| Author | Message | ||
     Chuck_az |
I have been looking at sport bikes for a while now and I will be taking my riders safety course soon. The major problem I have is that I want a starter bike to ride for 6-12 months but most of them are small. I am leaning towards a Buell purely because I like the styling of them and they are not as common as Honda, Kawasaki’s, ect.. So here it is I am 6'9" 240. I need something tall but I am not sold on the Ulysses style yet, I want the more sport bike look and not the raised ATC look. Is there a happy medium? I am thinking of maybe a 1998-2002 model years to keep the price down until I buy a new one. Thanks Chuck | ||
| Eengler2 |
I have a '99 M2. I am only 6'2" but I think you would be good with some adjustment with the bars. You may want clip on style like the crossroads bars so you can stretch out. | ||
| Barker |
a good used M2 should do the job, but demo a XB12X it is the largest of the buells, and my favorite. | ||
| Iamike |
At your height I'd figure most sportbikes would be pretty cramped. I'm 6'1" with a 35" inseam and feel cramped on a lot of bikes. You could take a Ulysses and add an aftermarket fairing on it for better wind protection. Otherwise the old style tube frame Buells would give you more leg room. Not to encourage you but the sport touring bikes may give some more room. I'm biding my time on when I can pick up a Uly for a second bike. Right now a new one is out of the question. | ||
| Chuck_az |
I am looking into sport touring bikes as well but most of the Buell's I have seen have not fit that bill even with modifications. I have seen some M2's I have liked. The two things I like most about Buells are thier looks (no fairings) and their resale price (for the buyer). Is there any Buell group forums for Arizona? Thanks guys | ||
| Barker |
Arizona Buellers http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/ 7966.html?1161847151 | ||
| Tunes |
With minor modifications, you could sport tour the Ulysses... - Change the two-piece front fender thing for a nice street fender. - Remove headlight guard. - Remove handguards. - Remove stock mirrors. - Install bar-end mirrors. - Install aftermarket pipe. - Black color. (To me, the yellow doesn't do it.) Alternative #2 would be an M2 or S3. | ||
| Angelwild327 |
what about the city cross??? the lightning xb9sx...it's rather tallish, tallest bike next to the Uly..although, for your height, it might not be enough...but give it a test ride. That bike is probably the most fun of all the Buells... ERIK even owns one!!! | ||
| Jaimec |
I don't see any reason why you'd have to modify the Ulysses to sport tour. Sport touring is an activity, NOT a "look." Throw a set of soft bags over any sport or standard bike and you can sport tour all week long with it. My M2 Cyclone took me from New York to Daytona Beach just fine, and once there I was able to shuttle back and forth between Daytona Beach, Orlando and Cape Canaveral just fine. I've already taken extended weekend trips with my XB12Ss Lightning Long, too. I find "Sport Touring Bikes" to be marketing gimmicks. ANY bike on which you're comfortable for long periods of time and handle well qualify as "Sport Tourers." | ||
| Chuck_az |
After a couple of days or researching models and looking at photo's I decided I like the old tube frame buells the best. Especially the M2 in Grey/Orange. I still have yet to go through the motorcycle saftey course and I will be waiting to buy one until after my wedding in the spring. Unless I find a killer deal. I will be lurking on here to soak up all the info I can. Thanks Chuck | ||
| Swampy |
Chuck Oz, My son-in-law in south eastern Alabama (The Promised Land) sent me pictures of a 01 M2 with 5800 miles on it for $3100. From the pictures it looked beautiful. It was red. | ||
| Tunes |
Jaimec, You made the following statement: I don't see any reason why you'd have to modify the Ulysses to sport tour. Sport touring is an activity, NOT a "look." Your statement is true, the Uly doesn't need to be modified... however, to some, like me, the Uly is butt ugly. I would never replace my S3 with a Uly, no matter how much better the bike is. I too own an XB. Even though I do short distance "sport touring" on it, when it comes to the touring part, I take my S3. It has a more relaxed riding position and much more carrying capacity. No argument intended, just a different view of the same subject... To some, looks do count. Just look at the first-year Katana. In my opinion, a butt ugly bike. No matter how innovative or excellent the bike underneath is, I would never own one. Differing opinions makes the world an interesting place to interact with. | ||
| Mainstreamer |
Chuck, I can understand your desire for a grey/orange M2. I owned a '02 M2 with those colors. That bike drew more attention then any other bike I've owned, and I owned dozens of them. I'm 5'11" and then was about 240. It was a very comfortable and enjoyable ride for me, even on a 500 mile day. I put over 20K miles on it in less then 2 years and the only problem I has was a leak from the rocker box gasket. I now ride a Uly and believe it is the very best all around m/c ever made. As others have said, the Uly can be easily modified to make it prettier with little effort or $$. In AZ it would be the perfect bike for touring and off road use in the desert and up north in the mountains. Keep looking until you find what you want then ride it like you stole it. | ||
| Iamike |
Chuck- I have to ditto Mainstreamer, when I've ridden around Arizona and Colorado I wished I had a bike like a Uly that I could take off on the side roads that lead up into the mountains. There's no way I'd do that with my 740# ST1300. |
