... and future wife loves them... or it anyway... taken weekend trips together 2 up while dating... she's a keeper (fiance and Uly....) Now 2 in the barn.... Uly and CR.... completely different with the same result... cheek aching grins !!! Cheers- pete | ||
| Orangeulius |
I like stuff that's slightly out of the mainstream so I bought a V-Rod. It only took a few months for me to realize this bike lacked the required fun factor. In a straight line it was great, on the curves not so much. I called my dealer and got a sales rep that suggested I come down and test ride a new 06 Ulysses. After a twisty run around our wonderful area I got a bad case of permagrin. Not only did I put 25000 fun filled miles on it in just over 2 years, I gained several new good friends and riding buddies like Etennuly, GOTJ, and others. When I had to let it go at the start of the recession it was like saying goodbye to a child of mine. When it came time to buy again I rode several capable bikes, but nothing that I connected with like my Uly. I'm so glad to be back on my new 08 Uly and adding my 2 cents on BadWeb. Life's good and my Uly makes it just that much better. Ride on! | ||
| Spud |
I was rode my 1977 KZ1000 to a local dealer Buell/V-rod ride event with my heart set on getting the new V-rod sport. I was the last one out on what I thought was my next bike and one of the chaperones was on the new 06 xb12x. On the next 15 miles I couldn't get away from him and on the last long uphill drag race he hovered alongside. At the time I thought the Rod was a fastest HD product available. I switched to the Uly and re rode the same route noticing that Buell didn't fight me in the corners and had that sound that I had missed since I got rid of the sportster a few years earlier. After two years of researching and discussion about the Uly, I bought an new 07 in May of 08 for 10K out the door. Still have the KZ. | ||
| Ratbuell |
My first bike was a 99 M2, then I got a 96 FLHP (to try and preserve my license). Sold the M2, rode the FLHP for a couple years. Then, once the points dropped off my license I started looking at old Buells again. Got the S2, then scored the S1W. Then, came Tripp Nobles. I was in Vegas for a product launch event for HD and Tripp was one of the "track guides". 3 days at Vegas Internationsl - day one, the new-for-06 Dyna chassis. Day 2, VRSC (I still love that damn VRSCR). Day 3, I finally felt "at home" in my Buell/Vanson jacket...because it was Buell day. Now, after 2 days of dragging mufflers and chasing Tripp around that track I was a little nervous about the Buell day - that man is NUTS - but it was a ton of fun. Of course, I'd ridden XB's before (and Tripp and I did take out a pair of Blasts just for grins, for a couple laps)...but for '06 the big news was the Ulysses. I purposely waited as late as I could before riding it, because...I "knew". And I was right. So, the first time I rode a Ulysses was on a racetrack. And I loved it. But since I didn't hit the jackpot at the tables, I came home and enjoyed my tubers. Immensely. Happy to be back on Buells (the FLHP was long gone by now). I kept selling the hell out of Buells at work, at our main store...but our SRL (Secondary Retail Location) just wasn't moving them. 99% of the time, it was a case of me saying to a customer "uh, yep - we have one of those at our other store, gimme 2 hours and it'll be here for you". The 1% was the '06 Ulysses with all three bags, that sat there until '08. Part of me wanted to sell it; part of me wanted to buy it. The "sell it" part was satiated by a pretty steady flow of other X's and XT's to our main location. The "buy it" part got its satisfaction when, on the bike's second birthday, my GM came to me and said "we need to sell that thing", and I looked at him and said "give me a number...maybe I'll buy it". He'd seen me run our version of Battletrax on not only my Buells, but also the FLHP; he'd seen me do demo days; he knew I was serious; and he threw me a number I couldn't resist. Wrote my own financing, signed myself up, and got myself a brand-new leftover. This week, I need to do the 25k service on it. I've ridden it to Daytona and back more than once. Rode it around the UP "on my way" to Homecoming a couple years ago. It's been to WVBR, and to a couple Buelltoberfests. Logged quite a few miles on the BRP, and is hands-down my "go to" bike, no matter what I'm heading out to do. It is truly the one that makes me say "if I had to have only one motorcycle...". So far, I've replaced one belt. Had one rockerbox leak. Re-did the 77 connector. Pre-emptively replaced the rear wheel with a '10 wheel. Put lots of tires on it. And ridden the snot out of it. And I plan to continue riding the snot out of it for another 25k  | ||
| Danair |
A Marine Col. who was the CO of the attack helo squadron at Camp Pendleton strolled into my shop needing a annual inspection on his airplane. He was eyeballing my stable, especially the carbon fiber V-Rod (which is for sale, btw). I tossed him the keys but he was ATGATT and said later. He came to pay his bill riding a Camo Uly with all the HB bags, Touratec skid plate, engine and oil filter guards. So he idles up, shuts it off fan screaming and all, and I go WTF is THAT? Couldn't remember a time I was so mesmerized looking at a bike. So I give him the keys to the V-Rod (which is for sale, btw) and I get the Uly keys. We sneak onto the runway and 1st thing I do is hit the rev limiter....oh, OK, slightly different power band! Went out for about a 10 mile ride chasing each other and damn near soiled my britches in joy. Come back to the airport, settled the bill, talked bikes, and he says he's being transferred to the Pentagon and hates like hell he has to sell it. WHAT? Drove him home in my truck with a new set of Uly keys burning a hole in my pocket. Wound up buying 2 more, and can't stay off of them. The poor V-Rod (which is for sale, btw) is on consignment. I've ridden about 10k miles between them in the last year and have to say after a lifetime of riding this is the best all around fun bike I've ever had. Shop full of tools, all the manuals, 15 min. from Al, and especially this group....just doesn't get any better. | ||
| Teeps |
The Uly just fit my mood at the time. I liked ride of the long travel suspension. Best handling street bike I had ever owned or ridden. With minimal maintenance and NO BLING to CLEAN. How can there be a better motorcycle? The Ulysses flips the finger at modern convention... | ||
| Orangeulius |
Looks like there's a V-Rod to Uly trend. | ||
| Griffmeister |
I've always had smaller bikes that were thoroughly used by the time I bought them. Loved my '66 Bonneville until one of the rods broke and took out the jugs and cases at the same time. Last bike was a Yamaha 400 Special that was wrecked but cheap and easily fixed. It was newer and more reliable than the Triumph's but kind of ho-hum. Needed cash and it was the first thing to go. After a little while the cash flow got better, I was at a training class in Antioch and went to Bumpus after class to look around. Walked in the door and saw the Buell section to the left, really liked the City X and thought I could afford that. I could commute during the week and ride on the weekends, sweet. The wife was agreeable and I brought her to the local dealer to show her what I wanted to get. At the end of the row there was an XT and my wife looked at the seat and the bags and said " I'd feel better sitting on the back of that ". The salesman said there was a Blue one in the warehouse with 30 demo miles that I could come back and try out. Took my test ride Sat morning and I was sold. Got to the bank and my insurance agent before they closed and had the papers done and the bike registered before the dealer closed so I could ride it home the same day! That's now over three years and 13,000 smiles ago.  | ||
| Etennuly |
I have never ridden a V-Rod.  I guess I didn't need to. In 2004 I was in need of a new motorcycle for my work. I needed to be able to ride it into the back of moving trucks, turn it around, ride it back out, and be as light as possible. I was getting tired of hooking up, loading, unloading, re-hooking my truck and trailer to move trucks and they did not pay enough for that part to buy fuel both ways and an employee. I was riding a Honda XL250 to do this task, but it sucked when riding more than fifteen miles to get or deliver a truck. So I was thinking super moto XL 650 was the up grade that would work. I took a check, my helmet, boots, jacket, gloves, and my truck to a local Honda dealer on a Monday morning. Damn if they were not closed(I'm not much an impulse buyer, but I don't mess around when I know what I want). As I was getting back into my truck I noticed an HD store with a Buell sign a few hundred feet away. I had read nothing on Buells, had only ever seen one. I had never been in a HD dealer in my life, growing up on dirt bikes, riding Honda street bikes I was as anti leather and tatoo as was out there. They had a City-X in Hero Blue on a vertical stand in the show room. I sat down on the floor and started to study it. It made sense, no BS, minimal parts, no chrome, and hot looking. The sales guy let me have all of the time I wanted to look it over, he handed me a booklet, later a CD, then later asked if I wanted to ride one. I jumped up and said "What?" He asked again if I wanted to ride one. I had never heard of that with new motorcycles before. I was used to Honda's buy then tell us if you like it program. It was nearly raining so he fired up a used '03 Lightening and let me go. I rode about fifty feet past their driveway and was hooked. TORQUE. My goodness. I had never ridden a bike that light with that much torque! So I went back and bought the City-X. I was upset that I had to come back the next day to pick it up because it had to be serviced. I loved riding that '05 City-X. But something was missing. My dirt bike suspension, and the ability to carry a passenger, and the little soft bag kit sucked. Three months later I am reading about the '06 Uly that will be coming out in the near future. Damnit! That is the bike I was looking for! Then I read whats his names story in Cycle World where he said "you could lean it until your elbows drag!" I had to have one. Business was good so what the heck. I went to the dealer when the first one's came in.....all sold. Called around.....all sold. In January they were telling me I could not have one until May! I did not like ordering things that far ahead. So I waited. Smoky Mountain HD had a couple come in that were available so I went in, met Brad(Squids86129). He insisted that we go on a test ride. I said no need I brought a check, let's just set up the deal. Damn if I did not have to ride it first. Oh well. Brad introduced me to Orangulius(Mark) and the BadWeB. I have pounded 58,000 miles on this bike since, and I never have enjoyed a bike, or the people I have met because of it, more. Permagrin. More than just what is for breakfast. | ||
| Orangeulius |
Vern, I was just waiting for you to post on this thread. I've heard your story several times but always enjoy it. You are the consumate Uly rider. Your Uly has the mileage to show your dedication to and enjoyment of these great bikes. Your bike has your own bunch of customizations, parts and paint. A lot of Uly riders are tweakers. Hell, when you got bored tweaking yours, you even hand crafted me my own Big Ass Windshield and helped with other farkles. I had a senior moment and couldn't remember Brads name. It's been too long since I've seen him. He was a big part of me pulling the trigger on my first Uly. A good sales person really makes a difference and Brad went the extra mile. See you on the next ride or for the next farkle session, whichever comes first. | ||
| Rdkingryder |
My friends all had cruisers, so I started on one. Next bike was a Road King, love the torque and cruising at freeway speeds. Handled like a pig though. Was planning on going to Alaska and decided the RK just was not the bike to do it on. Bought a DL650 in 2004 and rode it to the Artic Circle and back only to have an unfortunate event. Always missed that low end grunt of the RK and hated the high rpm buzz on the freeway of the Suzuki, while commuting. Also the DL650 just seemed too much like a refrigerator, it just goes about doing it's business unnoticed. ie: lacking any character. When I came back from Alaska, I bought the Ulysses. Best of both bikes for me. | ||
| Steveford |
I was working at Schoch's H-D/Buell and owned three or four Buells when the Ulysses came out. I wanted a two up touring bike so bought the first one they got, put on a race kit from a Firebolt, the bars, front fender and cables from the Lightning, added bags and the top case, had it painted the Blue Stripe pattern from the X1 and was off and running. I told Erik about the bike and next year he came out with the XT - I am still waiting for my royalty check! I should hit 57,000 miles on it this week so I guess that I must like it... | ||
| Etennuly |
 I told Erik one time about a buddy of mine and I sitting at a bar drawing on a napkin, the perfect bike for our desires. That was about thirty years ago. Add it all up and it was the Ulysses! Thanks Mark, I will be seeing you soon! | ||
| H2opatrol |
A friend of mine's dad was a salesman and always had a new HD dresser in his garage. One day me friend told me to look at his dad's new 2006 ulysses he bought. I was pretty impressed but was still in my dual sport or nothing phase. Fast forward to two years ago, my wife and I just found out we were going to be first time parents. I concocted a plan to sell my car ('84 Monte Carlo SS) and bike ('01 DRZ400) and just have one nice bike. After all, it was the responsible thing for a newly expecting father to do, right? I was getting sick of the DRZ and wanted something with a little more power for the freeway commute to work. I looked at vstroms and was just about ready to buy one when my friend's salesman dad caught wind. He explained to me that the dealership had just picked up 6 or so of them at auction and he had purchased one for himself. He told me to come over and take it for a spin. So I did. It was a white 2010 XP (one of two ever made) and I was instantly sold. I bought mine as soon as the car and bike sold. Funny thing was that the bike and car were paid off but I financed half the price of the uly. Don't tell my wife she never made the connection! | ||
| Buell_lee |
It was middle of 2009 and I had 2 Cyclones a 2001 and a 97 in Australia at the time that was about $2200 worth of Buell's . One night while wasted I went in to a Bike Sales web site and sent out some ridicules offers via email. I had no intentions of buying a new bike I was just drunk. Most guys sent back the answers you would expect but one said he may be interested and in the end I got him down from $14225 to $10225 for a 2007 model with low K's (he just refused to drop the $225) but Karma got me back less than 4 months later you could buy a New 2010 Uly if you shopped around for about $8000. I've never regretted it even though it is all over my lounge room floor at present getting new rocker gaskets. | ||
| Buell_lee |
That should read $22000 I left a 0 off | ||
| Uly_man |
 On our way to the "Holiday planet" Cuba the "Princess Loony" bought me a magazine at the spaced-out port. In said mag was a ad for the City-X. Mistakenly I thought it was a rebel "X-Fighter" and not for me. Not light speed enough. On our return I thought about the "Goffey Uly". A passing visit/test with the "Dark Side" led me to look for a better Light Stick some place else. This I found on the planet Terra. I then sold out the rebels for the Uly and rode off into the sunset on a great bike with a pile of cash in my "not to good" HB luggage. I have since found that the "Buell Sith" has corrupted me to the "Dark Side". | ||
| Mhevezi |
Flashback to early 1999 when I got 'suckered' into a demo ride on an X1. I knew about the Buells, but wasn't in the market. That changed instantly. Settled on an M2 (X1 had a lot of teething issues in 1999), and was happy with that, until the Xb12s came out. Demo'd that bike and being 6'03", I thought, nice bike, but Dayum! It's just too small for me. Soldiered on with my trusty M2. Then the Ulysses came along, and I was interested and curious, but not enough to buy. Kinda watched them from a far and watched the resale plummet on them. I thought, that's a lot of bike for a very fair price and being a fan of Buell cycles, I researched, watched and made 2 offers. Lucky for me, I got the 2008 and I am very happy with it. I have found that there are Buell People and then there is the rest. As soon as my arm heals from surgery #2, miles will fall like crazy! I'm gonna make it rain miles! Love that bike! | ||
| Rwven |
It's Ratbuell's fault..... | ||
| Buewulf |
I was shopping for a new bike after moving from Colorado to Houston, TX. The 950 Adventure I had parted ways with before the move was a splendid bike. I still wanted something that wouldn't protest too much to being taken off-pavement, but I figured being in Texas that something with a little more street orientation than the KTM would be a good thing. While looking at a new Tiger 1050 (which I was sure would be my new bike), I came across an super-clean '06 Uly (single-owner purchased new two years prior at the time) with four thousand miles on it. It met my needs, had quality, fully adjustable suspenders front and rear and had an asking price 1/2 of the Tiger's. It seemed like a LOT of bike for the money. I made an offer a good bit lower than asking price on it (one I thought for sure they wouldn't accept - $4250 OTD and this was before the Buell meltdown). They took the offer, so I accidentally ended up with a Uly. I avoid used stuff (been burned a couple of times), and Buells were not on my list, either, to be honest. I was a little prejudiced and regarded them as interesting but somewhat unreliable, over-engineered machines with a stone-age engine and tranny. My Uly has proven to be all of those things. While I have never been smitten with the bike, I do have an affection for it. On a flowing, curvy stretch of road where I can pick a gear that lets me stay between 4K and 6K rpms (so I don't have to be reminded of how uninspiring the engine and transmission are), the bike is hard to beat. No parts of the bike at all in my field of view, great ergos, decent handling - it feels like being in the front row of one of those roller coasters that you hang from. It really is a great feeling, and it is truly a unique feeling from any other bike I have ridden. Reliability issues with it are forcing me to buy another bike so that I never miss out on riding time again like I have this past year, but I go back and forth as to whether I am going to buy a new, primary bike and demote the Uly, or buy a secondary bike and give the Uly another try.  Believe it or not, I am considering a used CityX or a Guzzi V7 racer if I go the secondary bike route, neither of which even I would expect to reach the top of my list considering the complaints I have with the Uly. My desires for "different" things often steer me away from rational decisions! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ron - its not my fault your bike broke down...but I will take the blame for "making" you get on the XT | ||
| Uly_man |
Its hard to imagine how far mass market Buells could have gone if they had got it right. Like 2010 bikes from the start of the XB run. The whole thing seems to me common of todays world. No time to develop anything, learn or gain the needed experience. If you can not perform "on the spot" every time you are seen as lacking. The poor insite of the likes of HD and such, who just look at the bottom every month, is bad judgment and short sighted. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Wow, some cool stories on here! Here's mine (ours): We lost four trees during the FL hurricanes in 2004, spent hours and hours on the seemingly never-ending project of cleaning up trees and debris so on a rare day off together that autumn, we had the choice of fixing the neighbors fence where our tree had fallen, or buying a new blue blast. I really wanted a street bike and it was a hot and muggy day, so we opted for hanging in the a/c at the HD dealership and got the blast. The fence would have to wait for cooler weather. The dealer threw in the MSF BRC and I loved everything about this new to me motorcycling and learning world so when it was time for a career change, it was a place I wanted to revisit. My coworker at the time, a barricade orange Uly rider from Orlando, was excited about another person getting into the Buell fold, so whenever he got Buell promo materials, he would leave them for me at work and I shared them with my hubby at home. I was intrigued with the looks of a city-x, and happy with its comfortable riding position and later became smitten with a blue demo city-x named “Bunny” in Daytona in '06 firsthand. I picked up my own hero blue city-x a month later. It served me well until my son grew too big for the backseats of it and our sporty and my transition to ridercoach world with my one hour or longer commutes each way to work justified having a grown up bike with hard bags. I demoed a Uly X in 2007 and felt intimidated by its high COG, but thought with more seat time on our K75, I'd get more comfy with riding taller bikes. When I made that happen, there was no doubt the Uly would be the right bike for me. Fast forward to 2009. Our local Buell dealership got a blue XT in. I must have visited and sat on that bike 6 times, including once with my son. This bike was awesome, it worked for me & it worked for my son. I wanted a new bike with a warranty for my upcoming teaching season in MN . This bike would fit the bill. A few months later, enter black Thursday (October 15, 2009). I’d just scrubbed in my birthday tires on the city-x and we spent the day in Daytona during bikeweek. We got home and THE badweb topic was the “holy guacamole” shutdown of Buell. The video with Erik speaking was stomach churning, and we felt so bad for everyone who would be affected by Harley’s decision. Emotions aside, my hubby said it was now or never for the blue XT. We waited a few days, figured out what we needed to sell to afford it, and ran over to make an offer on it. Offer was accepted, and it came home with us that day. We broke it in with a ride to the beach. The city-x sat in the garage barely ridden once I got my XT. My hubby rode the XT to MN that following summer and fell in love with it. With him not being a v-twin guy, I was shocked when he said if we ever had a chance to add another Uly, he'd prefer it over a beemer or another triumph so we would no longer have to fight over who got to ride the Uly. Unexpectedly, the X appeared at work one day in January 2011. It was a dusty low mileage blue bike, and HE, not me, boogied across the parking lot to check it out when it was being unloaded at the dealership. His triumph thruxton was the sacrificial lamb to afford the X; we sold my city x in order to equip the X with Givi bags and new tires. A red Multistrada has always been something I have wanted, and if a Goldwing or Tiger or Connie or ST1300 came my way, I’d give a second look to any of them. Some day when our lives have more time and hopefully fatter pocketbooks, we will have one of those bikes. But for now I do love these Ulys and their lack of valve adjustments and tendency for simple fixes. The simplicity and versatility just works and the BB and D section here on BWB is an awesome place with interesting, intelligent and insightful peeps. Cheers! (Message edited by fltwistygirl on May 15, 2012) |
