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2009 Buell Ulysses XB12x with 2750 miles What is it worth?

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Mike M

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Jun 14, 2020
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I'm looking for an adventure bike to ride on and off road. I live in Phoenix so the desert is my backdoor. I have a neighbor who has a 2009 Buell Ulysses with 2750 miles on it. It also has the three hard sided bags for the bike. The bike hasn't been ridden for a few years. I have a few questions for this group. I own two bikes already a Harley Fat Boy and an old Kawasaki ZN1100B 1100CC four cylinder. This would be my first dual sport bike. My first question is what this bike worth. I don't want on insult my neighbor and I want to offer him a fair price for the bike. The bike is in mint shape, original owner, garage kept in AZ. Second question, in the future will I have problems finding parts or finding people to work on Buells. Third question, is this a good on and off road bike? Thanks for the insights. MIke M
 
I'm looking for an adventure bike to ride on and off road. I live in Phoenix so the desert is my backdoor. I have a neighbor who has a 2009 Buell Ulysses with 2750 miles on it. It also has the three hard sided bags for the bike. The bike hasn't been ridden for a few years. I have a few questions for this group. I own two bikes already a Harley Fat Boy and an old Kawasaki ZN1100B 1100CC four cylinder. This would be my first dual sport bike. My first question is what this bike worth. I don't want on insult my neighbor and I want to offer him a fair price for the bike. The bike is in mint shape, original owner, garage kept in AZ. Second question, in the future will I have problems finding parts or finding people to work on Buells. Third question, is this a good on and off road bike? Thanks for the insights. MIke M


My first question is what this bike worth. I don't want on insult my neighbor and I want to offer him a fair price for the bike.

just sold a late 2009 barricade orange ulysses with side and top cases...3200 miles...heated grips...freshly serviced....all stock and absolutely flawless for $5900. price range is $3700 and up.

Second question, in the future will I have problems finding parts or finding people to work on Buells.

NO on parts
YES on mechanics

Third question, is this a good on and off road bike?

they're "ok" but much better choices out there. Suzuki V-strom series comes to mind. history has proven time and again that both the ulysses and it's variant, the XT model, will only tolerate so much off-roading and the abuse that comes with same.

keep in mind mike, that you're considering an 11 year old bike that has sat unused most of its life. factor into your offer the following after you've determined what this will cost on your end:

fresh new tires
ALL fluids changed to include motor oil..primary/trans oil...oil filter...F&R brake fluids...multiple checks and adjustments
new battery
electrical system checked for any gremlins...ECM checked for any stored historical fault codes, then addressed if any found.
fuel pump removed...serviced...reinstalled. serious corrosion on and around the pump is the norm for these garage dwellers. must be attended to.
all dealer TSB and recall issues addressed for your own safety and peace-of-mind. there were 4 on this model.
 
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Certain small specialty parts may become harder to find, particularly new from a dealer, but you can always source them from somewhere. You may need to search for used parts on Ebay, but eventually you'll find a part. Just don't expect getting the part the next day off of Amazon. The hardest part I had to search for was a broken headlight bracket (S-shaped). I could have made one, but eventually found one from Finditparts.com, who are a heavy duty truck parts supplier. Their search engine was able to find one through out the dealership network and it was reasonably priced.

As for as an working on it, it is a very simple bike to work on for the most part. The biggest issue is the clearance between the frame & engine. But over all it is a very easy to work on platform. It can be tough to find a mechanic to work on it. I do all my own work as much as possible, so I don't have any mechanic suggestions for you. I tried a couple of independent mechanics here in the Phoenix metro area, but they were flaky, so I ended up doing it myself.

It is not a great dual sport bike. It is a street bike that can handle some dirt roads and light off road use. If you truly want a dual sport, get a Suzuki DR-650, Honda XR650 or Kawasaki KLR650. They are big enough to handle the freeway/interstate to the off road areas and small enough to be able to do more off road than a true street bike. I had a Suzuki DR-650 for awhile and it was a great bike for around town. It had just enough power to keep up with traffic on the freeways. I eventually sold it as I was not riding much dirt at all.
 
yes Sir Mike, my pleasure.
A simple aesthetic overview of the Ulysses lends credence to my opinion. the belt drive....the low slung dent-prone muffler....delicate lower cowling inches above the ground....a complex, beefy exhaust system attached with dainty bushings/straps/hardware doesn't bode well for a steady diet of off-roading. the ulysses first appeared for 2006 model year when dual-sport/adventure bike sales were incredibly strong. it consists more of styling cues and "suggestions" of off-road capabilities than anything else. sold quite well first production year then sales dropped approx. 70% next model year. the 2009 entire XB line were excellent bikes and remain so today.
See link below for great Buell history including Ulysses information. having owned at least one of every XB series variant, i can tell you that, IMO, the ulysses is a hell of alot of bike for not that much money. great ergonomics...roomy accomodations....decent wind protection....some of the best factory-installed luggage i've ever seen...easy to service....dirt cheap perishables....excellent fuel mileage....air/oil-cooled simplicity...big HP and torque numbers. has always been my preferred Buell.

https://daviddreesen.blogspot.com/2015/01/buell-motorcycles-1983-2009.html
 
Barrett hit the nail on the head on the Ulysses strong suits and weaknesses. In my experience with them is they make a great sport tourer and light gravel road runner. Great for weekend camping trips!Snapchat-1213010543.jpg
 
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