| Author | Message | ||
     Georgehitch17 |
Gaurd_rail The first thing I would suggest is getting out of first gear to prevent a backflip hahaha. | ||
| Rogue_biker |
Curtis04, I'm glad you are open minded about your motorcycle choice. Understand that we all want you to get a Buell but are concerned that you may get in over your head with a powerful bike like the 1125R. I do understand the temptation. It's tough to resist and the street cred factor on a 146 bhp V-twin sportbike is huge. However, don't give up on the XB. Those bikes are very easy to ride and still fast. The XB12R Firebolt is much better as a first time bike over the 1125R. The XB12 is faster than the XB9, but it has just enough power to do just about everything you will want as you get better with riding without being so overly powerful that you can get in over your head. The XB12's are also a proven design and have few issues, especially the later models ones (2006-2010). Even more important, they are very easy to maintain and very inexpensive. The bike will handle almost as good as the 1125R and I doubt you will notice any difference. I recommend to you either the XB12R or XB12S. Those bikes re keepers and I doubt you will want to get rid of them. Instead, these are bikes you keep and enjoy even after you've advanced as a rider. I had a Hayabusa for many years before I switched to the XB12R and I loved every day I owned my Firebolt. If I had room, I would have kept that bike while I have my 1125R. | ||
| Milt |
Again, Syonyk speaks truth about emergency situations. I think the XB9s is easier to ride than the 1125CR (never tried an R), particularly to inseam challenged guy like me. In the "cheap and easy" department, you can't beat a Blast. You might add "bulletproof" to that description: even I couldn't screw it up mechanically. | ||
| Syonyk |
The Blast is definitely cheap & easy, but it is a relatively easy bike to grow out of. You can modify it to be good on the highway, but it takes a bit of time and money. It's only *barely* fast enough to kill you (much like a Piper Cub).  The XBs are about as bulletproof as the Blast (it's the same motor, just two cylinders instead of one). Another consideration if you're riding a lot is that the XBs are easier to work on than the 1125. Step one in many of the 1125 service procedures is "Rotate the engine down..." This happens every 12k miles or so for the valves. If you've got a shop, awesome. If not, this is a whole lot harder to do in the parking lot. And it's kind of pricey to have a dealership do (if you can find one you trust to touch your bike - they're a bit rare). On the XBs, you can do pretty much everything with the engine in the frame. The valves don't need adjustment, you can do the spark plugs with the engine in the frame, and you can do all the adjustments/fluid changes with the engine in normal position. The XB is a less expensive bike to live with, which is part of the reason I'd keep it over the 1125 if I could only keep one. Just something else to consider... | ||
| D_adams |
Hah! Try telling that to my wife. Same tree in the back yard moved TWICE and got her. Two totally different bikes, with about a year in between them. | ||
| Snackbar64 |
This bike only likes to be ridden like a bat out of Hell. Had I known to what degree this was true I would have just bought a new XB12R. You cannot take it easy around town on the bike because it bucks like fish on a hook making you have to go faster to smooth it out as mentioned here already. I have yet to get mine over 100 mph yet, which says I really need to rebuild the motor in my XB9 and ride it more as it was appreciative of those speeds. In my opinion an XB is way too much bike for any beginner. They are jumpy too in 1st gear and the torque of the rear wheel on an XB12 will spin the tire right out from under you at low speeds. A new Ninja 250 or 500 look a whole hell of a lot better than a blast and offer sporty handling. The blasts pegs are too low for any real spirited riding. | ||
| Rsh |
If you are really a dirt bike racer, you have already developed skills that a number of people will never have. As with any bike, the speed/power is greatly associated with how much throttle you apply. I would not worry about you not being able to handle the bike, I would be more worried about the new environment (the street) and all it's pitfall's you need to be aware of, taking a MSF course can help with that, using common sense figures in greatly as well, not only for you, but when you are thinking/anticipating of what all the people surrounding you are going to do. The only 1125 issue maybe setting it up so you will be comfortable. You are at the lower end of the weight scale, you may have to re-spring. | ||
| Steeleagle |
It strikes me odd that the one of main positions against the 1125 being a first bike is the cost of repair when it is dropped or wrecked. Is dropping a Blast REALLY that much cheaper to fix, or do you just toss the whole bike...in which case it's a LOT more expensive? Parts is parts. A total wreck? Yeah, the 1125R will be more to replace. One could argue that buying a cheaper bike PROMOTES crazy behavior, since you have less to worry about, with little or no consideration for personal injury! Having a more expensive bike MIGHT instill more self-control, wouldn't it. I AM being facetious here, but am also trying to make a point. Certain assumptions are being made, many of which MIGHT have relevance: 1) Any new rider has zero self-control or maturity to recognize the risks of an 1125R VS a Blast. 2) The 1125 is incapable of going slowly. 3) Everyone is going to have an accident or drop the bike. I'm not sure why any of them apply ALL the time, some not necessarily at all. My first bike was an 1125R at the age of 55, but maybe I'm just too old to be stupid. Have I dropped it? Yep. Expensive? Relative to what? I got the bike I wanted, took the time to learn on it without being crazy and have no regrets. Plus I haven't had to trade up to what I really want, and still have headroom as far as the bike's capabilities exceeding mine. | ||
| Syonyk |
The Blast is very, very difficult to break much stuff on - there's just not that much to break, and most of it is up out of the way. The 1125 has a lot more "stuff" to break. The pods, for instance... I'd also add that an XB has very little to break on it. You can drop it at low speed quite a few times before much ends up needing replacement - so far, of probably 3 or 4 times it's ended up on its side, I've had to replace one footpeg. I've also gotten substantially better at moving a motorcycle around walking beside it... As for the listed assumptions, I don't think you're quite right. I'd argue that they're closer to the following (at least for me): 1. Any new rider lacks the skill to properly manipulate highly sensitive controls in all conditions, and is prone to inadvertent control inputs, moreso than an experience rider. In my experience, this is quite true, and a bike that doesn't react as sharply is easier to deal with for a new rider. 2. The 1125 is happier at higher speeds than low speeds, and can be difficult to deal with at low speeds. This is absolutely true. The race ECU helps low speed operation a lot, but with the stock ECU, the 1125 is a B**** at low speeds. You're either in 1st at a point where tiny throttle movements have a great impact on speed, or you're in 2nd, where the engine & transmission are slamming back and forth, doing not-good things to the drivetrain & sounding like a paint mixer of rocks. 3. The assumption that everyone will have an accident or drop the bike is quite sane, as statistically the vast majority of riders will do this at some point. That's why we wear gear! Is it possible for a brand new rider to jump on an 1190RS with no gear & ride for 50 years with no incidents, and survive? Yes. It's possible. It's also *incredibly* unlikely, to the point that I would place a good amount of money against it. *shrug* As far as I'm concerned, the 1125R is a terrible starter bike. It has too many supersport habits, and it's very sensitive to small control inputs. The XB9 is a much better starter bike, and I think it would be a great option for someone who has been riding a dirtbike for a while - the concept of controlling the motorcycle isn't new, but the response/power of a streetbike is. The XB9 is a great platform, is reasonably forgiving of new rider mistakes (far more than the 1125), and is plenty of bike to ride a lifetime with. The Blast is a great starter bike for new riders who have never ridden before, but it's reasonably easy to reach the limits of a stock Blast in terms of highway speeds. I say this as someone who owns all 3, and who has watched a new rider (my gf) start from scratch out of the MSF course & over her first 6-7 months of riding, starting on the Blast & growing into the XB9. There's no way I'd let her loose on the 1125 even at this point. | ||
| Steeleagle |
Maybe that's the issue that puts us at differing viewpoints. Not having ridden anything "smaller" than the 1125R, I can't relate to its relative hyper-sensitivity and therefore had to "learn" on a quirky bike. If I rode a Blast I might try and figure out what's wrong with it!  I learned to drive in a '63 Nova with a 6 cylinder that was in a bad state of tune. Drove it that way for years as my father "tuned" it. We "kids" next got access to a '68 LaSabre with a 389/4 bbl. My first trip out of the driveway, I "accelerated the same as I did with the Nova...and proceeded to light up the tires. I returned home and had to deal with a scowling father! Lesson: It's all relative to what you learn. | ||
| Syonyk |
Quite fair. If you get a chance to ride an XB or a Blast, take it - the XBs are good fun, and the Blast, despite being quite slow, really is a ton of fun to ride. With the Blast (and many other low power bikes/cars), you can absolutely flog it, pin the throttle wide open coming out of a corner, run it hard through the gears, and... be doing a tiny bit over the speed limit. It's really a case of "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow." | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
Dennis isn't that the TRUTH my v-8'd s-10 was what i was used to then i drove dads with a tired stock 2.8L nearly got us crunched by a dump truck... | ||
| Froggy |
I crashed my Blast 7 times in one night. Busted up the mirrors and broke a few turn signal stems. My CR and XB both have several crashes and other minor mishaps and have just about always resulted in more damage than the 7 combined crashes on my Blast. | ||
| Syonyk |
How on earth did you crash 7 times in one night? I would have quit trying after about 2. | ||
| Nukeblue |
beer lol | ||
| Froggy |
Fracking highway department didn't plow the snow off the roads fast enough. | ||
| Syonyk |
That would do it... | ||
| Steeleagle |
Still, seven in one night? Memo to self: Make sure Froggy is in plain sight at all times when riding with him...and maintain the 2 second rule...or more! ...and seven crashes in one night is equal to ONE crash. The others just made sure the initial damage was adequate!  } | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
Well I'm going to start off by saying that I will not be purchasing a 250 or even a 500. It just wouldn't work out for me, I mean the speed limit on the interstate that I travel daily is 70mph. Not to mention I was riding a brand new yz250 dirt bike when I was 14. I want a bike that I can learn on but not grow out of almost instantly. I will agree with the statement that it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast then a fast bike slow and probably don't need a superbike like the 1125 taunting me at 80 to see what it has to offer. I have already set aside $1000 for gear so no worries there. I must say you guys really got me with the whole maintenance thing. I'm really not into having to service the bike too often because I don't have a garage and will be doing the work myself. So it would be nice to have a bike that doesn't require too much too often and when it does need work keeping it simple is just what I'm looking for. The simplicity of the xb is a big part of what drew me to Buell to begin with. I think I will keep looking until I find a good deal on a xb9 or xb12 because I want something I can have some fun with and not be too concerned with its sensitivity. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Do not overlook the SV 650's. Take one for a ride anyway. Sounds like the perfect bike for you at this time. Those Sportster motored Buells kinda suck. (This'll make me popular...) | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
I'm thinking I will tell you guys that I am going to buy the 1125 and race around town until someone gets worried enough to give me their xb at a great price. | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
I'm not totally against getting an SV650 but I would be more interested in a R6 or a CBR600. Why you so highly recommend the SV over these bikes? | ||
| Mickeyq |
Getcha a dirt bike like a used XR250 Honda and keep the 1125R. Ride the wheels off that XR offroad--enduro, trails, MX tracks--then you will jump on that 1125 and feel like Top Gun. I wouldn't trade or even think of selling my 1125R. Dirt riding will teach you how to control a bike better than anything else. I had never ridden anything street, only riding and racing 125 and 250 2-strokes in MX and Enduros. I got the opportunity to try a 1024cc Supercharged Honda in a Rickman frame--the bike was amazing and I discovered that I had the skills to ride anything. | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
I have been riding offroad for over 20 years | ||
| Duphuckincati |
It's a better street motor. The inline fours need to be wound up over at least 8,000 rpm before they can get out of their own way. Great fun on the track though where you can keep them wound up. The SV V-twin pulls real well from 2500 rpm up, and kicks in nice above 8000 too. Light weight, narrow, enough HP to keep it fun without getting too stupid. Like I said, get a ride on one. You'll see, Grasshopper. (you may be too young to get that) | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
lol I love these comments from you like Kid and Grasshopper thinking I won't get it. You would probably be surprised how old I am. For the sake of entertainment maybe I will keep that confidential. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Then you should be smart enough to know to stay away from these stupid speedbike things!!! | ||
| Naiguy |
My first bike was an sv650s (first year it came to states) Learned to weelie on it learned to crash it too A sv will be much less expensive to fix even if dropped at a stand still. No matter what you get you going to crash how bad is best if it's up to you. If you've been riding dirt for twenty years what are worried about? (Message edited by Naiguy on September 27, 2011) | ||
| Ccurtis04 |
lol | ||
| 1324 |
Another vote for the SV. Had one as my first bike and loved it dearly for what it was. The other benefit is they are cheap and hold their value well since they are always in demand. I think I sold mine for more than I paid. Even my first car (and second) didn't have 146 horsepower. Probably good it didn't... |
