DAY 1

Took delivery of my spectacular BUELL ULYSSES XB12X at Bartels' Harley-Davidson in Marina del Rey. The good folks there had it outfitted and ready to go for the long-haul adventure. And I already know that, with nearly twice the horsepower, this rig will leave my old BMW F650 in the dust.

Mods I got: Buell Zumo GPS Navigator, heated hand grips, the top and side case system, handlebar bag and a high-flow air intake. My bike is kinda outfitted like the touring model, the XB12XT, less the tall windscreen (personal preference) and hand guards (which will be a custom addition a little further down the road). Of course, the saddlebags are already begging to come off for more toothy dirt-riding, but for this long-haul adventure... gotta have 'em. So this should prove to be a good test of what the Ulysses' saddlebagged brother, the XB12XT, would feel like too.

First stop, the California Coast...