| Author | Message | ||
     Eryngium |
Reading through the thread about folks riding with their kids, I saw lots of responses from folks who rode with their dads and who have been riding since they were kids. Any other Buellers out there who have just started riding recently as middle-aged guys? Before I took my Rider's Edge course two years ago, I had ridden on the back of 1 bike 1 time in my life. That was the full extent of my motorcycle experience during my 45 years. I had nothing against bikes, I was just - indifferent. None of my friends rode when I was growing up, at least not that I was aware of then; and no one in my family rode. My mother was always very motherly and made it clear there would be no motorcycles while we were living at home. Since I was completely indifferent, it was pretty much irrelevant. But a couple years ago I was in the Twin Cities for work and saw someone on an older bike - from back when they were kind of flat, like an old scrambler and it caught my eye. About that same time I saw our manager at work come riding in on his Harley one morning. I thought "Hmm. That does look pretty cool." Probably because I was "older" at the time I decided to take the course and see what I thought. Testing the water a toe at a time. I enjoyed it so I bought a used Blast from the program. I rode that all last season and enjoyed riding enough that I knew I'd want something more (more power and more height - I'm 6'3"). I decided very quickly I didn't want a Japanese bike. I wanted something different. My first loves were Triumphs, and I still think I'd like to have one. (There is no more classic image than the Triumph logo.) Not sure now where or when I found Buells, but the Uly still wasn't an immediate attraction. I liked the look of the Lightnings better. I didn't take long for me to realize that I'm not a real sportbike kind of guy; too conservative. The Uly suited what I envisioned me using the bike for - commuting and longer trips. And so far it has met those needs very well. I still wouldn't call the Uly a good-looking bike, except in a functional sort of way and that's the way I look at it. Mechanically I have mixed feelings. I'm definitely NOT a gearhead. I don't MIND working on the machine, but I don't want to HAVE to. So far the Uly (an'07 with about 5700 miles on the odo) has been a mixed bag. Even now it doesn't seem to be running right, but I'm not sure. I can't say that I know what's right. It's still under warranty but I'm not sure what I'd ask someone to check. It was in the shop a couple weeks ago for an oil problem after a fall. They seem to have corrected that specific issue, but it still doesn't seem "right." I just ordered a new back tire, my scorpion is just about done a little shy of 6K. I ordered Pilot Road 2 and when I take it in to get installed I'll ask to have some other things looked at, including the bearings. With the history of Uly and bearings, I think that could be contributing to the the problem. It doesn't seem to feel as smooth as I think it should. I may have the ECM checked, too. Recent discussion of isolators caught my eye, as well. Anyway, that was a fairly long way to ask if there are any other folks out there who are not old hands on bikes and Buells. I'd be interested in meeting up with other Uly riders in southern Wisco, especially if they didn't mind helping me to learn my way around the guts of the bike. I'm glad to be in the club and hope to maintain my membership for a long time. | ||
| Xbimmer |
Nice post. As boys our parents used to give us the "You'll put yer eye out!" type of lecture when we talked about motorcycles. Didn't work, we learned to ride (and fall off of) friends' bikes on the sly. All four of us still ride and own about a dozen bikes among us, mostly BMW's. ...but the Uly still wasn't an immediate attraction. I liked the look of the Lightnings better...The Uly suited what I envisioned me using the bike for - commuting and longer trips...I still wouldn't call the Uly a good-looking bike, except in a functional sort of way and that's the way I look at it. My thoughts exactly, I wanted a XB12Ss but wanted passenger capability with good-size hard cases. The Uly offered that and as a bonus I learned that the extra suspension travel suited me better for crummy back highways and roads. Maybe you can arrange a test ride on a new Uly, might give you a feel for what's "normal". Also don't forget this: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/442053.html?1238017122 And there's always BadWeB for sage experienced advice.  | ||
| Elsinore74 |
Welcome aboard! Great choice in the Uly, although I may be a little biased in that respect. I'm not new to riding, but my wife (originally from Stevens Point) is, and it's been great watching her learn and see her riding skills steadily improve. Getting rider safety training first was the best move you could make. You're light years ahead of lots of riders who've been at it for a long time. The more you learn, the better it gets. Living in northern VA, we can't help you with riding in southern WI, but I'm sure you'll find plenty of BadWebbers nearby. Ever heard of the Slimey Crud Run? http://www.slimeycrudrun.com/ Ride Hard, Ride Safe! | ||
| Xb12xmike |
You made the correct choice with a Uly. I hope you get any problems resolved. The "looks" of the bike will definitely grow on you. I'd also advise you to NOT go out on any spur of the moment adventure by yourself (in the woods) or you could end up like I did, alone trying to get my bike out of the ice/mud for 5hrs. (see my profile pic) | ||
| Panhead_dan |
You are on the cutting edge of becoming an old rider. What I'm trying to say is that there is more to riding than just riding. When you say "I don't MIND working on the machine, but I don't want to HAVE to." you are using the mindset of "I just wanna ride". I suppose that's fine but you should know that there is so much more to it. You might even say it's the bigger half. Sorting out a bike will deliver you into the bike's soul. You will become much more intimate with the bike and get much more out of it. Your experiences with it after will reward for you the rest of your life. Long after the bike is gone. | ||
| Jphish |
Eryngium - I'm certainly in the older demographic also for Uly's. There are a few of us over 60 riders that got back into riding after a long hiatus (raising families, careers etc) Been back in the saddle for about 5 years now - went thru 4 bikes before I 'settled' on the Uly as my main ride, though I still have the KLR650 and ST1300. Probably ride 20K mi / year between the 3 machines, and enjoy it more than when I was in my 20s (even with diminished capability). Being retired, I have the luxury of time and opportunity to just wander aimlessly. I do alot of fishing / camping trips with the Uly, and it is the perfect bike for that. (Though my also retired riding buddy on his 1200GS may disagree...until we hit the canyons) Anyway - I'm in Wa so cant help ya on the "not right" aspects of your Uly. Don't claim to be an expert on these iconic machines anyhow but...an experienced Buell owner friend rode mine when I was sensing a hesitation / power loss and sleuthed it back to a bad sparkplug wire. If you can find someone in the birth state of Buell that would ride yours, perhaps they could help source the issue ? I suspect someone will respond to your appeal. BWB are a very knowledgeable, supportive & helpful bunch of lunatics. 'Chow, j | ||
| Hotredjohn |
Hey Elsinore74, Another rider from Norther VA here, I live in Manassas (the zip not the city). I have an 06 with a few mods. | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
I can't say I'm exactly NEW to biking, since I'm a "retread" rider. I first got into and onto bikes back in my college days after the leaving the Army in 1970. I spent most of that decade on motorcycles. I went through 3 in all. But by the late 70's, after several years of riding year 'round in Tucson, we could afford a second car, and I was seduced by air conditioning. I rode my last bike, a Yamaha DT400 Enduro, sporadically after that, but I was mostly done with them for the next 25 or so years.  Finally, in 2005, my cat died. We'd had her for 19 years, and she was a pretty good friend (for a cat, that is). I kind of moped around off and on for the rest of that year, but my wife did NOT want any more pets. Ever! So, after feeling sorry for myself off an on that year, I finally reached a kind of decision around Christmas time of 2005. I either needed another cat, or the remembered fun of a motorcycle. I don't even know where the motorcycle thought came from - it just appeared out of the blue (that's only natural - what other color would good stuff appear from, after all?). I sprung that on my wife ("Hon, I'm either going to get another cat or a Harley"), and she outsmarted herself. She was just SO sure I believed that she would pick the cat to keep me off of a motorcycle, that she said I should get a bike. She just knew I was using that to hold over her head and that all I really wanted was another cat. She sure did seem surprised when a truck from the local Suzuki dealership pulled up in front of our house to deliver my new 2006 M50 cruiser in late March of 2006. Blue, of course. She almost got really rolling on "what did I think I was doing," when I innocently reminded her that she said, "get the bike!" It's not my fault she didn't really think I would. Heh.  Then I somehow stumbled across Buell and Uly's. Finally lost enough weight to reach my goal in February of this year, and got an '09 Uly as my reward. Blue, of course.  Best bike I ever owned, even if the Yamaha was WAY better out in the boonies. The Buell will go there. Not at 60 or so, but it'll go there - and on the road, it does better than anything else I've ever ridden. Unfortunately, I just had to tote it in to Harley in the back of my pickup (blue, of course), to have it worked on. It died on me out on the road, and then wouldn't restart.  I'll get it back, eventually, though. 'Till then, I've still got my 'Zuki M50. Only 35000 miles on it, so far. | ||
| Eryngium |
Thanks for all the encouragement. xbimmer - good idea about the test ride. My local dealer has an XT. That'll do it. The looks are growing on me. My feeling has always been that what it looks like from the driver's seat is what's important. It looks good to me. Panhead_dan - I'm with you on getting to know the machine. It's first a matter of the bike being a tool - it performs a function. What's the point in having a tool that doesn't do it's job. If learning more will help me use it better (more safely, efficiently, and fun"ly?") I'm all for it and look forward to it. Since it's still under warranty I take it to the dealer to get fixed as I believe it's the manufacturer's (any manufacturer of any product) responsibility to provide the consumer with a fully functional product. But when I do take it in I try to ask questions to learn something about what happened and why. I try to make it a learning experience. I'm definitely learning. And I spend a lot of time(too much?) on BadWeb trying get a feel for the highs and lows and potential solutions for the lows. Very educational. And remarkably entertaining, too. xb12xmike - I remember that thread. Lot's of good reminders, there. And vicarious pain. Probably not a big issue for me as I don't envision much of that kind of off-roading. Not really my bag. Thanks, guys! | ||
| Jphish |
Bttrthnwrk - (Did i spell that right?) Anyway - GREAT story on "The cat who was supposed to be a Suzuki"... or is that the other way around ? Anyway(#2) - I would give up my Uly for my dead cat back - (Skookum - 18yo - RIP)... but might give Stephen King an idea for another book. After I got her back I'd just get another Uly with the new / improved bearings & comfort kit already installed. I figure they cost about the same, the cat and the Uly that is. She probably cost 15K over her life time, but didn't require premium fuel. Just food / water and a Chesapeake bay retriever to torture during, the 4 hours/day she was actually awake. Anyway(#3) we did the right thing, getting Motorcycles instead of cats. There not much more reliable but, No kitty litter required... except for the oil spills from tripping over the drain pan. My brother told me (stupidly in front of the cat) "taking a cat to the vet is like taking a Bic lighter to a repairman". Skookum put him in the hospital with 'cat scratch fever'. He recovered nicely. Enjoy all the blue things in your life. My cat was the fast orange kind. 'Chow, j | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
Jphish> "Skookum put him in the hospital with 'cat scratch fever'." I know what you mean. I still have the holes in my arm from the first time we tried to give our cat a bath. Many years ago. She managed to sink 3 of her claws all the way in and hook them around so the tips came back out, a tiny bit further down my arm. I remember she was pretty hard to get unhooked from me at the time. She sure did look pitiful all wet when she came out of the tub, though. She didn't like baths, much. That's kind of like the Uly, too, I guess. At least it doesn't have claws. However if it ever bucks me off into a cactus patch, it'll probably turn out the same way. Maybe I can talk my wife into washing it... | ||
| Tginnh |
Bttrthnwrk - thanks for reminding me of my DT400. I owned mine in high school in the mid-late 70s growing up in Vegas. I would rarely make it from point A to point B without taking some dirt trail in town. Those days are long gone. You have to trailer a dirt bike out of the Vegas city limits anymore. | ||
| Jphish |
Bttr' - yep, them kitty's got 'stickers'. I would put mine in the shower...until she used those stickers to climb up the nearest (& ONLY) thing she could find to provide relief from the stream of water. Still got the scars. Wonder if our cats were related ?? If you get your wife to wash the Uly...let me know how ya did it. Also: What was the diagnosis on the Uly for the 'no start' condition ?? | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
Tginnh: Yeah, I had a lot of fun on that Yamaha, too. I did my first wheelies on that bike. I did my first endo on it (well, "off of it", actually), trying to go up a steep mountian horse trail with too enthusiastic a throttle hand. Oops. Good thing I wore helmets, even back then. Mine was street legal (lke the one pictured). But, I gotta say, for the folks that think the Uly shakes and rattles a lot, it's got NOTHING (!) on a 400cc 2-stroke single cylinder thumper. Even with the special rubber flanged grips, that motor and the semi-knobbies would send my hands numb all the way up to my shoulders by the time I reached the end of the street after leaving my driveway. At least, after I got numb enough, I couldn't feel the rattling any more. It's like it was self-curing, that way. Jphish: No word on the cause of the problem yet. It's only been a week and a couple of days, and Tucson Harley's only got one Buell tech, who's apparently allowed to work on only one bike at a time. They promised me that they'd get to it today. I'm sure they will. Yup, I'm sure. Anyway, I've managed to put 13000 miles on it since the end of February. I even got to ride it up AZ 191, the Devil's Highway. Great ride. My camera flaked out after I got up to elevation, and only worked going up and after coming back down 'way at the other end, but next time I'll get more pics. At least one of my sons wants to go with me next time I go. Maybe even both. We'll see. I know I'm going again. | ||
| Tginnh |
Too funny, Bttrthnwrk - I chased my DT400 down the street many times after an over zealous attempt at a wheelie. Several times in front of my high school showing off if I recall correctly. Great thing about that bike is you'd just pick it up after a mishap like that and ride it off. My greatest feat on the 400 was riding it from Vegas to LA. I think it took a couple days for the buzz to leave my head and body once I got there. | ||
| Jphish |
Well when the Buell tech does finally get to your # and isn't too tired...let us know the disposition of the 'blue flash'. That's another reason why I dislike warranty work - it takes forever to get 'em back. Had mine laid up for 2 weeks in the MIDDLE of summer! Sometimes here in the great NW...that IS summer. Now I have 'em just diagnose or confirm the problem, and take it back when the parts get in. In your case of course, that wouldn't work. Glad its tomorrow - maybe a real simple fix.'chow, j |
