| Author | Message | ||
     Rcf2 |
I like to drive after the pavement ends and would like to check if anyone have tips on a better set up for the Uly? like tyres pressure, suspension tune. | ||
| Paralegalpete |
I noticed a marked improvement on dirt road handling after I adjusted up the factory suspension settings for my weight (Message edited by paralegalpete on October 07, 2009) | ||
| Murraebueller |
Si usted tiene de las clases del montar a caballo de la motocicleta del camino disponibles en el Brasil, comenzaría allí y me aplicaría lo que usted aprende al Ulises. Tenemos un here-" del refrán; cuando en duda, déle gas." | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Stay off sand and mud. Stand up on the pegs. Get the bags if you don't have them, they do an excellent job of absorbing shock when you drop the bike. Get a tire repair kit and a pump and keep them onboard. Drop your tire pressure to 20 lbs, and fill back up with aforementioned pump when back on tarmac. If you're like most, you'll be spending 80% of your time on the road and only 20% off road so don't compromise the 80% for a temporary increase. It's technique and tire pressure. I have taken mine on dirt and left my buddy on his R1200GS behind. But he rides like a girl. | ||
| Ulynut |
I learned this the hard way... Ride through the center of a puddle, not on the edges. The edges of a puddle are usually sloped, and very slippery (for our type of tires), causing the front to slide sideways and throw you into aforementioned puddle. Steep uphill sections suck. | ||
| Portero72 |
Stand up on the pegs, weight the outside peg in a turn(turn left, lean right), lean back to brake/slow down, lean forward to accelerate. Keep loose but firm contact with the bike, and use your elbows/legs as shock absorbers. | ||
| Rcf2 |
Ski, deflating the tyres down to 20 will not make them too fragile (I noticed your tip for tyre repair kit) and how's about the wheel, they can provide enough protection to the rim? I thought about that but this Pirelli Syncs seems quite fragile... To stand on the pegs I will look for a riser, the bar is too short for me. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
I don't think you'll have any issues with the Pirellis at 20 lb. The repair kit is for punctures. I ran over a hunting arrowhead off road one time. I don't think the odds of getting a puncture are greater, but if you're in the boondocks, you need to be somewhat self reliant. The pump, I should have stated, should be electric and be able to use the outlet on the bike. I also neglected to mention that off road is when you'll realize that the weakness of the back brake (relative to the front) is actually an asset in the dirt. As Ulynut stated, steep uphill sucks. So does steep rocky downhill. Have fun, go bash it up. | ||
| Murraebueller |
All good advice- I've had mine in some pretty gnarly spots. It's more the rider than the bike, but mud is a pain. There's a very good DVD on adventure riding large bikes- think I saw it at Whitehorse Press. www.whitehorsepress.com. Any kind of off road riding class you can take, even on a small dirtbike, is very helpful- all of the techniques apply. You might also consider the Pirelli MT60 tires- I used them when I went to Copper Canyon in Mexico and they worked very well. | ||
| Lars1974 |
as you may you seen - i have just been off-roading on a Uly last weekend...and it was all at stock setting... key to riding off-road is the right pace for the right surface. Avoid mud or sand if you can. ride standing on your pegs with the clutch out in first gear and the Uly's engine will pull nice and steady! enjoy Lars | ||
| Rcf2 |
Thanks everybody for the good advice. I have some experience on off road from years ago driving several different trail bikes. I'm more concern because the Uly is a very different beast, with over 200kgs (twice the DT's and XL's I drove before), long 1st gear, non spoke wheels, kind of slick tyre, shorter travel suspension, small front wheel. And, MUCH more expensive, specially down here in Brazil. Any drop can be very costly... I'm very glad to hear that lots of people are using the Uly in rough roads and I will do my learning process step by step. I strongly believe that if the guys can handle the giant GS on such bad roads we can do the same with our Uly's. And some little tune can do wonders (like download tyre pressure). | ||
| Chadhargis |
A setup like this is what I'd recommend:  | ||
| Cyclone8u |
Don't be squeamish. If you're at all doubtful of you skills, work them up on light duty stuff before you tackle anything too technical. The 17 inch front wheel of our beasts require that you not be afraid to twist the throttle, even when your brain says slow down. Keeping that sport bike size wheel unloaded in tricky terrain, such as loose rock, sand and mud - will make the difference between riding through it and falling over. Remember the big mo is your friend off road more than anywhere else. How a Uly should look...mud, snow, ice....it's all good.  | ||
| Itileman |
Ice is not good. Do not use a Cramp Buster off road. DAMHIK.  How I carry a tire pump and gas siphon pump - tire repair kit is in the green military surplus bag, gas siphon is in the black bag. They're almost invisible with the panniers on.  I've also changed out the tires to Syncs and like them a lot. Tried some single track through the woods following my 13 year old grandson on his Suzuki - kept it upright, but it's really hard on the clutch and tranny. And, yes, he got tired of waiting for me. | ||
| Mnrider |
 If you think your going down try to get your leg out of the way. In my area the gravel roads can be sticky and fun to ride when wet but the black dirt trails can be like riding on oil. Go for it!  | ||
| Rcf2 |
'Keeping that sport bike size wheel unloaded' Cyclone8, I think that is a good approach. Thanks everybody for the tips, let's see how much better can be the next rough ride. | ||
| Blake |
Consider installing the XB9 primary drive sprockets and new chain for a lower 1st gear. | ||
| Ulynut |
One more thing. Never mistake your Uly for a dirt bike. I got carried away once and followed a kid on a four-wheeler down the power lines and into a mud bog. Took me the rest of the afternoon to get my bike out of the mud. Great workout though. | ||
| Tootal |
Uly no likey mud! What I found is the XB9 primary makes a big difference, a lot less clutch slipping. The Uly likes to go fast so look ahead and dance your way through the rocks and ruts. At high altitude there is no power below 3000 rpm. That's another reason for the XB9 primary. I found myself clutching up my rpm like a two stroke just to complete a switchback! That's why I now have a XB9 primary. Did I mention the XB9 primary? | ||
| Tootal |
 Oh, did I mention following Jeeps sucks!  | ||
| Buewulf |
I am a new Uly owner, and I took it offroad for the first time today. It was my first time in the dirt with something this massive, so maybe my impressions will help. I found it to be pretty capable for a such a large beast if you: 1) Keep the front end light. The front wheel wants to push, even when you think it wouldn't dare. 2) Forget mud, unless you have tires that can cope. I imagine deep sand would be equally impossible. 3) Stand on the pegs and steer with the throttle. (Caution: The Uly is more tractable than I thought it would be. Feather the clutch to break the wheel loose.) 4) If you feel like you should slow down, you should probably give it gas. Just trust me on that one. 5) get the XB9 primary. One of the first suggestions a Badwebber gave me was to switch to the XB9 primary if I planned to do a lot of offroading just as many here have already suggested. They are right. The trails I was on were not very difficult, but I still found myself gearing with the clutch quite a bit. Hills aren't much to speak of where I live, so I can't speak to climb/decend capabilities. I did note from some wash-outs that the suspension does bottom fairly easily, though. | ||
| M2nc |
1. Pirelli Sync tires suck on rocks. The tires are thin skinned and every time I have gone on gravel or rock surfaces, I cut one. If you want the best tire for off roading the D616 is the best for their size. 2. Soften up the suspension. Hitting a 6" deep hole at speed will feel better if the suspension is let to move around. 3. The bike is too heavy for serious off road. Keep it on the hard stuff. 4. If you do get into the soft stuff, keep your weight back and stay on the gas. | ||
| Rotorhead |
To many the ULY is not an off road bike. I tend to dissagree so I made mine so it will go pretty much anywhere I want it to go. The key to taking the ULY off road is 1)Know your limits and stay within them. 2)Know the bikes limits and change them if you need to. 3)Know when to push the limits for the "FUN" to happen. Stock tires and a 17' wheel with a steep rake do not like sand or mud. This true, so I had to fix it. Install a 17' rear knobbie on the front. (The opposite is true for on road performance with a knobbie on the front.) Try to do the same MTF manuvers in the dirt and you'll be good to go!!! look at my profile pick to understand the off road thing (Message edited by rotorhead on October 11, 2009) | ||
| Dr_greg |
Just to clarify, the Uly is advertised as an "ALL ROADS BIKE." --Doc | ||
| Lars1974 |
this is how like the look of the Uly...   (Message edited by Lars1974 on October 11, 2009) | ||
| Towpro |
Also remember the footwear requirements change when you leave the paved road. My SIDI off road boots don't fit anymore so I ordered a pair of these. The price is right, and they don't have the metal toe/sole protectors known for ripping seats. I bet they are HD enough for dual port riding the Uly, I will know when they come in next week.  | ||
| Rcf2 |
I understand the convenience of swap the primary to XB9 (1st is really not helpful for slow move) but living in Brazil this will cost me at least 3 times more (bike itself cost around $25K)which seems a high investment right now. Does anyone who already did that can tell me how much the parts cost in US? I may get them in my next trip and bring back on the luggage. Guess will be the way to have a quality time off road with the Uly (plus tyres). | ||
| Bonnie |
Got the XB9 primary conversion done. It changed for the better how the bike goes off road. Mostly run in second gear and higher now. Much better throttle control. Don't need to ride the clutch. Also better engine braking, on and off road. Blue Ridge Harley Davidson did the conversion. They charged me $210.US for the parts. I highly recommend the conversion for off road. | ||
| Captain_lou |
What parts are required to make the change to a XB9 primary? I rode my Uly to Alaska and made it to Prudhoe Bay with no problems. Perfect bike for the trip. I am planning a trip this June on the Trans America Trail (Tenn to Oragon) I wonder if the conversion would make it more fun. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
If you are on a trail and come up to a stream and you notice that there is a barge being pulled up it, don't proceed.  | ||
| Tootal |
Captain_lou, you will need the XB9 crank sprocket, chain and new gasket. Here's a link to some pics that might help out: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/425775.html | ||
| Eulysses |
Rotorhead...how is the final drive chain doing? Curious as to why you converted and what kind of issue was it. Thinking Uly in 2015 with no belts available anymore. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Get a set of MT-60s and go mud hunting! Second gear is your friend (if you hve the 9 set up) the front brake is not when indoubt power on. When really indoubt. dismount and scout a head on foot. There are some really great places to go and see. Always pack a spare belt, a set of spare bearings, an entrenching tool, and axe. DAMHIK Oh, its a City-X so it came with the 9 gearbox (Message edited by cityxslicker on October 20, 2009) | ||
| Jb2607 |
08X and have traveled quite a few off road trails. Ophir Pass, Tuweep Overlook, Engineer/Alpine Loop, trail out of Peach Springs to the Colorado River, etc., and remember when the front is loose, GIVE 'ER gas, real wheel loose means FUN. RPM's must be kept up, so XB9 primary is an improvement at low speeds. |
