| Author | Message | ||
     Xbolt12 |
SD H-D has one in stock and I checked it out at length and sat on the bike. Here are my observations: 1: Yes that is the CA emission charcoal cannister on the left side of the engine right behind the oil cooler. 2: The frame is wider and the swingarm oil lines come from both the top and the bottom of the swingarm now and are rubber. 3: That is a really small intake around the gas cap and looks further restricted by the inner airbox (must be some other areas that draw air). 4: The rims look thicker in the bead area and might even have slightly thicker spokes up front. 5: The headers are either painted gold or flame sprayed. 6: The pegs look like they might fit the Firebolt, but still have the feel of cast aluminum and appear to be painted. 7: The front engine mount is slightly different. 8: The frame looks beefier in the steering head area based on the tighter clearance to the front engine mount. 9: This is a very tall/wide bike. However, I am only 5'10" and had no problem touching with both feet (tiptoes). The bike felt light enough that tip toes should work fine. I might feel a little different with a passenger or loaded up for a trip though. If not a simple slide to one side allowed a single flat foot. 10: Cool bike. I think this thing is going to make Buell very popular and I would buy one if I was going to have two street bikes in my crowded garage. | ||
| U4euh |
I do believe the rims were made with extra thick bead areas to handle the off road stuff. With a passenger the bike should lower that much more to give you sure footing, just a thought | ||
| 2hogs |
Xbolt12, Good to hear. I'm 5'10" also and being able to touch the ground comfortably is a concern. Course, not enough to keep me from putting a deposit on one :-) Cheers | ||
| Xbolt12 |
And here is the best part-the clutch was much easier with a smoother feel. | ||
| Anonymous |
Headers are media blasted instead of brushed finish - no special coating. Spokes are the same "thinness" as before, rim profile is beefier. Footpegs wil not fit other XB's - they are media blasted forged aluminum - no coating Glad your up close and live review was a positive one! | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
Well now, that is a surprise. San Diego HD-Buell told me that they would not be getting one until October. The Toad | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
I just returned from San Diego HD-Buell, and yes they do have a what-ever-colour-that-is-but-it-looks-yellow-to-my-eyes Ulyssess on the floor. Regardless of what the colour is, it is nice on the eyes. So I sat on it. I am only six feet in height, and currently weigh 210 lbs. The seat height is about the same as my DR650 (35 inches), but with the seat being much wider than my thumper it was a bit of a reach for me. I was able to get both feet nearly flat on the ground. I like the looks of the bike very much, and was told that with tax, license, doc. fees and the same seven year warranty as I have on the Roadking, it would be approximately $14,000 out the door. The panniers come either as a set of two side boxes, or the side boxes with the trunk. The trunk is not available alone. Why? I have no idea. The full set up is $1,000 and the bags alone were (memory failing) $700. The second power outlet is under the seat, which makes me wonder what I can hook up to it. There is also a small amount of storage under there too. What I would want and be able to fit under there I currently can not think of, but it is nice to have some usable space there. Fit and finish wise, the bike looks as nice as others in its class, and sits well in the show room. I will give it serious consideration now that I have seen it. HD-Buells web site computes payments a bit on the "low" side of what they actually should be given an A.P.R., but with about 2,000 dollars down on that out the door price, I would be looking at around $245 or so a month for sixty months. No demo rides as of yet, but that is also true with the Ducati MultiStrada I am comparing the Buell to, except that I am thinking of the 620cc versus the 1000cc Strada. I like small bikes. Thank you for the heads up XBolt12. The Toad | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
Anonymous or any one that can answer this, would you happen to know how well this media blasted "finish" will hold up on the Ulysses' headers? I am not all thrilled with a stock header that looks ancient/rusting away after a couple of years. This is in no way a knock on Buell or Ducati. It is a legitimate question because I have seen really ugly stock headers on both brands and it concerns me. And yes my friends, I have questioned Ducati's Customer Service department, but they have not yet replied. HD told me that rust pits on my stock RK-C exhaust were "normal" ("Look at it as a reason to buy a new custom exhaust"!), as is my speedo which can fog up enough to become unreadable. Go figure.  Thank you. El Toado Verde | ||
| Anonymous |
The new header finish is a bead blasted finish on stainless steel. Seems to hold up much better than the old brushed finish, and looks more even when new. Does it look like chrome? No. Will it get colors (bronze, and some bluing when really hot) on it? Yes. But it should stay the same over the long haul just fine. All test versions did. | ||
| Truk |
Personally I like the bluing. Never have understood some who are obsessed with keeping an exhaust looking as if the engine has never been started up. But I guess that is why they make Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry Ice Cream. I like my engine looking mean and fast. Exhaust on Road Race bikes get really deep blue. Looks gorgeous, like an engine that is a brute and fast...probably because they are. | ||
| Blake |
I'm with you Truk! Thanks Anony! Great info. | ||
| Xbolt12 |
Oldroadtoad, The GM told me that they (SD-HD) are working on getting a demo bike. I don't recall ETA though. Might have been sometime in September, but sometimes I don't remember things so well... I agree with the exhaust look. Blue looks good to these eyes. Never had any corrosion on my pipe in two years, although I did burn a little velcro on the header a while back and it took off that nice gold sheen a bit. | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
Thanks for the information, Anonymous, I really appreciate it. As for "bluing", I would not want it on my RK, but on a bike like this Buell it would not be out of place. I am talking about rusted out, ancient and looks like a piece of junk discolouration. Really now. I suppose that is what I should have said instead of "really ugly stock headers", eh? LOL! Again, thank you for the information. I suppose I should just give in, and head over to San Diego HD, but I have to make sure that the next bike is one I will want to keep for a while (no, I do not like my RK-C all that well, thank you! The DR I like a bit more, as it is physically smaller, and ... never mind, LOL! I can not sell my RK-C for what I own on it, and I am not willing to give it away. I own my DR650, and I could be happy with it alone, but I am smitten by the looks of both the Buell and the Ducati. Does one have to purchase the $1,500 service plan/warranty at the time of purchase, or can it be done later, toward the end of the standard two year warranty, and if so, would the warranty be seven years from the purchase date? If this cost can be put off until the original warranty is nearly over, this will reduce my payment approximately $20 to $30 per month. Nothing wrong with that! I am not at all mechanically inclined, so the warranty issue is important to me. I do not expect to get straight answers from the sales department, as the gentleman I bought my RK from no longer works there. He was and remains a fine person. One that I trust, but as I said, he no longer works there. Hence, I come here for guidance. Yes, I would most likely trust Daves, but as I reside in California, I can not buy a new bike out of state, as many of you can. I tend to have my vehicles serviced where I bought them too, so I try to build a bit of a "relationship" with the dealer ship that way. I really do not spend a lot of money on foo foo items, in fact to date on the RK, I have purchased no additional chrome. Yuk! Do not care for it. Sorry for the toadish digression there, and again, thank you for any information regarding the extended service/warranty plan that any of you may provide. El Toado Verde | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
Thanks Xbolt12. The Toad | ||
| M1combat |
Old road... If you aren't mechanically inclined at all shop around for a dealer that has a good service dept. Ask around in the storm fronts section that's related to where you're located and see which dealership they recommend. Buy it from anywhere you'd like, but take it there for service  . There should be a good dealer in SD... | ||
| Xbolt12 |
Thanks for the input Anonymous. Think we might have met at Laguna. Anyway, great new bike- you design guys should be proud! Now if I can just get a private message with a yea or nay to more hp next year... hah, hah! Oldroadtoad, SD-HD seems to have a pretty good tech at the Kettner shop. Don't know about the others though. I buy most things in Kearny Mesa, but do all my own work so far except stuff that comes under warranty, which based upon the improvements for '06, you will probably never need anyway. | ||
| Broodwich |
So do the non California bikes have the emissions canister? What interest rates were any of you given? | ||
| Xbolt12 |
I haven't check interest rates. On the emissions canister, some have been known to accidently fall off (from under the seat) on other year xb's and somehow the tube venting the gas filler magically re-routes itself behind the left footpeg like on the other 49 state bikes.... Not that I would advocate such a thing  | ||
| Oldroadtoad |
Hi - Broodwich, I was told that the lowest rate currently available is 7.5% which is reserved for those with AAA ratings. The ugly cannister is on the left side of the bike, out there for all the world to see. Ugly. At least they did not reduce the capacity of the fuel tank on the California models. Well I hope not, and that is what I am thinking, given that the Buell site does not so state any where that California bikes fuel capacity is less than 49 state bikes. This happened with the Suzuki Bandits, so I do not own a Bandit. I tend to fixate on such things, sorry.  Xbolt12, is the mechanic you mentioned a medium-tall, slender fellow with glasses? I think I recall meeting one of the Kettner mechs that looked like that. Nice fellow and he seemed knowledgeable. My sales man was Phred at the Kearny store. Great guy, and he was a real enthusiast, but he no longer works for them. Thank you for the tip, M1combat. Good advice! El Toado Verde | ||
| Broodwich |
I was told that the rate was 8.99% if you had a credit score of 750 or higher. I didn't ask what the other breaks were but those rates are pretty high. I got lucky when I financed my BMW with a 0.9% rate! Now I know that is unusual but a friend of mine just got a new R1200ST and his rate was only 6.9%. Does HD typically offer lower rate incentives at certain times of the year or are these rates what one should expect? | ||
| Xbolt12 |
Fred's brother is the GM. That sounds like the mechanic-tall with dark long hair as I recall. I think he is the only Buell tech there, but I may be wrong. |
