| Author | Message | ||
     Danger_dave |
I had the red beastie out for some hoonage this afternoon. Solid morning of chores around the house and then I split at lunchtime. Solo, and armed with my camera the size of a deck of cards. Headed north from Auckland via SH1 for a 300 mile loop. Lovely day. Mostly sunny and quite comfortable in leather. Sea breezes. Took in some great roads too. This is a great little section: http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=-36 .06256,174.56784&spn=0.012368,0.018733&t=k&z=16 Did some exploring well. Covered quite a lot of ground along both coasts. The pics from around Mangawhi Heads area.     And stopped at the Pub on the way back to town.  Didn't know anyone there so I kept going. It was only a 'knee break' anyway. I needed them pretty regularly, but that's more about my old knees than the ergonomics. You need to be a little bit hard for this bike anyway. No namby pampy windscreens or hand muffins or anything else to get in the way of the experience on this baby. This is strap a motor to your butt and go fast. Reaaaaaaaly fast. 146 ponies 170kg I lufff heeeem. Its manner is like an XB in a some ways - much of the joy of it is still to leave it in third and carve up a twisty bit. The symphony of surge and acceleration and the very pleasant (when wicked up) exhaust note, and the power it develops make it a barrel of monkeys to be 'out there' on. Just some serious fun as a street bike. I like the styling. A lot I do. I like jets with f***-off big scoops under them and the Scoops on 'Big Daddy's' Monsters hot rods are the images of my youth. And big stacks on hot rods. I also look at it and note how much of the weight of all that core and water is almost in line with the front axle. That obviously contributes to the dynamics of the bike. And boy is it dynamic. Also the way the bodywork all fits together when you view it from an elevated angle Here I'll show you  Perfect day. Outstanding motorcycle. These guys were amazing too - surfboards and parachutes and they were flying.  More later. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Great pics and a nice little review. One question: Hand muffins? (okay, curious about your camera too) | ||
| Danger_dave |
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| 4_pete_sake |
Preach it DD...preach to the choir..... Praise jeee.....Buell.... ( i think i have been lively in the south too long now....) Lovely ..... absolutely lovely.... Kiwi you say... I assume you are reviewing for the mag... please post your article if you are allowed when review complete.... do you get so many days or so many miles (km).... per bike for review.... I would guess days .... Thanks Dave... Cheers-pete (Message edited by 4_pete_sake on March 15, 2009) (Message edited by 4_pete_sake on March 15, 2009) | ||
| Danger_dave |
Camera is a generic micro. Olympus FE-220 7mpx, shoots video too. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Usually get test bikes for 1 to 2 weeks. I have a Rocket III currently on a 6 month 'long term' review too - my first one. This one however is Auckland Motorcycles & Power Sports demonstrator. I'm running it in and shaking it down before it hits their fleet - and doing a 3 page Kiwi Rider test at the same time. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Video is on the front page http://www.kiwirider.co.nz | ||
| 4_pete_sake |
My dad bought a Rocket III touring last fall... he loves it... I took it out over thanksgiving.... not too bad... compared to the Uly it was extremely boring....and do I have to mention heavy... he has yet to through a leg over the uly... I look forward to the day he does.... I know I should compare apples to apples... that has to hard for you guys also I suppose... | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
For you super-antipodians out there. Urban Dictionary: Hoonage: Aggressively flogging a car, but in a manner that stops just short of reckless  | ||
| Americanmadexb |
man DD your live SUCKS!  | ||
| Boltrider |
Now that's a cool job!! | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
DD my favorite video or article of yours is still the one you did on the xb12tt. After watching that video I wanted to go out and buy that bike right away (could not afford it but wanted to). | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
http://www.kiwirider.co.nz I know you guys ride on the other side of the road and all but to actually see it from your perspective is freaky! | ||
| Oddball |
He did do a hell of a sales job on the TT. Underrated model. I kept wanting to move to the right in this vid. I'd end up a bug splat on someone's bumper. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>man DD your live SUCKS!<< Aye - I have forfeited my right to complain about anything. >> I know I should compare apples to apples... that has to hard for you guys also I suppose...<< Don't be surprised if dad doesn't like it - sometimes when returning to mine it takes a day or so to get used to it again. It sometimes takes me a day of so to find a new vehicle's mojo too. Feel of the clutch, rev range - where the shtick is. I don't find it difficult to write about different machines. My perspective is 'If I was interested in this bike - what would I like to know about it.' That is a whole lot different to expressing my personal tastes. So I put on the different acts. The Rocket I can get nicely crossed up, sliding into a stop with the real wheel locked up now. That's what you call an entrance! :-) | ||
| Brumbear |
Not only does he get the greatest of all things motorcycle DD does it UPSIDE DOWN go figure | ||
| Danger_dave |
Ta tsael m'I ton sdrawkcab. Doing the research bit now. 2009 1125CR Overview Naked styling and clubman-style handlebars give a respectful nod to the nostalgic era of Café Racers, but styled in a thoroughly modern package. A 146-hp liquid-cooled V-Twin engine is geared down for optimum acceleration. Sinister styling. Sophisticated technology. The 1125CR, Erik Buell’s 21st century interpretation of the classic Café Racer, is a new motorcycle that defies convention. Positioned behind the black-anodised, tapered aluminium handlebars and streamlined headlight and flyscreen, the rider has a wide-open view forward that intensifies the sensation of speed. At 170kg, the 1125CR is the lightest litre-class naked street motorcycle on the market, and combined with 146 horsepower, it offers the best power-to-weight ratio in the category. The Buell 1125CR offers liquid-cooled technology and responsive handling from a proven platform based on the Buell Trilogy of Tech principles. The Buell Helicon™ 1125 powertrain provides the foundation for this riding experience. This 1125cc DOHC V-Twin engine features a compact, 72-degree design and is rated at 146 crankshaft horsepower and 82 ft. lbs. / 111 Nm of peak torque. Buell DDFI3 closed-loop EFI produces smooth throttle operation and better fuel economy. A ram-air system pressurises the 12-litre air box for a gain in peak performance. Twin side mounted radiators within aerodynamic cowlings lower the centre of gravity and centralise mass. The exhaust system features a large-volume muffler mounted below the engine to optimise cg location and mass centralisation. An HVA (Hydraulic Vacuum Assist) Slipper Action clutch features hydraulic actuation from the hand control with assistance from engine vacuum for lighter clutch effort. Low 76/27 (2.815:1) final-drive gearing produces outstanding acceleration. The engine is rigid-mounted as a structural component of the Buell Intuitive Response Chassis (IRC) that has outstanding torsional stiffness, yet is compliant in the planes required to help absorb mid-corner chatter, and doubles as a 20.1 litre fuel reservoir. To enhance control under acceleration, the cast-aluminium swingarm is 5mm longer than the Buell 1125R swingarm. Showa® 47mm inverted forks and a Showa rear shock absorber are both fully adjustable. Positive braking performance is provided by the Buell ZTL2 front brake system. The rear brake caliper is mounted directly to the inner surface of the swing arm and weighs 0.7kg less than a typical rear-brake design. All this performance is packaged in a motorcycle that is visually stunning. A narrow headlight pod incorporates a clipped flyscreen, while a hard cowl covers the passenger seat section. The blacked-out frame and chassis components contrast with red highlights on the front brake caliper, wheel rims and rear shock spring. The Buell 1125CR will be offered with Racing Red or Midnight Black bodywork. For riders who prefer our traditional streetfighter bar we are launching a new black annodised handlebar as a P&A offering – contact your local authorised dealer for further details and availability. Buell 1125CR highlights * Buell Helicon 1125 liquid-cooled 72-degree V-Twin engine * 146 peak hp / 148 PS / 109 kW @ 9800 rpm (per EU Standard EC95/1) * 82 ft. lbs. / 111 Nm peak torque at 8000 rpm (per EU Standard EC95/1) * Large-volume muffler with Helmholtz chamber * DDFI III Electronic Fuel Injection ECM * Ram-air pressurised air box * Twin side-mount radiators * HVA (Hydraulic Vacuum Assist) Slipper Action clutch * ZTL2 8-piston front brake * Fully adjustable 47mm Showa inverted fork * Fully adjustable Showa rear shock absorber * Fuel-in Frame 20.1 litre capacity * Dry Weight: 170kg * Wheelbase: 1389mm * Seat height: 778mm * Pirelli® Diablo® Corsa III tyres * Pre-wired for easy installation of accessory Heated Grips | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Helmholtz chamber << ??? | ||
| Glitch |
A single large-volume muffler wraps around the bottom of the engine; careful tuning provides linear power delivery without use of an exhaust valve, and the muffler incorporates a Helmholtz chamber to reduce noise. Helmholtz resonance is the phenomenon of air resonance in a cavity. The name comes from a device created in the 1850s by Hermann von Helmholtz to show the height of the various tones. An example of Helmholtz resonance is the sound created when one blows across the top of an empty bottle. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Obviously needs to pronounced with a Hogan's Heroes Cherman accent. | ||
| Brumbear |
HelmHoltz translated wooden helmet | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Thanks for the camera info and again for keeping us in the loop! Now that I think about it I've seen bikes with mitts of some sort mounted to them, weird. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Popular in the north of the UK and Scotland. | ||
| Swordsman |
Dammit, Dave, will ya cut it out already?! I CAN'T AFFORD an 1125CR right now, NOR can I convince my wife I need a different bike!  BTW, I'm using your pics as my wallpaper at work now, because apparently I'm masochistic.  ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on March 16, 2009) | ||
| Bill0351 |
"BTW, I'm using your pics as my wallpaper at work now, because apparently I'm masochistic." Funny! I have a DD original as my wallpaper too. It's that B&W one that looks like a photo negative. I want to take some version of the 1125 out for a ride this summer, strictly as a tire kicker though. I don't have the cash for a new bike this year. Now that they apparently have the bugs worked out, I like it more every time I look at it. At some point, I hope they make a fully faired version. DD, How does the engine feel compared with a liter sized I4? On paper it looks almost identical to my '04 GSX-R1000 at least up to the 1125's redline. Impressive numbers. Interesting bike. Bill | ||
| Indybuell |
Dave - I'm super jealous. The 1125CR seems to be a great machine. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>How does the engine feel compared with a liter sized I4? << Like a powerful V-twin. Different. Stunning bike for the money. | ||
| Buellerthanyou |
"Stunning bike for the money." That's a mouthful of truth! It'll definitely be my next Buell purchase. I wonder who the couple was at the pub on the S3? Are there a lot of tubers in NZ? HellBuelly J | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
My head is like a helmholtz chamber. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Are there a lot of tubers in NZ? << 'A lot', no - but by the same token they are not rare either. Few or 'em around. Lots of XB's - it would be be rare to go for a ride and not spot at least one on the road. This place is mostly twisty roads - nuff said :-) |
