| Author | Message | ||
     Puls4521 |
Hey guys! I'm new to the 1125 page. I have spent a lot of time in the old school section in the last 2 years. I recently did a frame off on a '98 S1W, however after riding it for a season, the bike just didnt speak to me that way I wished it would have. Anyway, I have a guy coming to buy it this weekend, and I have been looking at what I want to fill the void. I found a 2008 1125R on craigslist for cheap. I contacted the seller and he said it has a blown engine and the tranny is locked up. I called him and he gave me a little more info. From what he told me, he took it to a buddy that had just started a bike shop to have new tires installed and the oil changed. When he went back to pick it up it wouldn't start... The guys promised to fix it, but 2 years later and a court case and all the guy had to show for it was a bike that didnt run and couldnt be put in gear. He had a Buell tech take a look at it and I guess the pistons move, but the valves are destroyed along with God knows what else and I have no idea what is wrong with the tranny. So now my question. It looks like worst case scenario this bike might need a full engine swap. Looks like you can grab a low ish mileage engine off ebay for $1,200. I would be getting the bike for $2,400, but in pieces (sounds like it is forks with the frame, engine with the swingarm, and everything else is in boxes but all there). I dont mind the work, and I thought this would give me a cool chance to build the bike the way I want, learn the ins and outs of this generation, and reasonably priced way to get into a 1125. Any opinions are definitely welcome! Thanks guys! | ||
| Rogue_biker |
Would it be possible for you to get a working 2008 1125R for $5k? I think that would be better. But if you want the project for the sake of the project then there's nothing wrong with what you're doing. Just be prepared to spend more $$. | ||
| Puls4521 |
Yea, I hear what your saying. I'm kind of a project guy, I like seeing something start as a pile of parts and turn into something awesome. I realize that the bike will probably cost more to build than it will be worth in the end, but like I said, it will give me the chance to build it my way. I guess I just want to check with the guys that know 1125's inside and out whether this is a feasible enough project. This is a whole new world for me. | ||
| Brokengq |
Rogue has a good point, just something to keep in mind. As far as a running 1125 goes, I think it will talk to you and say very pretty things. The valves do move, and its normal. The valves require adjustment every 12k miles or so. It's a shim under bucket setup, so there is a wear item in between the cam and the valves. The tolerances grow tighter as time and mileage go on, and the valves get closer to the pistons. Depending on mileage and rider style, the bike could've been ridden hard and never adjusted, and a valve could've jammed the piston. If thats the case however the valves would be trashed but the engine *should* still turn over, provided they didn't break and end up in the cylinders. To my knowledge that hasn't been documented before, doesn't mean it's impossible. There is one other thing that comes to mind. There was a recall on the early 08 models in which the timing chain tensioner broke into pieces and jammed the oil screen in the bottom of the engine. This led to oil starvation and engine lockup. This bike uses the same oil for the engine as it does the transmission, so I could see something like this being more likely, and it would take the motor and transmission. If it were me, I would get the VIN and call an HD dealership and check the recall status. If it isn't up to date on that particular one I would go ahead and assume it needs a motor. There aren't any other recalls that come to mind that lead to catastrophic engine failure if not remedied, but I could be wrong. Either way good luck. Hope to see you around here soon. Best group of riders and best rider support you will ever find is right here. (Message edited by brokenGQ on February 17, 2015) | ||
| Puls4521 |
Thanks for the input! I appreciate the heads up on the valve adjustment. I would be very interested to know what took this thing out. That being said, my first move was to ask the guy for the VIN. He said he will get it for me. I learned that lesson from my S1! I knew 1125's had a few issues so I figured a recall check would be a good first move. Hopefully you guys will be seeing plenty of me soon! These bikes are awesome, but the owners are incredible. Quite a family I stumbled into! | ||
| Mcelhaney14 |
I bought my 1125 as a project and had fun putting it together. I also had a friends 1125 engine all the way apart and found them pretty simple to work on. Engine parts weren't cheap so you might be better off doing a full swap depending on whats wrong. I would say if you can get him down to 2K you should have a nice running bike for a decent cost. | ||
| Matteson |
Run from this idea man. If you must tinker on one find one that hasn't had the sprague replaced. One that needs the clutch slave cylinder replaced, new fork seals, one that has a leaky water pump seal( engine rotation baby!) One that needs the valves done. Oh, and might as well throw in new wheel bearings too. There is a whole list of things to be done with a decent running 1125 to keep it happy. Skip the junked one. Besides you still need tp spend like a grand on the ebr ecm and pipe of your choice. | ||
| 2010_1125 |
First see how bad the damages are. Hell maybe it would be a good time to go big bore and new heads. You don't need a ebr ecm to get these things tuned. They are overrated and basically a stock ecm with a few extra functions turned on. | ||
| Puls4521 |
Haha, when I heard blown motor my first thought was "Big bore?". I will have to see how bad things are. I hoping to get it for about 2k, if not I think I'll have to take Matteson's advice and walk away. I love a good project, but I can definitely see this one getting upside down in a hurry if I'm not careful. I'm just waiting on the seller's response to $2k. Hopefully he will go down. Otherwise, I'll just hold on to my money and wait for the right deal to come along on another 1125! | ||
| Froggy |
EBR offers an 1190 kit, may be worth looking into, obviously depending on what the project motor needs  http://www.erikbuellracing.com/store/models/1125r/ 106mm-big-bore-kit.html http://www.erikbuellracing.com/store/models/1125r/ 106mm-big-bore-stage-1-upgrade-kit-with-ebr-exhaus t-system-ecm.html | ||
| Matteson |
2010 1125 I don't know how much your dyno guy costs an hour but mine is a bill an hour and that goes quick. Ebr ecms are great. And the price is right. The mapping is definitely different and far from stock. Back on topic... | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Wow that kit has really gone up in price. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Don't forget you get $300 core back for your cylinders.  |
