I assume that on the 1125, the ONLY reason to rotate then engine during routine maintenance is to access the valves.
And the stick coils / plug [ front ] valve shim check, remove the cover, and a plastic keeper slide a finger out of the way ( after the check ) pick out the shim replace with new, slide the finger back, replace keeper and cover, I glued the gaskets to the cover to prevent issues due to gasket fallout....
Next
spend an afternoon trying to get mount bolts 5-6 to go into the frame because you missed an instruction on loosening the K brackets }
Plugs too? At least it's all the same maintenance schedule. Hard to be the XB for easy maintenance! I'm not sure what else comes close in ease of maintenance.
Yes it is plugs and valves at the same interval. You don't need to rotate the motor to do the plugs, but it does make it easier. Also it is easier to do the plugs than the XB motor. Honestly many on the forum just lift the frame off the motor, it doesn't take long and you have easy access to everything.
Also, it is easier and less frequent maintenance on the 1125 than the XB. The XB has the pain in the ass primary chain, primary fluid, and clutch adjustments on top of everything else. The 1125 basically has you check the valves every 12.4k miles, change the plugs, oil and filter, and then enjoy. Every 6200 miles is an oil change without filter. My Ulysses has cost me more in service bills in 10k miles than either of my 1125 has in over 20k.
The XB has the pain in the ass primary chain, primary fluid, and clutch adjustments on top of everything else.
I find that part to be very straight forward. The hardest part is the chain adjustment. It's a freaking chain! How many motorcycles have chains? Chain maintenance on a chain drive bike is way more intensive. As for the expense of it, it's a quart of oil. The whole fluid change is only 3.5 quarts. I guess if you want to pay shop rates for such simple maintenance, that's up to you. It's not much of a pain in the ass to do if you aren't the one doing it though.
Hey Frogs, How do you get the stick coil and plug outa the front cylinder head its kinda cramped in there with the engine in position....
Remove airbox, reach in and pull it out.
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I find that part to be very straight forward
Then you can do 1125 maintenance telepathically.
The primary chain is a pain in the ass with having to measure the slack in several spots, then dealing with hot vs cold, trying to deal with that tiny window, rotating the wheel and fighting compression, and all that other BS. What a terrible design, I bet Erik wanted to have that as gear driven like the 1125.
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As for the expense of it, it's a quart of oil. The whole fluid change is only 3.5 quarts
Yea so more oil more frequently. On the 1125 every 6200 miles you drain it, dump in 3 fresh quarts, then go on with your life. Do the filter every other time. The XB is a pain in the ass with requiring engine oil, filter, and primary fluid, and chain adjustment every 5000 miles. Ain't nobody got time for that.
you don't need to adjust the chain at the tight spot, the difference isn't great enough to matter. i just adjusted them all to 3/8" hot (they were all hot from warming up to drain the oil anyway). that is simple and straightforward. it really takes less than 15 minutes to do the whole thing, clutch and all.
someday I plan to build a blast motor and put it in an XB frame with a full fairing for my efficient commuter machine. those pushrod motors are so cheap to operate, they're reliable, and so simple! i just wish they could compete with the OHC water cooled design.
Not sure why this is becoming an XB vs. 1125 thing. Point is, the XB maintenance is easy. If it's hard for some, then that's an issue for them. They probably shouldn't wrench on typical bikes.
I've had no cause to look into 1125 maintenance. Good to know it's not bad. Still, rotating the engine to adjust valves will intimidate many. Certainly more to it than adjusting a simple chain.
The XL/XB chains don't need to be adjusted every 5K miles, just checked. There's an inspection cover. After the first 5K, they pretty much stay put. Now, adjusting the valves is another story. They are a real pain in the arse. Oh, wait...no, they are self adjusting. Never mind.
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