I have had a 2006 Buell Ulysses since new in 2008. To date, it is the equal best ride I have ever had, and I have been riding for 50 years. Equal with a KTM 950 Adventure. You are right. The Ulysses was ahead of its time. It had been relegated to my second bike but is about to be re-promoted as my main one. It is easily as good as any of the new adventure bikes but it is simple. It doesn't even have ABS! Excellent video. And I don't dislike Harleys.

@dynasaur_fxdb9756

2 жыл бұрын

Hey man as a Ulysses owner how is two up riding ?

@user-sw2lv3zp6o

2 жыл бұрын

@@dynasaur_fxdb9756 Perfect. No loss in whoomph. You do need to adjust the suspension, though. I rarely take passengers on bikes.

@tonyalto1014

2 жыл бұрын

I agree, my XB12X is a fun bike to ride. Gobs of torque and handles like a dream. Seems much lighter than it is on or off road.

Thank you for this superb video content. This is one of two helpful videos that include the XB12XT. In answer to your question, Harley Davidson would have done immensely better had it kept Buell. BUT HD dealerships and mechanics neither liked or accepted the bikes or the Buell fans.

For the most part the dealers hated Buell. They didn't understand the sport bike customer and didn't want to. The Buell products were stuffed, out of the way, in a corner of the store and you had to walk through the tattooed and leather clad staff to get to them. I worked at a H-D dealership and rode an M2 Cyclone. This was years after the demise of Buell and the staff treated me like an outsider.

Great Video! I own a 2009 XB12X Ulysses and for sure, it is no BMW GS or Africa Twin. However, for 4 grand or there about, it is a really fun bike on the road. I do run it on the occasional gravel road but it is not something I'd regularly off-road with. If you have not ridden one, swing a leg over one if you get the chance, the torque is marvelous. I can only imagine what we would have today if it were still in production. They were on the right path.

@user-sw2lv3zp6o

11 ай бұрын

They are fantastic bikes.

Great video! Excellent, thorough commentary on Eric Buell. I had the pleasure of meeting Eric in Daytona Beach while waiting for a test ride on the then-new XB9. He talked about his ideas and innovations for his motorcycles. It's really sad what happened between him and HD. As you said: there's no telling where HD would be now had they given Buell more authority. Cheers!

I was a HD student in Arizona when Eric Buell made the announcement over closed circuit TV that Buell was discontinuing. I'll never forget it. I was actually studying his dealership curriculum in the student resource center when it happened. Talk about ruining the holidays. Ironically Buell was killing the racing circuits. Here's the deal. H•D acquired MV Agusta, canned Bull and eventually sold MV back for a 50% or more loss. If I were to say my opinion, 2000 to 2010 were good aside from what happened to Buell. Dealers would turndown the cash purchase of a new motorcycle just because they didn't like how people dressed.

I love the harley engine, but not the harley culture. Buell was the best of both worlds. About to pull the trigger on an 08 ulysses.

I own an 09 Buell. I use it primarily for street but it's great for dirt roads as well. 18,500 trouble free miles and I'll never sell it

The Buell Ulysses is 485# Dry with out luggage cases and brackets // Well over 500 Pounds on the road..

I have been thinking about a new Buell but 185 hp in an adv touring bike might be a bit much.

I hope Buell gets their super touring released soon in 2024.

Harleys customer base is ageing in years, Harley have tried to bring new models like the xr1200 flat tracker & v rod, both no longer in production, Triumph however have catered for all age groups & succeeded, If Harley had kept Buell with it's innovation & technology who knows where they'd be now, the XB12 ulyses was 428lb dry compare that to the other 1200 adventure style bikes from both the European & Japanese manufactures!

@SongsFromTheSaddle

2 жыл бұрын

Dropping Buell is probably the greatest mistake Harley-Davidson has ever made

HD bought 48%of Buell with an option to buy 48% more in 10 years.. Just after HD bought 48% more of Buell they shut down the New Factory in Rice Lake WI .. this cost HD $115 million

When i bought my 06 xb12x , the salesman at the first store ask me if id like to look at a HD. I chuckled a little bit and said no thank you..He asked me why. I just quickly and casually replied, i don't like wearing costumes. I think he was offended. I ened up buying my Ully at a different dealership.

@SongsFromTheSaddle

8 ай бұрын

I once visited a HD dealer on my Triumph. When I parked up and walked in the salesman sneered "Come to buy a real bike then?". I walked straight back out. Little did he know that I used to run a HD business, but I don't own that type of attitude.

Dude people knew what they was and an adventure bike had been out for over a decade already in the GS.. Many knew what they was.. they just didn't want one.

@SongsFromTheSaddle

Жыл бұрын

I know a few dedicated fans

Buell should've been continued all this time in partnership with hd. Horrible mistake. Hd could've very easily upgraded their roadster sportster with Buell internals. They choose the minimalist approach of doing only what necessary to get by thank God for Polaris challenging hd sales with Indian line up

I love your accent, Where are you from?

@SongsFromTheSaddle

9 күн бұрын

England

All the motorcycle manufacturers are heading in the wrong direction. They need less tech!!!!!! For God's sake, Harley's are drive by wire !!!!!! That is not the traditional Harley spirit!!! Drive by wire does not improve anything on a vehicle, it's just more useless tech that'll cost the end consumer tons of money to fix. I'd like someone to explain to me the benefits of drive by wire over a cable !!!!

@JLacy-qg4wr

9 ай бұрын

It benefits the manufacturer by reducing the cost of the components that do the task and being able to integrate cruise control for pennies but charge the customer hundreds more. All about increased manufacturer/shareholder profit customer satisfaction be damned.

So maybe you should ride it once more?😉

@SongsFromTheSaddle

2 жыл бұрын

And where do you find one to test ride now?

@64Goef

2 жыл бұрын

@@SongsFromTheSaddle Hopefully you come across one again one day. Had one for 7 years. Loved it.

@paulfiore850

2 жыл бұрын

People who own these bikes realize what they have and know they'll never find another one if they sell it. It's nice to pull into a bike joint and not see anyone with the same machine. Love my 09 XT

Buell was the greatest funnest bike I ever owned. Buell failed on its marketing. They should have not went toward racing. They should have wnt toward their routes of rebellion. And hooligan bikes. That would have increased the newer riders to grow inyo harley

@SongsFromTheSaddle

Жыл бұрын

I blame HD. They closed down Buell just as the brand was really taking off. Some very poor management decisions.

@ParanaSlim52

Жыл бұрын

I think it's inaccurate to say that Buell failed in marketing, when it was actually H-D's lack of enthusiasm that aided Buell's demise. I worked for H-D during the Buell era and I attended the Buell "schools" and early rollouts. Buell had a well-defined marketing scheme that most H-D dealers refused to follow. Buell would have done better with independent dealers. Buell actually requested that dealers display the Buells separately, instead of as a competitor or as a variant of the Sportster which it was never intended to be! The Buell era was hampered by the timing of the surge in H-D popularity and predated the new designer showrooms. The dealer I worked for was charging a $4k upcharge in accessories or parts to insure the new "knuckle-dragger wannabes" left with an adequate amount of chrome and the proper dew rag installed. In those days Clyde Fessler, RIP, and his team of about a dozen designers accounted for roughly 50% of H-D's gross. With limited space in those mom-and-pop dealerships it was more profitable to display another rack of t-shirts or chrome trinkets than it was to stock and display a Buell. One other note about H-D, it was Vaughn Beals and other managers at H-D/AMF who was more responsible for saving H-D than Willy G. Most of the Buells produced were great bikes. I had an early S-2 Thunderbolt demo, I bought the 1st S-1 Lightning n the dealership, I wish I never sold that bike, and I still own a 2007 XB1200X Ulysses the best Buell IMO and one of the best H-D motorcycles ever produced. Keep the shiny side up !!!