| Author | Message | ||
     Mikeyp |
OK, You guys may not know me, but i've been riding Buells for 10 years and I also have the honor of being the first person to ever get banned from BWB, so i'm no stranger to the wackiness of being around Buells and Kool Aid drinking. I lost the keys to my 98 S1W, and i ordered a new set from the dealer. ($23...good deal!). While i was there, i looked at the 1125R. I got to talking to the sales guy, and before i know it, i'm on a demo ride. OK, first impressions? A little more comfy than my RC51, with the same motor. Ballsy low end, with nice pull up top. I was pretty impressed. Now the bad news. The bike was totally warmed up when i left for the demo ride. It was like 90 degress out today here in Joisey, and yet as i go to pull out, the bike dies. I know how to ride, i didn't stall it. At every stop sign, or redlight, the damn bike died on me when i started to pull away. I'd say in a 15 minute demo ride, the bike stalled 7 times. The sales dude who took me on the demo was really embarrassed, and he said this wouldn't be the bike i would buy, as he had another one on the sales floor, if i indeed were to buy the bike. Like i said, i'm no stranger to Buell, and it's, ummmm....track record. But damn,it kinda leaves a funky feeling in my mind on were to spend my $11k. On a bike that can't even get through a demo ride without stalling out, or should i just ante up a few more grand and go Italian? I really want to like the Buell, i even cracked off a nice second gear wheelie (that's a mandatory test on my Demo checklist), and it was nice. I was really comfortable on the bike. I just want to get in over my head with this Buell. I have a feeling this one is a little bit more advanced than my S1W,which i wrench on myself. (Check my profile) So, if you could give an honest, real world eval, i'd appreciate it. Please keep the Kool Aide drinkin to a minimum please.  I want to hear from the guys that got some miles on em. Guy's who ride em hard... Thanks... | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Bro, there is multitudes of this kind of info here. You will get plenty of opinions, both good and bad. It is up to you to sift through and draw your own conclusions. | ||
| Ccryder |
Mr Mikeyp: Good to see you around. My 25r was REAL tight when new and seemed like it wanted to stall just at a touch of throttle, off idle. After 8500 miles she revs a lot quicker and will roll fast or slow off closed throttle with out any hesitation. A number of us have experienced similar issues. Hmm, lost your keys, what an excuse to have to go for a test drive! Later | ||
| Citified |
Honestly? when I first got my 1125 I hated it. It stalled at idle when hot, gets really hot in traffic and gets 32 mpg. after the reprogram it no longer stalls but it still hesitates when I stomp on it to pass someone and still gets 32 mpg. hopefully with the 09s programing that will all improve. In fact only get the 08 if you like the blue frame, try an 09 when they come out. I will stick with this one because I , sadly, am a kool aide drinker, ps. the italians dont idle either, go with the brit (675) | ||
| Jdugger |
I think I qualify to offer an opinion: 1. I've put 15,000+ miles on mine since January when I got it. 2. I go through tires every 1500-2000 miles riding twisties in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. I'm not the fastest guy by any means, but I do ride, and ride A LOT, and ride long, long days of gas tank after gas tank. I've ridden that 1125r on a 500 mile day that started at 23 degrees F and I've ridden it 600 miles on days that got above 100. What you are getting in the 1125r is a bike that suffers numerous quirks, but few if any major failings. I suspect the stalling issue is a combination of the throttle response of the bike combined with the release profile of the hydraulic clutch. They are both a little "different" and take some getting used to. I still stall mine a fair amount, honestly. If the bike is dying as you release the throttle and have the clutch in while coming to a stop... that's a different issue. That's a wet and dirty air filter keeping air from the motor. I've been there after riding in the rain in AR. So, let's see, I'll try and summarize everything that's happened to my bike in 15,000 miles. I'll make it as negative as I possibly can. In no particular order: - rear blinker went out - factory battery went blah - air filter really needs to be changed every 6k, not every 12 like the manual says. 12k is too long, and if you get in the rain later in the filter's life you will make the motor run like crap and throw fuel system errors. - clutch "went out" -- as in, leaks fluid at the slave. The dealer reworked it, replaced all the seals, and now its super-duper-awesome! - the 5th gear recall - I've lost the glass out of two left mirrors - lost the bolt for the front brake line. Had to re-route that and get a new bolt with loc-tite this time! - I do/did get the fuel smell So, in 15k miles... that's all I can think of. I'll post up if I think of more. Seriously... the bike is FULL of nits and niggles. It's a brand new model! But, you get a 2 year warranty. I realized I'd have 50k on mine by the time the warranty runs out, and I liked the bike sooooo much. It's the most fun thing in the world to ride. | ||
| Josh_ |
Hey Mikeyp, Got my 1125R the first week in January. Now it has four track days (Barber with Keith Code, BlackHawk with the Buell 25th and 2 days in 96+deg heat last weekend at Hallet in OK) plus 2500miles on the street. Before ~1000 miles I was convinced I had made a mistake and was going to loose my shirt getting rid of it. It was hot, had ride-ability issues and vibrated enough to really rough up my wrists. Right at 1000 miles I installed a ThrottleMeister kit and took it to Barber, where the head mechanic found and fixed a throttle linkage issue (due to no lube the linkage was binding). The bike has been a dream ever since. Is it warm?** Yes. But better than my FJR1300 was (love that smaller fairing for sure). For comparison, the 07 ZX6R I rented one day at Barber and my 91 RS have no heat issues. Note that if you keep it above 8k RPM it does get quite toasty! You will be ready to take a break after 15min on the track on a 96+deg day. Does it shake? More than my 91 RS1200, less than the FJR1300 and the ZX6R. It's actually really smooth up to 95MPH in 6th when some buzz reached the pegs. My hands are fine after a 20min track session - even a full day on the track. I think the ECM could stand some tweaking, but the word on the street about the 09 ECM updates fixing driveability, MPG and engine heat issues has me excited - and I dont even complain about those much anymore. If you are at all interested I would jump all over the $9k '08s getting blown out here. Treat it nice for 1000miles, then track it and love it! (and put heavy bar-ends on it!) **Note: I also installed TechSpec's skins before Barber which (if you don't have leathers or riding pants) *really* cut down on the heat from the frame. | ||
| Royintulsa |
Twisties in Oklahoma - WHERE???? Just kidding, did the Locust Grove, Salina, Jay ride Saturday with the wife, Planning on spending 3 days this fall in Fayetville then 4 day trip that appeared in the last Road Runner edition, clover leaf south of oklahoma city. Could the 1125r be set up for two up touring for a few days or am I dreaming. | ||
| Josh_ |
Hmm, in editing my post I took out the stalling and throttle-control issues. I stalled it quite a bit at first, which was due in equal parts to the light-switch hydralic clutch and the throttle linkage issue. I was used to the clutch by the time the linkage was fixed and voila no more stalling. I'm also now used to the off/on throttle profile (tho I hope they smooth that out a little in the next ECM release) where the throttle seems to come off idle gently, then ramp-up quicker than your wrist is moving it. This was bothersome on the slower corners at Blackhawk before I got used to it. I did not notice it on the street. Oklahoma has plenty of curves! http://www.hallettracing.net | ||
| Jdugger |
> Twisties in Oklahoma - WHERE???? Southeast corner around Talihina. 2, 82, 1, 144, and so on. There aren't a lot of good roods, but some that are definitely worthwhile. | ||
| Bearly |
I stalled it when I bought mine, then I learn how much higher the bike is geared compared to my other Buells and learned to use the clutch. | ||
| Hayabusa |
This bike has some great characteristics as well as some issues that still need to be sorted out. Pro's Great handling Flat torque curve which is huge in the turns Low weight Comfortable riding position Great front fairing (no wind blast) Easy maintenance Con's Super Hot!! Fueling issues MPG Stinks Terrible Brakes (no progressive feel...all or none) That is my unbiased appraisal of the situation. I have owned Gixxers, Kawi's, and Yamaha's...all sport bikes, so I have been around. I am definitely keeping the Buell, I am hoping that the 09 fuel map will make all the difference and that Buell pays for the upgrades! | ||
| Zac4mac |
Hayabusa - agree on the pros, none of the cons. Can't think of any cons with Loretta now that she learns quickly and effectively. I love the hydraulic clutch, it feathers well once I acclimated. The front brake is the smoothest, strongest, most progressive brake I've ever used. In the first week or two I had her, I called it the Perfect Brake®. Finally got her to learn her maps after a reset or drastic elevation change. Now she runs smooth as glass, idling in 1st and 2nd easily at 9 and 13 mph. She'll idle in 3rd at 17 mph, but the transmission rattles a bit. I rarely use any other of my vehicles. Me and Loretta, 11,505 miles. Z (Message edited by zac4mac on July 24, 2008) | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Heat and MPG I agree with could be better...but this bike kicks ass everywhere else. Period. Engine Ice plus a shot of Water Wetter is on the slate for this weekend. Very curious to see if it really delivers lower operating temps or if it is just hype |
