TT399 – December 17, 2008 -Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 2006 – 2009 

2006 – 2009 Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 

Poor ground connections have been found at the tail section ground locations. 
Below are some of the symptoms that you might see, and a procedure to repair 
this condition. While the specifically affected models are 2006 to 2009 XB12X, 
this Tech Tip could serve as a reference for improving ground circuits on any 
model. 

In the figure below, you can see where the negative battery cable is attached to 
the tail section of the vehicle. This ground location is essential to virtually all of 
the motorcycle’s electrical systems. A poor contact here can cause poor running 
issue and no crank conditions. The instrument cluster may even stay on after the 
key is turned to the OFF position. These issues can also be intermittent. 

XB Tail Section Ground Location 


To clean the ground area, you must remove the fastener that secures the ground 
terminals to the tail section and clean all surfaces. This includes the fastener, tail 
section boss, ring terminals, and battery tray. (See images below) 


TT399 – December 17, 2008 -Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 2006 – 2009 


Ground Fastener to Be Removed 



Once the faster is removed, lightly sand both the threads and the face of the 
screw. (See image below) 


Lightly sand both sides of the ring terminals to clean any impurities from the 
surfaces. (See images below) 

Ring Terminals to Be Cleaned 


TT399 – December 17, 2008 -Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 2006 – 2009 



Lastly, clean the ground boss and the battery tray surfaces by sanding to remove 
any paint or other impurities. 


TT399 – December 17, 2008 -Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 2006 – 2009 

Tail Section Ground Boss and Battery Pan 


After all of these surfaces have been cleaned, apply dielectric grease to the 
fastener and reinstall to 72-108 in/lbs. (97.6 – 146.4 Nm).