| Author | Message | ||
     Old_mil |
I really am more road then off road. So I am not sure how important off road is to me. If I can take an occional jeep road or dirt road that may be just fine. Also do you think the KTM is as good a road bike as the ULY for me long distance comfort is very important. You've answered your own question...while the KTM is a fine bike for off-road riding, it's nowhere near as nice as the Uly onroad. If you're onroad most of the time, then get the Uly. | ||
| Gotj |
I have an 06 ULy. Be sure to check out the Multistrada 620. Just did 400 miles yesterday and could have gone longer. Part of the ride was on a graded gravel road with no issues. Lighter than the Uly with better wind protection. | ||
| Coloradogirl |
Hi GoTJ, I tried a 1000 multistrada very pretty bike but it was the most uncomfortable bike I have ever set on. The seat was not much better then a sheet of plate steel - ouch! The riding posistion was OK but the brakes were way way to touching not progressive at all. Have not tried the smaller bike but again long distance touring and fast curves is my priorities. But it would be nice to be able to turn down an occasional dirt road now an then. At least the ULY does not way a ton. When my adventure hit the ground I was in big trouble getting her up again. I know you big strong guys are better at this then I am so I have to live with the fact I can not handle a monster of a bike. | ||
| Bertotti |
I laid my Uly down and picked it right back up. Having the luggage on helps to pivot it to a point that is easier to lift from. Technique can help get it back up easier. | ||
| Saltydog |
I'm on my third clutch lever, second rear brake lever, second front brake lever..well..you get the idea. Besides gravel parking lots to get a burger the Uly will do nothing off road....get the KTM. I regret my uly purchase everyday..the uly at 4k rpm in 5th gear is around 80 mph on the highway..ktm 950 in highest gear at 4k is also 80 mph...except is has 4k rpm left. I would get rid of mine but resale on a one year old bike with 17k on it is crap.... | ||
| Bertotti |
I have had mine down gravel and through fields. I won't take any mud or deep fresh gravel but other then that it runs fine off road if you know your limitations. I have no problem taking off into the hills and playing around a bit. I won't be hauling but and tearing it up if that is your intention then by all means get the right tool for the job. I want to travel and take the trails so I have a Uly and it does just fine off road for me. I just wish I could get some knobbies!!! | ||
| Adrian_8 |
If you are going to beat and bash around the mountains the true dual sport is the Kawa KLR 650 and for 08 they made a bunch of upgrades and for about $5,400 it is a bargain. People have ridden KLRs across the country and back...Every motorcycle is a compromise somewhere. I just depends on how much off road someone is really going to do, the ULY is fantastic touring and doing light dirt roads but leave the rough stuff to lighter machines. | ||
| Ntmmd8r |
Wow..What can I say, but do yourself the biggest favor of your life and run. I so bad wanted this bike to be the "Great American Hope" but it has failed in almost all aspects. Erik Buell has some great ideas but this whole Buell experience has turned out to be one big expensive joke. The dealers are horrible / they took an ancient engine and turned it's power wick up to far for it's own good, then some rocket scientist decided to stick the so called air-cooled engine so far up into a frame it can no way keep itself cool / I thought that reading on this forum there were just a group of folks sucking sour grapes and these defects were just few and far between....Oh no, ball all of the complaints you read and a pocket full of recalls to boot, and put them together and they equal the turd we call the Uly. Resale value is right there with a Yugo as well as it's reliability. Unlike a lot of the folks here I have 30 plus years of real street bike experience...I've actually rode and did my own wrenching instead of just doing it on a keyboard. Wow, I bet I'm stirring up a hornets nest but it's all 100% true. Having to settle with piss poor dealers, archaeic engines, Buell never stood a chance with this bike, but the crappy parts, engineering, and lack of true testing really gives, what could have been a great bike, a horrible black eye. Don't even think about riding this thing off road, especially at slow speeds (not enough air moving for cooling). A total $11k turd...I thought I'd never say it, but go get a Jap brand. | ||
| Crusty |
Coloradogirl; I've got 27,413 miles on my Uly. It's as dependable as an anvil, gives me a big grin when ever I take it out, and I can't think of any other bike I'd trade it for. From the way you've described your wants and needs in a bike, the Uly sounds perfect for you. Take one out for a demo ride. Make sure they set the suspension up for you.If it feels good, buy it. It keeps getting better the longer you have it, and the more miles you put on it. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
To those that complain about the Uly's shortcomings on tight slow heavily wooded single tracks I salute you with a big WTF?! I have not seen a single claim anywhere from Buell that this is a dirt bike, or a dual-sport. If you buy this bike and bitch that you can't do hare scrambles or enduros, you really need to reevaluate your grip on reality. | ||
| Froggy |
Maybe yours is. Mine is yet to disappoint me.
Somehow this ancient engine has been getting better for years and despite its triple digit horsepower, still gets 60MPG, and satisfies in a way no other engine can. Also because its been around so long, its got a proven track record of reliability.
If you want, you can mod your bike and lower the engine if you feel it will help, but all i think your gonna do is loose ground clearance and ruin the bike. As for the cooling, the bike cools itself just fine. Mine has never entered skip spark, no matter what i do to it.
Some people whine about some of the bikes features, others don't. Some like some of them while others don't. I hated how my Suzuki GS500f rode, but i didn't go and bad mouth it. I rode it for a year then got the Uly, the best bike ever bar none. OMG 2 MINOR RECALLS!!!1! Yep long term testing showed the first kick stand was not as good as a design as they thought, so they fixed it. Oh then the bank angle sensor could malfunction in its original location so they moved it. Ill take that over my frame cracking in half any day. As for resale, why did you buy a new bike if you are gonna sell it? I bought my bike without even taking a test ride. I am the first, and final owner of this bike as the only way I'm getting rid of it is by trading it in for a significantly better Uly or i shall sell it to my insurance company.
Id say 10-15%
Again, not all dealers suck, and i can name more horrible Jap dealers than good ones. You knew what you were getting with the engine. If Buell never came out with the Uly, i can almost guarantee you i would be riding a beemer right now. the "crappy parts" and engineering are superior to any japanese bike Ive ever seen, and are on par with the European brands. Buell did thoroughly test the bike, but it sometimes takes years to find some flaws like the bad wheel bearings and dead fans.
Trust me, i never think, i just plow into it head first and i enjoy every second of it! 
Hmm $11k? i did a lot better than that price when i got my "turd". Oh well i guess me and my "turd" with 14k miles on it will go for another wheelie happy mud bogging ride now  | ||
| Davo |
The Uly is a great motorcycle. The biggest plus for the 08 is the oil pump. The thing which concerns me about the 08 is that there is no CPS adjustment. The Uly is fast and extremely comfortable. On the negative side, the steering lock is tight and if you break down in front of a HD/Buell dealership then you will still need to get a room in order to wait for parts. I "tried" to replaced my Uly with a KLR 650 but the is no true replacement for a Uly. The sport bike/race guys like them but on a mile track they are never more than 1/2 mile form a trailer of parts and tools. My KLR, if it ever breaks, will get me home with the use of duct tape and a paper clip. I do miss my Uly! | ||
| Ntmmd8r |
Bringing out true posts always brings out the losers without a clue of what they're talking about These are the keyboard bikers, they wouldn't know a decent product if they tripped over it. By the way, it's 3 recalls not 2...there should be about 10 if the truth were to be told. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I don't ride off road. If I did, I would have bought an OFF-ROAD BIKE. I've never understood folks who complain about the Uly's off road capabilities. A GS and a 990A are pigs on single track as well. You wouldn't try to take an FJR "muddin". Steering lock has never been a problem. My dealer is great. Parts are inexpensive. The aftermarket is rich. The community here is excellent. I have not regretted the Uly for one minute. I bought it for long distance rides and for twisties. For those singular purposes, it is a scalpel. | ||
| Coloradogirl |
I have to say this first major decent from the ULY believers. I try to take things at face value. First I know the harley engine is an old design but it is one that has proven itself to be very low maintenance and overall pretty reliable overall. I was a big beemer fan and loved my adventure but will be the first to admit that my adventure was not what anyone would call a dirt bike but it was way more comfortable and reassuring than a Hyabussa on a dirt road. Resale is a function of demand and the ULY has a lot smaller group of people that would be interested then say a sporster. But to some extent the same is true for most jap bikes and even beemers and moto guzzi. All bikes have issues and recalls. My beemer stranded me several times so even the famous boxer is not without its faults. As for jap bikes not sure why but I have always been attracted to everything else. I think partly is they rarely have the loyal fans that the European and American brands and I like that network. I do like doing long distnace touring and riding the road fast. I have owned harleys and beemers and hondas and a little bit of everything else. So I am not a keyboard mechanic my cousin taught how to work on my first bike and I have done some maintance myself ever since. I am no mechanic but I do understand enough to understand a few things I also have an engineering backgroud so that helps as well. Harleys by nature have a problem moving heat away from the engine especially the rear one. I suspect that is why Buell but a fan back there to help. I am not sure how often the fan has failed but I am sure this is an issue with an answer. Electric fans are not high technology as far as I know. Motorcycle Consumer News is a motorcycle rag I like a lot and they seem to be very hi on the ULY and remember they take zero advertising dollars. They are the ones that got me thinking about the ULY in the first place. So do understand that the ULY is not perfect and I would love to here more details on why you are so unhappy. Is it the fact it has had to many recalls, it has failed you on the side of the road, It handles like a pig on the road or off road, or is it just the idea of using old technology to make a bike that has a lot of new technology. I am open to your opinion because the deal is not done and I can and will change my mind if I feel it is in my best interest. I am a woman so changing my mind is my prerogative.}} | ||
| Davo |
As represented on this forum, it appears that some people can ride, wrench and type as well. I share some of Ntmmd8r's frustration but my frustration was targeted more at the factory than the bike. The air cooled v twin is a unique engine. It is the reason I bought the bike. I don't even know the name of the factory guy that pushed me toward selling it. If you want to see an air cooled American V twin at its best running against a metric bike then check out one of the last three AMA flat track races of the year. Go once and you will be hooked. | ||
| Bobmcc |
In any opinion poll, like this thread, you'll have extremes ranging from Uly as best bike ever to Uly as POS. Before my Uly I had many many miles on an FJ1200 and other air cooled IL4's, so I'm no stranger to horsepower, torque, comfort, and above all, reliability. Sure the Uly has issues, like engine heat in summer traffic. But that same heat feels really good on cool Fall mornings. Uly best bike ever? For me it's the best so far. | ||
| Cccpull |
Davo, It's a shame you sold a bike you liked because of factory/dealer problems. If you don't mind, could you elaborate what you mean by "I replaced the bike because I did not like Buell's dealer dependent philosophy" (read that in you bio- page), in other words, what happened? Thanks in advance, I'm new here and also looking into getting a Ulysses, soon.  (Message edited by cccpull on September 07, 2007) (Message edited by cccpull on September 07, 2007) | ||
| Cccpull |
Ntmmd8r, Wow,to say you're disappointed with the bike(and everything related to it) is an understatement. I had a situation similar to yours back in the late '70's with an American muscle car. Like you, I wanted to buy American and was disappointed with the factory defects. Once I got them sorted out, I kept and enjoyed the vehicle for many years. I hope you're able to work things out, if not , life is too short to allow a motorcycle to upset you so much. Fix it and enjoy it or move on to something else when you can. I'm new here, but just from reading the "My wife thinks I'm too old to ride a motorcycle" thread, It looks like your assumptions are wrong about this group being "keyboard motorcyclists". Good luck | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Ntmmd8r,  G2 | ||
| Crusty |
By the way, it's 3 recalls not 2...there should be about 10 if the truth were to be told. Um; I had my sidestand replaced and my Bank Angle Sensor relocated; what's the third recall? What are the other seven that you feel should happen? "...if truth were to be told..." My Uly is probably the most dependable bike I've owned in 38 years of riding. I've owned, ridden and raced (a few) bikes from England, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. Engineer Pass looks like it would be a fun ride.I would not be afraid to ride my Uly over it. The Uly is an All-Road bike. It's not a Dirt bike, as someone else pointed out. It would be a good bike to ride to Prudhoe Bay (a dream of mine). It requires minimal maintenance, which is easily performed, and it gives better fuel mileage than most bikes in the same category. Mine averages over 50 MPG. Once again, Coloradogirl, take one out for a ride and decide for yourself if you like it or not. | ||
| Ntmmd8r |
Okay...I've cooled off a little. Big Daddy, you must be one of those key board geniuses...what kind of bike does your daddy have? Crusty, The third recall was on the fact that the factory accessory "tall windshield" might pop off and take your head off. Coloradogirl....I own a Harley and it is pretty good on the reliability side. Poor performance, fuel mileage, but does great, once you put Loc-Tite on all of it's fasteners before they rattle out. I know the Sportster engines are great, I work on quite a few, but like I said they have this one just about double a regular Sportster engine's horsepower, which I can never have enough, but this engine just ain't made for it....Why do you think Erik Buell is so excited about finally breaking away from this to a Rotax water cooled engine. Cooling for this thing, especially the rear cylinder is horrible..the little fan just doesn't have a whole lot of affect and has a very short life span due to the fact it works so hard, and then is getting all that heat itself to the point of self destruction. The bike rides, handles, and brakes like a dream. The engine is a bit of a rocket..for what it is, but with the heat issues, just won't last long. The high speed wobble is the worst I've ever seen. The dealer network appears to be a joke...It sure is around here. Most Harley dealers just sell these things to improve their alotment of Harleys...they could care less about the Buells...Not all I'm sure, just most. Maybe with this new bike coming out they might wake up a little. As far as my bike, I love it, but am so disappointed I just wished I wouldn't have thrown my money away on it. Now with about 7500 miles: 3 recalls / broken license plate light housing / on my second cooling fan / 2 broken clutch cable guides which on the first one, melted my clutch cable to the point of non use / lower chin fairing melted at the r/s mounting bolt / You never know what it's gonna be when you start it.. Dr. Jeckle or Mr. Hyde, sometimes it will run great, and sometimes it will surge and cutout while your going down the road, almost to the point of being comical / the frame WILL burn your right thigh / when it's hot outside you have a choice of engine ping or retarding the timing to the point of killing part of your power / burnt plug wire from bad factory routing / the front end wobble at speeds over aprox. 70 / now I see that the rear wheel bearings might be suspect of problems..no doubt mine will be one...I feel snake bit. I'm just trying to be as honest as can be....read the other posts, you'll see the same things from others. If you were my sister, I'd tell you in a heart beat to look else where. I've had Hondas, Huskys, Hodakas, Suzukis, and now a Harley and a Buell....By far this Uly is the biggest turd of the bunch...I really like a lot about it, but sure couldn't recommend it. | ||
| Old_mil |
Ntwhatever, Any credibility you may have had in your original post was totally ruined by this obvious error: Unlike a lot of the folks here I have 30 plus years of real street bike experience...I've actually rode and did my own wrenching instead of just doing it on a keyboard. If you look on the high mileage thread, Uly owners ride the heck out of their cycles. This is a bike in its third model year and one guy has over 50,000 miles ... many have over 20,000. I'm no mechanic, but the Ulys the only bike i've felt comfortable working on (electrics included). In fact, I've done all my own farkling which is a first for me. Also, if you look at the forum index, Uly owners aren't shy about pointing out the shortcomings of their machines, probably because we expect so much out of a great bike. I'd say your criticisms are misplaced, if not wholly fiction. | ||
| Bertotti |
People unhappy with their machines are usually more out spoken about the offending machine. I watch what is said but then figure it is an unrepresentative sampling of the true satisfaction. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Okay...I've cooled off a little. Big Daddy, you must be one of those key board geniuses...what kind of bike does your daddy have? I appreciate you asking about dad -- he's an original and a good-egg to boot. '71 BT shovel and a ratted out Connie with a blue million miles on it. Go figure 'eh? I, too, question your credibility. I'm in Pumpkin Center North Carolina (population: very few) and you, sir, are welcome to bring your Uly to my house and we'll help you get it sorted out. Ya'll come now, hear? Keyboard genius You done went and got Glitch jealous and stuff. G2 | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Warning:  I can also share the frustrations that Ntmmd8r and Davo mentioned. I've had a lot annoying problems with my bike which I believe where because they rushed it to market to quickly. I luckily have a great dealer somewhat close. The local one is garbage, but 50 miles away is a very pro-Buell shop. Unfortunately for me I bought the bike with the intent to ride it a lot, but I just don't trust it that much and can't anymore. I commute back and forth to work and it does ok at that. Next Wednesday will be 3 weeks at the dealer for the whole rear end handling issue. They believe the rear swingarm is bent, but I haven't heard back for sure. They were dealing with Buell last time we talked. Many of you might remember the issues I had when removing the rear wheel for the first tire change and think that was the cause. I have to believe that was a symptom, because the handling issue was happening about 2K before the tire change along with the tire developing a horrendous wear pattern. A bent swingarm would easily cause the axle binding and tire wear I had. This last issue was just another of the struggles I've had as a Uly owner. Of course the first thing I hear is sell it and ride what makes you happy. Well, it's not that easy for two reasons. First, this was my first new motorcycle purchase so I financed it which means I'm only a year into it and no where close to being able to get out of it. Maybe some of you can afford to take that kind of beating, but I can't. Not to mention that $11k is extremely expensive for a motorcycle to me. I expect a lot out of it for that kind of hard-earned money. Secondly, this bike is exactly what I need for the all around type of riding I do so I want it to make me as happy as the rest of you seem to be. I'm just struggling with glitch after glitch. I also believe that some people will write off problems as "character" as a way to justify the "greatness" of the bike. It's not a bad bike, but 3 models years of some significant changes still supports my notion it wasn't quite ready for production yet. And while I'm not supporting Ntmmd8r's attitude, I have noticed a habit on here that if you don't proclaim the Uly as the perfect bike then you get bad mouthed, be-littled or ignored all together. It happens on every board, but it doesn't help fix the issues the bike really has. For me the Uly has been a typical American product. You never know what you are getting from one product to the next. One example of a product will be absolutely perfect with no issues what-so-ever. The very next piece off the assembly line will be full of defects, glitches, and just problematic enough to cause recalls for the entire line. The difference is in the owners. The "Buy America, Support America" owner will love either one and downplay the problems of the latter and still recommend the product. The owner who is looking to get the best product for his money and is not typically brand biased will be happy with the first, thoroughly upset with the second and bashed by all for questioning anything. (Message edited by jmhinkle on September 08, 2007) | ||
| Ntmmd8r |
Those of you who want to question my credibility can get with "Daves" from this forum...If he's the guy that worked at the dealer in Appleton WI. I bought a lot of my parts from him and some from American Sportbike. My local dealer couldn't even find a parts book when I went there. I refuse to let those idiots touch my bike. Their inability to do descent work is where I get a lot of my side business from. Screw the recalls...Buell can just mail me the kits to fix them, or I'll just sue them if something happens. Yes I realize the forum is full of folks with their shortcomings, and that's what I was banking on when I bought mine, but boy did I bank wrong on that one. As far as all these ironbutts on their 3rd bike, with 50k miles and so on...these, I'm sure, are probably the keyboard riders I mentioned. They probably don't even have a bike, but maybe their neighbors, cousins, daddy has one and they like to pretend. I'm just trying to give Coloradogirl fair warning.. the rest of you can just mind your own business. I speak the truth with real experience..not just a wanna be. | ||
| Thelumox |
so this is what you want us to do? -just mind our own business, and let you be the sole ambassador of truth and wisdom concerning all Uly's, because the rest of us are a bunch of wannabe's? are you serious? | ||
| Bosh |
"these, I'm sure, are probably the keyboard riders I mentioned. They probably don't even have a bike, but maybe their neighbors, cousins, daddy has one and they like to pretend. I speak the truth with real experience..not just a wanna be."   (Message edited by bosh on September 08, 2007) | ||
| 12x9sl |
I too have dealt with Daves-in fact my bike is the demo uly that Dave put 1800 miles on before I bought it. To say that my ownership experience has been without problems would be false: Shorted out wire that fried my race ecm, broken kickstand, belt that lost 4 teeth, new fuel pump, failed ignition relay and failed head light relay. As far as the high speed wooble-a switch to Continental road attacks fixed that and vastly improved my grip. Appleton Harley/Buell has taken care of me very well. I am definitely not as confident in the bike as I used to; however, I love my bike, despite it's flaws. I rode from Atlanta, Georgia to Janesville, Wisconsin (almost 900 miles) in 15 hours without a sore rear and can still ride the chicken strips off the rear tire with the bags on. Not a perfect bike, but a very, very satisfying experience. |
