| Author | Message | ||
     Stretch67 |
Forgive my ignorance, Masters. "What is it, Grasshopper?" All my past bikes have been Japanese (mostly Hondas) and have come to take their reliability for granted. I've done quite a bit of reading on the Ulysses and other Buells, and have ridden a Uly and loved it. I w-a-a-a-a-nt one. I know about the vibes, turning radius, seat height, right foot hotness, etc. Those are merely quirks that one gets used to. I've read about how the factory timing is frequently too advanced, resulting in pinging. No sweat, I read how to adjust that. I've read about how the fan goes south after a few thousand miles. My qwerstion is: What are other specific mechanical and electrical glitches inherent to this model? I am grateful.  (Message edited by Stretch67 on July 26, 2006) | ||
| Daves |
There are plenty of them without those problems too. I have logged only about 6000 miles on 2 different Ulys. The one now is past 4000 miles and nary a problem. As in NONE. It is all stock. I have sold a bunch of them, almost all have been trouble free. | ||
| Stretch67 |
Um, if I may be so bold, what became of the first one? | ||
| Daves |
I sold it. I sell Buells and ride them as demo bikes. The guy that bought it is still going strong on it. | ||
| Stretch67 |
Gotcha. Thanks.  | ||
| Jlnance |
Stretch - A picture of Dave on the first Uly:  | ||
| Jlnance |
But to answer your question, some bikes have quirks. I certainly wouldn't expect problems, but here is the list of things I know about: 1 - Latches on luggage break 2 - License plate light breaks 3 - D616 tires swim 4 - Sidestand breaks 5 - Fuel Injection surges | ||
| Stretch67 |
Too bad about the luggage latches. They're good looking bags. I have heard about the plate light, forgot to mention that. 2007's will have Pirelli Scorpion Sync tires. I guess lots of owners were giving feedback on the 616's.  Bummer about the sidestand. Does it break clean off, dropping your bike? That'd SUCK! Has this been a recall item for 2006's, eliminating the problem for 2007? And finally... does a TPS reset cure the FI surging? Or is that just for idle issues? Thanks. | ||
| Crusty |
I've got 10,000 trouble free miles on my Uly. The sidestand problem is being addressed right now for the '06 models, and won't be a problem for the '07s. An upgraded latch for the bags is in the pipeline, supposedly. In the meantime, Buell is going to great lengths to get replacement latches to anyone whose latch breaks. The license plate light problem was on early models, and is no longer an issue. The Uly is a fun bike. If mine were to get stolen, I'd buy another in a heartbeat. | ||
| Chrisb |
I would like to see #5 removed from that list. Anybody tring to ride around at idle is the problem. | ||
| Ftd |
From an earlier post(updated): I have been keeping a list of Uly idiosyncrasies. These items are gleamed from various BWB threads. Am I missing anything? O2 sensor wire rub on rocker box Horn rub on fly screen Side stand bolts Seat rub on rocker box Wire sheath tie wrapped too tight on steering head Side bags latches Side bag rubber seals Tires Tag light too fragile Chin spoiler contact with front tire Short fan lifespan Timing adv. too far This isn't to bash the bike as I am picking one up from Daves in May. I just don't want any surprises on the trip back to Orlando and I have started a TO DO list for the future. Frank (Message edited by ftd on July 27, 2006) (Message edited by ftd on July 27, 2006) | ||
| Ftd |
FWIW I have ~3500 miles on my ULY now. I have checked for all of the above issues. I adjusted my horn's position to eliminate the banging and took a dremmel tool to my seat to stop the seat from contacting the rocker bix. No other problems! I don't mind the Dunlop tires either but I will be switching to the Scorps as I had them on my X1 and they were great. I am also looking forward to the stand recall. I hate having to rearrange my own garage and watch where I park in fear of damaging mine and others property. Frank (Message edited by ftd on July 27, 2006) | ||
| Snub13 |
I've got almost 9k miles on mine and have had no problems (knocking on wood). I have; 1) Flipped the horn over - fixed 2) Checked the O2 sensor wire - loose, no problem. 3) The seat rubs on the rocker cover - plastic is softer than aluminum - no need for a dremmel. 4)Checked the chin - no contact. 5) Checked the tie wrap on steering head - no problems yet. 6) Side bag latch - use caution. 7) Side bag seals - no problem. 8) Plate light - no problem. Even got rear ended by some moron at a red light! (not a scratch on the Uly but the car had some gouges on the bumper and holes in the grill where the bag brackets hit. The bags still fit like a glove.) 9) Timing - seems fine, no pinging (except the time I accidentally put in 83 octane, oops!) 10) Fan life - still as loud as ever, "loud fans save lives" 11) Tires - not felt the "swim" but life could be better, switching to Sync. 12) Side stand - Bolts changed to grade 8, still a question with the pivot bolt. There is a recall. 13) FI surging - Put on the race kit and no more surging. This bike is an absolute blast to ride! Long trips, short trips, two up or solo, street or "mild" dirt, I wouldn't have had as much fun on any other bike!  | ||
| Snub13 |
PS: Dave, one of your lights is out. Hope you fixed it prior to the sell.  | ||
| Snub13 |
Hey Stretch, the factory "firefighter edition" is one of the faster black ones! Honest! | ||
| Philm |
I had a few oil leak issues on mine, right off the showroom floor, but all seems to be resolved now. I have to agree with what has been stated already.... It sure is fun to ride! I really didn't think it would get much riding time compared to my RoadGlide, but I may find myself surprised....  | ||
| Stretch67 |
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm certain that this is going to be my next bike. I just wanted to know about any inherent problems or glitches before I got one. I hate being blindsided. Snub13, there's a Buell Ulysses "Firefighter Edition"? I can't find any reference to it anywhere, just the H-D ones. | ||
| Ikeman |
Stretch, Check Tim's (Snub13) profile - all will be explained... | ||
| Snub13 |
Sorry for any confusion Strech.  Just a joke. | ||
| Stretch67 |
Daaaah... Hook, line, and sinker. Friggin' firemen...  | ||
| Grimace308 |
st67', you have to remember that snub12.8 used to carry a mortar tube, so his idea of exciting isnt really on par with the rest of the known world and if you really want a hoot and can handle 70rwhp  [damn dyno] go with the superior orange ulysses. word on the street is that under adult supervision, the front wheel of an orange, and only orange uly, will actually lift of the ground.  by "firefighter edition" he meant a model thats been de-tuned to avoid anyone getting a fire under their rear end and having any fun, thus the name "firefighter". this little known model variation is signified by the drab black color, which btw, is similar to the owners sense of humor and propensity for excitement. good choice. always a pleasure tim, always. chris |
