Buell Ulysses

[HorneyBiker]

Just wondering if people have opinions on the Buell Ulysses.

Ive been happily trying out a few GS and am very close to buying however I have a soft spot for Buell bikes and just wondering if anyone can make a decent comparison?

 

[BBB61]

I sat on one at the Ally Pally show and it is tiny! The riding position for me was very cramped. I would try and get a ride on one if you can to see if it fits you.

 

[Gas'd Off]

See here for scathing report and contrasting opinions
Reckon if you want a bike to play with go for the Buell, if you want a bike to ride get a GS

 

[sjwb]

I believe that MCN gave it the wooden spoon this week. Good test of the KTM 1200GS and Buell.

 

[Aurelius]

I sat on one at the Ally Pally show and it is tiny! The riding position for me was very cramped. I would try and get a ride on one if you can to see if it fits you.

I sat on one at the HD dealership in Kent. I wasn't impressed. It seemed too tall, and there was barely any suspension sag under my 13 stone weight. It was a perfect fit for a big bloke like Fanum, though. Months later I read a review in Motorcycle Consumer News, in which the Uly won a narrow victory over the R1200GS. That peaked my interest enough to take one out for a test ride. Apparently the suspension on this one was set up differently because I had no problem placing both feet flat on the ground. Handling and brakes were every bit as good as MCN said they were. Power was adequate, though I suspect its lumpy power delivery probably made it feel stronger than it really was. Ergonomics and seat comfort were good. It vibrates a lot, in typical Harley fashion, but its not obtrusive and disappears at any rpm above idle. My only complaint (also mentioned in the MCN review) was the amount of heat emanating from the rear cylinder. Fortunately you can only feel it while at a full stop, and its not nearly as bad as it is on my Ducati or on various Japanese V-twins I've ridden. I'm not tempted to buy one, however, because my K1200S is better suited to my riding style, and because I have grave doubts about the reliability of Buells.

 

[Straypuss]

I posted this last year

I had a 75 mile two hour test ride on a Buellysses on Saturday.
It had 500 miles up so still tight. I set off filtering through the traffic and had to slip the clutch as the injection was either on or off promoting much lurching. The first roundabout demonstrated interesting handling and it had to be really pushed down. I'm 5'7" with 29" insde leg and it was a one toe down affair though I had no problems even when I had to foot it when caught by the very limited steering lock as I tried to tighten a turn into a junction to avoid a pile of gravel. The seat feels way too high relative to the bmx bars and it was a distinct lean to reach the bars. One sits much closer to the front than on a GS the shorty screen affords a little wind protection and a sustained indicated 90 was easy on the homeward motorway leg. My throttle hand went completely numb from Vibes (bar shape?) and I stopped twice for relief and fuel. The speedo counts the miles from the fuel warning light coming on...great if you know the range on reserve. The injection warning light came on after the first stop and would not go out despite stopping and switching off several times. I also had to ferret out the toolkit to tighten up a mirror stalk which had become so loose I could pull it from its' holder. The 'spanners' appear to be lazer cut flat stainless..did the job. The switchgear and levers do seem a little cheap the clutch without a cable adjuster and the indicator switch (singular oh joy) felt flimsy. Hand working and settled in I headed for Stirling Via the Trossachs. This is the type of road that the bike feels at home on and once into its' stride and over 2.5k revs the motor is really quite smooth though it is not a lazy 'stick it in top' ride and I will admit to exploring the full rev range and lean angle. Gearchange is slick though I did find my foot tended to find the top of the lever as opposed to the rubber on many occasions. Front brake is stonking but the bike stands up quite sharply if it is used while cornering while the rear had little feel or power. The suspension seemed rather crude and harsh. I backed off the rear compression damping (I'm 12.5st) and that helped...doubtless a day tweaking would see results.The fan seems to come on whenever the engine is asked to do any work ie most of the time and it was not a warm day. Yes your right calf does get warm..while on the motorway I reached down and covered the front of the cooling scoop at the front left (sitting on) with my hand and....now your left leg gets warm. I found the stability of the bike affected by crosswinds and by the slipstream of cars I was behind and passing. So badly in fact that at one point I slowed to check for a puncture. This probably because the screen high mudguard etc are all mounted to the forks.
I will admit to being a little disappointed ....different and aesthetcally pleasing yes but not a HogGS

 

[Zoton]

I believe that MCN gave it the wooden spoon this week. Good test of the KTM 1200GS and Buell.

I dont trust mcn at any cost, ride it yourself,bet they have a ktm on long term test soon............

 

[Fitzy]

See this week's MCN, it comes last by some distance in a three way test with the GS1200 and KTM 990. Interestingly the KTM comes top for riding thrills and speed.

 

[Butler]

Took one out at the weekend. In my opinion, it's a fun trick bike, excellent brakes, looks good and light with optional luggage.

Lot of money though.

 

[sven]

Very interesting group test here - http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=2850&Page=1

 

[Schwarz Baron]

I dont trust mcn at any cost, ride it yourself,bet they have a ktm on long term test soon............

What he said, MCN journalists are much younger than us custard dribblers.