Touring on the Ulysses

[mongo980]

I'm thinking about buying a Ulysses and I want to know how highway friendly it is. Anybody ?

 

[buellxb]

They seem like they'd be perfect for long rides. Comfortable seating position for a sporty bike and durable suspension make for a smooth ride. They do sit higher off the ground so gusts of wind coming and going from semi trucks might be tricky. Buell models such as the XB12Scg have a lower center of gravity which might be nice on the highway. One draw back is the comfortable riding position also makes for more wind resistance at higher speeds. I'd say go to the dealership and test drive a Ulysses on the highway.

 

[2Evil4U]

I've had my Uly for about a week and a half. So far, (Other than my own lack of skill in learning how good the front brakes are that caused an embarrassing side-plant ...) the bike is great.

Touring should be no problem. I've already put about 700 miles on it. The triple bag kit is impressive in design and execution. You do sit pretty straight up, but even at 70+ the wind isn't too bad. If you're behind a trailer truck there is some buffeting but that's normal. They make a windshield that is 4" taller than the stock one. I will probably pick that up when my wife and I start taking trips on it.

I'd really suggest a test drive. The big thing with the Ulysses is the seat height. I'm 6' with a 32" inseam and the bike is just comfortable. (I can just barely flat-foot with both feet at the same time.) Any shorter and I think there'd be an issue.

 

[mongo980]

I took your advice and rode one . First with the stock seat and hated it. I've got an HD Superglide and I guess I'm not used to putting weight on my hands and shoulders. The dealer put on the lower seat and we stiffened up the front end and eased off on the rear spring preload and it made a big difference. Bike was quick and handled GREAT. I think I still would put a little higher handlebar on it to be really comfortable on the highway. I probably would just need to get used to the riding position since it is a completely different type of bike than the Glide. Do you all have any experience with how many miles the Uly will go before top end rebuilds or the like?

 

[2Evil4U]

Valve-wise, I'd expect it would be fairly comparable to the Evo motors. I've only owned a Shovel (1978 FX) prior to this so I guess I'll learn this one as I go. The Shovel has averaged a valve rebuild about every 20k since 1978. It's at 82k and still running strong. I'd hope that the newer tech motors would be able to beat that by a pretty decent margin.

I just got the Uly back from the dealer yesterday after its 1k service. The more I ride it the more I like this bike.

 

[2Evil4U]

I just picked up a factory tall windscreen off Ebay. I'll let you know how much that extra 4" is worth once it shows up.

 

[mongo980]

I'm sure you're right.I've heard people say the Twin Cam will go 60k before you need to open anything up besides the primary. That's great that you are really likin' the Uly. I've read at least 10 road tests and some chat room things and it seems anybody who owns one really likes it. The dealer here has 6 of them (06s)and they are not selling . They pretty much told me to make them an offer. I am so tempted to drain the savings but I'm going to have to pay off the Superglide first .Probably get one in the spring unless I cave earlier.Thanks for the info.

 

[BuellPartsGuy]

They do make shorter seats for the Ulysses for the vertically challenged people out there. brings the seat height down from 33" to about 31.5".

 

[2Evil4U]

Got the tall stock wind screen in the mail today. It installed in about 10 minutes. You actually have to remove the flyscreen to install it because the bottom prongs are replaced with actual screws and locknuts to hold up to the extra torque. It actually looks better than the stocker in my opinion. I'll give an opinion about how it works when I get to work tomorrow.

 

[buellxb]

Lets see a pic. I'm really interested in a new flyscreen. I love the look of a naked bike but I loved the protection from the wind that I had on my 2000 Honda CBR F4. It was a big toss up for me between buying the Buell I got and a GSXR 750.

 

[BuellPartsGuy]

The taller windscreen only fits the Ulysses. Its 4 inches taller than the factory Uly one. Not sure if the Uly flyscreen will fit a Lightning, I guess I will have to try it on a bike here at work.....

 

[2Evil4U]

Well, the taller shield makes a bit of a difference. The biggest thing I noticed is you don't feel like you're being pushed off the bike at higher speeds as it significantly cuts down on the air hitting you in the chest. Helmet noise at 50+ is reduced a little, and below 50 it's very effective.

It's certainly no dresser fairing, but it does help cut the wind blast. I'll try to get some better pics of the bike and it this weekend.

 

[2Evil4U]

Just found something out about the side bag mount frame. The rear two bolts don't seal to the elements and were full of water and rust when I removed the frame this evening. I'd suggest filling the frame bolt hole with silicone prior to inserting the bolts when the frame is installed. That should protect the screws from rusting.

 

[2Evil4U]

Also touring related, I had to have the OEM rear tire replaced as I had picked up not one, but two nails in it. (Total cost to me , $0. Extended warranty covers tires and wheels. I like it. I'll bet this is the first warranty I actually get my money's worth. Now where's that moto-X park...)

Anyway, they didn't have one of the original Dunlops so they installed a Dunlop Sportmax. It made a noticable difference in how stable the bike feels. I was shocked. The OEM tires really do suck. I'm certain that there are other tires out there like the Scorpions or somesuch that are much better even than the sportmax, but if even I noticed a difference, the OEM's REALLY suck.

 

[BuellPartsGuy]

My old manager rode a Uly and he swapped tires to Metzeler Roadtec Z6. He said it road handled like a completely different bike. Off road he oviously suffered a little but he said it was worth it.....

 

[matchbox20fan3]

Buell Uly's are the best touring bikes I've ever owned.

 

[Joe Pineapples]

I've had my Uly for 5 months now. I bought an after market extended screen from Zero Gravity. I've just returned from a long weekend trip to the Isle of Man (I live in Scotland). We did upwards of 1000 miles in 5 days including over 500 miles of motorway riding and some high speed driving around the TT circuit. I found the Uly to be superb at everything. My mate has a Aprillia Falco and was complaining of leg cramp on the long motorway stints. No such problems for me and the Uly was just about as quick as the Falco, especially in the corners .

 

[BuellPastor]

Any more impressions about the Uly and touring? I have an 06 XB12s which I really love and ride often, but now that the new 08 is lower, has heated hand grips, etc I may trade to a Uly which is what I wanted in the first place. I almost want to try a little touring on the 12s, but I think the blast on my chest would wear me out. Otherwise I've found it incredibly stable on the expressway.

 

[stevensue]

BuellPastor, I also wanted the Uly but got the SS. I really like the XT, but don't want to take a hit on trade-in/selling the SS. I got a Ventura rack and a Laminar speed shield used from a fellow Bueller. Put my own pack on it and also have the Buell tail bag on it. Gives me enough space for touring. One trick that works is pack "old" underwear and just throw them away. That way you have room to bring back new Buell/HD shirts! The Laminar shield puts the wind blast up off my chest. Makes touring much more comfortable. I am going to get a Buell Touring seat or cut my stock seat down some and taper the legs in. Haven't decided which to go with yet. There are after-market heated grips out there. My son put some on his bike and is really happy with them.

 

[BuellPastor]

Cool. Post some pics if you don't mind or send them to me at [email protected]. I love the idea of keeping my S as it really suits what I do most days, but it sure would be nice to be comfy on a long ride - like to AL. Our mens group (100 guys) are going to AL in May and I'm trying to get some of us to ride. I should have about 15 guys who do so. I'd hate to kill myself just to do it. I did switch rides with a buddy the other day. He has a Street Glide. It sure was nice and I'm sure would be great for a long jaunt, but for everyday I like my S much better.

Thanks!