| Author | Message | ||
     Syonyk |
Since people are already annoyed at me for voicing my opinions... figured I'd throw this out. It's written for a different forum, so explains some stuff that people here probably already know, but voices my complaints with the 1125R, and mostly with the Service Experience. Flame away. ============ I think I'm getting tired of the Buell 1125R Ownership Experience. And, an Experience it is. For those not keeping track, I've had my 2008 Buell 1125R for about 4 months now. I've put around 3500 miles on it, mostly commuting around town on the highway, with some longer weekend rides mixed in. I got the Buell for a decent price, as the local shop was clearing out 08s right before Buell was killed. I liked the Buells I'd ridden in the past, I like the idea of an American sportbike, and the reviews of the 1125Rs were very, very good. A liquid cooled motor is great, belt drive is great, they look good (especially with the lower fairings on), they're powerful, and it would have a warranty! So, I bought one. This was an interesting experience. Buying a Buell at a Harley dealership is not really what they're used to. It seems that at most Harley dealerships, there's one, maybe two people who really know & love the Buells. The rest are wondering why you're looking at those silly plastic things in the corner when you could be buying a Real American Motorcycle(TM). The gear people are excitedly trying to sell the New Motorcycle Owners LOTS of Harley-branded leathers, and get really sort of sad looking when you inform them that, yes, you have a helmet, gloves, a jacket (armored, even), riding pants, boots... and they're not going to sell you any Harley branded stuff. The Chrome Specialist gets skipped, since there's nowhere to put it. I also specifically asked if all the recalls/ECU updates/etc had been done and was told that, yes, they all get done before a bike is sold. LIES! I wanted to love the bike. I really, really did. It's a modern, American made sportbike that's fun to ride, and is 30 years newer than the bike I spent 4 years riding (a '79 Honda CX500). How could it not be great? Oh, wait... Shortly after getting it, it was back in the shop because both rear turn signals had burned out. These were known recall items... For the first 1000 miles or so, riding it was somewhat challenging. It would NOT run in gear below 3000 RPM (it would, but it would buck, shake, slam back and forth, and generally not be ridable), so stop and go traffic or slow speed riding was horrible. It also vibrated enough that my right hand would consistently go numb through padded riding gloves. I was looking into bar end weights & throttle locks to help with this issue, turns out I didn't need those, since the fix had been around for a year when I got the bike. After moving to Albuquerque, I took the bike in for it's somewhat overdue 600 mile service (I'd had the oil changed at around 300 miles). And, strangely, there were some recalls on the bike that they took care of. There was a kickstand spring (the old one had a way of snapping & dropping the kickstand down), and there was a magic little ECU flash from Sep 2008! This dramatically improved low speed running (I can cruise at 2500 now without it trying to destroy itsself), and I no longer have issues with my hand going numb! So, since these were fairly old issues, the first dealership was clearly lying about having done any recalls/updates. I should note here that I do ride with gear. I've got an armored mesh jacket, a very bright Olympia retroreflective vest, a large modular helmet, riding gloves, and a neon orange motorcycle backpack that, among other things, has a pouch to store a helmet & straps to hold my jacket/other things. This is important. When I took the bike in for it's first service, the guy at the service counter asked as I walked in the door, "You're here with the Buell, right?" It occurred to me that there was no window facing out, and that there were plenty of other bikes milling around (I went on the Friday after Thanksgiving). Apparently, showing up in decent gear was enough to give me away as the Buell rider... I didn't see another helmet the whole day (except strapped onto the back of bikes, and that was maybe one or two). Anyway, after this service, I've put another 2k or so miles on the bike, with a mix of commuting and weekend rides. I've concluded the following: - 38mpg is about the best I get on average. This is pretty sad. - If you leave a Buell 1125R for a week and a half, the battery is stone dead. See below, but this is apparently "normal." - If you leave a Buell 1125R out in the cold (15-20F), it doesn't like to start. It takes several attempts to get it to light off. - If you leave a Buell 1125R in the sun, it doesn't like to start, and takes several attempts to get it to light off. This varies, but mostly occurs around other bikes for some reason. - If you fill a Buell 1125R with gas on the way home from work, it will probably puke somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of it all over the inside of your garage if you try to move it after it's been sitting for a bit. - If you park a Buell 1125R in your garage when it's hot, even with less than a full tank (frame?), it will make your garage stink of gas & leave a small puddle. - The mirrors on a Buell 1125R are mostly there to hold the front turn signals. They are truly useless for seeing behind you unless you are very, very good at interpreting blurs. Or are stopped. In many ways, my '79 Honda CX500 was a better bike. It got better fuel economy, started better in the hot & cold, and didn't feel the need to mark it's territory with gasoline, and I could see behind me with the mirrors while moving. I took it into the dealership a few weeks ago to have them look at the battery. It cranks slow in the cold, and dies if you let it sit for a week and a half. I was quite sure this was abnormal. Apparently, my battery & charging system are fine, and they didn't look for any excess parasitic drains (known issues with some instrument clusters, btw) - my trip counter wasn't reset, which means they didn't disconnect the battery to check for any excess drains. So, after getting a "We checked it out; it's fine" from the dealership, I can only conclude that dying in a week or so is normal, and that it probably won't start if it sits for more than a few days without a battery tender. This, on a 2008 model year bike. Also, wandering around a Harley dealership on a Saturday morning is interesting. They've got a grill outside - great! Free food! I put my helmet in my backpack, strapped my jacket to it, and just wore my backpack around while talking to people. From various other riders, I got several comments about it, the most amusing being "Hey, whatcha' got in that backpack? A baby?" I sort of thought the neon riding backpack with the helmet shaped bulge at the bottom & the riding jacket strapped to while at a motorcycle dealership was obvious, but it seems not to be at a Harley dealership. Also, again, very few helmets (I did see a few today, I'm fairly sure they were all on the Goldwing/BMW/Triumph riders that showed up briefly for food). It was a bunch of old guys dressed the same, and you didn't really want the sun at your back or you'd be blinded by the Real American Chrome(TM). Inside, more of the same - mostly old people looking at Genuine Harley Lifestyle Accessories. I'm not sure what Harley Davidson thought they were doing when they killed Buell, but I'm fairly sure when your dealerships are full of overweight middle aged men who make snarky comments at younger sportbike riders, it means that you probably don't have much of a future. Good luck with that "focusing on milking our core demographic" thing when they're all 40+ & already own bikes... Getting sick of this, I took the suggestion of a friend & wandered to the local BMW dealership to see what they had around. TOTALLY different experience. First, most of the people milling around there were in comparable or better gear - most people had reflective vests, one guy was wandering around in full race leathers, and helmets were everywhere. The only comment I got on my backpack was, "Hey, that's really neat - where'd you get it?" I was asking about the differences between the K1200 series & the 1200GS, and the sales guy suggested that, really, the best way to explain them was for me to sign a demo ride sheet, and take both of them out back to back. So, I did. I rode the K1200S first. It was a used one (or demo bike, not sure), with 5k miles on it, so he reminded me to wind it up & test it out. Of course, one should always obey the directions of sales people when test riding a motorcycle... anyway, it was incredible. The bike was insanely smooth. The mirrors were useful even at high speed. It ran smoothly at low RPM - you could be in gear at 1800 RPM & it was perfectly happy with it. The handling was very, very good - it's a heavier bike, and requires a bit of work to muscle it into a lean, but once there, it just plants into the corner & runs like it's on rails. I took some of my usual onramps/offramps, and was completely confident running them harder than I do on the Buell. It was just that rock solid. The brakes are also very good - unlike the Buell, the front lever was high and firm, with no real travel before it grabbed (verses half the travel doing nothing like on the Buell). I didn't have a chance to test the antilocks, but it has them. There's also some variety of magic in the front suspension that means there is virtually zero brake dive. It just slows down - while I didn't try it, you can apparently use the front brake in the corner without it standing the bike up & lobbing you off the outside of the curve. The riding position is very comfortable, with good visibility. Oh, and the running average on fuel economy was 48mpg - 10mpg MORE than my Buell with the same type of power in a heavier bike that, in many ways, handled better on the road. The 1200GS is a very different bike. It's a lot taller, and more designed for adventure touring, which it would be great for. I wasn't as big a fan of it on the road - it's still an excellent bike, but it has a narrower power band, and was a bit less solid feeling through corners. I'd definitely want one if I were doing much dirt/gravel, but for the type of riding I'm likely to be doing, I found the K1200 to be a better bike. It did have a neat electronic suspension that could adjust the settings on the fly though - comfort, normal, and sport, with one/two rider options for each. Either way, both bikes were easily 5x the bike that my Buell is. They were smoother, more refined, more enjoyable to ride, and basically, in every way, better bikes. Also, the dealership is a much nicer place to be - you don't get mocked for wearing protective gear, you can have conversations on what works best. Plus, the vast majority of BMW riders buy the bikes to ride, not to polish. There was one used bike with 600 miles on it, which surprised me, and I asked about it. Turns out, the person who bought that bike had purchased 9 BMWs from this dealership over the years, and just didn't ride this one much, so traded it back. Also, said person was apparently the owner of a Harley dealership. Oh, and apparently, if you take a bike into the BMW shop for service, they give you a loaner, free of charge. At the Harley dealership, you're free to rent a bike at full price with a $2000 deposit if you want something to ride out on while they're fixing yours... The back to back experience was one of the biggest contrasts I've ever seen. BMW motorcycles and dealers are built & staffed by people who are passionate about riding the best bikes they can, and doing so as safely as possible. This is the same attitude I've seen at many other dealerships - the Honda dealership I dealt with while owning the CX500 was great as well. Harley dealerships... well, image is everything. This isn't really news, but it's still a massive contrast. TL;DR: Harley sucks, Buell bikes are quirky, BMW rocks. | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
Whatever makes you happy. I have not met very many BMW owners that were not holier than thou. Comparing a CX500s fuel economy to an 1125 is kind of silly dont ya think? What are posting this here for? Youve clearly made up your mind and stating for us to flame away. Are you just looking for an internet fight cause its cold outside? WTF | ||
| Nillaice |
sorry to hear that you are un happy with your buell. i don't know what you are tying to get at with your story, but you seem level headed with your opinions. but you gotta face it: if you go bashing a brand on that brand's focused forum, there will be some flamage. the dealer does make a big difference in how much you can enjoy your bike. mayhaps there is yet another dealer close to you? or you could at least get a service manual and try your hand at it; to remove doubt, and minimze your time in the un-pleasant dealership. but not every one is a DIY type of person. | ||
| Syonyk |
I've been a DIY type in the past. I did all my own work on the CX500, I've done my own work on most of my cars, and I finally hit a point where I could justify buying a vehicle & having someone else work on it. If someone has any idea how to DIY my way through diagnosing an excessive cluster current draw & getting Buell to send me replacement parts, I'm open to suggestions. "Take it to the dealership" doesn't really seem to work. | ||
| Buellfreak |
i stopped reading this junk half way through. buell's (the motorcycle its self) dont like people like you.  i think the bmw fits a person like you better.. you know, just sitting your butt on the seat and just chugg around town.. does anyone know of a bmw forum i can complain on, about how bmw's suck? sorry guys idk about the forum rules but this guy ^^^ something else. | ||
| Froggy |
Nope, but some of your other posts have a trollish feel, and being that you are new, we do not know your intents. You are free to voice your opinion, and this thread does it perfectly. 
Legally all recalls had to have been performed before you pick it up. I have also gotten a bike that fell through the cracks and didn't have one of the recalls done, so I discussed it with the owner of the dealer and he went out of his way to make it right. What happened with your bike is inexcusable, especially missing several recalls (mine was just the most recent one, the brake line).
The turn signals were never recalled. They are a replace if broken item covered under the standard warranty. No different than any other failed part replacement.
Were you still having these issues after getting the updates done to it? Most of those issues should of been eliminated or drastically reduced after the updates. Again, neither my 08 nor my 09 have those issues other than a light (really light) gas odor, and the only time I ever did notice it was when I parked in a cramped motel room. I agree its not fair to compare the fuel economy of a bike with half the displacement, also I do not believe the CX500 is a sportbike either (well not by 2010 standards). My 492cc Buell Blast gets 85mpg if you want to make a similar comparison. As for the charging related issues, the 08 models have a weaker stator than the newer models, I am more likely to get the battery light to pop on when coasting on my 08 than my 09. It hasn't been a problem, but I have to remember to keep the revs up a little higher on the 08 to help the bike stay charged. I agree with you about the dealership experiences, but it is rare I have ever experienced anything similar to that. Perhaps its due to the larger Buell presence in my area and the ton of events my dealers put on with both HD and Buells. I often do get assless chaps clad HD riders come up to my on my Buells and ask about them. Some like it, some don't. I had one guy tell me he wished his V-rod had the Helicon engine instead. This makes me wonder if another dealer in your area could provide better support for you. I do not know what the dealer network is like out in Iowa though.
I agree with you 100% percent here. As for the BMW dealer experience, around me they are lackluster. I have been wanting to demo the 1200GS for a while now, its one hell of a machine and I would love to pick one up one of these days.
So is the price 
Again this varies by dealer, my dealer will give free loaners if its going to be less than a day, or cheap rentals for longer periods.
Again I agree 100%. I hope that everything works out for you with the Buell. | ||
| Froggy |
Anonymous poster, PM sent.  | ||
| Syonyk |
Anonymous: In Albuquerque, with the way people drive, the substantial DUI issue, and the fact that I hear of or see motorcycle accidents weekly, combined with the fact that I happen to enjoy riding and would rather be alive to do so, I feel reflective gear is wise. Also, it's required if I want to ride to work. I run faster than the speed limit for safety (so I'm a moving target and not static), but I don't exceed it by large margins as you apparently feel that I should be, if I'm to have no use for mirrors. Again with the "I can't enjoy riding if I'm either dead or in jail" thing, and given the number of police around here (I typically see 4-8 police cars, per direction, during my commute), I don't think running is likely to work well. Pretty sure someone died doing that a few weeks ago. Per my post, and some other comments, loaner bikes are not uncommon when a bike is in for service. They're a nice touch. And, no, I don't live at home, which is why taking a motorcycle halfway across town and dropping it off for service without a loaner is a bit of a pain. I'd even be happy with a discount on a rental. | ||
| Kevin_stevens |
I think it's pretty funny that you compliment the K1200S specifically for smoothness, since it has had a variety of injection and transmission smoothness issues from its introduction in 2005 until the replacement with the K1300S last year. (That's why I didn't buy one.) KeS | ||
| Kevin_stevens |
Whatever makes you happy. I have not met very many BMW owners that were not holier than thou. I have an 1125CR and will be picking up a new BMW S1000RR to "chugg around town" on next week. I'll probably "chugg" around a few racetracks, too. Get over it. What are posting this here for? Youve clearly made up your mind and stating for us to flame away. Are you just looking for an internet fight cause its cold outside? WTF +1 KeS (Message edited by kevin_stevens on January 27, 2010) | ||
| Syonyk |
Wait, brake line recall? Hrm... *needs to check on that, that doesn't sound at all familiar* | ||
| Syonyk |
Hey, that recall actually was done before I got the bike! | ||
| Duggram |
Syonyk, I live in Albuquerque too, moved here permanent two years ago. I ride an '08 FJR on the street and race my 1125R. I have to admit that these are dangerous streets. I commute from the Heights to a hospital downtown. First place I've ever lived where the drivers will drive into your lane while looking right at you. I didn't read your whole post, it's late and I'm tired. If you still have your Buell be sure you talk to Wayne the service manager at Thunderbird Harley, the local dealer. He rides an 1125CR and is very sympathetic to Buell riders. For sure don't hang out at the dealer's place. They're Harley riders and you're way out numbered. But then the locals here say "It doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you ride." If you race you might consider trying the dealer in Santa Fe, about 45 minutes away. I believe it's the parts manager and another employee there that both race their Buells. They ride Sandia and Phoenix. I've only ridden Sandia, the local track once, and found it tiny and dangerous. We travel to Arroyo Seco which is open every month of the year, and is one of the safest tracks in America (no barriers and lots of run off). We also enjoy riding WERA events at Vegas, and this summer we're going to start traveling to High Planes Raceway near Denver. If you ever need any help, let me know. My neighbor is one of the best motorcycle mechanics in town. He and his wife are ok even if they ride Ducatis and Yamahas. | ||
| Jules |
Syonyk It's actually quite nice to read an eloquent post like yours, I disagree with the opinion stated but that's OK it's part of the human condition to have differences of opinion but I do believe you've succinctly stated your opinion and I can understand where you're coming from. I think part of Buell ownership seems to include understanding that the bikes are not truly "mass market", by that I mean Buell were really a niche manufacturer even with HD's "backing" so I accept a few eccentricities as being inevitable (Hell, being a Brit I am used to the eccentric and treat it as the norm). Personally I really like Beemers too, I'm just not a huge fan of the dayglo vest wearing bores that ride the majority of them - present company excepted. It's hard to generalise, my experience of HD riders has been different to yours, most of the guys I meet are wearing a patch and are all thoroughly nice chaps.. At least you can say you tried Buell ownership and decided it wasn't for you - but well done for trying :-) | ||
| Ratgin |
odd comparison, 3 totally different bikes. not even close to objective kinda like complaining that my 4 wheel drive dodge hemi gets 12mpg and my ford festiva got 60 mpg.. why doesnt the dodge get the same mpg! 1125r is classed as a superbike not a commuter. Its not really designed for fuel economy. Kinda common sense, the 1200s/gs/gsa are considered touring bikes so id hope they would be a little more comfortable then the 1125r. Compare the 1125R with the 1000RR Sounds like you bought the wrong type of bike. When your are the BMW shop try out a F800GS, thats a nice bike, I like my 1125R and i use it to commute just fine, However i make sure i treat her with respect , shes a fickle woman and if you mistreat her she will bite you in a heartbeat. My ankle is still sore from that last nip she gave me, | ||
| Kevin_stevens |
I would say the R1200S would be the proper comparison model for the 1125R. http://www.sportouring.com/itemImages/image/BMW_R1 200S_FS_big.jpg KeS | ||
| Fresnobuell |
God it would suck to buy a bike and be so unhappy I would feel compelled to write something similar to the OP. I believe the "ownership experience" is largely what you make of it. You obviously don't like your Buell for whatever reason, hence it and most everything about it suck. You had a nice test ride at a BMW dealership and are now in love. Real or imagined it sucks to be you. I suggest you dump your POS Buell and become a Beemer owner. | ||
| Jdugger |
> 38mpg is about the best I get on average. This is pretty sad. I agree, it's very sad. Your issue is simple: you do not know how to ride the bike correctly. Take Duggram up on his track days and go get some sportbike skills. You may still hate the Buell, but at least you will know how to properly evaluate one. (Message edited by jdugger on January 27, 2010) | ||
| Ponti1 |
I would say the R1200S would be the proper comparison model for the 1125R. I was going to suggest the HP2 Sport. Little more HP and generally more performance-oriented across the board.  Problem is that we're both still talking air cooled twins with lower rev limit. Have not ridden either of the Beemers, but am imagining that with lower rev limit there may be better manners in low RPM. (Message edited by ponti1 on January 27, 2010) | ||
| Dave_bannister |
Just sell the 1125 and buy something you like! | ||
| Kc10_fe |
You want to sell your 1125R to someone on the forum or will you continue to whine and bitch while riding it? Sounds like the battered wife syndrome to me. Dude hits chick, chicks gets bruises. Dude goes to jail, chicks moves back in with him after hes out. Are you the dude or the chick? | ||
| Milleniumx1 |
I've seen rants, but that one is easily one of the longest. I love mine. But if you don't, sell it and move on. It's pretty simple ... Mike | ||
| Kirb |
I got the Buell for a decent price...I like the idea of an American sportbike. OK, so you got a good price and like US made products. Good so far...I don't see any coments about riding one before you bought it. Buying a Buell at a Harley dealership is not really what they're used to. Anyone who ownes a buell will tell you the HD method of selling bikes just never worked for Buell. I wanted to love the bike. I really, really did. It's a modern, American made sportbike that's fun to ride, and is 30 years newer than the bike I spent 4 years riding (a '79 Honda CX500). How could it not be great? Oh, wait... These were known recall items... The '08s had some recall and issues with running. I'm sure you could of obtained that information from the net prior to buying. These were well documented problems by the time you bought your bike....as well as the well documented repairs for them. Getting sick of this, I took the suggestion of a friend & wandered to the local BMW dealership to see what they had around. TOTALLY different experience. Wow, don't know where to start...BMW caters to a MUCH different market than Buell, but they have been crossing over of late. Most BMW riders I know are as closed minded as the HD crowd. Just try to discuss anything not BMW to a guy with grey hair wearing a BMW motorcycle hat and see what you get. Oh, and let's talk price. I'm not saying that your woes with the R shouldn't be taken care of, but ANY BMW is going to be many times the $$ of your bike. By the sounds of it, you should have bought a cookie-cutter bike from the big 3 and been happy in obscurity. First, most of the people milling around there were in comparable or better gear Trust me, if they were in a BMW dealership, they had better gear. Most buyers in that dealership don't buy with a conern for price. Harley sucks, Buell bikes are quirky, BMW rocks. Why are you trolling in a buell forum? Why don't you post this to a loving BMW group? I have no idea what the point of your post was besides trying to compare a Honda CX500 to a Buell 1125R. That alone screams noob....that and riding up to a dealership on a sportbike, reflective vest, and a neon backpack. There are many different types of bikes out there...of which, you tried to compare most of them to a 1125. May I suggest buying a bike that is more your skill level and style? Perhaps a Ural? That is, until you can save up enough money for that 1200GS you have your eye on...don't forget the 300lbs of crash guards and panniers.} | ||
| Justa4banger |
I'lll say it!!!! GTFO!!!!! Are you happy? | ||
| Skratch |
Eh...he's an attention getter. Probably sitting back gettin a woody with all the responses. Go to one of the HD boards and he probably has a rant about HD's and why <brand-x> is better. If it keeps up, he's probably going to be getting a sticky keyboard. | ||
| Jaimec |
The R1200S was discontinued. Only the HP2 Sport is available (at nearly 30G). And I've seen PLENTY of Buell riders in full reflective gear. In fact, at one Battletrax competition many years back, my girlfriend observed that if you hid the bikes, you could easily believe it was a gathering of BMW riders. So there!! | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Funny thing is my Buell Ownership Experience is the same if not more trying and I am still totally enraptured with all my Buells and want more. I must be a sadist. I won't bore everyone with my Rossmeyer experience in detail but I can corroborate the WTF attitude of the HD techs when it came to even the simplest thing on my Millenium X-1. One time they bent my front rotor when they clamped it in a stand. I was standing there watching them do it. It trashed the rotor but they never replaced it. I just did it myself. Another time I saw a tech kick the tank cover of my Millenium as he walked by. Another time they let the FNG (long hair, beard, meth teeth, 13 tatts...the whole nine yards) figure out how to remove the rear wheel and mount a tire and he managed to mar the rim in 7 different places. I got no new rim. They couldn't figure out anything about the bike so any quirks I had to fix by reading BadWeb. Yeah I was here back then too in the gold old pre 9/11 days. Anyway the transmission starting to self destruct and from day one the bike was using a quart of oil every 1000 miles (60 weight) which I was told was normal. Buell refused to repair the bike despite me having a 3 year ESP because it was pre-owned. Said they could not verify that the damage occurred while I owned the bike. WTF is that supposed to mean? That's when I pretty much parted from Dealership service entirely for the X-1...but I still loved the bike. I got Wes Brown to blueprint the engine and transmission and have not had an issue since. The 1125r was a much happier ownership experience by comparison. My tech is an avid and active Buell Racer. He owns an 1125r and races it. I couldn't be in better hands. Everything that has needed to be done is done and I am 100% satisfied. I expected some recalls and updates on my 2008. First model year with a whole new powerplant...yes I expected some issues. However I didn't get all wadded up about it. I got the service done and kept riding. I'm closing in on my 12,400 mile service and I have to say I like the 1125r a lot and intend to ride the damn wheels off it. It's really about having realistic expectations. And you can daydream all you want that BMW is perfect...but if that were the case they'd be winning some races wouldn't they | ||
| Illbuell |
That sucks for him.. Well all of us must be really lucky to be well pleased with our 1125 Buells. Mine has been problem free and the most well balanced(all around performance) bike I have ever rode.. I, for the record love it. | ||
| Porky |
Test |
