the perfect sport tour?

[Skeeve]

The Ulysses is a great bike, and more reliable then the tube frame Buells. But it lacks the soul and ride quality/feel of the tube frame Buells. I wouldn't say no to a modern aluminum frame Buell but I would have prefered to see Buell spend their R&D money on fixing the few flaws the tube frame bikes had than re-invent the wheel as they did with the new bikes. The tube chassis of the older bikes definetely made for a better street bike then the aluminum frame, which is too nervous and sensitive to set-up.[snip]

 

Buell did "fix" the tube frame: they came up w/ a frame design that was better suited to mass production, allowing them to get out of the 'boutique builder' category, and in the process, do some of the thing Erik likes best, like multipurpose designs where the oil is carried in the swingarm, etc. [a la' his air forks for Harley, where the handlebars provided volume for the air spring, to reduce the geometric rise in spring rate as the forks compressed...]

 

The "sensitivity to setup" is just because Erik is an ex-road racer and insists on absurdly tight steering on his bikes, even tho' the widely acknowledged "sweet spot" for real-world on-road sport bikes is about 2deg more rake and a 1/2 inch more trail [right about where the v11 Guzzis are, oddly enough... ]

 

The tube frame may have provided a better ride than the new cast frame, but it probably took too many man-hours to fabricate, leading to the new design. I wonder if the eccentric bearings available for other bikes to quicken their steering could be retrofitted to a Buell to make it more forgiving? Interesting thought...

[Richard Z]

How I roll....

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I'm not road trippin'

 

Richard Z.

[jolly135]

I have thought a lot about getting the buell s3-t and have the perfect color combination in mind, if it shows up for sale...ITS MINE! LOL I have had the 99 buell x-1 that I posted a pic of since it was new, and have had it down to the frame twice, once to convert it to the 3/4 fairing version as you see, and once again because it didnt become obvious to me that it would look better with the frame and wheels powdercoated white to match the lettering and the white gauges, I prefer the trellis style frames to the new versions...not with regards to riding or ergonomics..just the bitchin looks! by the way the buell hasnt really caused me any problems, though it is CRITICAL to use locktite every time you take something off.....heard a funny noice the other day while trying to be 40 recapturing 20 in the corners and found that one bolt was missing from the front caliper and the other was only finger tight....yep close call!

[Darius]

I am fortunate like others to own a few bikes. For me (so far) the Ducati ST is the best all around sport-touring bike in that it definitely handles the twisties while being quite capable as an all day touring bike. My 2002 ST4s came with higher spec suspension and hard bags. I have added a Corbin seat, higher bars, heated grips, etc. for comfort. Plus DUC's have sweet sounding motors like MG's. Took a week trip from NJ south last spring - followed the Blue Ridge to the Tail of the Dragon (Tenn) and back. Great fun!

 

So why own the MG LeMans? For one its is simply one of the best looking bikes to my eyes. I love the relative simplicity (push-rods vs desmo) so I can work on it and that its equally at home in relaxed cruising as it is tackling some twisties. I really like the look of air-cooled motors on bikes - no radiator or associated plumbing. I call the V11 a "Harley done right" in that it captures a lot of traditional looks and qualities of things we love about bikes while delivering great sporty performance - it goes, it stops, it turns! (no offense to the thousands of Harley lovers.... :-)

 

My LeMans is still a work in process. So far I've done the Mike Rich built motor with pistons, cam, porting, rods, etc. as part of the rebuild from a oil filter coming loose. Ergos got attention with a Corbin saddle, forward pegs and Cycle Cat risers. Waiting for a new shock from HyperPro. The bike continues to grow on me and might one day be the touring choice - shaft drive is a nice convenience for sure.

 

Regarding the question that started this thread - my riding buddies are very happy with their do-all bikes like the Ducati Multi Strada and the new Triumph Tiger. At 5'6" these bikes are too tall for me but I believe they deserve consideration. Best of luck in your search - these are the "good problems" as the saying goes.