Buell Bliss

Well, I rode it, and I like it...a LOT!

Too bad the dealer is such a jerk...I introduced myself as the person who called about the Uly. I think he mumbled "hi". That was it. He never even got up from his desk.

Anyway, I love the motor! It pulls like a freight train and kind of sounds like one too. The seat height is great (I'm 5'11" with 32" inseam). The controls are identical to the DR650 (as is the brake dive) so I felt right at home.

I found the steering to be a tad heavy though. Not what I would have expected out of a rig with a 17" front wheel. Not an issue though.

The shifter was the real problem though. For whatever reason it seems like it was at least an inch too high. My foot was forced upward at a tight angle throughout the ride. It was actually sore after a few blocks. It's about like trying to drive a car with the seat shoved all the way forward. I kept trying to slide back in the seat to avoid this but couldn't due to stepped seat. There does seem to be some adjustment on the shift linkage though. Is this a common complaint? Oddly, the rear brake pedal never bothered me....either that or I rode the brake the whole time.

I wasn't able to purchase it due to a "software issue" connecting to the banks.

Fun, fun bike though! The sound of the fan was cool too!

One last question. How on earth do you guys lift these up for service? The under frame muffler/exhaust would interfere with my current jack.

You can adjust the shifter just loosen the jam nuts and twist the linkage. I have mine up quite a bit to fit my big foot under it, would like a shorter one. Lift the bike by the muffler, its made for it.

i have a tuber but this works for any bike, while on the side stand place a jack stand under the opposite side foot peg boss slightly lifting the rear tire ,then at the stand side either place a jack under the peg boss or lift it again and slide another jack stand under it.sometimes the jack is neccessary as the service requires work directly at the rear and the jack can be moved somewhat to allow access. the muff it ok with it but I like to drop mine done a bit for better access to the trans plug.

The Buell XB's are very sensitive to suspension setup; if it wasn't set up properly that might explain the heavy feeling steering. Just go by the recommended settings in the owner's manual and adjust for your weight. 99% of the time, that'll be spot-on, but you can fine-tune from there if necessary. And of course you never know if a dealer like that bothered to check the tire pressure so it could be something as simple as that.

+1 on the shifter adjustment. It shouldn't feel like that and it's easy to adjust.

As far as jacking up the bike, the stock muffler (or a modified one like a Drummer) will support the weight of the bike. If you look carefully, two jacking points are indicated. You can build a cradle out of 2x4's that'll allow you to support it with a standard motorcycle jack. Here's a template:

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/cradle-92346.pdf

Here's one version under an XB:


You can use 2x4's for the sides, all-thread like this guy did, or some people don't even bother with sides.

Just move the center of gravity for working on the front wheel. I have a pit stand for my bike, But I use a jack most of the time for quick service work.

I'm betting on suspension adjustment & tire pressure for the heavy steering. When I first rode mine, it turned like a pig. Aired up the tires & what a difference!

Murf

On the 06 models it helps a lot to change to the 07 fork springs. triple rate versus the single rates they came with. I just put them in mine, surprisingly cheap only $27 each at my local dealer. Really help with the brake dive. Once I got everything dialed in how I like it, I make on the fly adjustments with the rear preload adjuster, rear ride height really seems to affect the handling. I drop the rear a bit if im going to be on a loose gravel road for a while, makes it less squirrely. I think related to the steep fork angle?

Thanks to everyone for the great info!

Think I'm going on over to badweatherriders and do some more reading. If these machines are half as much fun to wrench on as my DR650, I think I'm gonna love the Uly. I have just as much tearing the DR apart as I do riding it.

The only other concern I have is whether or not I can handle buying a bike during the first week of December. I bought a mountain bike years ago (during November IIRC) and it sat there in my apartment, staring at me all winter. Nearlly drove me insane.

71, you don't have to get too fancy jacking up the bike. I don't even own a motorcycle jack.

Dave, Do you happen to know the part number of the '07 fork springs you ordered. I'm a new Uly owner and so far the seat height and the nose dive are the only issues I have. I have the seat hieght under control and now I'm trying to get the nose dive under control.

Cheers,

Joe Schaar

I will have to try and find the invoice. I just asked for fork springs for an 07, the part number is only different by one letter from the 06 I do remember that.

I hate these threads.

Mine fell apart.....and I still miss it and want another,

Do any of you know if an ECM from an 2007 XB12R will work in my 2006 Ulysses?

Mine is shot and I need to replace it but I don't have the cash for an EBR plus, I've heard mixed reviews on them w/06 bikes.

Gday Mate

We have just the ride for you.

Unfortunately it is in the US.

Regards

Be safe

Anyone care to compare an '06 XB12ss with the Uly? Leaving out the obvious lack of luggage, I'm interested in the street ride position and handling.
I've recently become enamored with the Uly, but during research I've noticed more problems with the earlier "06 models.
My question is, do the other Buell models, specifically an XB12SS, of the same vintage suffer similar problems? A low mileage one is available locally, but will I be looking at ECM upgrades, bearing problems, fan failure etc? I realize this is not setup as a tourer, but it will be more of a local rider, with some runs to the GA mountains for fun.

If you buy any 06 XB odds are any such issues were sorted LONG ago, except for rear wheel bearings, which is a problem for many bikes unless you upgrade to the 2010 rear wheel.

I'd say there is no significant difference in problems between the different XB models, but the 06 Ulys weren't particularly troublesome anyway.

Do any of you know if an ECM from an 2007 XB12R will work in my 2006 Ulysses?

Yes, an 07 will work in your 06. I had to do it to mine (over 30k miles ago) for the same reason.

I loved my '07 Uly. It was/is my favorite bike that I've ever owned. My 1125CR was a nice fast bike, but it didn't speak to me the way the Ulysses did. I did some serious road trips on it. I decided to sell it a year or so ago and I picked up a Triumph Tiger 800XC thinking it would be "the one" to replace the Uly. It wasn't and after a brief stint on it I sold it and my BMW RT and picked up a BMW GSA. Now, it's not a full replacement for the Uly, but it's the closest thing I've had to a replacement. Erik and team spoiled me on the Uly and I'm hoping that IF the AX comes out it will be "the one". :)

Going to look at the Ss tomorrow. I'll check the ecm for updates, I'm assuming the EBR units are marked and recognizable, yeah I used the "A" word!
I'm hoping that's done and the ergo's aren't too tight as my knees are shot. I did see that lower pegs are available aftermarket, can the Uly pegs be fitted?

I had a Uly several bikes ago. The previous owner had lowered the bike with shorter Buell shock - won't pretend to remember which one, it WAS several bikes ago.

Rummaging through the garage the other day I came across this shock/spring set. Rummaging through ADVrider I came across this thread.

Anybody need a shorter Uly or just a Buell shock?

I can probably get some pics up if there is interest, but I thought I would ask.

cheers!