| Author | Message | ||
     Dr_greg |
I'm sure others have gotten to 50K miles before myself, but with a wife, kids, mortgage and job I don't have as much free time as I'd like. Anyway, hit 50,000 miles last Saturday; I was gonna do ride report on ADV but probably won't. The '06 Uly has been pretty much bulletproof. Hope it hangs in there till 100K or more. Best bike ever. | ||
| Buelldualsport |
Congratulations Buells to Alaska ALCAN 5000 2010 | ||
| Maximum |
You're my hero Doc! I just hit 30,000 miles yesterday at exactly 18 months old. I'm aiming for 40k by the time the warranty expires. | ||
| M_singer |
Congrats Dr_greg! That sort of thing is good to hear. | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
Congratulations Doc. Good to see another post on the durability of Buell. | ||
| Hooper |
Yowza! I've loved reading your trip stories and maintenance posts! Makes me feel like a loser - I usually fly to a fantastic place (Scotland, AZ, CA, NH/ME, CO) and rent a bike (non-Uly, alas) - especially as a non-married/no-kids rider. I do about 7800 miles on bikes a year, but my '06 Uly still has about 9000. I love it. Keep it up, Dr. G! Happy 50th! | ||
| Dio |
What repair issues have you had in those 50,000 miles other than routine maintenance? I ask this because I have an '06 as well with only 4,000 miles. I know others have had wheel bearing,stator/voltage regulator,electrical wiring, and fuel pump problems, and I wonder how you fared so far. | ||
| Rays |
Dr Greg - that is an impressive achievement. I have also enjoyed reading your detailed posts.  | ||
| Dr_greg |
What repair issues have you had in those 50,000 miles other than routine maintenance? I ask this because I have an '06 as well with only 4,000 miles. I know others have had wheel bearing,stator/voltage regulator,electrical wiring, and fuel pump problems, and I wonder how you fared so far. Funny you should ask. In a rebuttal on ADVrider I just itemized them; here they are in reverse chronological order for your perusal: • 48,763 miles: Finally broke the drive belt, snapped in a parking-lot tipover; I carry a spare and installed it easily on-site myself. • 45,627 miles: Installed fork seals after right side began leaking during my "Spring Break Tour de Texas". Easy job. • 42,648 miles: Replaced clutch needle bearing; probably happened due to condensation and my short winter commute not burning it off. Change tranny fluid more frequently from now on. • 36,439 miles: Had front disk replaced under warranty; it began to pulse AFTER I installed the highly-touted "Brand X" pads. Back to stock pads and disk is still perfect. • 31,671 miles: Installed new rear wheel bearings; heard a "squeak" after riding in heavy rain during ADVrider WestFest07. Maybe they were OK, but... • 29,772 miles: Replaced clutch cable; it was within one strand of breaking. • 25,292 miles: Tightened crankcase fitting on oil cooler return line; it was weeping oil slightly. No more weep. • 18,299 miles: Replaced low-beam headlamp. And that's it. I'm not really sure the rear wheel bearing was going bad, but I didn't take the chance. With the exception of the clutch needle bearing (condensation in transmission) everything was routine. I've done all the work myself (except for front disk under warranty) with the help of the folks here on BadWeB, and Mrs. Greg on occasion.  I use Mobil-1 15W-50 in the engine, Buell oil filters, H-D Formula+ in the tranny, I wash and re-use the Buell paper air filter...I use H-D Type E fork oil, I even use H-D spark plugs  . And I don't have a "H-D" background; I come from dirtbikes and sportbikes. I went through a brief (thankfully) period about a month ago of not enjoying riding much (about two weeks), but that's all past now so we're heading for 100,000 miles. Probably about three more years. Still love every ride on the Uly better than the last. Absolutely the best bike I've owned in 50 years of riding (I'm almost 61). | ||
| Buelldualsport |
Ain't bad for a first year bike and the first attempt at a DS lineup from Buell Buells to Alaska ALCAN 5000 2010 | ||
| Lastcyclone |
How often have you changed the plugs? Still using the stock type? Plug wires yet? No other modifications? | ||
| Dr_greg |
Change plugs every 10K as per suggested maintenance. Use H-D 10R12. Never fouled a plug; never changed a plug wire. No other mods. Stock, stupid, and simple. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Oh yeah, in case you missed it on ADVrider,  | ||
| Crusty |
Congratulations, Dr. Greg! That's really cool! I hope your next 50K is as non-problematic as the first 50K has been. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I'm betting that if you hit 100,000 miles that the factory will want to dissect it and maybe give you a new one. Better hurry before someone beats you to the punch. Good going Doc. Come to think of it they would probably put you and the bike in an advertisement. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Well I better keep ridin' then...though somehow I doubt they'd do that. Plus I wanna keep my '06! BTW the plugs have always looked almost perfect. I live at 5,000 feet elevation; she starts and runs well year round. From 10 F to 110 F. Sea level to 11,000 feet. Still gets 50-60 mpg. Always garaged. Must have been built on a Thursday. If there's a problem you'll be the first to know. I'm actually looking forward to rebuilding the engine; lotsa TLC like my '92 Ducati. But looks like it'll be a while. Fine with me! |
