| Author | Message | ||
     Metalstorm |
To give an example of the fairing: The night before last I was riding with my buddy who has an 1125R. I was on my 12Scg wearing an electric vest and using my grip heaters. It was chilly out. On the ride home we swapped bikes and to my amazement, I was warm and very comfortable without my vest or my heated grips. My hands can freeze in summer but they were totally fine on this bike. It's amazing and a major Accomplishment on Buell's part how this fairing directs air completely around you. On Edit: I forgot to mention that I have the Buell hand guards installed on my bike plus the Tourtech hand guard extenders and my hands were cold with out the polly heaters turned on. Totally fine on the 1125 with no heat what so ever. (Message edited by metalstorm on January 21, 2008) | ||
| Brad1445 |
I think most people like a fairing and it's protection. The comments about it's width is in proportion to the Firebolt tail that was used here. They don't match. | ||
| Old_man |
A fairing should function to keep the wind blast off the rider. A fairing that doesn't do this, is, in my opinion, worthless. I have a Windjammer fairing on one of my bikes and a proper windshield on my Buell. If you want to be comfortable riding you need to keep the blast off. The bike cuts through the air more efficiently with a good fairing or windshield than a body. Posers will have none of either. How is looks to them is everything. Function is of little importance | ||
| Dentguy |
Come on Slaughter, the link asked about the visuals and I gave my opinion. I am well aware of the fairings job and I'm sure it works well, but thanks for the education. I didn't realize people weren't so aerodynamic. My comments were about the looks only. Lighten up. And I wasn't aware Rocket didn't like the scoops. Thanks. | ||
| Rocketman |
That second point is often lost on the people designing fairings to look good with the bike sitting riderless on the rear stand in the photo. Foks tend to forget that the rider's head, shoulders and arms are not the ideal shapes to slam into the wind. You're singing from the same hymn book as Court these days. You'd have us believe Buell invented aerodynamics. What other motorcycle manufacturers do is a trade off between looks and performance. Buell have the advantage of appealing to a somewhat small patriotic niche home market. If Yamaha, with a wider audience to reach, made their R1 less attractive in the manner Buell have with the 1125, R1 sales would fall. It's really that simple. The 1125 is not an aerodynamic revolution in motorcycle design. It's more about Buell being in a rather fortunate position to be able to look a gift horse in the mouth. Larger manufacturers don't have such luxury. Their bikes have to look good for a worldwide audience, even when it means slightly less aerodynamic. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Posers will have none of either. How is looks to them is everything. Function is of little importance Buell seem to have built bikes 10 years ago for blokes going through their menopause. Seems the 1125 is built for these same blokes. Boring old farts then. Rocket | ||
| Socoken |
Sean, While I agree with much of your post, I dont think Buell threw its loyal customers under a bus with the design of the 1125R. I dont think any manufacturer that counted on that sort of brand loyalty would be in business for very long. Just remember, not everyone hates the way this bike looks. Also, if no one ever took a chance with a radical or unproven design, motorcycles would be a lot less fun to look at. While Buell certainly enjoys some loyalty from the patriotic, it also draws the "dare to be different" crowd, and no one is going to mistake this for an R1. The front fairing on the new R6 looks fugly beyond fugly to me. | ||
| Metalstorm |
Larger manufacturers don't have such luxury. Their bikes have to look good for a worldwide audience, even when it means slightly less aerodynamic. It seems like a large majority see the Hyabusa (sp?) as pretty damn ugly regardless that it's slippery and works well. It doesn't seem to have a problem selling. Is Suzuki the exception to the rule?  The two bikes are as different as night and day but the point's the same. | ||
| Brad1445 |
Funny you say that Metalstrom. After I seen the 1125, I bought an 08 Firebolt and an 08 Hayabusa. Ugly is not the issue as much as incorrect design proportions. I think the Busa is the ugliest bike made by far. I choose it over the 1125 as the Busa was designed as a whole not in bits and pieces.   | ||
| Doerman |
Buell seem to have built bikes 10 years ago for blokes going through their menopause. Seems the 1125 is built for these same blokes. Boring old farts then. Well, that would be me. But I suspect a large cross section of the population like it. In the one month of ownership I have put on many in promptu Buell seminars wherever I have stopped. The people that come over to ask questions and make comments come from a wide cross section and are really interested in the bike. Many comments are positive to the looks others are silent on the looks. All are positive on the bike overall and admire BMC for making this bike a reality. Time will tell as always, but there's enough interest out there to make this a success. I got my XB9R when it came out in 2002 and the interest in it at the time was not even close to what the interest is in the 1125R today. | ||
| Old_man |
Some "boring old farts" like to ride bikes, rather than sitting on them outside the pub, admiring their looks. | ||
| Court |
Funny thing is the Hayabusa ain't all that slippery. My riding partner has one and the looks have kinda grown on me but it was done by a stylist not an engineering team. Buell didn't "invent" aerodynamics. . . they used them, better than any motorcycle manufacturer to date, to the intended advantage of the rider. I like that and, as a long distance rider, I totally dig reading that post about how well the fairly works. Well done. | ||
| Brad1445 |
I run a marketing department. Court I would hire you in a minute! I love your writing abilities. VERY eloquent! And always technically correct but pushing the envelope of truth like a lawyer.  | ||
| Brad1445 |
this is gold _______________________ Buell didn't "invent" aerodynamics. . . they used them, better than any motorcycle manufacturer to date, to the intended advantage of the rider. | ||
| Rocketman |
I dont think Buell threw its loyal customers under a bus with the design of the 1125R. Nor do I Ken. My point was, they've grown old together. Is Suzuki the exception to the rule? Only in as much as it had a specific goal they wanted to aim for when they designed it. That was to be the fastest production motorcycle built, and to break 200mph. So its style had to be very determined in its approach to achieving that goal. Also consider the Hayabusa doesn't represent all of Suzukis trade mark look. It didn't need to, as it too was aimed at a sector of the market considerably less mainstream than say Suzukis typical super bike buyers. I'd say Suzuki got to look the gift horse in the mouth too with this one model. Rocket | ||
| Bigblock |
Methinks beauty tis in the eye of the beholder, and the mind tends to shape what we view... Perhaps an unbalanced mind tends to give an unbalanced appearance to things...  | ||
| Rocketman |
But I suspect a large cross section of the population like it. In the one month of ownership I have put on many in promptu Buell seminars wherever I have stopped. The people that come over to ask questions and make comments come from a wide cross section and are really interested in the bike. Like I said, Buell looked a gift horse in the mouth. It couldn't fail to be the star attraction on home turf. Probably not if were even more controversial looking than it is either. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Some "boring old farts" like to ride bikes, rather than sitting on them outside the pub, admiring their looks. I like to do both  Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Methinks beauty tis in the eye of the beholder, and the mind tends to shape what we view... Perhaps an unbalanced mind tends to give an unbalanced appearance to things... Which is why Nicole Kidman ****** my brains out last night, and not Ugly Betty. Rocket | ||
| Doerman |
I'm not so sure about the gift horse thing. It is a view from your point of perception, which is dislike. Why would the stir be different in the home market than elsewhere? Riders are riders, regardless of the flag they carry. As a matter of fact, most people don't carry much of a flag these days. The Inside Track events got the word out in the home market and primed the pump, so that is one difference... | ||
| Court |
Tell ya what . . . the folks at Buell have among their number some very talented engineers. I still laugh about the young Badwebber I once took to task asking "what the heck are you a rocket scientist?". I laughed my butt off when I got the very kind and respectful reply "yes, sir. . . I work for NASA in Houston". Of course he now works for Buell and is representative of how Buell has leveraged the "we don't need every engineer, just some really good ones". Erik was doing stuff with motorcycles and wind tunnels (and creating some damn good tales about some his barter for time deals) long ago when other folks were just "makin' it pointy". No one at Buell has ever claimed to have penned, authored, appended or revised the laws of physics. There are some folks with a good theoretical and practical understanding however. Buell hasn't a lock on this, simply a leg up as a result of their size, philosophy and. . . if I may quote Court . . . being "mobile, agile and hostile". The 1125R fairing is damn sure not the best LOOKING front end I've seen on a motorcycle. Fortunately all my books of quotes are plum chucked full of crap like "looks are only skin deep" and on and on and on about how looks contribute little unless you're playing violin in a bathing suit in Atlantic City . . . . Buell's goal was to design, build and market a really great motorcycle at a price point 85% of their owners would actually buy at. To that end . . .the 1125R is a gifted piece of engineering and an excellent motorcycle. Someone, not liking the looks, has the most American of commercial freedoms at their disposal. . . they are fee to buy whatever they choose. Court P.S. - I'm open to offers in 18 months . . . I've written letters for the Commanding General of the USMC, Vice President Bush's staff and have brown nosed (I read it on the (Message edited by court on January 21, 2008) | ||
| Rocketman |
 Funny thing is the Hayabusa ain't all that slippery. My riding partner has one and the looks have kinda grown on me but it was done by a stylist not an engineering team. Buell didn't "invent" aerodynamics. . . they used them, better than any motorcycle manufacturer to date, to the intended advantage of the rider. "ALL TOTALLY INACCURATE" The Hayabusa was developed using wind tunnel testing, a result of which Suzuki claimed at the time was the most aerodynamic production motorcycle manufactured. It would be very interesting to see the facts that lead you to believe otherwise Court. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Buell hasn't a lock on this, simply a leg up as a result of their size, philosophy and. . . if I may quote Court . . . being "mobile, agile and hostile". And there from the horses mouth is the gift horse I was referring to. The 1125R fairing is damn sure not the best LOOKING front end I've seen on a motorcycle. How dare you say such crap? I should poke Coke bottles up your rectum for at least an entire month. Actually, come to think of it, all my comments have just been vindicated by Buells greatest ambassador. Whodathunkit! Rocket | ||
| Court |
You're babbling . . . think coherently, organize your thoughts, THEN type. | ||
| Rocketman |
What's up Court? You've resorted to trolling after all these years  Rocket | ||
| Gschuette |
I like the Yamaha look. If I got a superbike in the next year (I won't be) it would without a doubt be a R1. Until the CBR1000RR comes out at least. | ||
| Darkice19 |
Some people like it some dont. I for one love it and am glad i was one of the first people in the US to Actually own one. Its the only bike ive bought months before i'd even seen one. Im even thinking of buying a ticket to Yorkshire so i can have someone over there change my oil. | ||
| Sheridan_bueller |
Rocket, you've answered your own gripes... and I quote "Only in as much as it had a specific goal they wanted to aim for when they designed it." This can apply equally to whom ever is building motorcycles this day and age. Buell just does it better in my book. That's why I bought one. Do yourself a favor and do the same. That way you won't have to talk with your pants down. Kind of makes it stink around here. | ||
| Court |
No actually, you really are babbling . . . we're entering that phase of your annual rant-cycle. The Hayabusa was indeed shaped in the wind tunnel (although I'd like to see where Suzuki claimed it to the "the best". . . perhaps they did, I don't it) as was the Kawasaki. http://www.qsl.net/n5mya/aero.html is a fairly interesting discussion. I think the part that sums it up is
They did a nice job. . . . . | ||
| Rocketman |
No actually, you really are babbling . . . we're entering that phase of your annual rant-cycle. Actually, the phase is controlled by Blake's willingness, or not, to let me have at it without suspending my account. Otherwise I fear, there'd be nothing cyclic about it. Actually, the truth is, you and a handful of others have only yourselves to blame for what you call my 'annual rant phase'. If it were not for the bullshit and the over exaggeration, I'd be happy to go along with the status quo here, in the knowledge that Buell build fantastic motorcycles. Amusingly though, some here would have us believe Buell invented the wheel. We all know that's not true. A Stone age man called Shirley was found pretty well preserved in a peat bog in Wiltshire clinging to the earliest wheel known to man. Strangely enough, Shirley's passport (they found it in his loin cloth)was stamped with a US visa. You don't suppose Erik's ancestors knew this guy do you? The Hayabusa was indeed shaped in the wind tunnel Not styled then? Wonder why they went to all that trouble  Guzzi motorcycle wind tunnel. Built before Erik was born. Whodathunkit. Rocket |
