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| | | | 2008 Buell XB12XT Ulysses launch – Buell launches bland tourer |  Written: 10/03/2008 : 09:23. Read 18649 times (22/day). | Two years ago Buell launched the XB12X Ulysses with tall seat and suspension. It was made for poor roads and gravelled roads, but not so much offroad. Since then the seat height has been reduced and Buell have now launched a full on “soft” touring version. The XT is good value for money, but not much else.
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First of all, Buell has reduced the seat height once again (2006: 841mm – 2007: 808mm) by using different springs in the suspension. The new springs have shortened the suspension travel and the new seat height is 780 mm rather than the 808 mm on the standard XB12X. Rather than reducing the standard XB12X’s seat height more Buell have launched the XT for shorter riders.
To accommodate the street suspension new Pirelli Diablo Strada road tyres have found their place on the light weight wheels. The tall windscreen is standard for more comfort whilst touring and two-step heated grips are also standard. Over the new front tyre Buell have removed the offroad mudguard and added a standard one from the Lightning range.
Into the bargain Buell have thrown in a double pannier set and a top box that will set you back £750 ex VAT if you want it for your standard XB12X.
All in all the XB12XT Ulysses features extras as standard worth around £1000 ex VAT should you wish to upgrade a XB12X. The difference in price between the X and the XT is only £200 so if you want a ready tourer the XT is the better option.
All the Buell XB12 engines have been upgraded, or shall we say downgraded rather, for the 2008 season. The press kit for the 2008 Ulysses models simply didn’t make any sense when talking horsepower and torque figures. So after some research I have received the final figures from Buell which are: 94 HP @ 5.500rpm (we think the max output lies at 6.800rpm and not at 5.500) and 104Nm @5.500rpm. Also, the performance figures are the same for the XB12X and XB12XT according to my Buell sources but do your research on the various Buell web sites and you’ll find around 3 different figures. In the US the bikes have about 10 more horsepower and Nm of torque due to a different exhaust system. In Europe the bikes make 95Hp apart from in the UK where it makes 94hp (don’t ask!). To make the confusion complete, the XB12X and XB12XT are claimed with different figures on the public web sites. My job is to clarify such things, but to be truthful I am still a bit confused and I am going to ignore these figures in the rest of this article.
As with all Buell motorcycles, the Ulysses XT is sensitive when started from cold. Ideally the bikes should be fully warmed up before riding. When warm the throttle response is very predictable and very much linked to the right hand. In first gear the front wheel goes sky high on demand, but through a very short power band. The initial power delivery feels like another bikes meaty midrange, but there’s nothing to inspire chasing revs higher than 6000rpm. The XB12XT feels a bit asthmatic in the higher revs. The revs can be very low in town whilst still maintaining good drive. The exhaust pipes on the right hand side of the engine produce heat that is uncomfortable to the rider’s right leg in town. The air-cooled 1203cc engine produces a nice little growl early on before short-shifting up the 5 speed gear box. The engine characteristics lend itself to tight hair pin Alpine roads rather than the motorway. The Ulysses is a weak contender if you have long transportation stretches in mind where most other Adventure tourers will be quicker above 100Mph.
The Buell trademark handling involves a very short chassis. With oil in the swing arm and fuel in the frame the XB12XT is very compact. The handling characteristics enable the Ulysses to eat the corners and make up lost time on the motorway. The XT is around 18 kilos heavier than the X due to the luggage, but carries a lower centre of gravity which makes it easy to handle. The suspension is very soft but due to the special handling properties the XT still feels like a motorcycle with a bias towards the sports end of the touring market.
The front brake is the same as on other Buell air-cooled motorcycles with a ZTL rim-mounted 375mm disc with a six-piston caliper. This provides plenty of stopping power and also plenty of dive in the soft 43mm USD fork. The Showa suspension is fully adjustable both front and back.
The instruments have nothing to keep you entertained on long trips and are now very dated. The heated grips are a welcome feature and the two-step switch is easy to reach with my right thumb.
Conclusion
From being a really fun and powerful enough Adventure bike, the XT have fallen back into some kind of motorcycling Stone Age. Anno 2008 the Ulysses is barely as powerful as a ten year old Honda Varadero (which fair enough is liquid-cooled). The XT is soft and perfect for shorter riders but even the innovative chassis feels dated and strong heat radiates on my right leg. The XT is a model made to make life easier for dealers fed up with mounting panniers and lowering kits. Everything that I felt was cool about the original Ulysses is gone. I wouldn’t buy one despite the fact that it actually is good value for money. Only one thing could save this bike in my eyes and that’s a detuned version of the 1125R engine.
+
Easy to use gearbox
Handles better than it looks
Good value for money, plenty of extras.
-
The lack of engine performance, particularly for touring
Strong heat radiation to right leg
Why even look at the XB12XT when there’s bikes like BMW F800GS and KTM Adventure on the market?
Words: Tor Sagen/Photography: James Wright/Double Red
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PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP susbcription !!!
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- you benefit from a 20% discount when renewing your subscription,
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- and last but not least, you are really involved in the life of M-O and its content.
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| Premium Membership, 3 months: 9.99 USD | |
| Premium Membership, 1 year: 29.99 USD | | |
| Comments | |
 gofast (23-03-2008): Called several dealerships today and none recieved the bikes that were promised.
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