Questions before buying

[enjoytheride]

Hi BuellXB.com

I'm in the market for an 08-09 XB12X or XT, and I have a die-hard BMW rider trying to talk me out of it. He raised a couple good points, but I want to hear from owners to see if they apply to the real-world or not.

- I know its not a drag bike, but I'm young & curious, what are your 1/4 mile times? There's a few friends I'd like to beat on the streets. Any links to an XB beating an R1200GS at the track will earn bonus points.

- How well does the belt hold up riding in the dirt & gravel?

- Are there any buell-specific community events near Chicago where I can go buy parts or learn maintenance tips from other owners in person?

- is the oil in the swingarm really worth it? Doesn't it make changing your oil a pain in the ass?

- All I can find near me are '06 XBs. I know the '08 saw an upgrade with the oil cooling (and I want an 08 because of it. I sit in a lot of traffic). Has anyone here done a mod where you install the 08 oil cooler (and do you need a bigger pump, too?) and have a writeup for it?

-Any other '06,'07 to '08,'09 mods? would anyone here recommend getting a low-miles '06 and upgrade it to '08 standards? or just keep my eyes peeled for the right '08, '09?

Thanks everyone

 

[wolfo68]

I personally like the older bikes because of the easy access to the ecm. The 08 oil cooler can be fitted to the 06, you just need different fittings for the lines. If you aren't fully faired I wouldn't worry too much about it though (if you're sitting in traffic it isn't going to help much). I got about 24k out of my belt, riding gravel and such. For the drag times, I would recommend getting cam work done at least (the xb will pull on the low end, but you'll lose you're ground on the limited high end). Overall, I would say 06 is a great year to buy though. As far as people helping you learn, between all the websites dedicated to Buell you will be able to find someone relatively close otherwise we have videos that will help walk you through the basics and a vast DIY section on almost every site.

 

[snrusnak]

The xb will lose in a drag race to nearly every 600CC or larger bike. It just doesn't have the hp. It's plenty fast enough for most people though, and more than fast enough on the street. It's not a good track bike. It could be a decent drag bike.

Belts hold up very well typically

There couldn't be an easier bike to work on or maintain. Oil changes are a breeze.

The newer engines have some upgrades, but I too would look at an older one to be able to easily tune it. My 05 runs great with the race maps, it ran like crap stock.

 

[enjoytheride]

Thanks for the answers guys. You're giving me exactly what I want to hear. I want one more than ever now. I've got one more follow up question though

After lurking a little here, I heard you need to periodically reset the TPS on the 06's and the 07s, and its more worth it to pay a harley mechanic to do it.
a) is this true, and why?
b) what is an average cost to have this done?

 

[user_deleted]

enjoy: any bike can cause problems and be "quirky" but i'll chime in on the buell vs. bmw equation. i am on my 4th bmw being a 2007 R1200RT/SE and have logged approx. 80K miles between the 4 of them. wonderful bikes but IMO tend to suffer from unusual maintenance requirements and routines plus your typical german hydraulic/electrical gremlins. they are smooth, bombproof drivelines, superb handling and extremely comfortable but what i would call an acquired taste. on the other hand the buell ulysses X or XT (XT being an X with luggage) is simple, straight-forward, well designed, probably the simplest large displacement bike in the world to perform routine maintenance on, wonderful handling and comfort and an endless supply of reasonably priced parts and perishable items. about the only thing a ulysses and a bmw boxer-model have in common is that they are both motorcycles and air-cooled twins. again it's my opinion but a very nice 08-09 uly can be found with some legwork in the 5500-6500 price range. for that kind of money i think it's one of the greatest buys in all of motorcycling.

 

[snrusnak]

You don't "need" to constantly reset the TPS, however doing it once a year or every oil change, etc seems to help the bike run better/smoother. You can get everything you need to do this for $50 or less and once you watch the DIY video on this forum that describes how to do it, it takes about 10 min to do tops. Very easy. I'd never take my bike to a HD mechanic, or really any mechanic unless I was in a pickle. All machines have some issues, and the xb is not immune, but it's a good reliable and easy to maintain/fix bike.

 

[Tbone]

I actually learned how to ride a motorcycle at the Yamaha learn to ride program at Maywood Park, IL. That was when the air was clean in the early 70's.

I have owned my first Uly since October 2012, and have put 9K miles on it since. It is a 2009 and I initially had wiring problems that the dealership I bought it from repaired. It was the big bundle coming from behind the windscreen to the plastic guide had some broken wires. Once repaired there has been no other issues, and it has been Great!

It has been easy to work on, the oil filter I have had to buy from Harley but it is only a $6 or $7 bucks. I have not found an after market that will fit but the HD one is just as inexpensive. Removing the wheels, adjusting the clutch, changing the oil, filter and air filter are all very easy. Even I can do it. The beauty of it is there really is not much else you really need to do, just ride it.

Mine is totally stock and the only mod done to it is the breather re-route which will make your idle and idle handling much nicer, especially in the winter.

Performance wise the stock Uly is the best two up riding and comfort bike. Also the most economical bike as I have commuted on it ever since I have owned it. The fun factor is awesome, nothing I have ridden is as enjoyable. There is nothing it really can't do and is the most versatile machine you can own. Reliability is i have driven to get more japanese motorcycle parts on it, than trying to find or repair Uly parts with another vehicle. I have no regrets nor imagine not owning a Uly. I highly recommend it!

 

[user_deleted]

It has been easy to work on, the oil filter I have had to buy from Harley but it is only a $6 or $7 bucks. I have not found an after market that will fit but the HD one is just as inexpensive

you're kidding? see list below. walmart supertech $3.19 here in southern PA

Buell XB Oil filter
ACDelco # UPF1233
Amsoil SDF10, EA009, EA010 (1/2”longer=more oil)
Bosch # 3311
Car Quest 85394
Champion # C138
Fram # PH4967
HD # 63806-004 or 00y?
HiFloFiltro #HF177
K&N # hp-1003, KN-177
Mighty # m4477
Napa # 1394
Mobil 1 # M1-103
Motorcraft # FL836
Penzoil # pz39
Purolator # L14476
STP # S4967
Valvoline # vo40
Wal-Mart Super Tech # ST4967
Wix # 51394
Union Sangyo[OEM Toyota Mfg]#C-170
SCOTTS PERFORMANCE BILLET OIL FILTER

 

[Yan]

KN-177 is my favourite as it has a nut on the bottom which makes taking an old filter off very easy.

 

[fishxb12]

I run the Bosch because I can peel off the label its solid black.

 

[Tbone]

Wow, this is a great forum!
Thanks for the list and I should have asked sooner as I have done 4 oil changes with filter already.
I will look for the Fram and see if it is black, then the Wal Mart Super Tec, AC Delco, Mobil 1, until I find a black one.
I drained the engine/primary oil and changed filter when I first bought the bike, and then every 3K miles for the engine oil & filter. The previous owner says this bike has had Mobil 1 V twin in the engine/primary since it was new within the first 1K miles. The magnets have been super clean after the initial oil change so I think all is well, my intial change there was some fine metal on the magnets.
Thanks again,

 

[Yan]

K&N filter is black...

 

[Bandit13]

So is WIX

 

[Negative]

I'm a huge purolater pure-1, WIX, and NAPA fan ...

 

[glenn r]

live in Huntley IL. have 2006 uly very reliable just gas tires and oil, buells have electric fans that aid in cooling will come on when hot.get ecm cable and download ecmspy off web for tps reset you can also modify fuel mapping and do diagnostic testing yourself screw the dealerships they will charge a fortune for a product they dont care about let alone know how to work on .Get factory service manual if you can tie your shoes you can do it all yourself