| Author | Message | ||
     Lt_adderall |
In 2009 I purchased a new on the floor 2006 XB12X that never got sold from Chandler HD-Buell in Arizona. Within 4,000 miles; I had trouble starting, very rough idle, and poor engine performance. Peoria-AZ, HD-Buell tech said I got a load of bad gas and to run fuel cleaner and new gas through a few tanks. Problem persisted. Then on my trip to Sacramento in spring of 2010 the bike would not start in Indio, CA; was hard to start and ran very rough to Riverside, CA. Hard to start the following morning and I "hot fueled" it all the way to Sacramento afraid of being broken down and stranded. I dropped the bike off at Eagle's Nest HD-Buell in Lathrop, CA. Those tech's found that the fuel pump was bad and replaced with new fuel pump assembly under warranty. Kept the bike at my buddy's house in Sacramento and returned back on business trips to ride it; all was well. After a 4 month sit we "recharged the battery" and I ran sales calls back and forth between San Fran and Sacramento all week; no problem. Decided to ride the Ully back to Phoenix. All this was 2 weeks ago. On the way back down from Sacramento, CA in Victorville, CA; the instrument cluster died, no tach, no speedometer. Turned bike off for sales call; then bike would not start. Jump started bike than it ran itself to down...no charge. Trailered the bike down Skid Fordyce HD-Buell in Riverside, CA And as I suspected; turns out the Stator/Rectifier and Voltage Regulator were found to be bad. New parts put in under warranty all is OK; bike ready to be picked up. Got the call today to come get it. NOW.....a fuel pump assembly going BAD at 4,000 miles; THEN....Stator Rectifier going bad at 6,500 miles. The fuel pump nearly stranded me and the bad Stator did. I was lucky to be near civilization. When I get this bike back I will put better 77 contacts in it; and take a good look at the ECM to make sure the seat has not cracked it. I am also going to install a voltometer so I can monitor the system. Skip Fordyce checked the ECM and 77 connectors and said all is OK. I am RAPIDLY LOSING FAITH AND CONFIDENCE in this bike; emotionally I am in love with my Buell Ully; but cold hard logic tells me to DUMP IT while the getting is good and go out and get a Yamaha FJR1300, Kawasaki Concours 14, or BMW R1200RT. Especially if I want it to be my work bike and my main means of travel in my sales territory. If the 2006 Ully is not reliable...it needs to go. How in the HELL can such a bike with less than 6,000 miles on have this much crap go wrong with it an leave me stranded. Total bullshit to have to worry about adding on a voltometer and have this "worry in the back of my mind" while I am trying to enjoy a ride. Hell my 2003 Blast has 5K miles, my 2006 XB12Ss Lighting Long has 23K miles, and my wifes 2004 XB9X City Cross has 12K miles; and NONE of these bikes have had the sequence of problems that my 2006 Ulysses has had. I am searching all over this website in archives looking for 2006 ULLY PROBLEMS; so far I can only find the 77 connector and ECM broken by the seat as the only problems; and folks recommending a voltometer so I can see and impending failure coming. I really want to keep my ULLY; and need some help and advice here as I would like to keep it ......OTHERWISE I WILL FIND A SUCKER AND SELL THE PIECE OF SHIT. Can any body help; please? Kind Regards, John | ||
| Froggy |
Your stator and VR were probably fine, the bad 77 connector will cause those symptoms. Either way since it was replaced you have the improved connector that doesn't cause issues. As for the rough running/fuel pump, I can't comment on that without seeing the bike, but I would imagine it was old fouled up plugs the entire time. If you really hate it, get rid of it, the next owner will probably enjoy 100k trouble free miles.  | ||
| Crusty |
My '06 Uly was the most trouble free motorcycle that I've owned in over 40 years of riding. It had over 34,000 miles on it when I traded it in on an '08 XT. I don't consider it to be a lemon model or a lemon year. I also know of several others who have/had '06 Ulys that were very reliable. | ||
| Rays |
Have a look at the link for new owners at the top of the Bug, Bad & Dirty section. BTW - the '77 connector is not just a Uly issue - I have diagnosed this on several different models of pre-'08 XB. The fuel pump wiring is a definite point to check - Sanchez has a great write-up on that if you search on his username. I'll send you a link to a document I put together for another '06 Owner a while back. | ||
| Tootal |
A bike that sits for three years is probably going to have some problems. I agree that the 06 had some teething problems but all the new parts I have put in mine have been reliable. Some never have problems some do. I think it was more of a vendor problem than Buell itself. To put yourself at ease I would put the 2010 rear wheel on. Your muffler actuator has plastic gears in it and it might fail, the new ones use metal. Upgrade the clutch cable holder next to the front exhaust. There are many upgrades that you can do for lower gearing and a better turning radius but none of these will strand you. I would upgrade the important things and go have fun! | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Rays, Can you send me the link as well? I'd like to change out the 77 connector before it bites me. Brad | ||
| Brakes2late |
06 with 32k and the only issue I've had is a warped front rotor. I ride 400 miles a week for work and it never lets me down! | ||
| Maximum |
Here is a link to my former fuel pump issues. It happened around 23,000 miles...and has not returned in the last 22,000 miles. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/370305.html Is the 2006 Uly a lemon? I have had just about every issue out there...and I would say NO. Every know issue did result in improvements to subsequent years. It appears the bulk of the issues that would leave you stranded are wiring issues. 1. 77 connector (cause of stator and VR problems) 2. Fuel pump wire chaffing (as seen in the link above) 3. Broken wires in vicinity of steering column (not enough slack and a lack of protection from bending in the wire bundle) 4. ECM wires rubbing on the bottom of the seat (the only one that I have not had a problem with) 5. Grounding issues (double check all main ground points) I have lost faith in my Uly a couple times...but always fall back in love after I fix it and go for another ride. | ||
| Ratbuell |
My 06 is a tank. I love it. I routinely do 1800 mile weekends with it (somehow, usually, Vern is involved in one way or another...hmmmm..). My 77 went out, but my voltmeter saved me (I saw the readings dropping and only rode it for about an hour and a half home before replacing the connector). No damage to the VR or stator. That was over 5k miles ago, still going strong. I broke my belt (fully aware it was my fault). Have the latest revision on there now. Lemon? Not a chance. Yours sat for three years. I GUARANTEE the dealer started it, made the vroom-vroom noise for every customer who wanted to hear it, and shut it off. FOULED PLUGS. Questionable battery. The issues you've had are well-documented; you're just catching up all at once is all. Get that voltmeter put on, keep an eye on your wheel bearings, ride and have fun! Don't worry about the ECM connectors unless you have a low seat - the tall 06 seat didn't have as many problems because the seat is...well...taller. The 77 should have the new connector on it now that they've replaced your VR and stator - it comes in the kit now. Its like Froggy says though - if you don't like it or trust it...sell it to someone on here. I'm sure tons of folks would love to have it. The only downside would be, you'd get to watch all their posts about how great the bike is now that you've taken care of the known problems. | ||
| Mnrider |
I bought a 2 year left over 06. Soldered my 77 connector and relocated my ecm the first year I had it after hearing about the issues on here. I do lots of short trips as my commute is only 7 miles so it gets started a lot each day. 10K and not 1 single problem. Funnest bike I've ever had. | ||
| Kurbennett |
Ditto My 06 Uly was a great bike with no issues at all. I would buy another. Great for distance riding and riding through the curves. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Oh! Don't forget the kickstand pivot/mounting hardware of the early 2006 were crummy. I think there was a recall on it so it may have been fixed before you picked it up. | ||
| Motorbike |
Back in 1989, I bought a brand new Honda Gold Wing Aspencade, right out of the crate. I did not even get home form the dealer before it started idling very badly. To make a long story short, it had rust in the fuel tank caused by condensation from sitting around so long. You would not believe what a hassle that turned into. It was covered by warranty but I ended up replacing the fuel tank myself because I did not want my dealer working on my bike. Not an easy task on a Gold Wing! I know your Uly tank will not rust but my point is that when you buy a bike that has been sitting that long, you may end up with a few problems. I hope you are able to get those items fixed and love your Buell as much as I do mine! Best wishes to you. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
The key to your problem lies in your own profile Lt. Under "personal quote" ("Three things in life will not forgive your mistake; an airplane, a parachute, or a motorcycle." Yup. Your mistake was to assume that a 3 year old leftover was as new. Look at the build date. It may have been closer to 4! Motorcycles don't like sitting for years. They develop problems of all kinds during prolonged periods of inactivity. A bunch of the first run of Ulys had some issues right out of the box too. Mine did. I can't say for sure without eyeballing the bike myself but it's a safe bet that Ratbuell was spot on when he said "Lemon? Not a chance. Yours sat for three years. I GUARANTEE the dealer started it, made the vroom-vroom noise for every customer who wanted to hear it, and shut it off. FOULED PLUGS." First thing I would have done if I had bought your bike would be to install new plugs and a fully charged new battery. If problems persisted, I would find and fix them on a case by case basis till the bike was sound. After a nice long test ride I would be where I am now with my '06. I want to help you get to that point with your Uly but first, you gotta settle down and start thinking. It's a machine. Out smart it! Get the service manual and read it. Get familiar with the tech aspects of the bike. Talk to fellow owners on here. This site is a gold mine! Forget the warrenty - it is not your friend. Do it yourself and learn the bike as you do. It will reward you for your success. If this course of action is too much for you, and it is certainly not the prefered course for everybody, what do you want for it? | ||
| Andymnelson |
mmmm...lemons are tasty! My '06 lemon runs strong and hard and is the tastiest of all lemons! | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Lemony zesty 06' ULYs' rule. They sold thousands of ULYs and the few lemons that bobbed to the surface are complained about here on BadWeb. | ||
| Etennuly |
I bought a new '05 City-X in '04. It was flawless for the 13,000 miles I rode it in it's first year. I bought a used 2001 Blast in '05 for the wife to learn on and ride, 8,000 miles and six years of abuse and it has been flawless, except for broken stuff from being dropped. When the '06 Uly came out I had to have it. So I bought the first one available to me in our area. It was exactly what I wanted in a bike. But, it came with a laundry list of problems, mostly electrical. With the help of the good folks here, and my mental change in attitude that had me not wanting to work on the bike at all.....it has turned out to be the best motorcycle experience in my life. My 'forced' education on becoming a Uly mechanic really had me torqued at first.  Then as I got more into it, I found that the more I know about the bike the more confident I feel about going on long trips with it. A year or so ago I was going to buy a new wiring harness to replace the one in my bike that has accumulated as many as 19 separate repaired areas, Then I realized that if I change it out, I am putting the same problematic harness back in where I fixed it already. Sure I could have done preemptive stuff to the new harness, but that would have still been the same as the modified original. So I will keep modifying it if needed. HD truly annoyed me with their ignorance. So often their fix would be to rev it up to test the rev limiter, which was never a problem, or they would keep hammering the start stop sequence, killing the longevity of most of the bikes components. More than once they would not replace an item that was weak or out of spec. Having the service manual and help from BadWeB, and growing the patience to fix it myself when I felt HD should have, has made this bike more 'mine' than any other new bike I have had. Now at 55,000 miles it has produced more smiles per mile than any other bike I have owned. And I have no reason to comprehend why Joe follows me around on these weekend jaunts, but I don't mind.....too much!  | ||
| Motorbike |
My reply posted earlier today should have read "Back in 1989, I bought a brand new 1986 Honda Gold Wing Aspencade". I accidentally left out the "1986", so my reply did not make much sense. Just like all my other replies?  I apologize for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused. | ||
| Motorfish |
I bought my Uly new in April of `06. At around 5,000 miles, my belt started to walk off the rear pulley about 1/8". The dealer put a new one on under warranty. At about 13,000 miles my rear wheel bearings left me stranded about 6hrs from home. Had to rent a U-haul, but Buell gave me store credit for about 1/2 the repair. I had the sidestand, and BAS recalls done. I have the comfort kit, but only got to install the right side scoop and pipe heat shield. I really like the bike, and want to get the `10 rear wheel. New baby, and lack of work is not letting me do it though. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
2006 CityX that I ride like a ULY 44k on the odo, All of the problems were um 'self inflected' | ||
| Swuly |
This spring i got a 06 leftover here in Sweden that had been in the store for 4 years and with 20 miles on it. At pickup it hardly wouldn´t start (The plugs)and the mechanic had to test ride before i dared to proceed with my 1 hour ride home. Approximately one week after this i got stranded during an evening ride. It just plain died. The shop actually picked up the bike and after no less than 2 weeks they found the problem: My fuel pump was totally clogged! The bike got zero fuel. HD-Sweden had never seen anything quite like it and claimed my old pump before i had a chance to see it, and now i´ve got a pump from a 07 lightning. After this it runs like a dream. Will claim a new battery though cause i can tell mine isn´t 100%... If you get a leftover Uly there is some things you should check before taking it out on the road! I do love mine and will never get rid of it. My precious... | ||
| Whitj |
Lt_adderall We should meet up. I'm in N PHX and have an 06. 24k on it and not one issue. I have all the books and tools as well. send me a Pm | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Seems like some folks (not all of course) that buy a Buell have no idea how to work on a bike themselves and are very quick to drop there bikes back at the dealer. Then tell us the terrible experience here on BadWeb. In this particular case, a bike that sits around for years with only demo rides is bought. New plugs at the very least should have been installed and probably a new battery before the owner left the dealer. That may have been all that was needed to make this bike "right" from the gitgo. But no, right off the bat, the dealer starts giving the novice owner bad advice, advice clearly meant to put the problem in the owners lap. Dealer should just have changed the plugs instead of telling the owner to add shiit to the gas. Of course the battery goes completely to crap because a ULY is supposed to start right up and not be cranked over and over. Then finally the dealer starts to replace parts willy nilly and of course the new owner believes every word the "experts" feed him. Most mechanic or "techs" are just underpaid and overworked guys that thought their dream job was working on motorcycles because they love motorcycles. Most of the rest of us know that the fun of working on motorcycles is limited to only when working on our own and only when installing farkles, not figuring out why the bike runs like crap. I'd have a hard time believing that so many parts on one particular bike need replacing no matter what some uninterested tech would ever tell me. Sounds more like a dealership's way of soaking the parent company in warranty claims. | ||
| Strokizator |
The only problem with my '06 was the idiot holding onto the handlebars. I would recommend upgrading the fork springs but other than that, as reliable as an anvil. | ||
| Pso |
In addition to the #77 plug, check the plug coming out of the stator. (3 wires)Mine melted. there is also a post about the different wires that need to be rerouted. I belive they run over the cylynder head. and of course there is the rear wheel bearing issue and the first generation belt. Plus the conectors under the seat on the left side under the fuse panel might not make a good contact and thus strand you. all of these fixes are easy and doable and might I suggest you make them before you are stranded alongside the road like I have been. There are good posts n fixig all these little issues. You could probably take care of them on a weekend and then have a very,vey dependable and also fun bike for a long time. I wouldalso check the plugs, peraps folks at the dalership started the bike and blipped the throttle. that is the easiest way to foul the plugs. Have fun | ||
| Portero72 |
Lt-... I currently own an 09 Uly, and owned an 06 for about a year. My 06 was, in fact, a lemon. So much so that my servicing dealer bought it back from me and gave me my 09 for free, without altering my original loan(on the 06) one cent. My 06 had ALL the typical issues in the 14k miles I had her, some twice; fuel pump, front brakes, VR/stator, excessive oil consumption, faulty/worn wiring, skip spark, fan, bearings, etc, etc. Aside from three replaced front discs, my 09 has been solid as a rock in 28k miles. That said, if I had the cash and garage space, I would run, not walk, out and pick up an 06/07 as a 'spare'. All the issues have been sorted out and there are fixes for almost all of them. I loved that bike. If you don't mind a bit of preemptive wrenching, its an awesome machine. | ||
| Yjsrule |
I thought it was the Orange year.  | ||
| Cowboycop419 |
Got my '06 Uly around the end of summer this year and have ridden the crap out of it. She see's the red-line at least twice a ride (my wife wishes), short trips to town, longer trips down into Texas and up into Kansas, in temps ranging from 110 down to the mid 30s and she has been strong in every condition. Still absolutely, without a doubt the most fun and reliable bike I have ever owned. I would have to agree with everybody else, your problems are from the poor thing sitting for 3+ years. Now that you've got the kinks worked out, I would keep it and ride ride ride. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Before I sold it, mine was absolutely rock solid. There were issues (BAS, Stator/VR, Fuel Pump, Cooling Fan, Bearing), but these were all covered under warranty. Once they were resolved, they didn't recur. Accept for the BAS.  It did everything I ever asked of it and ran like a top. I do believe the 06 had more issues than subsequent models. First year models ALWAYS have more issues. | ||
| Uly_man |
All bikes, cars, etc can have there "Friday/Lemon" machine and I have had them myself in the past many times. I found, in the UK, that some HD dealers were less than interested in selling/backing Buells than they should have been. In other words not at all. I do not know what was going on at HD, as regards Buells, but I do know that pulling the plug on them is, or close to, the finish of a great bike. | ||
| Lt_adderall |
Gang: Thanks for all the advice and direction; what RatBuell, Electraglider, and Panhead Dan makes sense; overall the bike really ain't that bad...but it most definately needs to have some "corrective measures and attention to it". Once these things get taken care of; and with attention and care...the worst should be past me. I really don't mind turning a wrench but honestly I just don't want to have to turn into a garage monkey and have to be constantly fixing on and worrying about a motorcycle; and not doing with the motorcycle as I intended; riding it alot. I believe in staying ahead of things and doing timely maintenance but there comes a point when you just don't have the time and "depth" of tooling to do certain tasks and you just need to take it to the dealer. And then "hope" - key word is that whoever works on the bike went to the Buell course at MMI and knows what the hell they are doing. I'm the kind of guy who changes my own oil on my cars but I don't have the time / tooling to change a head gasket or water pump. I just don't like the "feeling" of being at the mercy of somebody else.....maybe I'm going to have to turn into a Buell mechanic...like it or not; given what has happened to Buell. The "hope" "dream" for the Ully back in 2009 was to use it as one of my business vehicles and ride my sales territory; for what I was paying in rental cars...I could have a another motorcycle! Stash it at my buddies in Sacramento; fly in...and ride the territory. But it has turned into two "unexpected breakdowns and associated cost / inconveinence" hundreds of miles of way from home. I have been lucky to have close friends in CA and break down close to a HD-Buell facility. Funny...seems to me that every motorcycle I have ever seen broken down / stranded at the side of the road has been a Harley. Never a BMW...never a Jap bike. "Maybe" the work bike needs to be a BMW R1200RT or Yamaha FJR1300, maybe Honda ST1300; don't know. Anyway...I trailered the bike back from Skip Fordyce HD-Buell in Riverside back to Phoenix this past Friday as I had "no confidence" after what I have experienced. Sure enough once I rolled her off the trailer and took her for a neighborhood spin; "trouble again". Check engine light kept coming on 5 to 10 minutes after riding, and it persisted for a few days. Broke out "trouble code dongle"; curiously...no flashing lights to give me trouble codes...no codes? Read through the manual; found nothing on this. Did the 50 start, run 30 sec, stop, restart cycles to "reset".....man I don't think the bike liked that...and neither did I. Rode the bike off and I think I felt a "skip spark" and some kind of whirring and rattling; pulled over and let her settle down. Whatever I heard coming off the engine damn sure was not smooth. Now get this; as I come up through 2nd and 3rd gears the check engine light would come on....stay steady...or go intermittent. Get to a stop light at idle....the light would go out.....and sometimes be intermittent. Attached are pictures of the "bolt post" for the ECM; I think this is where folks have said the seat making contact with the ECM and causing problems. You can see some "rubbing" on the plastic post that the bolt runs through. THIS might be the source of all these problems? So whatever is now going on with the check engine light ....right after taking the bike off the trailer after Skip Fordyce HD-Buell said everything "was OK" really has me to the limits of my frustration and hands up in the air. Anyway; this post has created quite the "Punch List" based on a 2006 model bought in Nov 2009. I know the "warrantly is not my friend" but based on everything I have "documented" from the reported problems I have discovered here, my experience over the past year, I'm taking this bike back to Chandler HD-Buell; with the "Punch List" of known documented problems, pull out the warranty, hold thier feet to the fire....and that fire is going to be very hot. | ||
| Tootal |
Funny...seems to me that every motorcycle I have ever seen broken down / stranded at the side of the road has been a Harley. Never a BMW...never a Jap bike. "Maybe" the work bike needs to be a BMW R1200RT or Yamaha FJR1300, maybe Honda ST1300; don't know. I was riding my Harley out in Wyoming in the middle of nowhere when I ran upon a Honda Gold Wing on the side of the road. I stopped to see if he was ok and he said he was broke but his friend was riding into the next town to get a part. I wished him luck and started to pull away when I stopped and turned back and said, "This is kind of a role reversal isn't it?" He was not amused! | ||
| Lt_adderall |
Tootal......ya know; that is funny! | ||
| Tootal |
So there I was parking my Harley outside the laundromat in Cody Wyoming. While I was gathering up my dirty clothes and guy on his low rider was strapping his fresh laundry onto his bike while his friend was backing out of his spot using his reverse gear. He commented on how nice it was to have reverse, knowing we did not. I looked at my fellow Harley rider and said, " You know why they put reverse on Gold Wings? " He replied that he didn't. "It's because Gold Wing riders are too stupid to back into a down hill parking spot!" He burst into laughter. His friend was not amused! |
