| Author | Message | ||
     Speedysheep |
Not trying to start a flame war here, this is a serious question. I'm very interested in the new XB12X Ulysses. I've ridden Japanese bikes for the last ~20years/350,000 miles. I'm currently riding a Kawasaki Concours and a Suzuki SV1000. I'm looking for a lighter, more dirt(road)-worthy replacement for the Concours. I go on alot of motorcycle camping trips and I'm sick of wrestling the Concours up and down rocky goat-trails trying to follow my brother's V-Strom to the night's campsite. I'm looking at the Strom and the Triumph Tiger, but I've really got the Jones for the Buell. I ride my bikes hard, and put alot of miles on them. I'm used to getting ~100,000 miles out of a bike without any major work. I do all my own maintenance and I stay on top of stuff (valve adjustments, steering head bearings, etc, etc). I keep my bikes in good shape and I expect them to be reliable as a result. I want to be able to ride them cross-country without a second thought, because that's what I like to do. My Concours has been in 46 different states. To make a long story short (or is too late?) I want to know what I can expect from a Buell in terms of reliability and durability. The older Buells had a bad reputation, but my impression is that's a thing of the past. Am I right? Can I get 100,000 trouble-free miles out of a Ulysses with proper maintenance? What's the consensus opinion of the Buell owners out there? | ||
| Apex_assasian |
the uly is brand new i guess if we had a crystal ball we could make a prediction. granted my xb has only 5000 miles on it... and it has been flawless.granted i have a biased opinion but it is by far the best motorcycle i have ever owned.and that includes about 10 others....just my opinion though. mike | ||
| Two_buells |
Speedysheep, I've owned 6 Buells since 1996. I still have a 98 Lightning, 99 Thunderbolt and a 2003 XB9R. I'm getting a XB12X next month. The XB series has been Buells best and most reliable. I never had my XB9R back to the dealer for anything! btw there are no valve adjustments Buy the Ulysses and have fun! | ||
| Buellj79 |
WILL YOU CHANGE YOUR CALL SIGN TO 4 BUELLS??lol | ||
| Davegess |
Everything I have heard indicates truly great reliability. As goos as if not bettern than anything on the road, | ||
| Saintly |
As with anything there are going to be a few lemons in the bunch. I bought a new leftover 03 XB in June of 04, and I got a lemon. I've had a LOT of problems with my bike in the year that I've owned it. I've been left stranded four times with it, but I still like it a lot. Its an awesome bike when its up & running, mine's been down for weeks now though. You realize of course that I am the minority here, most of the guys who post here have had tremendous luck with their Buells. I'm sure that the number of good ones far out number the few lemons. My buell is down for the moment, but I've still got my "other" bikes to ride, and thats just what I've been doing. I'd suggest that you hold onto your current rides too (just in case). Good Luck | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Speedysheep, I'm in Indy and I've got a '03 XB9R. I bought it new in April, and I've put 4000 miles on it already. I had a pop rivet come loose, and that is the only problem I've had. Let me know and we can get together face to face and talk about it. I know someone around here has the hard data on Buell Warranty claims. Can you share it with us? | ||
| Chasespeed |
Well, I dont own a XB, I have a tuber(99). Put a little over 10k on it since May. I ride it from Virginia Beach to western MASS without a second thought.... If the XB is MORE reliable than that...you are gonna be good to go... BTW, I beat mine VERY thuroughly, and daily...it has also withstood a couple lowsides this year as well.... SO...dont know if thta helps you out... And yeah, I am in love witht eh Uly myself, will never be able to afford one though... Chase | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Hey Chase, how is that battery working out? | ||
| Izzinya |
the word from "my factory dealer rep" is... in all the harley "family" (inc. buell) the xb has the LEAST i repear....LEAST warranty / reliabuellity issues ... and h-d among all is very good so (being buellest here) i say get one i own a 05 xb9xs and love it (more than the nightrain ? dont know ....) but its a great bike Izzinya | ||
| M1combat |
16K miles on a 12R. They have been pretty hard miles. I've run 120MPH for an hour straight in 115 degree heat in southern California. I've put 8K miles on it on my favorite section of mountain road. That's constant acceleration/braking from about 60-105MPH. I've done 400 mile days that were just plain abusive in southern California. I've done 600 and 250 mile days averaging over 100 MPH. I've taken it across the 191 here in northern AZ. It was a pretty warm day until we started getting up in the mountains and that road is mostly first and second gear. I didn't give it an inch. I had some lean angle left over, but in the straights (most of them very short) I was on it. I was trying to keep up with an FJR1300 with a VERY skilled rider (and his SO...). Just after that we went about 80 miles at about 100 trying to beat a rain storm back to town. I've sat and idled in traffic in Tucson at 115 degrees. Problems to date... One broken belt. It broke while landing a jump on the throttle. It survived 4K miles up until that point (including some jumps) with a small hole caused by a rock. I don't blame the belt in the least. 12K on the new one and it looks good. the pulleys look good too... One failed trans output shaft seal. When the seal failed I called my local dealer in AZ (I was in southern California) and they told me to just ride it home. It was just seeping is all. I'm pretty sure the bearing itself was just fine. I checked it every fuel fill-up (Once after that one hour at 120 run across southern Cali...) and I only lost a little oil. It never even got real close to the end of the dip-stick. That saturday I took it to the dealer and they had it replaced in about 45 minutes under warranty on a first come first served day. My only real complaint about the whole deal was that the dealer didn't wash the grime off that had accumulated on the seeped oil film. To date I haven't noticed it burning any oil at all. I park it in the same spot every day right in front of the building where I work. Not ONE drop of oil since November of '03. I have gotten an engine code, but that was upon the first start after putting the airbox back on... I had neglected to connect the IAT sensor. / EDIT - I should probably note... I ALWAYS let it warm up one full minute before it moves... even in the summer. Generally two on the winter. I almost always shift at about 5700RPM (it orange lines at 6000, and reds at 6800). With its power curve I don't see any reason at all to rev the balls off of it. It's just not necessary. One more thing that's nice about Buells... I dropped it in a parking lot once at about 2 MPH. I broke the front brake lever and the right side peg. It cost about $20-$25 I think for the two parts. I think it was about $30 after shipping. (Message edited by m1combat on August 06, 2005) | ||
| Prof_stack |
I've put 9k on my '03 XB9S with NO problems (and before that 10k on my '00 Blast with NO problems). Its safe to say that Buell has sorted out the nightmares that some tubers had. Also, the '06 XB's have a LIFETIME belt. Cool! | ||
| M1combat |
wel... It's not really a "lifetime" belt as such... It's just that they don't have a recommended replacement interval. The '04/05 belt was 25K miles... | ||
| Court |
>>>Can I get 100,000 trouble-free miles out of a Ulysses with proper maintenance? Easily. >>>As with anything there are going to be a few lemons in the bunch. That's an inaccurate statement. Buell has been hard at work on something much more important than motorcycles and that's PROCESSES. Buell has, the ZTL front brake is an excellent example, DESIGNED in reliability as opposed to doing their best and keeping their fingers crossed. The ZTL, again BY DESIGN has a fraction of the parts that need to be in "just the right place" (i.e +/- 0.002) as most brakes. Additionally, if you take a walk into the House of Elves you'll find digital torque wrenches connected to little serial cables tied to a massive database. Buell can tell you what torque about any fastener on your bike ended up at, what sequence it was installed on the bike in (as in 34 of 259), who did it, the date, the bike before, after, etc. It makes ANY deviation (tolerance creep) stand out like an Elephant in a jewelry box. Manufacturers track, as a "reliability metric", Warranty $$$ per unit. This isn't a bad measurement because you can count on most (not all, MOST) folks to squawk about anything (good volume and range of input) during the warranty period. The current range of Buells, many old-timers hear are tired of hearing me say this, are the MOST RELIABLE motorcycles manufactured. This began with the BLAST (an interesting story about a bike that wasn't even supposed to be a Buell) and has morphed into the XB line. Harley-Davidson has been so impressed that they've been "engineer shopping" at Buell and are applying the very principles Buell developed into all their line, particularly the VROD (a bike that was supposed to be a Buell and the project went to crap). In addition, foreign manufacturers, amazed that anything "hand built" can be built with such precision and consistency are frequent visitors to Buell. It's just a simple fact: The current Buell range is rock solid reliable. I took a 1995 Buell and, under the rules that "couldn't touch anything but fuel, oil and gas, circled the United States for 31 days, visiting 31 states. I notice you name appears new here. . . if you have any questions about details or want me to take you through the factory and show you what I am talking about, feel free to drop me a note. Also. . . do me a favor. Before you buy, visit with your Buell dealer and enjoy a thorough test ride. After you've done about 25 test miles on the Buell go to ANY OTHER motorcycle dealer, try Honda, Aprillia or Ducati, and tell them you'd like to take the nice charcoal gray 748 out for an hour or so. If they won't let you ride it before you buy it, turn and walk. Court Canfield | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
who you callin' a tolerance creep?!?!? nice post, my friend.  FB | ||
| Cataract2 |
12,700 miles and going strong. I'm going on a trip from Florida to Wisconsin on Monday. I'll report back then. As for problems. Only had to warranty my break switch and had to clean my start switch due to some minor corrosion on the screw. | ||
| Saintly |
As with anything there are going to be a few lemons in the bunch. "That's an inaccurate statement. Buell has been hard at work on something much more important than motorcycles and that's PROCESSES" How is my statement inaccurate? People here sugar coat everything too much, there are XB's that are constantly breaking down. I'm NOT the only one! Do a search on "pinging" here & see how many guys have had problems with detonation & running hot since their bike was brand new off the showroom floor. My friend Ray who lives in Long Island NY bought a new 03 9S, his bike pinged something awful since new. Four visits to 2 different dealers yielded responses of "normal operation" from the service depts. Yet, at 2300 miles he burned a valve in the rear head and ended up having the rear cyl/piston/head replaced under warranty. When he got it back it still pinged! They fixed the result but not the cause. He installed a race kit which helped the problem somewhat, but he snapped his drivebelt within 2 weeks of installing the kit. Then while at the dealer having the belt replaced, the dealer discovered that his rear wheel bearings were shot! All within 3000 miles. At 3500 miles Ray's electric fuel pump quit leaving him stranded in Maine. Ray sold his XB this past spring, he's now on a Suzuki. He constantly teases me and tells me I should get a jap rocket. Ray hates Buells, but I DON'T I love mine! It may be a problematic bike, but I'm working thru all the problems. Just dont tell me that ALL Buells are great and that there are no lemons, I'm as pro-buell as anyone, but I'll not live in denial of problems. If we all lie and cover up the problems that we have then how will buell ever know that there are problems that need addressing? Stop sugar coating the truth, THERE ARE LEMONS. | ||
| Reepicheep |
My 05 XB9SX with almost 7k miles has been remarkable, just oil and tires. It's funny... I used to have to use the Saturn to go run out and get parts for my previous bike... Now I have to use the XB to go out and get parts for the Saturn | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yes! the circle of life. The new vehicle always gets parts for the old vehicle. I always used my X1 to get parts for my sad old civic. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Court: Wow! You just made me want to go out and buy another Buell! Remind me to ask you about the VROD story sometime, that sounds really interesting. Saintly: I'm sorry to hear about the problems you have had. Though I have to say, the number of owners here reporting problems is pretty small. I hope you are able to get your issues worked out. | ||
| Brucelee |
2003 XB with 8500 miles. One bad clutch cable, that's it! Very very well built bike. | ||
| Speedysheep |
>>Also. . . do me a favor. Before you buy, visit with your Buell dealer and enjoy a thorough test ride. After you've done about 25 test miles on the Buell go to ANY OTHER >>motorcycle dealer, try Honda, Aprillia or Ducati, and tell them you'd like to take the nice charcoal gray 748 out for an hour or so. >>If they won't let you ride it before you buy it, turn and walk. That's one reason I'm strongly considering the Triumph Tiger, as I've ridden them several times at different dealerships. The dealership in Madison, WI told me to take it out and have fun, just have it back before they closed at 5:00. This was at noon. I've been to two Buell dealerships so far and neither one has had any demo bikes they would let me take out. I am planning to be at the factory demo ride in St. Louis this Friday. Hopefully I can snag a ride on a Ulysses there. Has anyone here put SIGNIFICANT mileage on their Buell? At least 50,000 miles? I'd like to hear how they hold up with a little mileage on them. I ride about 20,000 miles a year and I need a bike that'll hold up for at least 5 years. Indy_bueller: Ever ride down to Story on the weekends? Maybe we could ride down and compare bikes sometime. I'll buy the banana walnut pancakes. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Speedy, go to the "Storm Fronts" section and look under "Indianapolis/Kokomo Buellers". I posted a couple pictures there. | ||
| Speedysheep |
>Speedy, go to the "Storm Fronts" section and look under "Indianapolis/Kokomo Buellers". I posted a couple pictures there. Yup, that's the Story Inn all right. I've got a 200 mile loop I've been doing on Sunday mornings for about 15 years. 39 South from Monrovia, 135 to Bean Blossom, Gatesville Road to Gnaw Bone, 135 South to Freetown (with breakfast in Story), 58 over to 446, up to Bloomington, back to Bean Blossom on 45 and home. That's the basic itinerary. It goes through various iterations depending on my mood and available time. | ||
| Tobandeira |
I did 12k in one year...12XBR, fine bike... sometimes too focused about turnning and cornering  my only sliyght disappointement is the front brake, too much servicing in too litle miles (pads, bushing at 8k and to get it perfect i should have replaced the rotor.... fine if it where at 25k,but at 8k is far too soon....... | ||
| Dr_greg |
Joining this a little late, but I got the second '03 XB9R to arrive in New Mexico. Only 9K miles (I have a Ducati 900SS and an Aprilia Mille to ride also...life is rough :-) but the XB has been absolutely troublefree. Not one single problem...nothing. Great bike. Looking to buy a 12X in two years (60th birthday present!) | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Speedy, Sounds like a good run! I'm always up for getting some people together and hitting the twisties down there, even if you dont have a Buell!  Seriously though, PM me and we will get together for some coffee or on the phone. I've got some advice on dealerships for you. Pete | ||
| Jlnance |
My 05 XB9SX with almost 7k miles has been remarkable, just oil and tires. I hope this doesn't sound like a flippant question, because I really don't know the answer. But is this really remarkable? I've got a 97 Toyota with about 130k miles. I've changed the tires a couple of times, and I take it to jiffy lube every 7k miles or so. Nothing has every broken. I don't consider this remarkable. I expect it. A modern car should get close to 200K miles w/o having anything break. I know a motorcycle isn't a car, but should't I just be able to expect that if I buy a new bike nothing is going to break for at least the first year? | ||
| Speedysheep |
>>My 05 XB9SX with almost 7k miles has been remarkable, just oil and tires. >I hope this doesn't sound like a flippant question, because I really don't know the answer. But is this really remarkable? No it's not, and that's really the crux of my question. I rode a '91 Suzuki VX800 110,000 miles with nothing but regular maintenance (oil, tires, valve adjustments, etc). Absolutely NOTHING went wrong with that bike. My Concours currently has 86,000 miles on it and has needed very little work. It did wear out a rocker arm at 70,000 miles. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except that I was in New Jersey at the time. I ended up riding it 1,500 miles on 3 cylinders and replacing all the camshafts and rocker arms when I got home ($300 from a bike wrecker). Personally I consider it remarkable if something DOES go wrong on a bike in the first 7,000 miles. It shouldn't happen. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
I've been trying to find the thread, but I can't. There was someone on this board that just hit 50,000 miles on a '03 XB just a month or so ago. He was in the Columbus Ohio area if I remember right. I personally think that a vehicles reliability has a lot to do with the owner as well. I have to wonder sometimes about the few stories I have heard about Buells breaking down repeatedly. There is always two sides to every story, and the breaking part is only one side. |
