to Buell or not to Buell....

[gingerbeemer08]

evening all,
anyone got any experience of the Buell Ulysees?? Seriously considering purchasing one but know naff all about 'em!
Are they any good??
Plenty of farkles available??
Reliable??
Can you still get spares??
Comfortable??
What do I need to look out for??
I'd be using it for commuting (including motorway) and a bit of touring and like my bikes to be a bit different.
Any thoughts from the congregation?

Cheers

 

[Muppet]

evening all,
anyone got any experience of the Buell Ulysees?? Seriously considering purchasing one but know naff all about 'em!
Are they any good??
Plenty of farkles available??
Reliable??
Can you still get spares??
Comfortable??
What do I need to look out for??
I'd be using it for commuting (including motorway) and a bit of touring and like my bikes to be a bit different.
Any thoughts from the congregation?

Cheers

Yes.
Yes.
A few.
No, not really (in my experience)
Yes.
Superbly comfortable.
Unloved high milers (like mine ). Poorly maintained, messed around with.

I've had mine from new, done 35,000 on it (first 20k in the first 2 years), been all over Europe on it, broken down, broken belts, had lots of parts replaced under warranty, but it now seems to be behaving itself and has been very reliable over the last 15000 miles.

I'll never get rid of it - it's the most fun and the most comfortable bike I've had, and it stills makes me grin whenever I ride it. Great handling, huge drive out of the corners, very flickable and just good fun.

 

[twizzle]

Make sure it's cheap, very cheap.....

 

[Farmer Palmer]

I had a two year old one for a year or so as a second bike and it was like nothing else I've ever ridden, completely different and quirky!

Handling was very good, seat was very comfy and your right leg never gets cold in the winter. The Uly sounded awesome with that souped up powerful HD 1200 engine and the heated grips were very good as was the three piece luggage system.

Less good for me was the rear bearing failure at 1500 miles and Buell replaced all the wheel bearings aswell aswell as the rear wheel to a three bearing one, a new drivebelt and a whole new swing arm assembly..........All done under warranty.......I also had a problem with the timing and sometimes the bike would run like a bag of spanners and sometimes it would be perfect. The steering lock on my 07 Uly was dreadful and I reckon you could turn the Exxon Valdez in less space than the Uly but I did get used to it!

I even liked the fact that your eyeballs vibrated in the sockets when the bike was idleing and I didn't mind the hovercraft fan running for five minutes when you switched off the bike and the beavers tail rack was different.

Extras one my bike included the comfort kit which kept the heat off my inner thigh and the fan also shut off quicker as the engine was cooler. I also had a few Touratech extras including headlamp and oil cooler guards aswell as tool bags and sidestand plate.

I miss mu Uly.........Have a word with Lars1974 on here he's got a beauty!!

FP.

 

[Deleted account 230523001]

XB series.
Change the wheel bearings when you change the tyres.
Head race bearings will be shot at 10K.
Belts......No real pattern, other than they will fail at sometime, I would say it is usually stones, but that is not definate.
I had an M2 in 2000 and got an XB12STT in 2007. Never replaced belts on them.
Been around Buells for 13 years, some right horror stories, but some good high milers about.
The Germans love them, but not the Uly for some reason

A brilliant bike that makes you grin and vibrates more than a rampant rabbit on steroids

Not many left in the UK, they have been going to Germany in their droves for the last couple of years and fetch decent money because of this, but the Uly is a cheap bike.

Dealers are usually useless, apart from Black Bear in N`market, they know their stuff and still do a lot of Buell maintenance.

Easy to write off if you drop though, as the frame, which is also the petrol storage is usually damaged......And there are no more frames left!

It`s a look after yourself bike if you get it, if the engine grenades, there is a good specialist in Manchester, not cheap, but the best in the country, if not the world! He has just done the M2 which I gave to my brother for his birthday and it really is better than it came from the factory.
His opinion of the XB Buells is that they are disposable, the worst they ever made I do not agree.

 

[gingerbeemer08]

Hmmm, plenty of food for thought then.
I quite like the quirky looks and character of them but.....seems like a bit of a punt (especially as it'll be my only bike).
More homework needed I think....

 

[mark2jag]

get one..

Get one and you will smile a lot when you ride it. You will, however not smile a lot when its on tickover. I borrowed one from a dealers as i was looking to buy one (still am) with a part ex of a BMW F800ST and was surprised to watch it dancing down his driveway while it was still ticking over. Luckily I managed to stop it before it managed to escape onto the main road and leave holes in that instead...

Try and buy one with a good quality belt tensioner , drive belts are all well and good but when they snap you'll wish to God you had a normal chain and sprockets. Look VERY VERY carefully at belts for signs of damage.

Make 110% certain that the low fuel warning light works, cos if it doesnt then its bloody heavy to push.. Cant remember if it has a reserve or not, but do you really want to be trying to find it in the fast lane of the motorway at 80+, Oh and if long trips are your thang then seriously try to get one with heated grips and a taller screen.

lights are absolutely not brilliant, but there are some worthwhile modifications to the lights that make it marginally safer to ride at night..

I hope I've helped, but my final suggestion is to join a Buell forum. I'm on a few of them IF i can ever remember my passwords and they really are the font of all Buell knowledge, and there are often some bloody good bikes for sale on the forums too. My own experience is they are helpful without taking the piss, (MOSTLY)

Mark

 

[GS TRV]

Stick to a GS