| Author | Message | ||
     Hayabusa |
Just finished reading Sport Rider's review of the 1125 and I was disappointed in some of their opinions. Particularly in their assessment of the vibrations and handling. My bike shakes at idle, but that is it. It hits a resonance frequency about 5K and then is gone before 6K. Every bike I have ever owned has a point where the bike vibrates and the Buell is no different. To use the term excessive to describe the vibrations is inaccurate. I have yet to ride the 08 versions of the Japanese liter bikes so I can't make a totally fair comparison but I have ridden 07's and I doubt that the changes between years are that extreme. With that being said the Buell is the best handling bike I have ever ridden. Steering is extremely quick and light. I have never had to use extra force in the clips to hold a lean angle. The suspension is very balanced and the front end is very stable under constant throttle in turns. Under hard acceleration coming out of turns the front end will shake but I attribute that to the lack of a steering dampener. The bike doesn't flop over like a typical sport bike because the weight is held low in the frame, perhaps that is where their handling issues came from. It might even be their weight, at 195lbs I have yet to find a quicker steering and more precise handling bike. I think with some more time on the bike the writers at Sport Rider would have developed a better appreciation for how the bike needs to be ridden. As a former import rider I can clearly say that their are some adjustments that need to be made in riding style. The ZTL brakes are a totally different monster then typical brakes. The lack of hard engine braking (which was a criticism of Sport Rider) does take some getting used to when you typically expect a bike to whoa up when you close the throttle. I have found the lack of engine braking to be a benefit in turns since the bike does not jerk and become unsettled when you have to close the throttle to deal with slow cars or other obstacles. Any other thoughts?? | ||
| Pariah |
Who wrote the article? I know that Troy Siahaan writes for both Rider and Sport Rider... thought he put in a favorable 1125R review for Rider magazine some time ago... http://www.ridermagazine.com/output.cfm?id=1684333 | ||
| Tijuanajack |
Sometimes these writers blow my mind on how little they know about engines. This bike and other V-twins have the same engine sizes or bigger with only two cylinders. Two cylinders will put out more vibration than a 4 cylinder. It has to do with compression and stroke. A constant compression and stroke is smoother. That is why a V-twin sounds better that a Thumper, a V-8 better than a V-6 and V-12 better than a V-10. They should be reporting on how smooth it is for a V-twin. It is one of, if not the smoothest V-twin I have ever owned or sat on. My 2 cents. Toby | ||
| Josh_ |
That doesn't explain why my 1125R was a little smoother than the ZX6R I tracked in June, or why all my Buells were smoother than my FJR1300... | ||
| Hayabusa |
Siahaan wrote the article but Trevitt and Kunitsugu were along for the ride. All three took their turns on the bike. | ||
| Jpfive |
Wasn't it 'Sport Rider' that knocked the bike for its 'wonky' handling in a comparison with the Aprilia Mille? Even though the Buell was more powerful, and turned faster laps, the tester's 'preference' was for the Mille. I wasn't expecting good marks from SR anyway. I enjoy their mag - and am a subscriber - but I know their 'culture' seems oriented to the IJ4's. They'll warm up to the Buell eventually - but probably not until it establishes some racing cred. Jack | ||
| Citified |
I got the impression they liked the bike, it was just to hot | ||
| Bdutro |
I want Buell to be successful in the marketplace as much as anyone but the lemmings who base their decisions on the moto-press' opinions aren't the type to buy Buell anyway. | ||
| Mainstreamer |
"I want Buell to be successful in the marketplace as much as anyone but the lemmings who base their decisions on the moto-press' opinions aren't the type to buy Buell anyway." So true.... but Buell would like to change that and grow their customer base. Revenue from lemmings is good for the business. | ||
| Court |
>>>but the lemmings who base their decisions on the moto-press' opinions aren't the type to buy Buell anyway. The good news is that only a small percentage of owners and prospective buyers read motorcycle magazines. | ||
| Northernyankee |
I actually thought it was a pretty positive review and felt that they like the bike overall. It just comes back to the same gripes that all the other mags have which is mainly based on the fueling issue. I have seen the heat issue mentioned before, they just seem to have a more sever issue with theirs. But that will probably be solved or at least made better when the fueling gets worked out, IMO those issues are one in the same. It is a shame though that it has taken buell so long to get these fueling issues resolved. It really gives a good bike a bad rap and it is going to be very hard to shake that perception in the future. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Court, Are you sure about that? Seems like folks that love motorcycles also love to read about them. This website is an indication of that. Anyway, I've demo'd the 1125R a couple of times and found it to be a well balanced, hard charging rocket. Can't wait to ride the CR. Loved the look of the CR when I sat on it at the Rapid City Auditorium last week. | ||
| Court |
>>>Are you sure about that? I was at one time and, at that time, was amazed. We were meeting with the HD marketing folks and a representative of the contracted ad agency. They were citing stats in support of a new print ad campaign. The upshot was that more potential customers read "Field and Stream" (I don't recall the actual publication) than Cycle. I subscribe to ZERO motorcycle mags. >>>Seems like folks that love motorcycles also love to read about them. This website is an indication of that. Agreed, this website is a perfect example. A VERY SMALL percentage of Buell owners (like it or not) participate on Badweb. When Kristi did, as an example, the head count for Homecoming this year she registered something like 87 (someone can get the correct number) folks. If you had assumed that was an accurate number and ordered the hot dogs. . . you'd have been over 900 short. Court | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
What is this Zero magazine you mention?  | ||
| Xb9 |
"It is a shame though that it has taken buell so long to get these fueling issues resolved. It really gives a good bike a bad rap and it is going to be very hard to shake that perception in the future." +1 to that. Shows the importance of getting it right in the first place, and/or delaying a release date if necessary to achieve it. | ||
| Court |
>>>Shows the importance of getting it right in the first place, and/or delaying a release date if necessary to achieve it. I could not agree more. I went to look, driven by pure lust, at the new Ducatis. When I noticed this on one bike . . no biggie. When I saw it on two brand new bikes I knew they'd hurried the 2008 product out the door. I'm still trying to find a phone number to call them. Court   | ||
| Oddball |
They have their issues as well. Looks like that Hypermotard is a bit messy. | ||
| Jlnance |
>>>Shows the importance of getting it right in the first place, and/or delaying a release date if necessary to achieve it. Microsoft has demonstrated in spades that that is not true. I wish it were.} | ||
| Redbuelljunkie |
Truth is, the new units get built and customers get to sort them out. I've had my share of first year production runs- you're definitely a guinea pig. | ||
| Jaimec |
And when I eventually take delivery of my 2009 Racing Red 1125r, I'll personally thank all of you pioneering spirits for making it possible. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Court, stop loosening bolts on other bikes. | ||
| Xl1200r |
And when I eventually take delivery of my 2009 Racing Red 1125r, I'll personally thank all of you pioneering spirits for making it possible. "The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap." | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Anyone else notice that the guy lowered the front fork tubes 10mm in the triples, and then added a bit of rear preload to correct a slow turn in problem. I don't think I would have approached the problem that way, do you? | ||
| Court |
>>>Truth is, the new units get built and customers get to sort them out. I've had my share of first year production runs- you're definitely a guinea pig. And yet . .. folks are lining up for the 2010 Porsches with the new 2010 injection system. Go figure You think we'd have learned. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Loretta just passed 12,000 miles yesterday. She's running the best she ever has, now. Wish I'd gotten her sooner, even if that meant more bugs. | ||
| Dtx |
Yeah, I can't imagine not having my 1125R this year. It has been a blast to own and ride. Have I had a couple of minor quirks? Yeah. Has it kept me out of the saddle? Hell no. In fact, I have been romping on it pretty hard lately. Tonight I decided to check the diagnostic mode on the bike. There were NO codes showing. All is well! | ||
| Chadhargis |
A Ducati NOT weeping oil would be the surprise...and seeing one with a stock clutch slave cylinder....wow...that must be a new one. 2V Ducs have their quirks, but they are sweet bikes. I'd own one, weepy gasket or not. I know how to use a bottle of oil and a funnel.  | ||
| Xb9 |
I think we could set the bar higher than a Ducati regarding build quality. As much as I hate to admit it, I think the Japanese are still at the top of that category. | ||
| Jpfive |
For some reason, my Sport Rider gets to me a little late - but now that I have read the article I think it was more positive than negative. I think the SR editors still need a little convincing on Erik's way, but they're a lot more encouraging now. Two things to comment on. First, the suspension adjustments seemed extreme to me, and the opposite of what I would have thought. If I follow the text right, they corrected a slow turn-in by _raising_ the front, and then put the sag settings totally out of range. I think that the tester's light weight may have forced this. I ride at about 200# with gear, and find the recommended settings for my weight a pretty good start. The other point - it seems the tester got a good taste of the Active Fuel Solenoid accelerating out of a turn. Seems to have happened just that one time, but his description of it jives with my experience. Glad my solenoid's gone. I hope we don't get a lot of irate letters to the editor from Buell owners on this one. Jack |
