[SteveFord]

Our very own doug s. is looking for a "new" bike and has wisely narrowed his choices down to the Mighty Buell Ulysses and the Sex On Wheels Ducati Multistrada.
I figure that I'd post my answer here as it might provide some entertainment to bored biker scum types.
My Ulysses is affectionately dubbed the Useless.

I can't answer about the Multistrada as I've never owned one but I can say that the Useless is the best bike I've ever owned.
It's just a big, fun couch - add a race kit to the Useless and you'll have the same basic power and acceleration as your modified S2 but much better suspension and a much more refined ride - it's like it's from another company or at least another decade.
The 2007s had bad cranks from HarLee so at around 30,000 miles they make expensive noises.  A search on Badweb will pinpoint the range of affected bikes.  As a point of interest, the 2005 Fruitsters had the bad cranks - a happy work force is a productive workforce!
Mine is an 06 (I bought the first one uncrated at the dealership) and converted it into a monster Lightning w/ bags.  I told Erik about it in 07 and in 08 he came out with the XB12XBT or some damned designation like that.

Here's what you can expect:
2006 - bad throttle body shafts - they snap in two.  A beefier aftermarket shaft is available.
Wheel bearings - 2006-2009 - super skinny wheel bearings which aren't up to the task.  Pull out the seals and repack with grease every 10,000 miles.  The rear bearings will fall apart so in 2010 they came out with 3 bearings in the rear wheel like they did with the 1200 tube frames.  I think they got too obsessed with the lowest unsprung weight in the industry deal.
ECM - all years - the seat pan will slowly deform and crack the ECM which will lead to much agita.  Either relocate the ECM as far down into the space by the shock as possible or fabricate a stout metal bracket to protect the ECM.
Front brake pulsing - all years.  The stock Nissin pads blow and will trash the rotor.  Ferodos will prevent this.  Right now I'm using SBS pads up front, we'll see how that goes.
Fork Seals - all years.  R/H seal will go out eventually.  Neoprene fork boots (slobbed up with grease) will slow down if not prevent this
Belt - I just broke my first one at 60,000 miles.  No problems with the idler pulley.
Cables - slob the clutch barrel w/ grease every 5,000 miles when you lube the clutch cable and change the primary fluid or else it'll rust, bind and break.
Throttle cables have a weird bend and the ferrule that goes into the plate attached to the throttle body WILL come out and cause all softs of hell unless you press it in there really good and hit it with Green Loctite
Bulbs - figure a low beam bulb every 10-15,000 miles
Exhaust - Buell race can rusts, hunka crap.  Real good top end rush with the race can!
Fan - first one lasted 25,000 miles, second one still going strong at 60,000.  The electrical leads from the fan are moronically short so be prepared to lengthen them.
Electrical Gremlins - lots of people report problems with bad ground leads and broken wires around the steering stem area.  Not me.
Steering stem bearings - all years - sealed bearings which give a clunk under hard braking.  The torque spec in the shop manual seems too low to me.
Saddlebag latches - hunka plastic junk which will eventually snap in two right before your disbelieving eyebones.  I think that UV kills the expensive buggers.  Some guys have replaced the plastic guts with metal hinges.
As far as an adventure bike, it's way too big to be taken seriously as a dirt bike.  God help you if you drop it going downhill unless you're Andre the Giant.
Would I buy another one? 
Sure.  It just feels like home.

[doug s.]

hey steve, you said i would have to be bored to read this - how bored were ya to write it?   

it's not that i am looking for another bike.  (ok i am always looking for another bike, i confess!)  some day, when i have more room, i want an adv-style bike.  yes, i know the uly is "way to big to be taken seriously as a dirt bike".  but, so is the most popular adv bike presently being sold today - the bmw gs-series 1200's, which out weigh the uly by ~100 lbs.    your write up is appreciated.

i am familiar w/the smoother ride of the fuel-in-frame bikes compared to my s2; i rode a more modern thunderstorm when the new bikes were introduced.  yes, these bikes are sweethearts.  which leads to my other dilemma - if i go for another buell over another duc, do i get the uly, or a lightning long or stt?  on the other hand, same problem w/the ducs?  multistrada or gt1000?  hell, i should yust get one of each!   

doug s.

[SteveFord]

It was either that or watch the presidential stuff on tv with the wife so yes, I was pretty bored!
I wanted a two up bike so went with the Useless and then did my best to turn it into a Lightning Long.
I meant to add that fit and finish is good except for the powder coating on the rims (China), ease of maintenance ranges from childishly simply to incredibly aggravating due to the frame being in the way, the cost of ownership is reasonable and with decent tires handling is beyond reproach.
The TT is a cool bike, too.  I don't know how they did it but it feels like a much longer bike than it really is.
One of each would be the solution, all right!

[doug s.]

It was either that or watch the presidential stuff on tv with the wife so yes, I was pretty bored!
I wanted a two up bike so went with the Useless and then did my best to turn it into a Lightning Long.
I meant to add that fit and finish is good except for the powder coating on the rims (China), ease of maintenance ranges from childishly simply to incredibly aggravating due to the frame being in the way, the cost of ownership is reasonable and with decent tires handling is beyond reproach.
The TT is a cool bike, too.  I don't know how they did it but it feels like a much longer bike than it really is.
One of each would be the solution, all right!

ya - one of each - multi strada, gt1000, uly and stt!   

doug s.

[Berndt]

Which version multistrudel?
 The aircooled one or the silly fast one?

[doug s.]

Which version multistrudel?
 The aircooled one or the silly fast one?

for me, i prefer the older air-cooled wersion. 

doug s.

[jkelly]

DO IT!

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/688685.html?1346987499

Jeff

[doug s.]

DO IT!

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/688685.html?1346987499

Jeff

there are so many droolworthy bikes f/s on that site....

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/1019.html

doug s.

[SteveFord]

I know that I found a couple there over the years.
My next "new" bike is going to be one I already own - the mighty Purple Nurple - the 96 S2 with all of the 98 S3 parts in/on it.
For someone whose first "real" bike was a Norton Fastback, the Purple Nurple feels like home.

Tires, battery, get the turn sigs working, smaller Fruitster grips and maybe a Forcewinder and it'll be ready to rumble.
Does anyone have an unbutchered 96 HarLee switch (the one on the bars that has the turn sigs on it)? 
I'm pretty sure that's where the problem lies.  Magic smoke came out and I think the repair job has seen better days.

[doug s.]

I know that I found a couple there over the years.
My next "new" bike is going to be one I already own - the mighty Purple Nurple - the 96 S2 with all of the 98 S3 parts in/on it.
For someone whose first "real" bike was a Norton Fastback, the Purple Nurple feels like home.

Tires, battery, get the turn sigs working, smaller Fruitster grips and maybe a Forcewinder and it'll be ready to rumble.
Does anyone have an unbutchered 96 HarLee switch (the one on the bars that has the turn sigs on it)? 
I'm pretty sure that's where the problem lies.  Magic smoke came out and I think the repair job has seen better days.

my s2 w/s3 engine goodies, and factory race intake/header/exhaust/ecm, is a wonderful bike, for sure.  re: h-d switch - which one, left or right?  separate turnsignals for each bar, at least on the older units.  if yours has been updated to s3 as well, then it's different.  in any ewent, i would think these are a dime a dozen...

doug s.

[capt_fantastic]

sorry for being a contrarian but have you considered the aprilia dorsoduro 1200? or even the ktm 990?

[doug s.]

sorry for being a contrarian but have you considered the aprilia dorsoduro 1200? or even the ktm 990?

i like the ktm 690 and the dorsodure 750.  for the bigger bikes, i would go w/the duc and buell...  now, if someone is giving away a big ape or ktm, i am all ears...   

doug s.

[SteveFord]

Have you considered the Hodaka Trail Whale?  738 pounds and 900cc of ring dingin', stump pullin' two stroke fury just waiting to catch the floorboards on an exposed tree root and drive you into the dirt like a tent peg.

[doug s.]

Have you considered the Hodaka Trail Whale?  738 pounds and 900cc of ring dingin', stump pullin' two stroke fury just waiting to catch the floorboards on an exposed tree root and drive you into the dirt like a tent peg.

no, but there's the gunbus...


doug s.

[SteveFord]

That's more like it!
I think that they'd be more popular if they'd just add an electric start model to the line up...

[tknx]

I'll bring this back up even though it may be too late... I owned an MTS1200S and it was a stellar bike, just good at everything. It is a bit tall, so that might be a concern, but otherwise I can pretty much say there isn't a better all-rounder out there.