| Author | Message | ||
     Thedavyboy |
I could not deal with it anymore so I got rid of my buell and bought something else . I'm not gonna bad mouth Buell because I really did like the bike . I could not take hearing anymore that the parts are on backorder . So I picked up a new ride last night and I'm not looking back . I just want to wish you guys good luck with your bikes and trying to get parts . This is a great site with knowledgeable people . So I'm off to do what I've been trying to do all summer , and thats ride . later | ||
| Jng1226 |
I don't think most people will blame you. So what did you replace her with? And what did you sell her for? | ||
| J_copeland |
+1 What did ya buy? | ||
| Puredrive |
So how much did you sell the bike for? Just curious. | ||
| Dman |
Sorry it didn't go well with the Buell, it happens, I think everyone understands where you're coming from, if you have problems, it can get so frustrating, no matter how much you want it to work out. Love to hear details on what you bought & how the sale went. | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Thanks for not going redscuell on us. Hope the new bike works out. | ||
| Baggh |
Hey Thedavyboy... I am right there with you. I have an '09 1125 and a '08 XB12S. The XB is bullet proof but the problems with the 1125 are huge. In a nutshell the bike is a rockstar when its running BUT I had the clutch weep fixed twice... had to denoid it... AND had the harness fix that ended up not being a fix. I took my 1125 in this past weekend to have the charging issue fixed again. In short (and this is documented on these forums) there isn't a fix for the charging issue and will not be one (a band aid is to charge the battery every night). I paid full price for my bike 3 months before the firesale. I am currently talking to my dealer about trading in my 1125.. looking to get a forty eight orrrr Vrod. If you do not mind me asking... what did they give you on trade-in? I owe 12K and they'll give me 6K... given the non-fix charging issue I am requesting they basically take the 1125 back and allow me to get another bike. keeping my fingers crossed btw.. I luv my Buells I'm just not a fan of paying for something that is not reliable... in 1 year the 1125 left me stranded twice... its unreliable. | ||
| Thedavyboy |
Well the laundry list was long from weeping clutch to charging system that has failed twice and is currently back for the charging system again ! just to name a few things .. I went a different route this time and bought a Harley Street Bob ! Always liked the Bobber look so this bike fits me fine , very comfortable . since last night I already clocked 200+ miles . More then I put on the Buell all of last month ! I got 4k for the bike so I took a hit but the way I see it I'm not paying anymore for a bike I can't ride . I wish things were different but I don't see much improvement with the parts or reliability anytime soon ! And all I want to do is ride .... | ||
| Jules |
Can't say that I blame you for moving on....but to a Harley? Ah well, I wish you well with the new ride, irrespective of what it is, hope you have lots of fun  I'm gonna rise above responding to Baggh's post as TBH the bleating moaning posts are really getting on my tits now. Glad yours was a much more positive style | ||
| Baggh |
Wow... thats a hard hit davy but I agree... i would take the hit too but I'm gonna fight a bit to get more. I looked up some Lemon Law info for TX and it appears that our 1125's may be just that... Lemons. The lack of a charging fix and no R&D plan to address this issue puts it smack dab in the lemon category. If there was a fix... no problem... I'd wait... I luv this bike... but, like you said, I dont want to pay for something that will not have a proper fix... I want to pay for something that is reliable and totally jazzed about. | ||
| Baggh |
Jules...? I certainly do not mean to moan... once again I luv the Buells or I wouldn't have purchased 2 of them at full price. I don't think it is cry baby~ish to have a certain expectation level of a vehicle you purchase... a brand new vehicle at that. I certainly do not expect my new ride to constantly leave me stranded or worried that it may leave me stranded. | ||
| Baggh |
davy... congrats on the new bike! I was looking at all the models this weekend... the Street Bob is a sharp looking bike. Once again... congrats and hope you have many miles of worry free\ enjoyable riding | ||
| Frogbuster |
Well I to understand. Got worried about all the recalls, breakdowns, and present and future parts problems. I really dont like the idea of breaking down far away from a dealer in a very remote area (I ride alot of remote backroads). While at the dealer getting "another" bandaid, I traded my 09 1125 CR for a new DYNA Super Glide. Of course totally different in every respect, but it turns out for me, its a "good" different. I feel I did get a good deal, but after 6 months now, they still have not sold my 1125 CR. Not knocking Buells, they are fantastic "while they are running", but I just think the writing was on the wall for Buell and they simply just ran out of time to get the bugs worked out. Its a tragady, but you know s--- happens. Wish you guys the very best, ride safe! | ||
| Attweco |
@Frogbuster: I traded my 09 1125 CR for a new DYNA Super Glide Good on you! In all the years and thousands of miles, my Dyna Super Glide Custom has never given me one moment of trouble. It's my every day bike, and my '09 1125R is my child with "special needs". I totally love the 1125, and won't part with it. But it's not rock solid, like my Harley. | ||
| Jules |
I certainly do not expect my new ride to constantly leave me stranded No offence, but that's kinda what I meant, from your first post you say it's stranded you twice. Now whilst I agree that's bad I have to say that unless you've only ridden it twice then it's not constantly leaving you stranded. But I do absolutely agree that if you buy a road bike it really should work for the purpose you purchased it. You seem like an intelligent guy, and obviously a keen bueller so there's probably more to your experience than a couple of breakdowns and a few minor issues which is all you've mentioned before calling the bike unreliable and constantly leaving you stranded... That's really all I meant. | ||
| Dannybuell |
When I bought my 96 S1 in 97 with 7500 miles on it i went through all kinds of 'issues'. Those old tubers had their 'issues'. Being stranded more than a few times can make you very insecure. I was addicted to the adrenaline rush and the downtime was painful. Buying American isn't the easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do. The 1125 bike is very close to being World Class. Spend a bit on the suspension, exhaust, ECM and an 1190 conversion this winter to chase away the blues! An 1190 is World Class. If other bikes are so great how come they have the same issues as we do? I just did a CL-MC-Portland search for battery 'tender' 41 responses, no Buells. A good mechanic with a SM can do anything. It just takes a little longer when you are doing something for the first time. That's the rub, it costs the mechanic to slow down going into unfamiliar territory and learn something new. If you have a slow/lousy dealer don't wait until you blow a fuse. Parts on back order may or may not be the truth. If confirmed here OK. Some dealerships retain talent better than others. Dan at LatusHD has been working on Buells for over 12 years. Do some profiling; 1. How many Buell tech's do you currently have on site? 2. How long has your senior Buell tech been at your dealership? You get the idea. | ||
| Bosshound |
My 1125r is still in the shop. Week 3. Thank God I have the BUSA and the M109. Still Miss the Buell. I won't get rid of it because it has it's own personality. Not Perfect but Niether am I  | ||
| Bartimus |
I had about 30,000 miles on my first S2 when i first heard there were recalls on it. It took another year or more for me to get them all done because I was too busy riding the damn thing. I'm one of the lucky ones, I have had zero problems with my '09 1125CR. I felt some surging around 3500 RPMS, but that was all resolved with an Erik Buell Racing ECM. Life is good! | ||
| Letskeepriding |
Man, I hope I don't run into that shit. I ordered the harness kit. My lights just flicker, but the battery doesn't go dead. I wonder if I should leave it alone ! I sure don't want to end up on a Harley ! | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Anyone who trades a 1125 for anything HD bought the wrong bike in the first place. | ||
| Baggh |
Cover your ears... errr.. eyes Jules... First off I think everybody is on this site because we all luv Buells. I certainly do. I am very proud to be an owner of 2 of them (my only bikes). We are also on here because we enjoy the site itself. It is chock full of Buell lovin and information sharing. I appreciate and enjoy reading the info here, its very helpful... I also enjoy the ability to purchase Buell goods from other Buell riders on this site. Click on my name... a pic will come up of my 2 Buellys. Now that I got that out of the way... hopefully it is clear that I am a huge fan of Buell and his bikes (Buell and I happen to share hometowns as well.. we are both Pittsburgh natives). Anyway... what I said above was for Jules benefit or anyone else that, for whatever reason, thinks I am bagging on Buell for the 1125's problems. Others within this thread traded in their Buells, I would bet, as a last resort. I went to trade in my 1125 this weekend for the same reasons that they did. I simply cannot and will not part with mine for 4K (I paid 14K just over a year ago). This "trading in" thing is not anti-Buell in my opinion. Most people, like myself, did not purchase a Buell as a "project" bike... or to be test-beds to work out the kinks at our own expense, safety, and comfort. I bought my bike because I wanted one of these badass machines that oozes a unique style, sound, power, and yes... to have an American Sportbike. Once again... I did not purchase the bike for a project bike... if I wanted a project bike I would have purchased a 3K bag of bolts on a frame from craigslist or something. I wanted a great piece of machinery to RIDE... not stress over or wonder when it will be back from the shop... or back in it. Clutch weeps, denoiding, even the charging\stator issue are fine to deal with. My personal problem is that I was told by the dealer (and I read on these forums) that there is not a charging issue fix AND will not be one. R&D on this bike is dead. So it is just a matter of time before my stator goes again... and again... and again... then again and again after my warranty runs out. My frustration is not with Buell but rather the principal. I purchased a brand new mean machine to ride it... and expected Harley to back it up so I could do just that. The fix for the charging issue that was last told to me by the dealership (which actually I told him that I read on this site) was 2 things... keep the battery tended every night AND keep it revved above 5 K at all times. That is not a fix... it is a band aid and a cheap cover for a failed part... a defect that, if it happens in a certain scenario, can be VERY dangerous. Rather than talking about "Ahhh quit complaining... just deal with it"... or "All first run bikes have issues"... rather than blow it off and live with this situation what we should be doing is banding together and demanding (as Buell fans and consumers) a proper fix OR an equivilant trade. HD is banking on us to just live with this issue... for us to simply just blow it off because we adore Buell. Adore Buell... yes we do... deserve horrid customer service and to suck up improper engineering we do not. I love my Buells... I detest how HD is treating our purchases.. purchases we made with our hard earned money. We should not be making excuses for or accepting "non-fixes"... we deserve better. Go ahead Jules... lemme have it. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
So where is the evidence the harness fix is not a permanent fix? | ||
| Baggh |
Redo Harness install "fixes" are reported all over this site. This is where I first heard about repeat stator failures. I kept my fingers crossed that I would not have one but... well... 2K miles after my first harness the problem repeated itself. I took it in before the actual stator blew because I knew the signs... because it happened before. More official would be: I took my bike in last week... told the tech whats up with the bike and such. I dealt with this tech quite a bit with all my previous 1125 fixes... he's a straight up good dude... I trust him. Anyway... he told me that he called HD tech support and what he was told was... "There isn't a fix other than the harness that was already installed. To prevent the stator from going bad (repeat failures) is to keep the battery tended at night AND to keep the engine revved at or above 5K." Thats it... the tech agreed with me that it's a raw deal... that a bike costing this amount shouldn't need charged every night (thats along the lines of having electic motor requirments) and keeping the engine at 5K... well... good luck with that at red lights and bumper to bumper commute traffic. Thats the info I know... if there is a "true fix" by all means PLEASE let me know. I will pass the info on to my dealer. | ||
| Pariah |
Baggh, I hear you about the "project bike" side of ownership. The XB line is older and more seasoned than the 1125 line. Most likely, every conceivable bug has been wrung out of the XBs. But suppose (and I am speaking hypothetically) that a serious problem is discovered with the 1125 (and reported on this forum first, most likely!). Who will advocate for us (the owners of 1125 bikes) within Harley-Davidson, to provide a fix? Is there someone there who will issue a recall notice and develop a repair for the bike? If anybody has answers on this forum, I am all ears. I'm alarmed by a couple of factors: the absence of Buell-related R&D and our relatively small size as a group. We are so small that I doubt that we matter in a bean-counting sense. Even in the improbable, apocalypse-inducing scenario in which every 1125 owner traded in for a Harley, would there be a significant increase in H-D's annual sales figure? In other words, is it worth it for Harley-Davidson to keep us happy? As you've mentioned, I think the lack of support for us should be of some concern. This is a motorcycle, not a car, and reliability is critical to safety. I do have some faith that once February 2011 rolls around, Erik Buell's new company will offer us support and return full confidence in the upkeep and safety of these (fundamentally) outstanding machines. And, if not, rapture-inducing S1000RR or CBR1000RR ownership awaits me! | ||
| Rt_performance |
WOW I been blessed with just a couple minor bugs. I love my 1125r But if i had paid full boat 14k i would need anger management. I think mechanically speaking what others have said about the voltage regulator is to small for the out put of the stator is the real cure. It will be a cold day in hell before i ride a pretty piece of chrome. HD trade value means nothing to me I want a sport bike. When or if i get overwhelmed with issues. Erik Buell Racing street legal sre not available i will flip a coin for a Duc or Trimuph | ||
| Blackstripes |
Yeah RT, I read this whole thread and while reading it, I was thinking two things: 1) I totally agree with the fact that if you buy a new bike, you do because you want the warranty and you don't want to have issues based on ex owners. and 2) Why would you trade-in a sports bike for a Harley? Well... let me rephrase that, since a lot of people go from sports bikes to cruisers. Why would you trade in a sports bike for a cruiser because you are having mechanical issues with your bike... oh well.. I guess, since we all bought new Buells @ Harley Dealers is a lot easier to just say, •••• it! and trade your bike at the same dealer. Anyway, I am not bashing at all the OP because he got a Harley, its his deal.. I was just curious RT...I don't know if Duc or Triumph has a bike that I can replace my CR with... I was talking to a friend a week ago and we were trying to find a bike that weighs under 450 lbs wet, has over 150HP and with an MSRP of under $12K (i guess that get rid of all Ducs )... and we just couldn't find one. | ||
| Thedavyboy |
RT you are lucky and I hope you don't have issues . For me it became to much of a constant battle to keep my bike running . To date I have over 500 bucks in tow cost ! Nope I'm done !!!I wish you guys luck . | ||
| Froggy |
There has been a lack of support by HD since the 80's, nothing new.
Whats happening in February?
He isn't lucky, I have two and don't have major issues either. | ||
| Frogbuster |
Everyone: Lets face facts and reality here. The 1125's are an engineering marvel, but the bugs arent worked out of it, like most things new. Yes I traded my 1125CR for a SuperGlide, while I was at the dealership (WAITING ON ANOTHER BAND AID). I did not give it away, I did in fact get a super deal, I really made money based on buying the 1125 for 6K new. I took advantage of a right now deal. Was it hard, well my problems are solved, I dont worry about parts, service, or breaking down far far from home now. This is not a scenario for all 1125 owners. You just can not give your bike away, you have to weigh the good, the bad, the safety, future parts, etc....Harley aint no sport bike company, they are old 100 year old designs that are classic and now super good bikes, but they are not sport bikes. How many of the techs are "real" Buell mechanics, be honest. I think we were all duped a little. When you see an 1125 and ride it, you are instantly IN LOVE! Well when you are in love, you know what can happen. Think about this folks: Its the ENGINE that is giving the problems and who makes the engine ROTAX, what are they doing, they are still in business and they make lots of engines, wonder why they are not standing behind their engines, think about it.....I dont know. Eric sources his engines, he doesnt manufacture them, thats the issue here folks, it is really not Harley or Buell, it is the ENGINE!!!!! | ||
| Tpoppa |
it is the ENGINE!!!!! I assume you are referring to the stator. Are you sure the 09/10 stator is from Rotax? The (trouble free) 08 stator looks just like other Rotax stators, the 09/10 does not. |
