While giving my buddy the benefit of my biking experience going back 45 yrs (gosh-damn that dates me, uh?) for an alternative to his FL streetglide that was lighter, less intimidating to him with his minimal experience to 'learn' how to become a competent rider on, I came across an '06 Buell Ulysses For Sale that hit my funny/happy-bone nerve in the bestest-way, as the absolutely BEST all-around fun bike to have. If I could still ride I'd grab-it inna heartbeat, but the next-best would be to turn him onto it. The more I look at, watch reviews and listen to/read rider's comments about their 06-09 Buells, especially the XB12X's, the more they grow on me. I like everything about them, like their great American V-twin heritage, the masterful, deft engineering that Erik Buell put into making a world-class American muscle sport/cruiser air-cooled pushrod Hell-Raiser with bottom-end grunt and corner-carving style. Equally at home on the interstate, patchworked asphalt highways, small-town backroads and byways, fire-roads, high-plains gravel tracks, mountain canyon and county roads, hillsides and pastures and forest trails (at least not the too-vicious, gnarly gully-washers and goat-tracks, though perfectly up to crossing 24" 'shallow' streams and throwing mud and stones with the best dual-purpose/offroaders out there, like medium-to-big Suzuki, Kaws, Hondas, BMW and Ducatis up to the same 1200 hvy-duty adventure class. Its a whole 'nother dimension, a different metaesthetic, another gosh-darn better-way, different configuration to put the power-to-the-ground & Get-R-Done in the traditional overpowering-with-finesse innovative American way, that the XB Buells excel at ~ which is their iconic, traditional legacy ~ even to their found, confounded and abandoned history of being wooed, encouraged, supported, then manipulated, exploited, sabotaged and dismissed by powerful money-interests when the corporate beancounters got out their red-pencils, didn't realize what a rare ahead-of-the-game jewel they had and utterly lost the plot ~ and the whole point of the thing ~ That is, designing, making and selling more smiles-per-miles with out-of-the-box thinking that liberated creative ideas enjoined with the intrepid human spirit, a tribute to zestful fun-loving enthusiasm and just-can't-keep-a-great-thing-down, rarin-to-go attaboy! style. These out-of-production XB's will still tag-along and keep up, go head-to-head with any/all Jap/German/Italian sportbike cruisers, especially making-up any distance lost on long straightaways thru the twisties, hammering up to about 120 mph with authority until they begin to run-out of steam ~ two-valves per naturally-aspirated air-cooled pistons can't feed air or dump the heat like inline-4 water-cooled engines. But than, its not just bout staying ahead, but making smiles and havin fun. Only 109 hp but up-to 87 ft/lbs. Incredible machines, practically bulletproof, low-maintenance, good mpg and reliable, with 6.9 travel-inches of fully adjustable motocross-heritage Showa front-and-aft suspensions, about 450 lbs wet, intensely flickable with short-wheelbase, tight-rake and low center-of-gravity, top-of-the-line competition perimeter single-rotor 6-piston front-brakes, proprietary Buell-blueprinted-and-engineered Sportster-derived fire-breathing engine that barks, grunts, snarls and roars. This bike will pull strong in the 1st four gears, absolutely loves to stand-up tall as it accelerates out of sweepers and tight corners. As they say, hp sells engines, but torque wins races. Goddamned HD management was el magnificat stupido to hang Buell out to dry like they did, taking-over Buell and then letting-it wither-and-die of neglect. They lost SO much expanded market reach, a broad customer-base and heritage credibility when they let-go what they had made in partnership with ~ a gung-ho American-made V-twin adventure-sport-flattrack-cafe racer/speedway cruiser with TT-attitude and hillclimb-spunk, that could compete head-to-head with the Jap 4/German/Italian lineup, providing even more-smiles-pure-miles and pure throttle-twist bliss. Dang I wish I could still ride ... Buell's are an American Icon legacy fer shure, Keep 'em InTheWind, Cheers! And, sorry, I DO rambles on-a-bit, neh? ~ ; )

only a buell owner would know that feeling and sound you get when starting the bike, nearly as good as riding it

This bloke looks like a gta character 😂

Might want to fact check your ‘Harley Buell ‘ comment. The only thing Harley did for Buell was shut them down. It’s a shame, great bike!

I used to have a 2006 XB12R, the most comfortable bike I've had (and I've a dozen or two), rode like a 400cc. The only thing that made me get rid of it was insurance (it fell under super-sport/racing) and the chronic problem with start (I immediately sold it after changing the starter relay, so it may've been fixed). Otherwise, a joy to ride!

saw one at a harley davidson event. it's pretty strange to hear a v twin and see a sport bike! when the guy fired it up i thought it was a harley and I couldn't believe my eyes! anyway pretty cool bike !

LOL this was a great review I wasn't expecting it to be this good 😃

I got an 08 xb12r. This is the first bike I've owned that I've struggled to think of a reason to sell/upgrade. I used to have a harley sportster and a yamaha r3. Even though theres faster bikes than this buell, I just haven't ever felt like I needed "more" power than I currently do. Even after a year of ownership I still get that giddy (and sometimes scared!) feeling in my stomach when I open the throttle. They are fast, make no mistake! But god damn its the looks that make it so special. Nothing quite looks like these bikes and the compliments seem to come in daily. I just don't know if I will ever be able to sell this bike, even if someone made a premium offer.

Mr. Buell is a genius engineer, too bad his company went belly up.

Very nice! Yeah, same way about my '05 Scg.

For the best handling you have to set up the suspensions in base of your weight.

I used to own a Buell xb12s and it was the best bike I have ever owned. Unfortunately I had to get rid of it two years ago because of my job period I miss this bike so much. your bike looks sick by the way. I will always be a fuel fan. I will eventually purchase another one. one question though. What made you want to get the lightning instead of the Firebolt

How many miles have you done on this great bike? I'm wondering whether you've had any problems.

Even tho this bike is quite old compared to something like a MT09, I really like the fact that it is unique in some ways. When I get my liscense in a month or two, this is definitly what I am planning on getting as my ride. Realy nice bike dude!

I bought two Buells yesterday. I got a 2010 Long with 8000 kms and a 2007 Ulysses with 14000 kms. It surprised me how much I like the long. Both have been stored inside and appear like new. Canadian winters keep the Km's down. I think a new exhaust is in order.

These are realy nice bike's need to restart the factory, something to think about

you forgot to mention the sexiest exhaust routing of all bikes in the history of biking.

Nice bike... i have an xb12r

Hey Ed, do you know if there are alternative seats available for these bikes? I’m entertaining the idea of getting one but cautious coz I 2-up a lot. Thoughts or experience with riding with pillions? Cheers

Fantastica moto

Hey man, you still riding the Buell?

Fantastic thanks

Just purchased 99 Lightning X1. Already in love with the bike. So addiciting. Such amazing handling. Massive torque. Great sound. America!

Nice rewiev

I am 6 feet 1 Will that go or is the Bike too small for me?

Do xb12s actually feel fast? The power is "ok" , "adequate" or "decent" with around 100 rwhp and 400+ lbs it should be pretty brisk, my 3 harleys from60hp and a 70hp ironhead to a 80hp shovelhead low rider ive had went decent the shovel felt pretty balsey but ive ridden a 110 rwhp 103" stroker s&s (prob 125+ at the crank) in a 85 softail that went really good and i rode a 115rwhp 100" super sidewinder (prob 130hp @ crank) to in a hardtail and that thing really hauled (both were dynoed), the softail is really heavy and the hardtail is alot lighter but still no lightweight so with the KB12's power to wieght ratio it shud feel really fast. Ive never ridden a Super sport bike like the 125 rwhp R6 or even a 180 rwhp liter bike so i wouldnt have that insanity level of HP to compare it to so i would have that bias when trying out a KB12... because everthing feels slow compared to those bikes i would think.

What difference with xb12xt?

you right about the weight, it's all on the lowend of the bike but you are wrong about it's good for the twisty roads, its more easy to ride but when the weight is more on the top end of the bike it would actualy lean faster and it would be easier to go from left to right.

How to look like a duchbag 101 with self discovery tattoo kit.

so what makes it long???

Yep, put a horn on a jelly fish

Interesting tattoo..are you a cult member

Lightning*** not lightening

Blá blá blá??????

hope you don't wear those type clothing anymore, looks ridiculous

bar end mirrors look crapo

Junkeroo....