We best remember Ulysses—the wily commander and long-suffering traveler of Homer’s Odyssey—for his famous military gambit at the battle of Troy, in which his soldiers gained entry to that fabled city by concealing themselves within a giant wooden horse presented as a gift. An unexpected surprise comes from the belly of a beast. Erik Buell could not have bestowed a more appropriate name upon his newest creation. In this case, “Ulysses” is an adventure sportbike; the beast, remarkably enough, is Harley-Davidson.
When the rumor mill began to grind earlier this year with its annual whispers of new and exciting motorcycles, few aroused so much interest as those about Buell. Speculation about an adventure sportbike built around its mighty, signature American V-twin powerplant. Speculation heightened because—excluding a short-lived foray into dirt bikes in the ’70s—Harley-Davidson is about as far from the world of off-road as a manufacturer can get. By association, Buell seemed an equally unlikely candidate to produce an on/off-road adventure bike.
The Buell XB12X Ulysses is a daring departure for the American manufacturer, and this well-conceived, exceptionally capable adventure machine has proven an overwhelming success. By tackling a design platform that could handle some off-roading, Buell has created not only a fire-road/light-trail savvy motorcycle, but also what might be its most aggressive, naked street bike to date. Despite its tall stance and off-road accouterments, the XB12X takes to curved pavement and serious lean angles effortlessly. The Ulysses handles exceptionally well in the context of a sportbike, with predictable, stable manners. However, the motorcycle comes into its own when the oft-encountered rough ride that infests so many paved roads enters the equation. The Ulysses’ stout, sturdy design gobbles up any road surface thrown under it, and when you reach the end of the paved world, it keeps on going with decent, light off-road capabilities.
Perfectly suited to weaving through gridlocked traffic in daily commutes, the Ulysses’ tall seating position gives its rider an extremely high line of sight up and over the roofs of cars. With its narrow profile, responsive handling, and torque-heavy motor, the practicality of the XB12X combines with its off-road sensibilities, wide motocross handlebars, and plastic, enduro-style hand protectors lend it the aggressive presence of an urban assault vehicle.
A fuel-injected 1203cc air-cooled V-twin turns out 103 sultry horsepower at 6800 rpm, with a usable 84 ft-lbs of torque at 6000 rpm. With numbers like those, you can effortlessly lug the Buell around all day in second and third gear. Improved clutch action—courtesy of lighter springs—makes the Buell forgiving in stop-and-go traffic. There’s no fiddling with rpm; just dump the clutch, and the tractor-like motor picks up the slack. The Ulysses’ abundant torque, combined with the light front end—using a single perimeter brake rotor dramatically reduces weight—results in a bike that can paw at the sky in the first three gears if a rider so intends.
Rather than moving gears, the new five-speed transmission employs “dog rings” that slide for clean, crisp changes with minimal foot movement (the design was borrowed from automobile racing gearboxes). No more lifting your foot off the peg and feeling for the next gear to engage before dropping the clutch. The Ulysses’ transmission more closely resembles the tight, succinct response we’ve come to expect from other manufacturers.
To deliver a proper adventure bike, Buell engineers added some serious suspension travel with Showa components front (6.5 inches) and rear (6.4 inches), and blessed the machine with 6.75 inches of ground clearance—a necessity for any serious adventure bike. The tall suspension and ground clearance add up to a 33.1-inch seat height, which means some Ulysses owners will have to pay special attention to stopping on uneven ground. Getting caught out on the tip of a crest could have you dangling your foot, looking for a plant. Six feet tall, I am tip-toeing on level ground.
The Ulysses incorporates a smart tailpiece that serves as a rack for a single rider, flips up for use as a backrest for a passenger, or flips 180 degrees to serve as a rack behind the pillion position. A nice touch that’s more than a gimmick, it really works and has become the gold standard for my regular riding passenger.
Other nice touches include actual under-seat storage, an integrated helmet lock, and a clever 10-amp/12-volt accessory power outlet on the dash matched to a second one under the seat. Though the perimeter frame still does double-duty as the fuel tank, Buell has increased capacity to 4.4 gallons. The impressive mileage claim of 51 mpg city/64 mpg highway would deliver a range greater than 200 miles.
Buell and his engineers did their homework identifying the adventure class as the fastest-growing motorcycling segment. Whether for sport outings, short or long-distance touring, commuting, or some basic off-road trail riding, adventure bikes are the SUVs of the two-wheel world, offering multi-purpose functionality without sacrificing performance.
Since their introduction, Buell motorcycles—though tied in manufacturing matrimony to Harley-Davidson—have managed to exude an independent spirit and unique character through innovative design while still operating under the aegis of the motorcycle giant. With the unveiling of the new Ulysses XB12X, Buell comes of age on its own merits, leaving behind its traditional position as the “alternative Harley.” The company deserves kudos for boldly departing from its established line-up. For a first-year machine to work this well, be this much fun to ride, and deliver on many levels—not to mention road surfaces—is simply a perk. With available matching side bags and a GPS navigation system, the Ulysses opens up endless possibilities for odysseys of your own.
