| Author | Message | ||
     Dancemunke1 |
Hello im a new prospective buell owner, and i just have some questions i guess, ive ridden dirt bikes before, but haven't had much experience with street legals, the salesman at the showroom showed me the buell 1125 cr, im kinda wondering about this as a first bike on the one hand it felt really comfortable when i sat on it and alot of the things ive read seem really positive but im not sure given my inexperience, i definitely am going to take a rider safety course just looking for general feedback regarding this bike and handling etc. bc while i really like the styling of the bike i really dont want to become hamburger on it. any feedback/tips as far as purchasing a new bike would be greatly appreciated and i apologize if this is already located in another area on this forum. | ||
| Mastersapper |
The 1125 is a great bike. I personally do not advise that you start on one though. I didn't have the self control to stay off the throttle when I was learning to ride and I would have killed myself on this bike. I do have a friend that spent one hour on my old Kawasaki 600 and then went to the dealership and bought a brand new 1125r. He is a great rider and still rides/owns that bike today. I would start with an XB or maybe a jap 600. How much are they trying to get for the cr? You can find really good deals in the classified section of badweb from dedicated Buell riders that tend to take really good care of their bikes. Thats how I bought both of the Buells I've owned. | ||
| Milt |
This is a really powerful, responsive bike. I'd suggest that you spend some time on something a little tamer, just to get your street reflexes right. Whatever you decide,
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| Ratsmc |
I have ridden 600cc bikes for years and the 1125CR is a handful. It is actually a very easy bike to ride but it is also a really easy bike to get yourself into a lot of trouble. There is so much torque at the rear wheel that it is very easy to spin it up and land on your butt - or worse. The bike is also wheelie prone - again, typically a good thing but if you aren't careful, you can again, end up on your butt. Honestly, a smaller bike is easier to learn on because the margin of error is so much wider. You can really push closer to the limit without such serious consequences. And no matter what anyone tells you, small bikes are a blast to ride. None of this means that you can't get an 1125 as a first bike, many other have, just that if you do, you need to keep in mind that there is a lot the bike can do that you'll have no idea how to respond to. My suggestion if you decide to get one is to take the MSF safety course, then take Lee Parks Total Control class. This will make you a much much safer rider. Actually, everyone should take both of those courses even if they aren't new riders. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
When you say "ridden dirt bikes before", do you mean you've tried friends bikes a few times or you've been an active rider for years and can wheelie your CR500 through the gears? You sound like you're really not sure about this (and intelligent enough to give it strong thought) and I'll say that this is not the street bike to start on for sure. You'll have a much better time working your way up starting with something like a Suzuki GS500. Those are making about 1/3 the power of the 1125 and are still plenty fast enough to get you arrested or dead. Most of the guys on this board have been riding for many years and will agree that there's no need to start directly at the top[. Plenty of time for faster bikes as you go along. Many of us here I'll bet started on bikes smaller than 250cc. Good luck with your decisions and welcome to the motorcycle fold regardless of what you start on. Maybe even a Buell Blast! There ya go! | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
If you do get it I think the important thing is to take it easy and not grab a handful of throttle or brake. I bought my xb12 after 2 months of a smaller bike and didn't have any issues. But I do have alot of self control (in the beggining) and took it slow. | ||
| Bueller4ever |
The CR is a 150hp dirt bike, you'll be fine. It does pretty well off road too! (Message edited by Bueller4ever on February 23, 2011) | ||
| Buellrain |
I agree with Bueller4ever, if your used to dirtbikes,sideways action and wheelies you'll be fine on the CR, make sure you get the high bars, you'll be in Wheelie Heaven!!! | ||
| Ezblast |
Sigh....Not really a great choice for a beginner. EZ | ||
| Smit3833 |
My first bike was a GSXR-750, never ridden dirt bikes before, and it was a little big for my first bike but still a lot of fun once I got used to it. Started dragging knees on the mountain after a year of riding (8000 miles). I got the Buell a few months later and its a way bigger bike. I've continued to make it fast for no apparent reason other than I can and it scares the smile out of me. Do what you want, but if you get the CR take it very very easy and gradually scare the crap out of your self as you progress. That bike will loop without you even knowing it is happening. I would also invest in a steering dampener to help save your ass when you do wheelie on accident and come down with the front tire sideways. | ||
| Ratsmc |
You guys realize that the CR has the same horsepower as a World Superbike did not very long ago right? Do you really feel good about recommending it for a first bike? | ||
| Ohsoslow |
if you have self control and trust yourself (i.e. have basic coordination skills on a bike) get it. if you dont have self control and still trust yourself DONT get it. you can die in a crash at 100mph just as easily on an 1125 as you can ANY other bike. | ||
| Froggy |
While others have done it without harm, I can't recommend an 1125 for a first street bike to someone. Not that a 250cc bike won't get you killed, the 1125R/CR will easily put you on your ass if you do not totally respect it. You cannot give it close to full throttle for more than a moment at a time in the twisties, or you will end up in the woods. It is scary fast. Same thing about the brakes, give that a handful and it will either lock up or toss you over the bars, but given practice it can keep you out of trouble. Seriously, I know its your money and you are going to buy what you want, but look at something less extreme first. | ||
| Rhard |
I agree with Froggy. Maybe an SV650 would be a good starter bike. 1125's are a little too responsive for a first ride. | ||
| Datsaxman |
Credentials: Riding on the street for 404 years, and dirt for longer. Experience: Kind of a lot. 5000 miles since 1/1/2011. Rain, fog, snow, heat, whatever. Advice: Start smaller if you ever want to be a really good street rider. GS500 is terrific advice. Japanese inline-4 600cc is lousy advice. Buell CR1125 is a good way to get in way over your head and get badly injured or dead. I see the new street riders on crotch rockets crashed out most every weekend out on the local twisty roads. Get a small, mild bike that you can gradually learn to ride hard. Put lots of miles on it. Get a big, powerful beast a year or two from now. Live to ride...ride to live. | ||
| Ohsoslow |
i will agree, you will respect the bigger bikes much more if you start small. i started on an R1, never crashed it, the thing is i had respect for the bike and knew my limits/boundaries. | ||
| Dirty_john |
As an ex-motorcycle instructor (5 years with the RAC/ACU over here in UK) and having ridden for 35 years if somebody had suggested to me that my first road bike was to have around 140BHP (even if you are a good dirt bike rider) I would have known that that was not a brilliant idea. For every one rider that has had a powerful first bike and survived then well done to them, but there are far more not alive to tell the tale. I would respectfully suggest that you try a less powerful bike for at least a couple of thousand miles. The 1125R and CR are great bikes but will bite like any large capacity bike if not treated with respect - Good luck with whatever you decide I had an RD200 Yamaha twin for four years before movign up to a GS750 Suzuki, those four years were esential in self learning what was safe and what was just OTT (Message edited by Dirty_john on February 24, 2011) | ||
| Hughlysses |
The best advice I got when starting out was to buy a USED/small motorcycle. This advice came from a long-time MSF instructor and 3-time Iron Butt finisher, so the dude knows his stuff. Lots of people go out and dump a wad of cash on their first bike, then find out they don't like riding that much, or they don't really like the style/kind of motorcycle they got, or they crash their pristine new bike, or they just find they don't have the time to ride. Now they're stuck with an expensive USED motorcycle they either have to keep making payments on or get rid of. Find a decent used motorcycle that appeals to you, buy that, ride it for a year or so. Learn how to ride it well, learn what kind of riding YOU like to do, and make sure you like riding as much as you thought you would. THEN think about moving up to a new, more powerful bike that fits the kind of riding you want to do. My two cents. | ||
| Ozzysx |
How about an xb9sx.... I went from a Honda vtr250 to an xb9sx then 1125cr. The riding position of the first two was very learner friendly... The power of the 9 was great whilst not throwing you off the back. Take it easy though! | ||
| Mastrtek |
if you have to question your ability and expertise, well then theres your answer. small, used bike is my recommendation. your more than likely to drop it, bump it scratch it etc. wait untill you get some miles under your belt. | ||
| Tom_b |
No way, not an 1125 for a first bike.. I would tell anybody that. The bike is a little much for me sometimes and i have 25 yrs street riding experience and owned over 20 bikes. follow the advice already posted on getting a starter bike first. Those bike salesman have no conscious | ||
| Jules |
If you're after feedback on how the bike handles then I would say it is amazingly good. If you're after advice on whether it makes a good first street bike, well it's not something I'd recommend to a good friend. There's nothing inherently wrong with the bike as such but it is a spirited/challenging ride. Obviously it does depend on your self control but TBH the opportunity to (quickly) ride outside of your experience/skill level is there in spades. Asking the question shows that you have a pretty good level of maturity, at the end of the day you're the best person to know if you have the self control to make it your first bike. | ||
| Bassettkyle |
How old r you? I started on a gpz 305 (belt drive ironically) when I was 15 1/2. I drove it as fast as it could go to try to keep up with my friends on 600's. I would pop the clutch and pull wheelies all the time. Then I move to a ninja 600 and man that felt fast. Put a small sprocket on the front and made it faster and pulled more wheelies and took it to the drag strip. I then went to new cbr600's, great bikes. Same dumb things on it but I was a much better driver and then started to drive more careful. This was all out on prince edward island where there are 2 lane roads and not many cars on the roads especially at night. Now i live in Toronto and you basically have to dodge cars most of the time. I just got the 1125 last year and it a freaken fast and can put you in trouble real fast if you don,t understand bikes. It take a while for you to develop the natural save your ass reflexes on a bike. When something happens you don't have time to think. You need to just react. If I would have started on a 1125 when I was young I would not be typing this post. Now that I am older and have a kid I have much more respect for motorcycles. I did some crazy riding back in my day that I would not do again. I consider myself lucky to have made it to this mindset with no crashes. Get a smaller bike, ride expecting every car you see to pull out in front of you or cut you off and you will be fine. Kyle | ||
| 01_turbowolf |
i think it really depends on your mindset. i took an msf course a yr before and rode 3 or 4 bikes very rarely before i bought my 1125cr last year as my first bike, was super careful mainly cause i didnt want to mess up my new bike, the break in helped too. don't get me wrong it scared me to death first couple day's i had it but i never regreted buying it. 8000 miles later im still kickin and dont ever plan to sell it. i believe its the most nimble, controlled bike ive ever ridden considering the first time i rode a bike on the street was an 80's 400 hawk in rushour on the highway, thats probably why i wanted a faster bike in the first place. just gotta ask your self how well can you control your right wrist? | ||
| Dannybuell |
Bassettkyle 'I just got the 1125 last year and it a freaken fast and can put you in trouble real fast if you don't understand bikes. It take a while for you to develop the natural save your ass reflexes on a bike. When something happens you don't have time to think. You need to just react.' +1. In 97K miles of riding my S1 there have been a few moments where 'just react' was all there was. technique and experience... my first ride was an occasional ride on a friends 305 honda with side pipes (cl305?) in HS/1970. Over the years twins. A cb450, cx500 (blew up at 9000 miles), xs650, S1, CR. Making gradual progressions is the message many are pointing out here. The virtues of the 1125 are only seen by very experienced riders. Moving from my S1 to the CR took some time to get used to. The 1125 is the wrong bike for an inexperienced rider. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Hey Dancemunke1, I looked at the Corpus Cristi Craigslist, here's some good choices for you to check out on there right now... http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/mcy/2226600725 .html http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/mcy/2229422479 .html The first one, a Honda Ascot 500 single would be a great choice. Take a knowledgable motorcycle friend with you and check some of these out. Any of them will be a MUCH MUCH better choice for you right now. http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/mcy/2227716758 .html http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/mcy/2227215816 .html | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Ya know, skip that last one, the KZ650 Kawasaki. That's got a chance of being a bunch of headaches. | ||
| Dancemunke1 |
Thanks everybody for your advice, i really appreciate it getting an honest appraisal of this bike. i myself was a little shocked when he started showing me this bike, it is a bit of a monster, i figured he would have shown me the blast or one of the 600s @Bassetkyle I'm 29, and yeah i initially did take the used bike route, looking on craig'slist and a few other classified websites, but couldn't find really anything in my area (i live in corpus christi, tx) and yes rider safety course is a must as well as all the armor i can fit on me. doesnt matter how awesome the bike is if i get turned into road pizza on it. As for my offroad experience was pretty leisurely, about once every few monthes or so my dad and some of his friends would go up to the lake for a few days and get down on it with his yamaha 175 various kx's and some atv's no motocross champ here, guys. im pretty aware of my n00b status I do thank you all again for your advice, and i'm definitely taking smaller bikes into consideration but something did feel right about the 1125 so probably in a year or two and a few thousand miles ill be back for it. | ||
| Dancemunke1 |
wow thanks Duphuckincati youve definitely given me some more options to think about | ||
| Buellrain |
If we all had the same opinion than it would be a boring world that we live in, having said that I can respect the opinions of others and often see both sides. This post started with the question about a potential first bike for someone who had “dirtbike experience”… I have often found those who ride off road transition to riding on road a lot easier than the other way round, if fact have been in the desert with road riders who are completely lost with a bigger cc two stroke or 500+ four. As mentioned the 1125 would not be recommended to a hot headed teenager because they will not be able to resist the temptation to twist the right hand to the max, however if your sensible theres no reason the 1125 cannot be controlled in a friendly fashion. When riding the bike today I thought about this post, so rode in a milder manner short shifting up the gear’s at about 3000rpm, the bike responded beautifully and at 2500rpm in 6th it was ticking along at around 60mph, as we all know the bike has a lot of torque, so to gain a reasonable pace not to many rev’s are needed and this can be a benefit. The bike only weigh 170kg, a GS500 weighs 175-180, a Z750 226kg so they are pretty light and nimble and the big factor that contributed a great deal to my purchase of a 1125CR is that they are CHEAP, you get a lot of bike compared to the rest of the market for the money. There seem to be too many people making out that the bike is an animal, which it doesn’t have to be if ridden sensibly and that you have to have so many years on this and that before progressing. I have instructed at race tracks in cars and have seen newcomers with the right tuition kill lap times of guys who have been driving for yeeeaaarrrssss!!!! Just because you’ve been ridding for a long time it does’nt mean to say you’ve been doing it right.. Unfortunately when people intimidate you about the bike being this or that it normally sticks in the back of your head and has a negative effect. Have also seen in the past many guy’s going the cautious route and buying smaller bikes to learn and within a few weeks regretting it, selling it and buying what they wanted in the first place. If your getting a good deal on the bike, go for it, buy the protective gear, do a training course and enjoy your 1125. Oh yeah, forgot to mention the 1125CR was my first road bike, been riding off road since a kid… |
