Road-testing the Buell Ulysses: Genuine all-rounder machines such, as BMW's R1200GS, Triumph's Tiger, Suzuki's V-Strom, KTM's Adventure and a fair few others are proving to be really popular on both sides of the Atlantic. It was, perhaps, only a matter of time before an "all-American" all-rounder emerged.
Buell, a Harley-Davidson subsidiary, has come up with its answer, the 1203cc XB12X Ulysses. To European eyes this is a blend of ancient and modern. The engine is an air-cooled, 1,203cc, push-rod, V-twin Thunderstorm engine as used on the parent company, Harley-Davidson's, Sportster machines. A solid, dependable long stroke (96.8mm) power-plant which, on first acquaintance, is evocative of a steam engine crossed with a vibrating roller.
Now, hang this hardly cutting-edge mill in a revolutionary, lightweight, by Harley-Davidson standard, high-tech chassis. High-tech? Well, yes, for example the frame is aluminium and it also doubles up as the fuel tank! The swinging arm is also the oil tank. Belt drive is used instead of chain. The exhaust system is "mass-centred" under the engine, in the best modern tradition. Dry weight is 193kg (425lb) and the power output 103bhp (75.2 kW) which equates to 534bhp per tonne.
All you now need are wide bars, and a high seat (830mm laden, a lower seat option is available) and you have, at least, the beginnings of an adventure sportsbike. Suspension is fully adjustable and travel is 165mm front and 162mm rear. An ingenious rear carrier double up into a pillion backrest.
The question is, does it work? Is it possible that the creators of the Milwaukee Road Locomotive have come up with an all-rounder that can seriously be considered alongside the main competition?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes, with some slight qualifications all rather depending on your personal definition of an all-rounder. At the 2005 Motorcycle & Scooter Show in Birmingham, Buell's PR admitted it was their answer to BMW's R1200GS, a machine which even their bitter rivals would concede is the all-rounder benchmark. In terms of weight, power output, torque and price it comes pretty close.
Whilst the BMW is smoother than any 2-cylinder engine has a right to be and ultra-refined in every department, the Buell is anything but. At tickover the world enters earthquake mode. Begin to accelerate and, instantly, thoughts turn to the thundering hooves of the Budweisser horses breaking into a gallop.
The torque churned out by this Thunderstorm powerplant is truly massive. If you need precise figures it produces 113.9Nm (84 ft. lbs) but just think awesome and, on your first ride, keep that left hand covering the clutch lever because you will find you have to slip the clutch in traffic to keep the beast under control.
Move out onto the open road and the vibrations die down, the exhaust note remains a contended burble and you find you are cruising along, utterly effortlessly, a good 15 km/h more than you would have guessed.
Sadly the fuel injection on our test machine was not set up dead right. That meant that when you rolled off the throttle it took a couple of seconds for the revs to die down, thus negating what should have been substantial engine braking.
However, this defect did help us explore the machine's brakes. The rear brake is, as one would expect on a machine that would see some off-road use, soft and progressive. The front brake, which employs a massive inside-out disk and a six-piston calliper, is hugely effective and as good as the best we have ever encountered.
The gear change is another surprise, sliding gears have been replaced by thin, steel dog rings, straight-cut gears are replaced by helical; the result is faster, smoother gear changes. The clutch, whilst still cable-operated, is delightfully smooth and needs little effort.
When it comes to cornering, there is another surprise. This is a distinctly nimble, flickable machine, though on first acquaintance a delicate hand is needed on the throttle so as not to induce a massive whack of torque in the wrong place.
In straight-line motorway conditions we found the bike rather more affected by the gusts and turbulence from large vehicles than we would have expected, but it is a very light machine, slightly lighter than BMW's very light R1200GS.
When it comes to off-road use, one has to bear in mind that the design brief was for a machine which would be used only 10 per cent of the time off-road, the 17" front wheel is more easily swallowed by deep ruts and potholes and the far narrower than expected steering arc is not what you want with an off-roader even 1 per cent of the time.
The bike's main virtue is its ability to perform on-road, to take just about everything you can challenge it with in its stride and acquit itself well. Its true forte is its exceptional, almost mind-blowing torque, guaranteed to induce an ear-to-ear grin, once you have learned what to expect!
TECH SPEC
ENGINE: 1203cc Harley-Davidson Thuderstorm pushrod OHV V-twin. Bore 88.9mm, Stroke 96.8mm. Producing 75.2 kW @ 6800 rpm and 113.9 Nm @ 6000 rpm. 10:1 compression. Fuel injection. 5-speed gearbox, belt drive
CHASSIS: Aluminium frame with Uniplanar Powertrain vibration isolation system. Showa inverted forks with adjustable compression, rebound and preload. 165mm travel. Single disk, 6-piston calliper. Rear, fully adjustable coil-over monoshock with remote, under-seat reservoir. 162mm travel. Single disk. 17" wheels front and rear
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 1,374mm. Seat height: 830mm. Dry weight: 192.8 kg. Fuel 16.65 litres
PRICE: 14, 530