Buell 1125R Review

[AlanStansbery]

Admin, please move this where it needs to go. I looked around and couldn't figure out a better place for it than here...thank you.

This is a review of my Buell 1125R sportbike. I'll tell you some about me, why I bought a Buell, how it rides/handles/performs, its pluses and minuses from my perspective. To cut right to the chase: I'd buy this bike again, in a heartbeat...



The Rider:
I am a 56 year old motorcyclist. I've been licensed since the early 80's, and have ridden most of the time between then, and now. I have not owned a great number of bikes. I have owned 4 sport bikes: a 1986 GSXR-750; a 1990 GSXR-750; a 1999 Ducati ST4 (sport tourer), and a Buell 1125R. I never rode on a track until I rode at Willow Springs, using the 1125R, back in June. This was for Level 1 training at the Keith Code Superbike school. I have been in two accidents in all my years, both of which I was carrying too much speed for the manuever; one of these cases was exacerbated by my inattention. I was slightly injured in one accident, and in the other I escaped injury. I wear a full-face helmet, leather jacket, gloves, and full boots at all times, believing that despite your best efforts to avoid it, 'lightning' can strike at any moment, and it pays to be prepared.

Why I Bought A Buell:
About 2003, when they went to the perimeter frame, I started looking at the Buells, i.e. Lightnings, Firebolts. I loved their looks, but wasn't in love with the upgraded 'Sportster' engine. Because of the engine, I was never motivated to buy a Buell. Seemed like in the 'twisties' there were few bikes that could match it, but once the road straightened out, you'd be staring at everyone else's a**, 600cc and all the others, alike.

I have thought long and hard about why this fact, the 'Sportster/Buell's speed deficit compared to other sport bikes, turned me off on a Buell. Frankly, it doesn't make sense. I don't race, nor even ride with groups of 'sprited' riders. I do most of my riding solo. I think it was just a perception thing. Like any 'old guy' who buys a Z06 Vette then putts around at 45 MPH, thinking "If I really wanted to, I could light these babies up." It's the love of the potential, rather than the actual, among other things.

Anyway, when Buell announced their 1125R with the Rotax V-twin, I was a goner. I had to have one. Rotax makes engines for BMW, Bombardier (jetskis), KTM...a whole shitload of other companies. They're experts in the design and manufacture of motorcycle and related power plants. The engine they built for Buell is water-cooled, and well...I just had to have one...Not to mention, I loved the looks. There are those who are non-plused by the 'scoops'. I say: whatever. I'm more into function than aesthetics, anyway. But I don't think the scoops look bad. Fact, I kinda like 'em.

The Bike:
It weighs 375 pounds dry, about 420# with all the fluids. Carries the gas in the frame. The engine provides 146 HP to the rear wheel (not the crank). Think it's about 82 ft/lb. torque at around 7K RPM. Redlines at 10.5K RPMs. It's a 70 or 72* v-twin with internal balancers. Front and rear suspensions are 'fully adjustable'. The drive wheel is belt-driven. Mine's a 2008, and it came in one color: Black, with dark blue frame and wheels. The 09's come in Black, white, and red--all with black frame. There is a second variant for 09, i.e. a Cafe Racer (CR designation). Cost new was $11,995. But I understand they've discounted the remaining 08's pretty substantially.

Comfort/Performance--General:
A lot of guys hang saddle bags, GPS, heated gear--you name it, off of the 1125R platform. They seek to make it a sport touring bike. I added small, removable bags to mine, but otherwise left it alone. I did put a set of lowered pegs on, too, that take the pegs down about 1". This turned out to be not such a good idea at the track--where I touched down (peg/boot) on the right side on a high banked corner riding on the extreme inside of the turn.

The stock ergonomics of this bike are nothing like a dyna or bagger. However, if you've ever ridden a sport touring bike, you'd feel right at home. Your knees are not drawn up too much, and you're not hunched over too much. About the right amout for 'spirited' riding. I added a throttlemeister (manual cruise control) and a Corbin seat to mine, and using those, I can ride 100 miles easily (haven't tried farther, yet). Remember, I'm 56, so old-age and stiffness are definitely setting in. If I say it's pretty comfortable, it must not be too bad, right?

Comfort/Performance--Track:
By the end of a 9 hour day which included five or six 20 to 25 minute on-track sessions, interspersed with instruction, I was totally confident riding on the Streets of Willow track at WSIR. This was the first time I'd actually felt a heavy g-force in a corner, on a motorcycle. My 'chicken strips' were almost non-existant at day's end, with balled-up bits of rubber along the side surfaces of both my tires. This was with the stock, Pirelli Diablo III (?) tires. At least at the limits to which I took the bike, it never acted up, broke loose, or otherwise gave a sign it was about to spit me off. The power was very smooth, and predictable, and the brakes were outstanding, never fading, always there when I wanted/needed them.

Comfort/Performance--Summary:
This is not a bike for someone looking to do 500-mile days, day in and day out. Your bagger or sport tourer will treat you better in this case. Rather, this is a bike for someone who wants a good compromise between a state-of-the-art sportbike, and a sport-touring bike. I think if falls right in between these two genres. You can take it either way, depending upon how you focus it.

Performance/Track:
I live about 4 miles from Willow Springs. The third weekend of each month they race there. I have watched Sean Higbee (Buell factory rider) take his 1125R to victory in every race I've watched him run (4). The difference between his bike, and mine, is: his has a chain final drive, to make it easier to change ratios (has nothing to do with the belt not being up to it--he actually ran the belt at first, but found out he needed to change ratios); he uses slicks; his rear tire is a 190, with a 6" rim (I believe); he uses racing brake pads (I actually got a set of these); they've moved his fairing to accomodate his height--not for any performance issue. I think that's it. His engine is tuned, but it's a stock engine. The transmission has the stock ratios. He wins his races typically by 6 to 15 seconds, and this is on the 'big' track at Willow, avg. lap time around 1:24 to 1:25, I think.


Minuses:
Mine boils the fuel in the tank during the summer. (I live in the desert, ambient over 100 most days). This is pretty widely reported. This is not a safety issue, I'm told. Various factors conspire to cause the boiling, including air temperature, fuel formulation. I understand the 09's have some insulation (frame) where the 08's did not. I suspect this is to address this issue. Mine boils after its sat a couple of minutes after a ride, when it's hot out. I've learned to gingerly remove the gas cap if I need to fill the tank, when the bike's real hot. It's just like relieving the pressure in a radiator.

I've gone through four rear turn signals. They just quit working. Buell replaces them under warranty, but it's a pain the azz to take it in. Last time, I just had them give me the signal, and I replaced it myself.

There are various reports of the battery going dead overnight. Happened to me, after they did a reflash (download). Weirdest thing. Only happened to me once in 8 months. I don't know if they've sorted this all the way out. Buell did a download upgrade back in June that was supposed to modify when the fans run (and draw power). My sense though is that something 'odd' occurs, when the battery drains overnight. In any case, this has only happened once, and it was accompanied by the 'low battery' light before it occurred, so I had a warning. (The battery went dead even though I thought I'd charged it sufficiently to keep it from dieing). At least some of these reports seem to have been a bad battery. Yet others, like mine, seem inexplicable. In my case, I thought they'd run the battery down doing the download (without the bike running). I got it back and the battery warning was lit. I charged it 3 or 4 hours and the indicator went out. It sat overnight, then the battery was dead the next day. For no apparent reason. When I shut the bike down, the low battery indicator wasn't set. My sense, once again, is that some anomalous event occurs on the bike, maybe triggered by the download, or something related to the download, that drains the battery overnight. It hasn't occured except this one time, so I'm not worried about this issue.

Pluses:
Handling and acceleration. Its manners in a corner are very confidence inspiring. You always know what it's going to do. I didn't get anywhere near its limits, so I can't tell you how it behaves out there. But if you stay within your limits--assuming you're like me, an occasional 'track day' rider--you won't ever have a problem. It's really probably a level of performance better than I'm capable of.

As for acceleration, it pulls hard from 4k and there's no flat spots from there to redline (10.5K). I'm a porker (215#), and even with my fat azz in the seat, it smokes. Someone who weighs 150/175 is going to really see some stuff when they twist the grip. It's top end is computed to be 172 MPH, and there are credible reports of riders taking it out to the low 160's. Put a full fairing on it, and 172 is certainly possible, I'd think. I haven't drag raced anybody, so can't tell you how it would do. It's reported 1/4 mile time is around 10.4 seconds at 130 or so. This is reported in several places. And this is from a stock bike.

The Buell company is very honorable. They stand behind their product (see below).

There were some complaints about 'surging' below 3 to 4 K RPMs, with the 08's. Also, various reports of odd throttle behavior at times, and of course, the heat issue discussed above (boiling fuel). In response to this, Buell is retrofitting all bikes to make sure each has the 09 'download'. This is free--just take your bike in. I understand this download addresses the surging issue, the heat issue, and also improves fuel mileage (I get about 34/MPG, for example). I didn't have any surging or throttle issues, though I did have some problems restarting the bike when it was hot (which the download is supposed to address, too). I haven't had time to take mine in yet, so I don't know how all this pans out. The reports I've read from others is that the download is very effective addressing these things.

There was an issue with 5th gear galling the shaft and causing the tranny to 'lock up', with 08's. This only happened under racing conditions, reportedly. (I ran mine all day at Willow with no issues). Buell issued a Safety Recall, and fixed the issue gratis.

Summary:
There were some issues, as noted, with this first year model. They didn't particularly bother me, but your mileage might vary. As far as I'm concerned, Buell has done everything you could ask of a manufacturer and I'm pleased with my purchase and with their support.

I wanted a performance bike that was not uncomfortable to ride--I got that in the Buell. I don't expect I can ride it to a 10.4 second 1/4, but with that time, according to published test reports there are only a handful--and a small handful--of stock bikes that can best it in a drag race. Start throwing in curves, and put a world class rider like Sean Higbee aboard, and at some point, and pretty quickly once things get curvier versus straighter, this bike will come into its own.

The 1125R has gotten some bad press. The surging and throttle problems of the not-fully-sorted 08 got out into the Press' hands. And it does run pretty hot. Even so, there were (grudging?) compliments paid to the bike by almost everyone who reviewed it. I don't read motorcycle magazines, so I didn't read all the reviews. But I did read those that were published online, and heard about others on various online sites.

Frankly, it seems to me that Buell is kind of a black sheep among motorcycle companies. They're an outsider. They have a small but vociferous hardcore group of zealots who worship the marque, and Eric Buell along with it. But other than for these hyper-loyal folks, the public at large doesn't seem to recognize what an outstanding machine Buell makes.

I recall one report--from one of the 'magazine guys'--that the Buell 1125R is 'raw', and unrefined. Maybe that's why I like mine so much. It seems pretty sophisticated to me.

I tried to touch on a lot of stuff. If I've missed something, or if you have a specific question, let me know...

Alan

[HD03]

Great post - thanks for writing it.

John