texas taco
Adventurer
What do you guys think of Buells new Ulysses?
Buell's dual sport.
- Thread starter texas taco
- Start date
Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
Motor Cyclist magazine recently had a comparo between the Buell U, KTM 990 Adventure, and the BMW 1200 Adventure. It's worth a read.
It confirmed what I had thought. The Buell is really a street bike. On all but nice fire roads it'll be outclassed pretty fast by both the KTM and BMW....
Add that to the fact that you can find a barely used 1150 GS or KTM 950 for less than the Buell, unless the styling just "does it" for you, I think there are better all around big dual sports on the market.
-H-
It confirmed what I had thought. The Buell is really a street bike. On all but nice fire roads it'll be outclassed pretty fast by both the KTM and BMW....
Add that to the fact that you can find a barely used 1150 GS or KTM 950 for less than the Buell, unless the styling just "does it" for you, I think there are better all around big dual sports on the market.
-H-
mountainpete
Spamicus Eliminatus
My impression is only from sitting on it:
Very cramped riding position and overall too small. The riding position was just, well, totally wrong for me and I could only imagine how sore I would be after just a few miles. It would fit short torso riders best.
Pete
Very cramped riding position and overall too small. The riding position was just, well, totally wrong for me and I could only imagine how sore I would be after just a few miles. It would fit short torso riders best.
Pete
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I think it entirely missed the mark. I would maybe put it in the same class as a 1000cc VStrom or a 1000cc Veradero (which isn't in the US, I think) or even a Triumph Tiger. The KTM Adventure bikes and the two GS bikes from BMW really are nicer rigs.
mountainpete
Spamicus Eliminatus
Turns out there is a local demo day for this bike later this month... I'm going to see if I can get in on it schedule permitting.
Pete
Pete
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I imagine sale of Buells are so low because every time I go to a Harley/Buell dealer the Buells are stuck in a dark corner by themselves and the sales guys cringe any time you ask about them.
There's a Ulysees at one of our local HD dealers and they have no interest in trying to sell it. They just knock the price down and hope it walks out on its own.
There's a Ulysees at one of our local HD dealers and they have no interest in trying to sell it. They just knock the price down and hope it walks out on its own.
texas taco
Adventurer
Thanks for the replies. The reason i started this thread is because earlier this week i talked to two very seasond overland riders(one is a motorcycle instructor). Both said the KTM has reliabilty issues.They used the same words" KTM You better buy LOCTITE." The instrctor said the BMW GS has drive line failures. He has ridden with guys with the BMW. He was thinking about buying the buell after retireing his Honda. I am just doing reserch. What do ya'll think???? I would like a bike thats big enough for my trusted copilot{wife} and me to ride together.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Depends what you plan to do with this ride. I've had a few "Adventure bikes" although to me a bike is a bike, what you do with it is the adventure. I've logged a lot of miles in far off places and I wouldn't buy a Buell for any unusual riding to far off destinations and please, oh, please tell my you will never see dirt. That bike looks like a true fright off pavement.
For the record, I logged 5500 miles in one trip on my GS 650 BMW and it didn't have a moments trouble. I know a fella who rode a GS 1150 from Argentina to Alaska back to Argentina. Drive line troubles??? Not for him. I have heard KTMs have some quirks, but boy oh boy have they proven themselves to be capable of any outing.
Buell? Not for me. If you can find one, my favorite of my bikes was a Honda Africa Twin 750. What a great bike. I sure miss that one. Google it.
For the record, I logged 5500 miles in one trip on my GS 650 BMW and it didn't have a moments trouble. I know a fella who rode a GS 1150 from Argentina to Alaska back to Argentina. Drive line troubles??? Not for him. I have heard KTMs have some quirks, but boy oh boy have they proven themselves to be capable of any outing.
Buell? Not for me. If you can find one, my favorite of my bikes was a Honda Africa Twin 750. What a great bike. I sure miss that one. Google it.
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Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
Maybe February 2007? I'll check when I get home...
BMW Drive line failures...yeah, I've heard of folks having issues, but I personally haven't had any and don't think they're that common. I have put into my 60,000 mile service the rear drive gasket....and I just change the rear gear oil every 7500 miles or so...cheap insurance. The GSs can be thrown down cliffs and won't let you down....
The KTMs were known to have water pump issues, as well as some loose bolts in the charging system...The old joke was that KTM stands for Kan't Take Mexico....
Any bike is an adventure bike....heck, my last trip through Mexico one of my buddies was on a 1973 BMW R90S streetbike, and was the only one of us not to drop his bike off road!
If the Buell fits you well and you like it, then no problems. I think there are better bikes, even slightly used, for the $11K the Buell is going for; however. But then again, to each his own...get the bike you like!
-H-
BMW Drive line failures...yeah, I've heard of folks having issues, but I personally haven't had any and don't think they're that common. I have put into my 60,000 mile service the rear drive gasket....and I just change the rear gear oil every 7500 miles or so...cheap insurance. The GSs can be thrown down cliffs and won't let you down....
The KTMs were known to have water pump issues, as well as some loose bolts in the charging system...The old joke was that KTM stands for Kan't Take Mexico....
Any bike is an adventure bike....heck, my last trip through Mexico one of my buddies was on a 1973 BMW R90S streetbike, and was the only one of us not to drop his bike off road!
If the Buell fits you well and you like it, then no problems. I think there are better bikes, even slightly used, for the $11K the Buell is going for; however. But then again, to each his own...get the bike you like!
-H-
Icewalker
Adventurer
I'd go along with everyone else - for the money there are far better bikes dual sports out there.
IMHO all of Buells' creations are bikes looking for an engine - too bad Eric Buell couldn't cut the umbilical between himself and HD. If he had access to decent engines and gearboxes my bet is that he could come up with a really good dually.
IMHO all of Buells' creations are bikes looking for an engine - too bad Eric Buell couldn't cut the umbilical between himself and HD. If he had access to decent engines and gearboxes my bet is that he could come up with a really good dually.
The Buell Ullises is a pretty nice bike but far from a "ADVenture" machine, from the start the Steering lock (How much the fork can move to turn) is constrain by the shape of the frame (Awesome water form frame that holds the gas inside) also suffer from ground clearance issues, Rocks get on the Belts from time to time and they somehow "EXplote", again is more a SUV than a real "Truck"
In short is a great statement bike, really pretty and actually very well crafted (specially for a Harley) but is more a "Poser movil" than anything else..
If you are Serius about long term riding, with no acomodations or luxury the old R80GS and R100GS are famous for the extreme reliability and easy to fix.
Also on the cheap the Kawazaki KLR (650 single) is dificult to out-stage, is basic, hell is very basic, nothing really works perfectlly, but it get you around and they are almost Un-killable.
Another choice a little more street oriented but also capable of dirt and long highway milliage (far better than the "Ully" that is for sure) is the Suzuki V-strom series, they make then on a 1000CC version and the one I like the most the 650cc, they are base on the SV650 street bike V-twin engine (Twins is were is at in terms of Torque) and you can find a miilion aftermarket parts to make them Go, plus they are very dependable and not to expensive to operate..
In my eyes the Fairnings are a little to "Plastiqy" and chessy but they work really well in terms of wind protection..
In my case I have own a KTM950 ADVenture and Yes they do have issues, specially the first year, but Oh my God she will leave anything else in the dust (well maybe exept the $20,000 dollar BMW HP2) in terms of Dirt performance (for a big bike that is) and also ride very well on pavement.
I also have two KTM 640 ADVentures, I like them even better than the 950 and they are mostlly trouble free, with a exelent service record and a few wins at the dakar too (No big deal actually since about 90% of the bikes racing the dakar this days are KTm singles)
but My very favorite of all time is my R11GS that I have almost a 350,000 milles of absolute trashing (See the tread I start the other day oin this same forum), so far the engine is the same, yes I have replace seven clutches, 4 trannys, many, many brake pads but she has never let me down and alway brings me home, not to mension the riding caracteristics are amazing and well make you look like a "Rockstar" even if you are a mediocre rider, on the contrary the KTM950 will eat you alive if you make one mistake...
one big leason that I'm sure you know already, don't believe everything you read on the Net I'm being around Motorcycle forums for a few years and the typical person that complains the most is the one that rides the least...
Here are my Picture Galleries if you feel like taking a tour on motorcycle heaven, at least a somehow "Dirty" kind of Heaven
In short is a great statement bike, really pretty and actually very well crafted (specially for a Harley) but is more a "Poser movil" than anything else..
If you are Serius about long term riding, with no acomodations or luxury the old R80GS and R100GS are famous for the extreme reliability and easy to fix.
Also on the cheap the Kawazaki KLR (650 single) is dificult to out-stage, is basic, hell is very basic, nothing really works perfectlly, but it get you around and they are almost Un-killable.
Another choice a little more street oriented but also capable of dirt and long highway milliage (far better than the "Ully" that is for sure) is the Suzuki V-strom series, they make then on a 1000CC version and the one I like the most the 650cc, they are base on the SV650 street bike V-twin engine (Twins is were is at in terms of Torque) and you can find a miilion aftermarket parts to make them Go, plus they are very dependable and not to expensive to operate..
In my eyes the Fairnings are a little to "Plastiqy" and chessy but they work really well in terms of wind protection..
In my case I have own a KTM950 ADVenture and Yes they do have issues, specially the first year, but Oh my God she will leave anything else in the dust (well maybe exept the $20,000 dollar BMW HP2) in terms of Dirt performance (for a big bike that is) and also ride very well on pavement.
I also have two KTM 640 ADVentures, I like them even better than the 950 and they are mostlly trouble free, with a exelent service record and a few wins at the dakar too (No big deal actually since about 90% of the bikes racing the dakar this days are KTm singles)
but My very favorite of all time is my R11GS that I have almost a 350,000 milles of absolute trashing (See the tread I start the other day oin this same forum), so far the engine is the same, yes I have replace seven clutches, 4 trannys, many, many brake pads but she has never let me down and alway brings me home, not to mension the riding caracteristics are amazing and well make you look like a "Rockstar" even if you are a mediocre rider, on the contrary the KTM950 will eat you alive if you make one mistake...
one big leason that I'm sure you know already, don't believe everything you read on the Net I'm being around Motorcycle forums for a few years and the typical person that complains the most is the one that rides the least...
Here are my Picture Galleries if you feel like taking a tour on motorcycle heaven, at least a somehow "Dirty" kind of Heaven
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I was the brief owner of a 1000 V-Strom. Nice enough. I'd freak if I had to do any dirt on that beast. Really, that bike is a pavement ride. I tickled the idea of making it a little more off road worthy, but in the end I realized it will never be worth a poop off the tarmac.
Shortest term I owned any bike was that V-Strom. 8 months and she was gone.
Shortest term I owned any bike was that V-Strom. 8 months and she was gone.
The BMW has another great advantage "they never really FALL" since the cylinder head stop the bike half way.
for example...
No kick stand...
being the Dummy that I'm, i got the bike stuck because i over pun the rear wheel trying to climb this super steep hill..
I decide it was easier to dump the bike on here side (Yes on porpuse) and then use the cylinder head to spin the bike 180 degres down the hill.
Who ever tell you this thing are Heavy
And i little "Movie" on the same topic.
for example...
No kick stand...
being the Dummy that I'm, i got the bike stuck because i over pun the rear wheel trying to climb this super steep hill..
I decide it was easier to dump the bike on here side (Yes on porpuse) and then use the cylinder head to spin the bike 180 degres down the hill.
Who ever tell you this thing are Heavy
And i little "Movie" on the same topic.
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