I went and test rode a Buell Ulysses XB12XT. The thing that got me there was the free gear lock that they were giving away to anyone who test drives a Buell. Well, that and any chance to ride a bike that I have never ridden before!
This is a model that has intrigued me for some time. It is like a sport bike that can actually deal with gravel and mild fire roads. Hmm, sounds like BMW’s territory. And, being a dual-sport rider myself, it always appeals to me if a bike is designed to handle a little rough riding.
I rode the XT model, which is the touring model that comes with the rear trunk and hard, locking side cases. The cases are large and each can handle a full face helmet. Who needs a gear lock when you have all of this locking storage! The bike was a medium red and looked great.
Buell utilizes specially tuned Harley Davidson engines. The seating position is a touch high, for me anyway. I have a 30” inseam. I was tip-toeing my boots on each side while sitting still. What’s this? The seat is comfortable. I mean actually comfortable. This is a rare thing on most stock bikes.
I acquainted myself with the controls and pegs. The turn signal switch is on one side, the first indication that this is not a reworked HD. Unfortunately it doesn’t have self-canceling ones. The pegs are about an inch back of being straight down, but very comfortable and easy to find. The shifter did seem a bit small, but I never missed a shift. It had an easy to read speedo and tach. 
The salesman warned me that the front end could and would come up in first and second if you get too heavy on the throttle. When he told me this, I was thinking, “Yeah, sure. I have ridden 2 different 1200cc Harley Davidsons in the last month. They didn’t come close to lifting the front end”.
But I took his word for it and was careful.
The engine is fuel injected and starts right up after waiting a few seconds for the pump to pressurize, like other HD engines. At idle it vibrates a lot, but I noticed less through the handle bars then on the Nightster or XR1200. And it smooths right out as soon as you start moving.
One of the staff from the dealership had to “lead” the ride, but it was just the 2 of us and he was happy to be a little jaunty in his riding style. He was also on a Buell.
One of the first things I noticed is that it does have more power than the Sportsters that I have ridden. It was noticeably stronger. Maybe this thing can pick up the front end easily. It also weighs about 100 lbs less than the Sportster models. I checked the claimed horsepower and torque. 103hp and 84ft/lbs. Better than the XR 1200’s 90hp and 73.8 ft/lbs. And you can really feel the difference. The Ulysses would leave my DR650 from the line and never look back.
I loved the riding position. I kept thinking, “I feel like I am sitting on my DR”. The reach to the handlebars was almost exactly the same. The grips were about the same width. Nice upright sitting position. The only difference being the pegs were back about an inch. (and the much more comfortable seat, DR seats are crap). The small fairing does a great job at clearing the wind. No helmet buffeting or gorilla arms. BTW, my back, shoulders and rear all felt just fine when the ride was over.
It took me a few turns to get used to the handling. I realized that it was the meatier rubber. It took a little more muscle and/or purposeful lean to start into a corner. After that realization, I was really able to enjoy the handling. Very nice and aggressive cornering. And wonderful, instantaneous power delivery. The ride was really smooth and bumps were easily absorbed. The transmission shifted smoothly and the engine delivered loads of power whenever you needed it, at any RPM. The last stretch of the ride was on the interstate. It was busy with 18 wheelers and SUVs. There was a lot of dirty air being pushed around. But the Ulysses was quite composed and handled it without a problem.
The Ulysses XB12XT is an excellent example of a “do it all” type of bike. I can see riding the twisty roads in southern Indiana very aggressively. It would be comfortable on very long road trips. The passenger seat is even quite comfortable for 2-up riding. It would be fun and agile commuting to work.
The only problem I have with it is the seat height while sitting still or slow maneuvers in a parking lot. I could get used to those fairly quickly.
If I had the money right now and walked into a HD/Buell dealer, I would be hard pressed to choose between the XR1200 and the Ulysses.
Positives:
- Handling and comfort
- Powerful smooth engine and transmission
- Comfortable
Negatives:
- Seat height
- Price for XT model
Buell Gear Lock
One last thing, the free gear lock is pretty nice. It will come in handy when I want to lock my jacket or pants to the bike instead of wearing them in to the store or the restaurant.| About the author | |
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Dennis has been known to haunt various dual-sport websites under the moniker Ryde4Ever. He's ridden dirt bikes since emerging from the womb, and has owned everything from Ninjas to Vulcans to Chinese dual-sports. He doesn't brag about his riding ability, but could quietly ride circles around most riders on the road. His current steed is a Suzuki DR650. This is his third contribution to "The ATGATT Rat". |  |
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