Why We Ride Buells

Many people have asked me why we chose a Buell XB12X Ulysses. It's not really an off road ADV bike, and it's not a sportbike. I mean what is it? Well, it's more of an all-purpose bike like an SUV. An SUV isn't a jeep but you can go places a car can't. It is effectively the SUV of motorcycles, able to carve some canyons and take the road less traveled. No, I don't take it on 4 wheel drive roads but it can handle any normal dirt road and many 2 track roads with it's 7" of suspension travel and ample ground clearance. It packs up like a mule and doesn't complain with its full suspension adjustability front and back to handle the load. The Buell is very light and easy to maneuver at only 450 lbs wet unloaded, compare that to a BMW 1200 GS at 564 lbs and the KTM 1290 Adventure at 530 lbs wet unloaded. I have seen a lot of people struggle on tight dirt roads trying to handle all that weight. My Buell fully loaded barely reaches their empty wet weight. I have had it on some trails that I shouldn't have and it got me out without trouble and was easier to handle. One other plus, I was drawn to the big old Harley 1200 motor, that sound is unmistakable, and it's an American bike!

I know the main bike for ADVenture travel is the BMW GS or KTM ADV machines but I wanted something different. Remember the old Apple ads, "think different"? Yes, it's not as smooth and doesn't have all the newest electronics like ABS and traction control but I call that character. Motorcycles didn't have those gadgets for a hundred years and people still went around the world. It's the driver, not the machine.

I like its simplicity and ease of repair. Reliability is on par with most bikes out there and once you fix it's known weaknesses it is very reliable and low maintenance. A lot of issues with Buells were from the earlier years and by the time the Ulysses most were solved. We have 2 Ulysses, a 2006 and 2007 both with over 50,000 miles on them with no major problems.

Now let's go over maintenance we've done to the bikes and service performed. Other than routine maintenance like oil changes, cleaning air filters, and tires there hasn't really been a lot of costly items. Here are the items replaced so far by bike, all labor by us unless specified:
Final drive belt both bikes once cost $125 per
K&N air filter both bikes $55 per
Front brake pads both bikes $34 per
Front fork seals and bushings with new 10w oil $30 per bike
Rear cooling fan $78 per bike
Race ECU on the 06 bike new $328
TPS sensor on the 06 bike $27
O2 sensor $25 per bike
Battery $59 per bike twice
77 connector repair $4 per bike
Wheel bearings front and rear $40 per bike changed every other tire change
As you can see there have been very few problems with our bikes and have always maintained them ourselves. They are very easy to work on and several items are found are interchangeable with regular car parts. You can buy a simple cable and some free software to diagnose and adjust the bike just like in Fast and the Furious, how cool is that?

Now let's list the upgrades/farkles:

LED Headlight, driving lights, and rock light upgrades $0 - we are sponsored by Auxbeam and Nilight would be around $175 per bike
Palmer windscreens and brackets $0 - we are sponsored by Palmer Products, normally $170 per bike
Sargent Seat on the 06 Uly $99 used on eBay
Factory Low Seat on the 07 Uly $125 new on eBay
Heated grips with foam grips $89 per bike
12v and 5v accessory port per bike $13
Voltmeter on the 07 Uly $11
MSR hand guards on 06 Uly $59
Happy Trail SU pannier brackets on 06 Uly $225
Factory top bag mount $59 used on eBay
Wolfman Timberwolf tank bag on 07 Uly $129
Wolfman Enduro tank bag on 06 Uly $89

I also wanted to do a master parts cross reference list to help others when they need parts. As you can see many parts are common on other vehicles, not just Buells.

First here is the final drive belt fitment for the Buell XB12X:

Go to your nearest Harley dealer and get a belt for one of the bikes listed. It fits perfectly! 

2006 Harley Davidson FLST Heritage Softail, 2000-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic, 2001-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTCI Heritage Softail Classic, 2000-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy, 2001-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTFI Fat Boy, 2006 Harley Davidson FLSTI Heritage Softail, 2005-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTN Softail Deluxe, 2005-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTNI Softail Deluxe, 2000-2003 Harley Davidson FLSTS Heritage Springer, 2005-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTSC Softail Springer Classic, 2005-2006 Harley Davidson FLSTSCI Softail Springer Classic, 2001-2003 Harley Davidson FLSTSI Heritage Springer, 2000-2005 Harley Davidson FXST Softail Standard, 2000-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTB Night Train, 2001-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTBI Night Train, 2000-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTD Softail Deuce, 2001-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTDI Softail Deuce, 2001-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTI Softail Standard, 2000-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTS Springer Softail, 2001-2005 Harley Davidson FXSTSI Springer Softail

Now everything else:

Fuel pump:

2003 Ford Mustang 3.8L
Autozone E2366

Fuel pump alternatives:
AC Delco EP274 521
Delphi 25337782 521 
Delphi FE0052 521 
Ford E5ZZ-9A407-A 521 
General Motors 25116975 521
Hella H75010041 521
Walbro 521

Fuel filter
2003 Ford Mustang 3.8L
Autozone FF3330DL

Oxygen sensor

87 Chevrolet ½ ton 4.3L
Bosch 12014

More O2 sensors:
-GM OEM= 25162693 
-NTK= 21002 
-Airtex= 553071  
-Denso= 234-1001 
-Walker= 250-21001 
-SNG= SN1-15

06 TPS sensor: 

Duralast #TPS213 ('93 Mustang) - Saves over $50 rather than HD sourcing-

07 TPS sensor:

AIRTEX Part # 5S5022 (07+ TPS)
Standard motor products TH317 (07+ TPS)
BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1580864 (07+ TPS)
Duralast TPS4129 (07+ TPS)

Wheel bearings: 

SKF6006-2RS (Rear), SKF6005-2RS (Front)

Idler Pulley Bearings - 6203-2RS

Oil Filter Part Numbers - Oil Filter - 07+ Toyota Yaris 1.4L
ACDelco # UPF1233 
Amsoil SDF10, EA009, EA010
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 # ST49, ST4967 


Exhaust clamps - torca clamp O'Reilly's part# role20st. 

Replacement bolts for the rear exhaust bracket
3/8-16 and get the 2 1/2 in bolts

Replacement starter #
HARLEY DAVIDSON 31390-91, 31390-91A, 31390-91B, 31390-86, 31533-81, 31391-91, 31391-91A
NIPPONDENSO: 128000-8450, 128000-8451

Buell Relays - (Autozone) Duralast Pt # 19283

IAT
97 Ford F-150 4.6L
Duralast SU2004

I might have missed some items but I will update this list regularly so come back and check. If you know any parts that will work please email me and I'll add them to this list.

How to Budget for a Motorcycle Trip

Trip Cost Calculations

I want to give all prospective motorcycle travelers an idea of what it costs to travel long distances by motorcycle here in the US. Here is a rundown of our last trip across the US.

This trip was from Phoenix, AZ to Key West, FL and all around the southern US. Final mileage was 8,526 miles traveled and double checked by SPOT GPS Tracker. We left April 6th, 2016 at 5:32 PM and arrived May 22nd, 2016 at 5:39 PM, 46 days away from home!

Let's go over some costs:

Gas for 2 bikes total from receipts, 17,052 total miles traveled for 2 bikes. $1,043.82. We had a wide range of costs and generally used Plus or Premium fuel.

Bike maintenance costs:

1 rear tire for the Ulysses from Cycle Gear Columbus SC $112.87 Continental Conti-Motion... Not a long lasting tire, barely made it back home, 3,500 miles... Not recommended!

1 Fuel Pressure Regulator for the VFR from Kent's Powersports in Austin TX with 2-day shipping, $109.23.

Oil and oil filters changed three times on the road each bike Mobil 1 and K&N filters $143.45 for both bikes.

1 right front brake pad clip from Honda Little Rock $5.76 BTW it never worked so the safety wire lasted 4,000 miles!

The rest was normal road maintenance like chain adjust and lube on the VFR, which was a pain in the a$$, and fairing tightening due to taking it offroad a lot. The Ulysses needed nothing, so low maintenance, love that bike!
Total maintenance costs: $371.31

Lodging for 11 nights total, 2 in Abilene (not planned VFR breakdown), 5 were for the MotoGP in Austin (budgeted and planned for) and 4 were in Florida City (supposed to free camp but the Coast Guard shut that down...), 1 in Memphis (dead hooker hotel, planned for not expected to stay in such a crappy and creepy place). $605.71

The rest of the nights were as follows:

Wild and free camping 30 nights, cost $0. Thank you www.freecampsites.net!!!
Staying with relatives 4 nights, cost $0 Although there are some costs for meals I bought them in the misc section.

Food, that's where we spent way too much... Our initial thought was to cook at night but we arrived so late each night due to sightseeing and big mileage days, so unfortunately fast food... $1,497.33

Miscellaneous like: scuba and snorkeling, souvenirs (MotoGP, the tickets were purchased months earlier and not included), shirts (MotoGP), attractions, beer, fancy meals to celebrate my middle sons b/day in SC and buying dinners with relatives, etc. $525.88

Total cost of the trip $4,044.05
Average daily cost $87.91 for 2 riders on 2 bikes
Average daily cost per person $43.96
Average cost per mile driven for 2 bikes $.2371(rounded to $.24) or per bike $.1185 (rounded to $.12)

Let's take out the MotoGP costs, the scuba, and snorkeling, the not planned for motel nights, and if we were to make dinner at least 30 nights... I want to give a truer cost of a normal long trip. I'm taking out the MotoGP items, 4 nights not planned for lodging, scuba and snorkeling, the breakdown items purchased, and 30 nights of eating out and replacing that with buying food to cook or dehydrated food from home. We have a dehydrator and planned to use it but didn't... our fault.

Total budgeted cost now $2,738.05
Avg. daily cost $59.52 for 2 riders
Avg. daily cost per person $29.76
Avg. cost per mile $.1605 (rounded to .16) for both of us
Avg. cost per mile per person $.0802 (rounded to .08)

For those of you planning a trip hope this helps out. When planning a trip I usually start my budget at the .08 cents cost per mile and add from there. You can adjust your cost per mile depending on free camping or motels. I usually factor in a couple of hundred extra for breakdowns. We have AAA towing and can fix most anything on the bike short of rebuilding the motor. You might need to factor in more or have your credit card balance low enough to handle problems on the road. If you have any questions please ask, I'd be happy to help!!

My XR650R Set Up for Round The World Travel - Could Be Any Bike!

XR650R Set Up To Go Round The World

A little background first, I am planning an RTW trip in the future and I chose the XR650R because I wanted a simple bike with a kick start and easy to fix in a 3rd world country like Whogivesashitastan! I know that kick start isn’t for everyone, but once you have the carb set up right it starts easily in 2 kicks cold (32F) and almost a half kick warm. I see most problems that people have boil down to electrics so I went simple, this bike has no computer or complicated electronics. Parts are easy to find as Honda is everywhere, even in Whogivesacrapastan! :-)

You can use just about any bike really, I've seen people take Harleys, Gold Wings, to scooters. It's all about what you are comfortable with and can you repair it anywhere. I also have a Buell XB12X and I have read about guys taking it around the world. I might change and take that bike as it is easy to fix and will give me more comfort. This blog is about the XR but who knows what I'll take...

Now I see everyone using KLRs, KTMs, or BMW GSs, but I love the XR650R Pig and it’s motor. Rock solid and built so tough to race Baja. You really never hear of major problems with that motor. Plus the bike is so light for that size of a bike. I had mine weighed with a full tank of gas and everything you see below at 328lbs. Easily manageable in adverse situations. I’ve taken this bike on trips as long as 8,500 miles, and so far everything works great!

OK, now for the bike.

2000 Honda XR650R “Pig”

ENGINE MODS:

I didn’t want to get too crazy because I wanted long term reliability. I rebuilt the motor with new bearings and rings but stock. I only added the cam for some more torque. This motor has so much torque now that the gearing I did doesn’t really affect it too much in tight single track. I’m not talking about motocross type stuff though…

Stage 1 Cam

Carb rebuilt and re-jetted with 68s/178/needle 3rd position, I didn't get a pumper carb as I wanted to repair it in Whogivesacrapastan! You can get Keihin parts everywhere.

NGK Iridium plug

Big Gun exhaust now repacked and opened up

XRs ONLY choke plate

Airbox side case mod and removal of internal baffles

K&N filter

Thermostat mod

1.8 radiator cap

XRs Only silicone hoses

Evans Waterless coolant - AWESOME STUFF!!

Recently dyno’d 55 HP at the rear wheel

Uncorked of course

THE REST OF THE BIKE:

Excel rims w/HD spokes all safety wired, new bearings and Xrs Only quick change race bushings

RaceTech reworked front forks and Gold valving (didn’t do the CRF fork conversion, not needed now plus I'm not racing it)

RaceTech rear shock and Gold valving reworked, RaceTech rear spring for my weight plus the weight of gear for travel. I'm 6'4" 245lbs.

XRs Only case saver

15 tooth front sprocket normally, for more offroad I carry a 14 tooth front sprocket and a 42, 45, or 48 rear sprockets depending on terrain I might encounter, currently it's a 42 tooth. That's 70 mph at 4500 rpm.

Devol radiator guards

Devol skid plate

Oil Level tube mod

XRs Only dipstick with temp gauge

Moose Racing magnet drain plug

TrailTech 8" Baja light

Auxbeam LED headlight bulb and Auxbeam LED driving lights

TrailTech Vapor computer

Ricky Stator 200 watt stator wired dual output (AC for front LED and rear tail/brake light, DC for acc’s)

TrailTech HD regulator

TrailTech right side KTM electric fan mod (AWESOME! It’ll never overheat!!)

Battery Tender Lithium battery 240 CCA in a Roost Pakpak on top of the light bracket

Acc. ports for running electronics

Whole bike completely rewired and rerouted by me (really easy there’s like 6 wires)

Ram Mounts for phone, GPS 64st, Cobra iRadar radar detector

street plated in AZ (easy only needs a brake light w/license plate light, front light and horn)

IMS Desert tank 4.6 gal

EBC Dirt Digger clutch

Clutch bushing mod

Right peg mod

EBC red brake pads front and back. I didn’t do the upgrade to a larger disc… Might do it in the future.

Rebuilt the front and rear master cylinders and use silicone fluid

TCI Products Borrego Rack with fender stiffener

Beefed up rear sub frame with add’l stiffeners and bracing, basically welded on some gussets

Tires for a long trip with mostly asphalt Kenda K270s, cheap and they last a long time

Michelin Ultra HD tubes

Ride On flat prevention and balancing goo - WAY better than Slime!

MSR Roost Pak

MSR hand guards

Oxford heated grips… I know, I’m a wimp, I hate cold hands...

Ken Sean folding mirrors

Seat Concepts seat foam and cover (the stock seat is like sitting on a 2X4!)

AirHawk Dual Sport seat pad (a must for long trips on any bike!)

Renthal 520 O ring chain

New Steering head bearings

GPR2 steering stabilizer

GPR top triple clamp for fat bars

Pro Taper KX high fat bar with foam grip puppies and bar snake

30mm bar spacers

XRs Only extended cables

Baja Designs keyed ignition

For luggage I only use soft bags and the best one is the Wolfman Beta Plus and I add a Wolfman Enduro tank bag, fender bag, and a Sealine 30L dry bag

I'm sure I missed some other stuff but you can send me questions if you have any…

Sounds like a lot of farkles but I am planning on a RTW trip on this bike so I did a ground up prep. BTW, some of these were already on the bike when I bought it so pick one carefully and save some time and money.