| Author | Message | ||
     Twintalon |
Silly question to you 1125 guys: what is it like living day-to-day with 130 rwhp? I rode a friend's RC51 a while back, and hit a completely accidental 108mph (in a 50 zone), without even trying. Big twins are deceptive. From my experience with Big HP bikes (admittedly, my "experience" is with that RC51 and a few Supersport 600's), a thoroughbred like that wants to run, so you'd spend a considerable amount of time reigning it in and holding it back. Just playing around with the throttle results in triple digit speeds Extremely quickly. Do you find this to be the case? Maybe i've just got a heavy right wrist. I'm a big fan of the "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast" mantra, so the 1125 isn't really aimed at me anyway. Thoughts? Comments? | ||
| Smit3833 |
Triple digits is one of the side effects of fast acceleration. If you don't want to go that fast but still feel the wind blowing you around get a naked cruiser. | ||
| Rombi |
I always had a sportbike with a fairing. Gong to the CR with none helped me. Wind lets you know when you are going too fast for public roads, sometimes. What a fun bike though I must admit. | ||
| Kirb |
I have a cruiser...not exactly a bike that gets the blood flowing. Loud pipes do not = fast. Most HD guys think that their bike is very quick off the line (some are), but run out of steam quickly. Many HD guys are so out of touch with other brands that they don't even consider how fast a sport bike really is. You get a rush when messing around on a bike like that. These bikes are also not as $$ to modify (unlike HD's stage kits). | ||
| Father_of_an_era |
Well, a little throttle fun is always a good time. Sounds like you just need to get used to the bike and take care when hitting the throttle. While the 1125r is one of the easiest bikes to ride (IMHO) it can get away from you if you are not expecting it. Also, buying a cruiser may not be the best thing to do since they are considerably slower in comparison. I have a Harley Road Glide with a 1550, floating discs, Screaming Eagle exhaust, Screaming Eagle programmer, Baker six speed transmission and though its much faster, it still does not hold a candle to the agility, speed and/or performance of the R. They are both great bikes but just in different ways and if you are getting a kick out throttle response, a cruiser may not be the best idea. Just a thought..... | ||
| Lucky_jim |
I think the 1125R is very easy to ride. I don't go fast if I don't want to, but it's easy to do when you want it. I've never had an 'oops Im doing 50 mph over the limit' moment. The bike isn't exactly smooth or quiet so I don't see how the speed could sneak up on you  | ||
| Gbackus |
It took while getting used to on demand power wheelies in first gear and short shifting from first to second, and I had to break the habbit of downshifting two gears to pass cars up(6th gear has PLENTY of acceleration for 80% of my passing needs an when that's not enough 5th gear will do) other than that it's not too bad keeping the beast tamed | ||
| Brumbear |
+1 to Rombi my CR the wind kicks your ass a bit lets you know your getting to stupid speed but sometimes it will give you the oh shyt grin cause you take 30mph corner not realizing your near 80. The power on these bikes is so useable and linear you got to keep reminding yourself well at least I do to not ZOOM through the twissties faster than your used to. OH boy I truly enjoy the power of this machine truly | ||
| Ratsmc |
I too, believe in riding small, slow bikes (Ninja 250, VTR250, etc) at their limit. There is nothing like it and most sportbike riders are completely missing out, foregoing the experience of maximum corner speed for taking off in a straight line. A cruiser is not an adequate substitute since they have no thrill anywhere. However, I do enjoy the power of the CR and it is manageable simply short-shifting.But yes, you do need to pay attention to your throttle hand. | ||
| Tbowdre |
1125 is crazy fast for the street.. simply awesome power. So unless Im hitting open roads, mountains and canyons I take the DRZ400supermoto, the perfect slow bike to go WFO all over town!  | ||
| Ezblast |
I do both - the CR for weekend fun starting from Friday to Sunday, and the Blast takes on errand/commuter chores the rest of the time, with an occasional weekend work from a friend to keep the edges rounder - lol - EZ | ||
| Zane_t |
The novelty of being able to hit these crazy speeds does wear off. Warnings from the cops helps. I've been fortunate not to get cited for some of my pranks, such as flying through round-about intersections, wheelies, etc. Just knowing my 1125R is capable of incredible acceleration is good enough for me. Even my XB12X got me the red and blue flashing lights behind me. | ||
| Budgolf |
Spending a few months in the hospital helps you remember to keep your speed in check until you're at the right place at the right time. Helps me anyway. | ||
| Jules |
The 1125 is definately built for speed (like my wife!) but if you apply a bit of self control it's not a bad commutting tool too, not exactly "fun" around town (apart from the traffic light drag races) but great on the freeway where the torque is good enough to outpace almost anything. It's definately happier going fast though....which is fine 'cause so am I. | ||
| Kevin_stevens |
For me it's more about predictability. I did a "vanity pull" on the dyno at the track yesterday, and at 90 degrees ambient I got a nice 130 RWHP at 130mph in fourth, with a very smooth flat torque curve. Very different than a 600SS doubling HP in 2000rpm (I like that too, but it makes for less predictability.) KeS | ||
| Jng1226 |
I am the same way, love to get the most out of a vehicle's capabilities. There is a certain satisfaction derived from utilizing and mastering a machine's full capabilities. It's why I will always enjoy manual transmissions in sports cars instead of the new trend towards twin-clutch auto-manuals that are always perfect but are one more impediment to the man-machine interface. I'm blessed to have a few sporting steeds, different horses for different courses, if you will: MV Agusta F4 1000R, 1125R and a XB9SX. The MV was so overwhelming (160+ RWHP, track-stiff suspension) on the street that I turned it into a track machine: In a similar way, the 1125R has engine capabilities that can't be fully exploited safely on the street. However, the suspension is very plush, and the handling is near telepathic on twisty roads. With Dunlop Q2's you can rail around with complete confidence that it will take almost any lean angle you want to give it, even on partially wet mountain roads: However, in this Goldilocks analogy, if you're looking for a sporty bike that is "just right" for fun twisty riding and has just enough motor to get your blood pumping and allow you to go through more than one gear without going triple the speed limit, I would direct you to the XB-series of Buells. The air-cooled motor has between 80-100 HP to the wheel (depending upon 984cc or 1203cc and mods), which is plenty fast for road riding but unlike an 1125 you can wind it on while heeled over in a corner without fear of slingshot-ing yourself to the moon over the high side. With a 21-degree rake and 52-inch wheelbase, the XB defines turning on 2 wheels: Good luck with whatever you choose! Jeff |
