New to Buell with early issues. Help me, help me please.

Hey, I just traded a Triumph for a 2006 Ulysses, LOVE the bike but she broke down on me already. Since you guys know your **** I'm coming to you for help, I'll explain everything that's gone on that eventually led to the Uly being in the back of my truck.
About a week ago I parked her in the garage, and the next day I saw about a quarter-sized spot of oil underneath. I wiped it up, ran her, saw nothing else for days. Then I took about a five hour trip to the mountains, she seemed to run fine, even in traffic, had my son on the back and everything. When we stopped, as I pulled her in to the parking spot, she cut out. It rained pretty good that day off and on. When I came back a few hours later, she just clicked, and wouldn't start. The oil looked low so I added a quart or so. Tried to bump start, couldn't get enough speed up, so I jumped her. Had to jump three times as she kept stalling on me. When she finally stayed running, I had to keep the throttle up to keep her from stalling and the check engine light stayed on. Got about half a mile, she backfired, sputtered, and died.
If I try to start her I just hear clicking, and when I pulled the air box off there was a decent amount of oil inside, don't know if it's because I added oil or what.
I'm not new to riding but I am new to Buell, and new to working on my own bikes, I usually get rid of a bike and move on to something different before I take it apart. This one I dig, and would like some help in figuring out what's going on. Any information you guys might have for me would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
Marty

several seperate issues here on your ulysses and i'd break them down to the battery....too much oil in the swingarm...moisture causing starting/sputtering issues. check the following:
1-wet/corroded battery cable ends and terminals. remove seat and check. do NOT rely on what you just see. remove both cables, clean, reinstall and tighten. often times for various reasons the battery terminal connections if not pristine will give you a CEL.
2-remove fusebox cover. look at schematic. it is either on side or inside bottom. find your ignition and key switch relays. remove and check the blade tips. switch them around and reinstall. check the fusebox for moisture. i would also remove the battery blade fuse and do the same. it can trigger back-firing and CEL if the blade tips are corroded/wet.
3-if equipped check both your sidestand and clutch lever interlock button switches for solid connections and corrosions. a problem with either one can cause a no-start problem.
4-give the battery a healthy charge and check its age. a chinese POS brand 1 year older or more is suspect. a quality name brand battery 3 or more years old should be load tested. a healthy charge is 6 amps for 20 minutes minimum and NOT with a stupid tender.
5-you added too much oil. the excess sumped, was pushed thru the motors' breather system and into your airbox. you need to start from square one on this. leave the filter installed. completely drain the 5/8th plug on swingarm and let drain for minimum 30 minutes. junk it regardless of what PO told you. oil cheap. with filter installed and UNTOUCHED....add precisely 2-1/4 quarts of a quality 20-50 oil. could care less what you use but add precisely that amount. the swingarm will now be properly filled to spec.
6-IMPORTANT: XB's cantankerous to properly check oil levels on. THIS is the single correct method. run the bike minimum of 10 miles. park on level surface with nothing under side stand. shut off. get off the bike, get a clean rag, wait 30 more seconds....NOW check the oil via the dipstick. THIS is the correct method. if your air filter is a stock paper style and is saturated with motor oil it must be replaced.

Lunaticfringe, can't thank you enough man, I'll get on that soon and back on the road hopefully. I was hoping it would be something as simple as what you suggest.
Thanks again.

Well I gotta say Marty you went about asking for help in the absolute correct way and explaining your problem. We are glad to have you aboard. The man who just answered your questions and diagnosed your problems knows more about these bikes than most although there are some EXTREMELY knowledgeable men on here that will help you any day all day.....but again John is the man. Feel privileged he took the time to help. He is a major asset to the preservation of these machines and a damn good friend. Good luck and report back. Rest assured you are in the right place and your machine will get fixed.

Wicked, don't forget that there are some women in this forum with a lot of experience with these bikes. Not me, I'm a dude, but I remember reading some really good threads created by female buellers... just sayin. Anything that brings more women to the forum, I approve 100%.

Welcome, Marty! Like the folks above said...this is a great place for advice and discussion (Buell and otherwise). I've certainly learned a ton on here since I bought my XB12Ss a couple of years ago. Glad you love the bike and are sticking with it! Now...post some pics when you get a chance! :eagerness:

One last thing, check your grounds all well. A little moisture and corrosion will have you scratching your head for days.

HighwayHum72 said:

Wicked, don't forget that there are some women in this forum with a lot of experience with these bikes. Not me, I'm a dude, but I remember reading some really good threads created by female buellers... just sayin. Anything that brings more women to the forum, I approve 100%.

Click to expand...

I'm all for female riders as well......****, I got passed on the track last time out by a hot chic. Plus EBR has Sheleena Moreda aboard. Besides all that they are bitchin to look at!!!!

About a week ago I parked her in the garage, and the next day I saw about a quarter-sized spot of oil underneath

Click to expand...

Check your primary oil too or just service it and check gasket, seal around the clutch cable and shifter.
The rest of the suggestions should point you close for your stalling problem.

wickedchop said:

Well I gotta say Marty you went about asking for help in the absolute correct way and explaining your problem. We are glad to have you aboard. The man who just answered your questions and diagnosed your problems knows more about these bikes than most although there are some EXTREMELY knowledgeable men on here that will help you any day all day.....but again John is the man. Feel privileged he took the time to help. He is a major asset to the preservation of these machines and a damn good friend. Good luck and report back. Rest assured you are in the right place and your machine will get fixed.

Click to expand...

my pleasure marty. thanks dave! and thank YOU wally for the very generous compliment and extremely kind words. trust knowing marty that there are some truly brilliant people on this site with a phenomenal amount of buell knowledge. i just happen to be a geezer who works on them everyday. let us know how you make out.

Hey guys (and gals). Also new on here, new to Buells, and experiencing issues. Not sure of the etiquette on jumping on a thread vs. starting a new one. What's the proper way to go about asking for help?

Start a new thread in the section related to your model.
Let us know mileage and mods.
Let us know what you're issues are and what you've researched as possible solutions/fixes.
Usually a good solution depends on good information given regarding bike condition and issues.

Well John, next time you're in Denver I owe you a beer or two or ten, she's back on the road with no CEL! I haven't been able to run it long because I'm on call this week, but I do feel like it pulls a little, almost like there's a fuel issue, and it wants to stall when I first start it up. I also hear a little backfiring. I always put premium in my bikes but I just got it and have no idea what the guy before me put in, could it be something that pedestrian? And would you recommend Seafoam or other fuel additives in a Buell?
Can't thank you enough John, sorry to keep coming at you but I know the goods when I see it.

Marty

ItalStal said:

Well John, next time you're in Denver I owe you a beer or two or ten, she's back on the road with no CEL! I haven't been able to run it long because I'm on call this week, but I do feel like it pulls a little, almost like there's a fuel issue, and it wants to stall when I first start it up. I also hear a little backfiring. I always put premium in my bikes but I just got it and have no idea what the guy before me put in, could it be something that pedestrian? And would you recommend Seafoam or other fuel additives in a Buell?
Can't thank you enough John, sorry to keep coming at you but I know the goods when I see it.

Marty

Click to expand...

my pleasure marty and what did you do to achieve road-worthiness again? regarding your post above here's a list of fairly simple and reasonably priced upgrades that typically transform a 2006 XB12 like your ulysses into a much more pleasant and smoother riding bike. i have owned probably 10 ulysses'.....6 of which were pre-2008 models....and every single one of them had minor but irritating rideability issues right out of the factory. the below will dramatically smooth out fueling issues and increase your riding enjoyment:
1-yes on premium marty. i run 91 octane or higher in all my buells.
2-though i am not a "mechanic-in-a-can" type of guy i believe seafoam is a very good product and keep it on hand. follow the directions on back of container. read them CAREFULLY. said directions can be a bit confusing between "add to crankcase" and "add to fuel system". obviously you're treating the fuel system.
3-i am now seeing O2 sensors failing at an alarming rate on older buells. sluggish throttle response and "falls flat on its face" common symptoms. does NOT always activate the CEL and store a code. keep this in mind. tedious to replace but do-able with basic skills and hand-tools.
4-on a 2006 uly a breather re-route....NGK DCPR9EIX spark plugs....dedicated ground wire from rear coil mounting bolt to negative battery cable frame attachment point....and installation of a basic "race-tune map" onto your stock ecm improves rideability dramatically. MPG typically not affected, motor runs a tad cooler, performance and enjoyment level increase.
5-"back-firing" is combustion blowing up past the throttle body air valve/plate and into airbox. "after-firing" is combustion blowing out the exhaust. i imagine you're speaking exhaust. everything else being equal it can be tuned-out or eliminated for the most part by careful ecm tuning BUT my understanding is that this is achieved thru fuel shut-off on decel mapping....and when performed often times throttle roll-on invariably suffers. i am NOT an ecm guru marty....know very little about them. several others on here brilliant regarding that component....not i.
6-lastly....2006 ulysses' suffered from interference between the seat-base and ecm unit. CAREFULLY CHECK that your seat- base is NOT rubbing on your ecm. check both ecm unit and base for physical signs of rubbing on each other. if so it must be remedied immediately with spacer block.

Another great write-up by John and like Wally said you have the right guy on your side. Good luck with your ride!

Nice post John. well written and sounds like good advice to all XB owners. See a lot of posts from new members and doing the above would answer a large percentage of them. Won't let me give you a rep point.

^^^^ thanks much for that john.....thanks ricky. appreciate it.
PS-thought rep points were a thing of the past when the site was changed?

thought rep points were a thing of the past when the site was changed?

they're still around just trying to figure out what we should do with them.