| Author | Message | ||
     Mhlunsford |
I am looking for a second bike. Would a CR be a good commute bike riding through back roads for 30 Miles or would I be better off with an XB ? | ||
| Terrys1980 |
I rode mine back of forth to work a lot. A CR would be great if it already has the stator upgrade and rotor mod. It also has about 40 more HP.. | ||
| Froggy |
For back roads, it is great. Commuting on it in traffic, in the city, stuck at lights, and other similar irritations, the bike is not great at. It really wants to move, and at idle the fans will be blowing heat, the battery will have a hard time staying charged, and in general it doesn't like being ridden at lower RPMs (but a Race ECM helps) If you are going to be moving most of the time then go for it, but if you plan on riding in something like NYC for your commute I'd recommend something else less high strung. | ||
| Judsonkillian |
I'm getting ready to go to school, and use my CR to commute. I don't look forward to it, being on such a powerful bike to go back and forth to school. But it does handle very well, plus when you spot a gap in traffic, you can twist the throttle and you are gone. maybe a cruiser, like a regular Harley would be okay, but you get used to the power. | ||
| Shoggin |
I've had both and commuted on both. Get the XB and put on soft bags, a gel seat, low pegs, and a quick shifter. They both handle well enough to be fun, but with comfort and ease of use, the XB gets the nod... all DAY  | ||
| Pwillikers |
What Froggy said! I have a CR on which I commute frequently. My commute is almost all high speed so the CR's rowdy character is an advantage and fun. It's not so fun in traffic. I also have two SV650s, both upright and un-faired. When I have to go into downtown Austin and endure the beep and creep congestion, I choose the SV, the one with ABS, every time. SVs can be had for $2.5K all day and they are flawless commuters. | ||
| Stevel |
The subject of sport bikes verses cruisers has been around for many years. The bottom line is that it is not possible to have both in one bike or car for that matter. When commuting, the speed the commute takes is a product of the traffic along the way, not the handling characteristics or horsepower available. Another set of very important considerations are weather, corrosion resistance and repair ability. Now I know that the younger members of this forum won't like hearing this, but it is the truth that all of us will eventually agree with. Chrome doesn't weather well. Low engine speed torque eases rider and machine stress, especially in traffic. A low seat height and CG helps handling in city traffic. An upright rider position and low foot pegs eases rider fatigue. A narrow profile aids maneuvering in traffic. Electronics are prone to corrosion, connection bugs and troubleshooting difficulties. For commuting you need a bike that starts in all kinds of weather and all temperatures, doesn't corrode, can withstand the elements outside all the time with parts and service availability everywhere. I have a friend that is a freelance photo journalist and has been for 25 years. He lives in the Netherlands. To earn his living, he has to be where the action is, when it's happening and in any weather. He carries his VERY expensive camera gear in his saddle bags. His bike has to be fast, have long range, be super maneuverable and ultra reliable. He's gone through many bikes and now rides a Honda Pan-European. It's probably one of ugliest bikes ever made, but it works. None of the Buells ever made fit the above criteria. In point of fact, no sport bike does. | ||
| 1313 |
None of the Buells ever made fit the above criteria. Well •••• me! I rode my 2008 Buell XB12XT to work today... | ||
| Terrys1980 |
If there's no rain and it's above 55, I'll ride my EBR to work 2-3 times a week. It's a 35 minute ride half of that on the interstate. It depends on the rider. | ||
| Shoggin |
SteveL To your point, an SX does have low end torque, low seat height, upright position, narrow width, and no chrome. Exactly what you describe as a good commuter. And I don't think the electronics on a sport bike are more prone to corrosion than a cruiser. The commute question is much more about the person, than the bike. I am not young and happily commute 45 miles each way on my SX, 200 mile round trip on the weekends up the mountains for fun, and go to the store on it on Sundays. This was the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden (3,500 miles in 4 weeks). You won't find me on a highway couch. My butt would fall asleep!  | ||
| Stevel |
Commuting can be done on any bike, especially in good weather, but that was not the question Mark asked. Neither a sport bike nor the big cruiser make ideal commuters. A commuter must perform reliably in all weather, night or day and conveniently carry the stuff you take back and forth for work. In that respect, motor scooters are far more appropriate for the role. They were designed for just that. For that matter, commuters are utility vehicles used to accomplish a transportation task best suited to a two wheeled vehicle, like excessive traffic, parking concerns or economic reasons, never for fun. I never met any motorcycle rider ever that enjoyed riding in rain or cold, but yet inevitably all commuters are faced with foul uncomfortable weather. I now live in Germany. In Germany it rains everyday, somewhere. Taking a trip anywhere is unthinkable without rain gear. Commuters are used out of necessity, which one would you choose? (Message edited by steve-l on February 22, 2018) | ||
| Duanelr |
I ride my 1125 to work all the time. Usually because of necessity. It has got to be the all time worse commuting bike EVER. I will kick ass on the back roads and highways, but in town, forget it. | ||
| Shoggin |
Your point has nothing to do with the vehicle. The bike doesn't care if it's raining. "There's no bad weather, only bad gear". I live on the coast of So. Cal in the great ol' USA. It is the middle of February and it's 72* and sunny. Rain? Hahahaha. Why not use something you enjoy to get from A to B instead of the mind-numbing-plod-along-in-traffic-thing. Don't be lazy, lIfe's too short for boring motorcycles. | ||
| Araignee |
I used to commute about 20 miles each way on a 1982 Moto-Guzzi V50 Monza III. It had Krauser bags and a chrome tubular luggage rack that the bags clipped into. I'd undone the linked brakes and added a Dyna ignition and coil, got the plywood seat reshaped and added Koni shocks. It even had heated grips when I bought it. All boring period pieces, but that's what we had in the early 80s. The most fun and versatile bike I'd ever owned. Light enough and low enough to be a thrill on the twisty roads, and narrow and agile in traffic. Sold it to a diminutive girl who left a note on it when it was grungy and parked at a blues festival. She actually whimpered when she came for a test ride and saw it all spruced up. Made her day, I think. She had long envied a taller friend who rode a Pantah, but most sporty bikes were way too high for her. The Monza really made her happy. | ||
| Stevel |
Shoggin, It's a personal choice thing, go for it. When I lived in LA in '76, I rode a hot rod Kawasaki Z1. I thought I could make a bit more power by adapting a VW distributor to avoid firing a dead cylinder, which isn't so dead during valve overlap with a big cam. After a lot of work, I did it and I was correct, it was worth 5 HP on the dyno. After taking it to Germany, I got caught in the rain. I'll give you one guess on the result. LA ain't Germany! Araignee, Spot on......we often bias our view thinking new is always better than old. There are many cases in history that tells us differently. The famous science fiction author, Isaac Asimov's hobby was rediscovering lost science. the problem is quite real and motorcycle technology is no different. I find it interesting how easily we accept putting our life in the hands of a transistor in "ride by wire" solutions on a motorcycle. Perhaps on an ultra-sonic fighter, these things are necessary because human responses are simply to slow, but on a bike, it is an unnecessary and to me, an unacceptable risk. Today everybody accepts that disc brakes are better than drums. Well, they are not in every case. Drums are still used on trucks, fort lifts and construction equipment for good reason. Most folks here have never had their front disk brakes hydroplane in a tropical deluge....I have...... it's very exciting! Drum brakes have their place. How easily we accept electronic engine management, yet very few, if any of us on this forum have any means of troubleshooting a fault without shot gunning and best guess replacement. How are we to repair these Buells without replacement parts in 20 years or less? I can go on and on. There is no shortage of examples. | ||
| Araignee |
An interesting point on what I call appropriate technology. The success of Royal Enfield shows part of the riding public enjoys machines that are serviceable and functional, without being excessively complicated. For the same $6000 or so, you could have a KTM 390 or an older Duke 690, but then there's the complexity and maintenance issues for a constantly evolving machine, although single cylinder configuration does alter the equation a bit. The success of the Triumph Thruxton is also interesting, although they are not cheap, at about $18K or so. And spoked wheels? I know the technology of laced wheels has advanced, but I would hope they are at least running tubeless tires... You can buy a lot of sportbike performance for that price, but the electronic traction management on modern machines is a problem for me. I can see the point (with reservations) in MotoGP, but if you're pushing hard enough on the street that you need electronics to modulate your clumsy control inputs or your bike's peaky unmanageable powerband, or deal with the consequences thereof, you're a hazard to yourself and other road users. Sooner or later, your reach will exceed your grasp. Then there's the inevitable failures, due to setup, manufacturing flaws, coding errors, or effects of the operating environment, which can leave a rider accustomed to electronic intervention with a skillset which might not be up to dealing with the task/emergency at hand. Ask Guy Martin how he feels about traction control failures after his experience at the IOM TT recently. I'll accept that ABS brakes can help get you out of a situation that you failed to anticipate or to which your response was ineffective. Based on my experiences in ABS stabilized cars in icy conditions, the programed responses negatively interfere with instinctive responses, which are very difficult to suppress in an emergency or loss of traction control. You end up fighting an algorithm which thinks it is in charge and makes corrections to your corrections. Last thing most riders in this nightmare want to do is take their hand of the bars to toggle through the cluster and turn off traction control to respond to the problem organically. A similar case applies to the overwhelming reliance on optics in shooting. Sure, you can make some great shots with all the super-expensive electronic hardware and other tools. Until the batteries fail, or the temps, weather, or various impacts affect the scope's alignment, or the NVGs or other imaging gear you've taught yourself to rely on. I find honing my skills and perceptions more satisfying than teaching myself to rely on algorithm-driven responses. | ||
| Shoggin |
I agree with both your responses about electronics wholeheartedly. I love the Buell/ EBR for being such analog machines. I'll forgive electronic ignition and the solid state ECM. It's no R.E. for sure, but you can turn off the one nanny(traction control) the EBR has and ride it like it's 1999. Lol. | ||
| 1313 |
I never met any motorcycle rider ever that enjoyed riding in rain With proper rain gear, riding in the rain is VERY ENJOYABLE! You know that the others you meet on 2 wheels are other real riders. I won't intentionally set out in the rain for a local ride, but if I'm on the road and get caught in it I put on my rain gear and continue on my journey! Must be me, though, as I commuted 3 days this week on my 2008 XB12XT... | ||
| Zac4mac |
Snow and ice on the roads, bikes are in the garage and I'm in a cage. Lately I've been riding 2 of my 4 bikes a lot. 2009 XB12X (The Beast) is my go-to and nice days I'll take out the Westwind (1991). On a real nice day I'll roll the 1190RS out of my shop and into the wind. She's the first thing I see when I unlock the door and walk in. The Uly always wins tho with its power, luggage and TKC-80s. She loves county dirt roads.  Z | ||
| Mesozoic |
I've owned and ridden a lot of motorcycles and am not young either. However, I am a serious mountain biker, so I may be able to tolerate more uncomfortable positions for longer than others on the board. When I first picked up my '09 1125CR, I rode it constantly, evaluating its condition by putting it to the test of the daily commute. After 2 weeks of riding, I pulled something in my mid-back related to my neck position when riding the CR and had to stop for a week. Aside from the initial riding position causing muscle strains, the ECM mapping left a lot to be desired. The engine didn't run very well below 3000 RPM and would stall if attempts were made to run it with any load below that RPM. To resolve this, I had to perform extensive datalogging and remapping to the front and rear fuel maps. I'm now able to run the engine down to 2000 RPM, which helps tremendously with low speed maneuvering. I also had a cold start issue that was resolved by tuning the idle enrichment. Now the bike is very reliable and rideable in all weather conditions. It still burns my pant leg if the weather is warm and I'm idling for extended periods of time in traffic. I consider the CR to be more of a treat ride, something I don't ride daily, but a real fear inducing ride experience taken in moderate doses. The XB12Ss is easily the more practical of the two bikes. It has the same front brakes (ZTL2), has been tuned similarly to the 1125CR, will run at slightly lower RPM happily, gets significantly better fuel economy, and is generally more comfortable all around. If the 1125 were my only ride, I would still not hesitate to rock it daily. Whatever suffering you endure on the CR, it more than makes up for with its intense and aggressive nature, crisp handling, and ridiculous performance. | ||
| Shoggin |
No pain, no gain.  | ||
| Generalcuz |
I have ridden my 1125cr (With riser bars) to work for 8 years. Not sure what the problem may be, but I think it's a great all around bike. I am planning to take it out to California, to Seattle, and back to Denver next month. It's been a wonderful bike and the memories I have made have been priceless so far. As others have said, it's different and not like an XB or tube frame bike, but it is pretty nice. Has kept me happy this long, and up until I purchased it, had bounced around between a few different brands and price points. (You can't beat how cheap they are these days) | ||
| Fresnobuell |
These bikes are NOT commuters. I retired my 1125R from partial commuter to foothill weekend warrior and both the bike and I are happier. Expecting a high performance Twin to run at under 3,000 RPM is silly. Talk about a mis-application. It's been a common complaint since the bikes inception and the answer has always been "ride the bike as intended" and all is well with the world. (ie 4K to redline). | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Yeah, she doesnt like to be at 3k or lower, but Ive done a lot of commuting on a 1125 with no issues. | ||
| Shoggin |
How come a commuter needs to be lugged around at 3k? Isn't 4K OK dough-kay  Just ride it normally, no need for redline and no need to lug a highperformance V-twin. I think the question is more about comfort anyway. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
@Stevel--I notice you use absolutes a lot in your posts...ie never, every, always. You seem like a knowledgeable guy and I enjoy reading your posts, but you should know absolutes on internet forums will almost always cause problems. Anyhow, I would prefer an XB anyday of the week over a R or CR. I would prefer a R or CR over an XB for spirited riding. On a very twisty road, the XB does handle better than the 1125R. I can say that with some certainty as I have owned both. | ||
| Shoggin |
Really? "These bikes are NOT commuters."  | ||
| Mesozoic |
LOL, I have been riding my CR as much as possible lately. I seem to have become used to the riding position at this stage and quite like it (with the factory low clubman bars). I rode to Phoenix from Tucson and back last weekend and will do it again tomorrow! Looking forward to it... that being said, it's not an issue commuting on it one bit. Just takes a bit of getting used to the power and riding position. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Sure you can USE it as a commuter, but IMHO its a poor choice. Awful gas mileage, bad low RPM performance, questionable ergos, tendency to run hot, electrical issues etc. might steer you towards something else. | ||
| Coastrambler |
I "commute" to my morning coffee on the 1125R 4 or 5 times a week. It's narrow and quick and makes lane sharing easy on the street. It's 6 miles of almost all freeway. Local riding guru Doc Wong (You can google him) says riding alone in the rain is miserable, but riding in rain with a group of friends is fun. Rain gear on of course. That being said, when it's raining I take my car, with the top up. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Funny, I think riding in a group (more than 3) blows anytime. My experience in group rides has been on "poker runs" (perhaps a bad taste of group rides), but it always drops to a snails pace and it's just a waste of time (kinda like riding in the rain). I do have fun with my 2-3 riding buddies, but we have similar pace and we arrange our order descending from fastest to slowest so no one is held up. | ||
| Shoggin |
I agree whole heartedly. The 'Road captain' Harley BS just treats people like kindergarteners who have to hold hands to get across the park. Don't break the 35mph speed limit! But go to 3 bars and have beers.  I am blessed to have a large group of very competent, fast riders. It's ride to the next turn off and wait to gather up, then ride to the next turn off. We're not waiting long even with 30-50 miles between turn offs. Works for us and it's a good hybrid between run your own pace, and take care of the crew. | ||
| Phwx2 |
I commuted 30 miles on a cr mix of highway, stop lights, and twisties. Great bike but i did change to high bars. And the electric failed in on way or another for each of the 5 years. Usually in july. Then id switch to my xb. Now i work from home. I will figure out the 1125 electric someday. |
