| Author | Message | ||
     Cleveland11b |
first of all hello. this is my first post, im not a kid i just dont use caps most of the time. i had an xb9s for the last 10 years. no problems other than the usual harley lifter tick that they claim doesnt exist...oh and being rear ended by a drunk and sliding 50 yards with the bike ontop of me at 45mph. but it was rebuilt 4 years ago and perfect ever since. i just traded it in for a 2009 1125r. i feel like a dumb ass for this but i think i got screwed a little. during the test drive i noticed a little clatter after shifting, especially in 1-3 and at low rpm. always from a stop in 1 unless i ride the clutch out and really give it some gas. i asked the salesman about the sound, he said they all sound like that. my dumb ass coming from an xb with the harley engine and not being used to the 1125 and what it should feel like yet...especially after dealing with the idocyncracy of the xb engine and random rattles and ticks i thought i just needed to learn the new engine to make smoother precise shifts...not a real issue with the forgiving xb engine. now that ive hat it for 2 days and put 3 tanks through it i dont think its the rider anymore. im worried that its the trans or possibly clutch. ive managed to lessen the effect by learning what the engine wants and better shifting as i get used to it, but i cant remove all the issue. the bike is a 2009 and only had 5500 miles which is why i bought it. first of all the engine purs great, there is a constant tick like a sped up stopwatch. and a little whine at high rpm. dont know if this is normal. the main issue is the clicking...more of a ratcheting sound at lower rpm in lower gears 1-3. generally until you put a good amount of throttle to it. im not sure if the sound goes away at higher speed and gears or if its just masked by the wind and rpm of the engine. plus the clunk every time you give it a twist of throttle while in gear. im not a mechanic but deductive reasoning says that it might be a trans issue, which i dont know anything about even what makes a transmission work. or maybe the clutch isnt fully engaging when released so the gears arent fully meshed. based on the sound thats all i could reasonably guess. also does anyone know any mechanics in the cleveland ohio usa area that even know what a 1125r is, all the metric mechs look at me like i drove a lunar rover into the shop. they say they dont have a clue how it works. thanks for any and all help. and the harley dealers wont work on them, even though they are supposed to be legally bound to service them for 7 years from the end of production per federal law. thank you for any and all advice or recomendations ps ive googled every term i can think of and watched a dozen youtube vids with no luck. (Message edited by Cleveland11B on June 16, 2013) | ||
| Imblasted |
what rpm are you calling low rpm? anything bellow like 3500 will sound bad. try staying at 4000 rpm, at LEAST above 3500. My 2009 CR does the same from what it sounds like. I started on a blast and then an XB12S and i too was used to using the very low rpm but ive gotten used to the fact that these beasts hate low rpms. someone correct me if im wrong | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Mine has always sounded like a sewing machine at lower rpms. | ||
| Captjoe |
Welcome to the group. The engine does clank and rattle a lot below 3000 rpm. Almost sounds like metal slapping on metal. I like to think it's character  Wait until you hear it start beeping like R2D2 after shutting down the engine. | ||
| Imblasted |
haha I love R2D2! but what do you mean? i haven't had it beep like crazy at me before. | ||
| Cleveland11b |
ok, first TY for the replies and welcome. So it should sound like gears not quite meshed ratchety sound? in 1st from a stop it sounds like a coffee grinder till i hit about 15 mph. it was at below 3500 rpm. ive been afraid to lay on the throttle and pop the clutch. My old xb would have jumped 6 feet off the ground. I will try it tomorrow, can I get a guarantee that im not going to pop a wheelie is i start out above 3500 rpm in 1st from a stop lol. very little documentation or video available about maintenance and what to expect. i watched a bunch of videos on youtube showing 1125's running trying to listen to see if their engine makes the same noises. on a semi related note im still learning shift points. again the xb was low rpm and easy, i always feel like im letting the 1125 rev too high for the speed. ive been using 1st till around 15-20 mph, then 2nd for around 20-35mph. feels like its reved too high but thats the speed it stops clanking like an xb in 4th doing 20mph. hope im not too annoying with my 40yo noob questions. ive never ridden anything other than a blast, xb9 and now 1125. no experience with any metric bikes that need 9000rpm in 1st gear. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ignore the numbers on the tach face. Halfway up (needle vertical) is where it likes to be. That's about 4000 IIRC - few beers in me and the bike is in the garage, and I ignore the numbers anyway. Go by position, not numbers. This is NOT an XB. Where the aircooled motor runs out of revs is where this one gets interesting. RUN IT. ive been afraid to lay on the throttle and pop the clutch Then learn to work the clutch. The hydraulic takes some getting used to, it can feel "dead", but you can still slip/ride it to get a good launch at 3000rpm. The 1125 is not an XB. Stop trying to treat it like one. It's a learning curve...but well worth the effort. And yes, I know what I'm talking about. My 1125CR is parked right between my Ulysses and my S2. | ||
| Cleveland11b |
ok, i will consider that an expert opinion. i always ride the clutch out, even on my xb. for some reason i thought that was a bad thing but i did it because it was smoother...and im a sissy. thats sort of what ive been doing on the 1125. riding the clutch halfway until i can give it some juice. so that wont damage anything doing that all the time? one last one tonight. is the big clunk when power hits the trans normal. if your cruising and let off then apply gas again there is a clunk when the torq hits the system. is that ok. it seems like that should be smoother. | ||
| Imblasted |
it sounds like youre doing that in a very low rpm. try it when you are above 3500 closer to 4000 | ||
| Stensg |
Its the nature of the beast. Everything you experienced sounds like the questions i had my first week of having my 112. Don't be afraid to wind it up around 4k. If you want to make it run allot better get the ebr ecm when i installed my keda rt3 and tuned ebr map it was like a new bike a hell of a lot smoother at low rpms. | ||
| Imblasted |
+1 thats what ive heard and i had the same questions when i bought mine. I ran it good and hard and she is still going strong eating tires for a snack. I have a Keda RT-4 on order and the EBR ECM is close behind. | ||
| Ljm |
I have four of them at various mileages. All sound like my sears lawn mower. I feel better with the two with slip-ons but probably just because I can't hear the noise as much. Doesn't affect how it runs, motors all still strong and no issues. Just sounds funny. Larry | ||
| Hardcorps |
Look in to upgrading your stator and the Stator housing from EBR now! I thought ahh I won't be affected by that, and at just over 10,000 miles my stator went out. I would have had a lot less agrevation had I fixed the stator issue prior to it going out. | ||
| Jonesgw |
All the talk about clutch etc.. I usually do cluthless shifts going up and mostly not always going down.. Anyone see any problems with that from a mechanics stand point.. I've replaced the stator/rotor/VR and starter clutch and if I can avoid it would rather not have to replace anything else. Would also replace the Sta/Rot/VR Cleveland if you don't want to chance it later. Thanks | ||
| Georgehitch17 |
09-10 bikes should be at or above 5k RPMS when possible. it will seem strange but You shouldn't be shifting into 2ng gear until 35 MPH 3rd at 45 MPH etc. You will burn that stator up cruising around in the 3K RPM range. | ||
| Cleveland11b |
tried that riding the clutch in 1st until around 3-4k rpm. the rattly ratchet is gone. thx. i still have a clicking, like a sped up clock tick at all times from the engine. and a chirp or squeek like sound when its in gear...are those normal are they correctable? plus the clunk in gear when letting off and applying throttle | ||
| Chameleon |
Qualification: I've put over 63,000 miles on my 2008 1125R. I had a 2007 XB12R before it.
Mine has always done that. I developed the subconscious habit of pulling in the clutch & gently re-engaging it when about to re-apply throttle. My 2010 Yamaha FZ6R has a similar driveline slop, but not quite as pronounced.
Check your oil according to the procedure published at the top of the 1125R forum section. Ensure it's at least to the fill line or slightly above it. Everything else you describe in this thread sounds typical for these bikes. They rev high. Operating the bike below ~3250 RPMs is lugging it. | ||
| Clutchreaper |
I can't stand riding the 1125 below 4500 RPMs. You most likely are hearing valvetrain clatter at those low RPMs. The bike was not built to be run like an air-cooled V. Get the RPMs up and feel how smooth it gets. I don't worry about the low RPMs as I don't enjoy being there. Usually, I'm pissing and moaning about bouncing off of the rev limiter. Ride it like you stole it. P.S. Bring a change of underwear. (Message edited by clutchreaper on June 20, 2013) | ||
| Craigsmoney |
This bike's rev limiter kicks in at 10,500 rpm (unless you have an ebr ecm) Use the revs. if you want to try and quiet down the engine, change the oil. I use amsoil 20w50. after I did that it quieted right down. I notice the tick on my bike too. keep'er cranked | ||
| Tbowdre |
It maybe posted above but you might have a loose rotor nut. Replace the rotor with EBR rotor, torque it to 300ft/pounds when installing, get a better/new stator. Consider a pipe and EBR ECM wear headphones/ear plugs Ride, smile | ||
| Cleveland11b |
ok, ive had a week of running the bike at higher rpms.all of the issues i complaned about are controlable now. im still having a hell of a time running 1st gear up to 30mph. the bike sounds like its going to explode with 4k+ rpm in 1st gear. it seems like the engine gets hella hot after going 4-5 miles like that. i had some hardly davidsuck dbags that were posing in front of a coffee shop yell at me to shift to 2nd when i drove by. last question for this thread hopefully...how do you ride under 30mph? if i have to go 15, 20, or 25 as most roads are around my house i have to ride the clutch half in for miles. until i get to 30mph in 1st the bike is sluggish and jumpy unless i ride the clutch. | ||
| Clutchreaper |
Is the ECM or exhaust stock? I'm wondering if you're just not used to it yet. The stock fueling makes the bike jumpy at lower RPMs and lower speeds. It can make low speed maneuvering difficult. When I first got my 1125 I felt the same way and wasn't confident at lower speeds. Time and adapting fixed that. Get an EBR ECM to make the bike run smoother and have more low end power. You'll feel a lot more confident on it once it gets the fueling the way it should be. | ||
| Stevenfrye |
Ditto mine sounds like a can of bolts below 4k so I've gotten used to flying around a little faster hahaha | ||
| Captjoe |
I recommend a good set of earplugs to make most of those questionable sounds disappear. To this day, shorter rides when I don't bother with the plugs, still get me worried. | ||
| Froggy |
With the race ECM I am in 4th gear just over 30mph no problem. 1st gear up to about 10mph, 2nd is till about 18 or so, 3rd in mid 20s, 4th early 30s, 5th about 40, 6th a little before 50. This is on my CR, my R needs a few more mph in each gear due to the smaller sprocket. Also riding your clutch to 30mph is a sure ticket to ruining it. Unless you are in traffic or about to shift, your hand should be even near the lever above like 5/6 mph. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
The bike is completely different with a race ecm. Much smoother. Spring for the ecm. You won't be.disappointed. |
