| Author | Message | ||
     Dynasport |
Well, I picked up my rental cr at the dealership this morning at about 10:30 and proceeded to ride it about 280 miles before coming home at 6:00 this afternoon. Of the 280 miles, about 40 were in town, about 10 were on the interstate, and the rest were on two lane country roads. About 80-100 of those miles were ridden in the rain. Aside from the time in the rain it was HOT and HUMID. So, here are my impressions. First, however, here is my disclaimer. I am NOT a sport bike rider. I am 45 years old and about 40 pounds overweight, so I am probably not the target audience for this bike. Still, I wanted to experience this bike and see what I was missing. I admit I can not compare this bike to other sport bikes, as I have not ridden any others, except for a few short rides on the 1125r. Now, back to my impressions. The first bit of riding I did was in town, leaving the dealership and heading out. I rode about 20 miles on stop and go, stop light to stop light riding in very hot and humid weather. A tough situation for any bike. I have to say I was impressed with the cr. I found the bike easy to ride smoothly in the stop and go traffic. I was much smoother on the cr than I have been on any of the 3 or 4 1125r's I have test ridden. I don't know if the fueling is better or the lower gearing makes the difference, but it was an easy ride. Also, the bike was not hot to ride. Now, it was hot riding. It was hot just being outside. But the bike did not make the heat any more unpleasant. It was definitely cooler than any XB I have ridden. I was pleasantly surprised. Next, on the short stint I did on the Interstate, I found the bike pretty stable. I was concerned that the geometry of the bike would make it twitchy, but that was not my impression at all. Also, for a bike with practically no wind protection, I did not find Interstate riding a problem. The only negative I found was that at a steady 75 mph at one time, I did experience some pretty strong vibrations through the foot pegs. It only lasted for a moment, however, so it must have been a very specific rpm that caused it. Finally, out on the country roads where the majority of the riding took place I fell in love with the engine. I can't compare it to the power of other sport bikes, but it certainly had plenty of power for me. I often found myself following a slower moving car and passing was effortless. Once, while merging back into my lane after passing a car I looked down at my speed and saw I was going much faster than I realized (ok, I was going 93). It didn't feel that fast and I had not intended to go that fast, but the bike did it effortlessly. I know that liter sport bikes and bikes like the ZX-14 and Hayabusa have more horsepower and can likely out accelerate the cr, but today the definite limiting factor on the bike was the rider. Also, when I did find some curves, and they do exist in Florida if you can find them, the bike handled very well. Again, I can't compare it to other sport bikes in the handling arena, but the bike felt very stable, turned and held a line very well for this slow rider. I was pleased with the handling. So, was everything great? Well, no. First, the mirrors were not as useful as I would have liked. I saw too much of my arm and shoulder and nothing of what was directly behind me. And too often what I did see in the mirror was fuzzy and hard to make out. My paint shaking Harley's mirrors are ten times better. If I bought one of these I'd have to see what could be done about the mirrors. The real issue I had with the bike, however, was much more of a problem for me. I found the bike very uncomfortable. In fact, by the end of the ride today I was so thankful to be home. 280 miles was way too ambitious for me today. I would really like to see how much more comfortable the accessory handlebars are for this bike. I would also like to see how the lower pegs would feel. At the end of the day my legs were bothering me some, but my shoulders and back started complaining much earlier in the day. So, in the end I came away impressed with many things about this bike, but realizing that the bike as it comes from the factory is definitely not for me. It might be for me with some changes, but I can't say for certain, not having ridden it with those changes. I have nothing but respect for those of you who can ride a sport bike long distances and enjoy it, I am not one of you. All of this, of course, is just my humble opinion. (Message edited by dynasport on July 04, 2009) | ||
| Ducdood9 |
Great writeup, thanks for sharing! | ||
| Pariah |
Excellent review! Thanks... BTW, I don't know how you positioned yourself on the bike, but the 1125s encourage a slightly slouched position with some bend in the arms. In that position, the mirrors are far more useful, although discomfort for the long haul may be exacerbated. I'd definitely take a break (at least for gas) every 80 to 100 miles, and by no means is this bike meant for long uninterrupted stints, at least in stock trim. (Message edited by pariah on July 04, 2009) | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Dynasport, I pretty much agree with your write-up. I too test rode the 1125CR this last Wednesday and it was a short ride which I had to stop because of a leg cramp. I'm also NOT a sport bike rider and prefer my Ulysses to the other Buells. But that 1125 motor sure does have the power, but then again it is more that I would ever use. I've only ever had my Ulysses up to a 100mph once and that was just to say I had done it. Too fast for an old fart like me! | ||
| Dave_bogue |
Thank you for taking your time (and money) to write this review. Well done. As a potential CR buyer I appreciate reading an unbiased ride report. I'm sure that the raised handlebar option and lowered footpegs make a significant improvement in rider comfort. I think there's a good chance that the "relaxed fit" ergonomics will be standard on a forthcoming model. BTW, I am very familiar with the best country roads in west central Florida. Anybody needing ride route advice can contact me: BogusDave@webtv.net. Dave Tampa Bay | ||
| Metalrabbit |
Thanks Dynasport! That was a great read and it carried alot of weight (no pun intended) being an ol Harley dawg. I have an 09r and it was definetly a "have to conform to" situation for my 6' 225lb 58 year ol bod,, yes 58, and thats no typo. Developing the "tuck" position was a three week training exercise for me, some things just didn't want to bend that much for a long periods of time. Unfortunately the bike wants you in a certain body position to show you all its wonders, and it has plenty of those! I was surprised that you didn't think the wind blast wasn't too bad. My impression it thats its more fierce than a hurricane! and I don't go much over 130. Its far more of a problem than on my VFR Interceptor. I'm gunna go for the "bars up mod" so its easier to get my lower arms closer to level and drop the pegs an inch or so to make the tuck position a little more comfortable. I like how the front end will "turn in" for you once you get your knee out and get down on the thing. Its like it knows how to corner all by itself, man thats rare in my world. | ||
| Carbonbigfoot |
Good review! I do wish I could let anybody interested take a spin on my bike the way I have it set up (high bars/low pegs). Makes all the difference in the world. R | ||
| Xl1200r |
Comfort must be subjective. I'm one of those whackos that can ride a sport bike for 10 hours in a day and cover 500 miles - and then wake up and do it all again the next day. In fact, just yesterday, I was getting on my bike and for some reason I took notice of the riding position (CR with stock bars and pegs) and thought to myself "Why would anyone want to sit on a bike any other way?" - but of course, I know inside that's it's just not for everyone. I'll get a chance to ride a CR with the high bars in a couple weeks - I don't think I'll change mine, but I'm looking forward to trying them out. | ||
| Ducdood9 |
Xl1200r Posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 - 09:33 am: Comfort must be subjective. I'm one of those whackos that can ride a sport bike for 10 hours in a day and cover 500 miles - and then wake up and do it all again the next day. _____________________________________ +1 | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm with you Xl - Summer riding affords a variety of positions. Winter, I'm almost always at as "full tuck" as I can manage. I have done several 500+ days on Loretta and I'm happy with the ergos. Zack | ||
| Dave_bogue |
"Comfort must be subjective. I'm one of those whackos that can ride a sport bike for 10 hours in a day and cover 500 miles - and then wake up and do it all again the next day." ------------------------------ Grasshopper, there is a strong correlation between age and perceived comfort. Dave Tampa Bay Fl | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm in my mid-50s and I haven't found a distance yet that can't be tolerated with a little Flexaril and Percodan afterwards. and a beer. and a shot of Turkey.  | ||
| P_squared |
The drop pegs made a BIG difference for me. Other than that, it was just learning to adjust to my new seating position going from an X1 to an 1125R. The 1st couple of rides, my neck WAS sore, but not anymore. Some folks are able to adjust easier than others. But if you're not coming from a sportbike posture to either the R or CR, there WILL be some 'adjusting' that needs to happen. I wouldn't recommend anyone do 200+ miles in a day on 1 of these bikes and hope to be 'comfortable' if they're not already used to sportbike ergos. Just my $0.02 & YMMV. | ||
| Codename_loki |
Not to be a braggert, but on my ride from Houston to Boston, I pulled a couple of 500 mile days and one 650 mile day on my 1125R and felt great! | ||
| Bri |
Dynasport, great review. 280 miles on a new bike is a long ride. Comfort is so subjective. Am 43 and 200lbs Just rode from Chinle AZ to Bakersfield,ca and the next day from Bakersfield to the coast and up highway 1 to monterey on my stock 1125r. No way could I have done that on my boulevard c90 . Am so pleased how stable the buell is at speed. | ||
| Mastros2 |
DynaSport, I'm on my 2nd Buell and neither had it's stock mirrors on for long. Both went to bar end mirrors. My elbows did look good in the stockers though! Haha Thanks for the write-up! | ||
| Dynasport |
I know there are guys on here that can ride a sport bike hundreds of miles every day with no problems. I am sure I could adjust and get better. I think with me it is more my weight than my age that is making it difficult for me. I do have two metal rods and three screws in my back as well, which probably doesn't help. Three hundred mile days are pretty normal for my on my FXDX though. But I did put higher handlebars on it for comfort before I was really interested in more spirited riding. I thought you were supposed to slow down as you age, but I just keep wanting to go faster, go figure. Anyway, I think I would be happier with the higher handlebars on the cr. I would also be interested in the r if it is not too expensive to convert it to the cr handlebars. I know it has been done, but I don't know how major a project it is or how much it would cost. In the meantime I am really enjoying the decision making/dreaming process of which bike will be mine next. Right now my riding time is EXTREMELY limited, so I am in no hurry. My work situation should become more normal in the next 3-6 months and then I will be shopping with money in hand. The funny thing is, I am considering completely different bikes. Too bad I'm not rich like Leno and could have a different one each day. As it is, I am happy to be able to have any motorcycle. Ride safe and have fun. | ||
| Mastros2 |
I know its a drastic comparison but the current body GL1800 (goldwing) has the rider lean slightly forward. A friend has one and used to own the previous body (GL1500) and said that the newer models are much more comfortable with the slight forward lean. He has severe lower back pain. Slight forward lean is the key here... "I am happy to be able to have any motorcycle" This is the key my friend! Ride what you have and have fun doing it. | ||
| Dirty_john |
My 1125R is as comfortable as my CVO Fat Bob, more so if fact at speeds above 75 mph. It all depends at what speed you ride, sportsbikes use wind pressure to balance the weight of the rider whilst relatively slow bikes like the Fat Bob use a riding position more suited to cruising - you pays your money and makes your choice. |
