| Author | Message | ||
     Bsanorton |
I'm just curious as I'm considering buying a 1125r. Are there a lot of 1125r owners that own or have owned other sport bikes from other makers? Since I have not demo'd many of those bikes I'd like your thoughts and comments... (Message edited by bsanorton on July 04, 2010) | ||
| D_adams |
Owned several UJM's, cruisers, sport, rode pretty much everything (including various H-D's) when I worked on them. I had never considered a Buell before because there wasn't a single one that ever came through the shop I worked at. I saw the 1125 in a magazine, just a tiny little blurb in the corner of a page. I remember thinking "man, that has _got_ to be the _ugliest_ bike I've ever seen" but I read the article anyway. A week later I had a demo test ride scheduled and 2 weeks after I had read that initial article, I had a 2008 1125R sitting in my garage. She's the new mistress in town even after 2 years of being here, she's a little bit demanding at times, but if you ride her like she's meant to be ridden, it's worth it. I don't have the skills to really do it, so I have to settle for playing around at the track. I've been once, I'm hoping to go again. In other words, YES, it's worth buying one. | ||
| Jsg4dfan |
My past is full of nothing but the big 4 since I was 10 years old, including a 1990 Kawasaki ZX11 that I bought right after returning from Desert Storm. I bought my first non-big-4 bike in '06 when I got an XB9S. I followed that with an XB12XT on the day Buell was shut down (didn't find out about it until I got home and was in the process of posting on this board), and an 1125CR a week later. I haven't regretted it for one second. In fact, my ZX11 sits unused in the corner of the garage ever since getting my first Buell. I really need to sell it, I suppose... | ||
| Zane_t |
I've owned various other motorcycles myself. My last two high performance bikes were the Generation 1 and Generation 2 Yamaha FZ1's, both liter bikes with 5 valve per cyl. 4's. After I clobbered a deer late in '07 with the Gen. 2 FZ1, with my arm still in a sling with a broken right collarbone, I went shopping for motorcycle that looked more resiliant to an animal strike, and got a good deal on a new '07 Buell XB12X Ulysses, which I'm still very happy with to this day. Since then, I've been kicking around getting a sport bike for a second motorcycle and last February I stumbled upon this '08 1125R with only 630 miles on it. My HD dealer gave me a deal that I couldn't afford to pass up and I took it home as a stablemate for the Ulysses. That 1125R is a whole different animal to ride compared to anything else I've ridden, and believe me, it was well worth the purchase. | ||
| Bsanorton |
Wow, thanks for the input guys! | ||
| Jsg4dfan |
I know about Uly's and deer all too well... | ||
| Dannybuell |
Twins exclusively for over 40 years. D_adams said: "man, that has _got_ to be the _ugliest_ bike I've ever seen" I felt exactly the same way until I sat on a CR on the showroom. I stood there and flicked it between my legs. Flicking it was so easy. As I sat on the bike I looked at the pods and realized that they could also serve as lowers. They do hold the wind and rain off my legs quite nicely too. (Message edited by dannybuell on July 04, 2010) | ||
| Zac4mac |
Been riding since the 70s - First bike was a Honda, bad experience, swore them off forever because of it. I've had Triumph, Yamaha, Suzuki, Husqvarna, Indian but mostly H-D. Only 2 I4s, a GS750 and an XS1100 Special, nice bikes, no soul tho. Currently I have an 08 1125R and an 09 XB12X. Loretta(1125R) is down for the 25k-service so I'm riding the Uly daily. Awesome machine but I miss Loretta's acceleration. The 1125 is the best handling/most fun bike I have ever ridden. No contest. Zack | ||
| Kidder |
04 Suzuki GSXR1000 Mladin - former owner. Great motorcycle. Sold it to buy a boat.  | ||
| Dixopr |
kz1100 and a an xs1100 too. KZ was fun because it had a nice powerband the xs was OK. Rode a few ninjas and an r6, I liked the top end but didn't like running it up to 10000 plus rpms to get it. The CR is a blast to ride from low to high. | ||
| Blur |
I bought a R6 before my CR. I still have the R6 but since 2005 it's been a track only bike. I decided to give the street another go with the CR and the bike is just amazing. The best way I can describe it is that it has the torque of a XB but the linear power of a I4. If you get one you won't be disappointed. I wish I looked into Buell a long time ago as they really are great bikes. Erik really thought outside the box when designing these bikes and he wasn't afraid to try new things. I've never ridden a I4 750 but the best way I could describe it if you're only familiar with jap bikes is that it has the torque of a liter bike but the power of a 750. | ||
| T_man |
My take on the 1125R vs IL4's: As far as sportbikes go I've owned a lot of IL4's & v-twins from every Japanese manufactuer, and few newish British triples too. The UJM inline 4 provides turbine smooth power - the newest 600's offering as much power as anyone could use on the street. The liter IL4's are simply stupendous in delivery. You had better know what your doing and be pointed in the right direction when you reef on the loud stick with one of those. Fit & finish is generally quite good, handling these days is razor sharp if your looking at the supersport types. Reliability and service support is perhaps where these bikes shine the brightest in comparison to the 1125 series. My experience with an '08 1125R has been overwhelming postive though. I (unlike many) have not had any mechanical failures - its never let me down once. The power delivery is loping but strong - you end up going faster with less sensation of speed. The 1125R fits a bit different than a UJM, wide bars stand out - hot frame too. The 1125 series is chalk full of character; sometimes demanding more from its owner than a Japanese IL4; Overall, it depends on what your looking for out of your motorcycle; the 1125R will give you a motorcycling 'expereince' where a UJM will just give you a motorcycle. | ||
| Jaimec |
My first two bikes were 1982 Yamaha Secas, purchased new. Since then, I've owned BMW K-fours and one Yamaha V-Four (the Venture Royale). My current "other bike" is the BMW K1200LT with the classic "Flying Brick" engine. All of the I4s I've owned have had "sweet spots" where there is no vibration at all (unfortunately for my first BMW that was WAY above the 55-mph national speed limit for that time). Both SECAs smoothed out around 60mph (I don't remember the RPM) and remained so up to redline. My K1200LT has one point of noticeable vibration around 3,000 rpm but is otherwise glass smooth at all other rpms. The 1125R definitely has vibration you can feel throughout the rev range, but it is a lower-frequency than the typical I4 "Buzz" and isn't as annoying. However, the faster you go, the stronger that vibration gets. I seldom run the speeds where the vibration is strongest on the street and on the track I have "other things" occupying my mind. The only "peaky" I4 I owned was the 550 SECA. Below 6,000 rpm it was a nice, tame all around commuter. AT 6,000 rpm the bike went through a Jekyll/Hyde transformation indicated first with the sensation of being rear-ended by a truck, followed by a shrieking wail all the way up to redline. HELL of a lot of fun, but absolutely the WORST powerband for a "first bike." I definitely got into trouble more times than I'd care to remember. Unfortunately, the bike was destroyed through no fault of mine when a neighbor just pulled blindly out of his driveway and DIRECTLY into me. I just had some bruises (I got knocked off the bike) but the car CRUSHED my poor bike. The insurance was enough to pay for a brand new XJ650RJ SECA (with end-of-model-year price reductions). Although that bike was definitely faster, it didn't FEEL faster as the powerband was flat and smooth. Still miss the hooligan power of the XJ550RJ though. However, I've also gotten spoiled by first the drive shafts of the Yamaha 650 SECA, and then my BMWs and finally the belt drives of my Buells. I can't imagine going back to the messy maintenance nightmare of a chain drive ever again. | ||
| Jng1226 |
I've got a slightly different path to Buell Nirvana than those already stated. I learned to ride on an '86 Ninja 600 while in college, then got into Yamaha's with a FZR600 and FZR400. Did a little WERA endurance racing on a '90 GSX-R1100 and loved my '97 Suzuki TL1000S, which made me a convert to big sporting twins for the street. However, since the early 2000's I've been a Euro-snob. It started with my '99 Triumph T595 Daytona (still one of the best sounding bikes of all time, IMHO), then my 2000 Aprilia Mille R (killer track bike with 12,000 miles around VIR):  Then I was fortunate enough to be able to finally buy my dream bike, a 2007 MV Agusta F4 1000R:  Shortly thereafter, I got my first Buell, an XB9SX:  I was amazed at the engineering to make such a compact bike with tremendous handling and unique engine character. I never had any of the handling quibbles that the magazines reported (likely because I changed the tires and properly set up the suspension) and fell in love. The Buell bug bit so hard that within a couple months I bought my first "Adventure" bike with a Ulysses XB12X:  In late '09, right after the $5K rebate announcement, I got in trouble with my wife for adding a 4th bike to the stable - Darth Maul:  Considering all the bikes I have owned and currently have, I do have to say that the 1125R is the best street sporting bike I have ridden to date. My Aprilia Mille R had tremendous handling but was a bit short on power with only about 112 HP to the wheel. The MV handles even better with sharper turn-in and rock-solid stability mid-corner. Add the super-aggressive throttle response and 155+ rwhp and it moves as great as it looks. However, the track-focused riding position and overheating at stoplights make it extremely impractical as a sport streetbike. The 1125R does everything I want in a sport streetbike. It's comfortable (much higher bars than the Italians and room to move around), turns sharply, is very stable mid-corner, has great stock suspension for the street, never overheats (at 98+ in FL), and the motor is a dream with that wonderful twin grunt down low that pulls all the way to the top. Lastly, it has a pretty low seat position that makes it so easy to drag a knee on the street that I do it every chance I get because it feels great and still within a respectable safety margin. If you want a direct comparison, I can offer it here via a video I shot this Spring. I've posted this almost a dozen times here but I think it has pertinence to this thread. A friend on an '06 Yamaha R1 has a camera mounted to his windscreen and is following me on my 1125R through a twisty mountain road. We reach about the maximum comfortable pace for a sporting street ride with some safety margin. I was knee down in almost every corner and honestly believed that I could keep that pace up all day long since it felt about 70% of what the bike was capable of. Watch and listen how hard the R1 has to ride to keep up, and my buddy lives 15 minutes from that road and knows every twist and turn. You can also get a professional thumbs up for the Buell 1125R in a head-to-head test over the best Japanese 600 and a current Aprilia RSV1000R right here: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/9/3317/Motorcycle-Ar ticle/2009-Daytona-SportBike-Comparison.aspx Just go for it and pick up an 1125, I promise you won't regret the riding experience one bit compared to anything else out there. Jeff | ||
| Doerman |
In the v-twin sportbike category I have ridden: - Duc 999 - RC51 - 1125R And I owned a BMW R1100S All of them are delicious sport twins! Of the above, the RC51 came closest to being as competent as the 1125R. In the IL4 category I have ridden: - CBR 954 - GSXR 750 Of those, the GSXR was outright delicious to ride compared to the CBR. I would love to sample a current version of the crossplane R1, by the way. However, I prefer how a v-twin delivers power over a IL4. That's my preference and bias. What makes the 1125R stand tall over the others is the forgiving handing characteristics aided by the great power delivery. That was my $.02 Enjoy whatever you end up buying. There really aren't any bad bikes out there any more, so it comes down to personal likes and dislikes. | ||
| Bsanorton |
Really good stuff guys. I appreciate all of your input and time you took to reply. Quite a lot of experience in this group!That video is fantastic! (Message edited by bsanorton on July 04, 2010) | ||
| 09_1125r |
'92 FZR 600 '98 CBR 900RR '98 GSXR 600 '03 GSXR 1000 '09 1125R The 1125R is the best of the bunch for all around rider experience. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Have had about 75 motorcycles of all persuasions and am really enjoying my CR. It does have some unique qualities, so if you get one give yourself a couple of thousand miles to really get tuned into it. Once you figure it out they are a very fun unique streetbike. And i like the stiffer "gearing" on the CR. Keeps me under 100 most of the time. | ||
| 1_mike |
Lets see if I can remember them all... After the 750 Ninja, two at a time were in the garage. 84, Kawasaki, 900 Ninja (bought used) 86, Kawasaki, 750 Ninja (bought used) 86, Suzuki 700 Intruder (bought new) 87, Yamaha, FZR1000 (bought new) 89, Yamaha, FZR1000 (bought used, still have, used-up) 90, Yamaha, FZR1000 (bought used, still have) 90, Yamaha, FZR1000 (bought new, still have, used-up) ?, Suzuki 1300 Intruder (bought new) 02, Suzuki, TLR 1000 (bought new) 03, Yamaha, R1 (bought new, still have and drive) -------------------------------------------- O4, Buell, XB12R (bought used, still have) 09, Buell, 1125CR (bought new, still have and drive) 05, Buell, XB12S (bought used, still have and drive) Mike | ||
| Junkyrddog780 |
I first aquired my grandfathers 1970 CB750K0 which I still have. After that it was a 2002 Bandit 1200, which I sold to my Dad. Then I fell in love with Buells and bought my current 2008 1125r. Last week my local dealer made me an offer I couldnt refuse on a leftover 2008 Suzuki B-King. The Buell is more like a V8 powered scalpel, the B-King is like a fist made out of sledgehammers. Two different bikes, for two very different purposes. | ||
| Bsanorton |
Seems I gots to start getting my stuff together and work with my HD bud to get that 1125r, lol! | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
 Ummm... I owned an XS1100 too... and I kinda liked that big beast of a thing... | ||
| Finedaddy1 |
Jng1226: Awesome video!! Oh how I wish I could enjoy my CR like this, "yeah it's an experience thing". I wasted so many years on that Sportster and I'm now realizing what I was missing out on. May God bless you! | ||
| Usmoto |
Too many to list so I'll simply say all my bikes over 15 years were all from the big 4. Still like Hondas but stick to rebuilding the older ones from the 60's and 70's. I love Buells and hope that Erik's able to bring us back some more street bikes. Rock On Erik Buell Racing!  | ||
| Kirb |
I had (in order of ownership) '82 honda magna, '99 Buell cyclone, '01 Honda ST1100, '05 Yamaha FJR, '00 EH super X, '09 Buell 1125CR, '08 KTM 990 adv. I grew up with Honda/Yamaha and moved on to street bikes listed above. I have never owned (or cared for) anything in the I4 sportbike side of things. The FJR was the best sport touring bike out there in '05 (and still is pretty good), so that is the only I4 that I really like. | ||
| Tbones1125r |
not including numerous dirt bikes: Yam XS400 I twin Yam RZ350 I twin Kaw GPz550 I4 Hon CB 750k I4 Hon VF500f V4 Hon NT650gt Hawk V2 Kaw ZRX1100 I4 BMW R1100s Current HO 2 Buell 1125R Current Buell CityX Current | ||
| Dman |
I started riding in 1972, and started riding liter sportbikes in 1987, I owned pretty much every major model - GSX1000R, CBR1000 & 1100, many many Ninja's ZX9's, 10's, 11, YZF1000R, R1, all my bikes have been sportbikes from the "big 4" over the past 25 yrs. I currently have 5 bikes, sport, motard, dirt and the Buell. I've had a X1W in 2000, and now my 1125R. I own a Buell because it's american made, it's a very rare item to me & I'm proud to ride a USA sportbike. I started test riding the 1125 the spring before the shutdown, 3 times, couldn't pull the trigger, there was no dealing at my dealership and at $12K, to me it was just over priced in comparison to my liter bike experience. I then tried to buy one when the rebates came, at $6K it was a stupid steal, to me it would be a good buy at $9K for what it is, I couldn't find one & ended up getting my 08 new for $3900 on fire sale that winter, which is rediculous. Would I own one at $12K, no I proved that when I was shopping, would I at $9K back when, yes I would. Do I feel I compromise a little bit vs one of the liter bikes I've had, honestly I'd say yes. I gear my bikes down & "play" on back road twisties and wheelies(I know, that means I'm a bad person to some). The liter bikes I've had have been smooth & brutal at the same time (I love that feel), powerful beyond desire, and a mere flick away from standing up in 1-4 gear, etc. But I feel the 1125 is the first bike I've had with a real SOUL, it's as flickable side to side as anything out there IMO, and better than most, it's OK fast, and VERY comfortable for a sport bike. I don't like the brakes at all, but I'm an old-dog, so getting used to not blipping on downshifts, no engine breaking, the belt drive, are tough for me, but this is asmuch a problem with me set in my ways as anything else, & it more than makes up for this to me in soul, spirit, and knife like cornering stability. I'm looking forward to my 1st track day on it to really enjoy the aspects that I think this bikes is best at. Best way I can put it is, I've owned way too many bikes to list, but I've talked to only two of them, my 2003 CRF450R, which I still ride, and my 1125R ... cause I think they are the only two that listen. Dave. | ||
| Motorhead102482 |
I had a 1982 Yam Virago that I learned on. Ya know, a cheap bike that if you drop you don't care. I then moved to a GSXR600. I absolutely loved that bike. I went overseas and didn't have a bike for a while, but eventually talked my wife into it again. I bought the 1125R always thinking I kind of liked them, but wasn't sure, but once I rode it, I couldn't have been happier with my choice in getting one. It'll be like my truck that's been paid off for years. I'll drive it till the wheels fall off (hopefully that happens while I'm not actually driving it.) | ||
| T_man |
Dave; good post - 100% agree with your apprasial of the 1125 vs other liter bikes. | ||
| Robad |
I was "bikeless" for some 35-odd years and recently bought an immaculate Yamaha FJ1200, and shortly thereafter my 1125R. The best comparison I can make is that the FJ1200 is like my Audi A8 whereas the 1125R is like my Audi R8... | ||
| Mcballpeen |
All of my bikes were twins and singles until the Buell. Then I bought a Suzuki Bandit 1200 to ride while the Buell was in the shop. Unlike the Buell, it has a noticable jump in power output after 4000 RPM. It's fairly streetable, just don't get it above 4000 RPM. It has no where near the horsepower that the Buell does, or anywhere near the weight (or lack there of). I'd guess it was down at least 40 horsepower and 40+ pounds heavier in weight. Once I got the Buell back, it feels like riding a raked out chopper compared to the Buell. | ||
| Blk09r |
1977 Suzuki 750 1979 Honda CBX 1981 Suzuki GS1100 1980 Honda CBX 1992 Ducati 907ie 1996 Honda VFR750 1998 Triumph T595 2002 Aprilia RST1000 2009 Buell 1125r The VFR was a great bike but boring. The Buell Is the first bike I've owned that I didn't immediately try to find ways to increase the power. Don't get me wrong, I'll still find ways to make more power, I just don't feel I need to with this bike. |
