Rode the 1125R This Past Weekend

[intimid8er]

Not impressed.

Crossed off the list.

I'll revive my old "Test Ride" thread and do a write up there. Maybe I won't...the ride was soooooo unremarkable.

Especially, after the buildup that everybody at the dealership was giving it. It was kinda like daydreaming about being with :insert your favorite supermodel/actress or whomever here: , and then you get the chance, and you find out they're lousy in the sack.

[Motorcycle Forum]

[intimid8er]

[mflueras]

I've been looking at this bike myself. If you could please give us a little more details. What did you not like about the bike? Where there any positives?

[Clint]

I just got done reading the CW article. Sounded like a decent bike coming from them, but it still has low rpm issues.

[tricker]

everytime i see a bike i would love to test drive and maybe get.. i just remind myself that my bike has no monthly payment due.. somehow that kills my ideas of getting a new one..... for now

[intimid8er]

I've been looking at this bike myself. If you could please give us a little more details. What did you not like about the bike? Where there any positives?

I just got done reading the CW article. Sounded like a decent bike coming from them, but it still has low rpm issues.

It was a great bike...don't get me wrong...it definitely had its strong points. But there were too many compromises to be an addition to the stable. When I compose my thoughts into a fair assessment I'll post them. I did a couple of drafts yesterday, but too me they didn't seem to be unbiased. So I'll try again.

[mflueras]

I have a 03 lightning now and love the bike. I've been reading about the new buell since its inception and am on and off the minisite. I've not ridden one so I'd like to hear from someone that does not get paid to write about motorcycles but just enjoyes to ride.

[intimid8er]

I had some funny observations about Harley riders and their stereotypes while waiting in line for service, and I wanted to make sure any negativity (real or perceived) doesn't creep it's way into a write up.

That said, the demo ride was entirely too short also. So I really can't give it a fair assessment.

I was negatively influenced by the amount of people that treated the bike as if it were some mythical beast that breathed fire and couldn't be trusted as far as one could spit. While it's great and safe practice to give ANY bike it's due respect. The amount of well wishers and do gooders that stopped by to give me my last rites as I suited up in front of the bike provided a buildup that didn't have a payout.

I found the torque to be lacking. Your Lightning will provide you with more excitement from light to light. I don't know...I've assembled some parts and had my Uly dyno tuned to shift the torque curve even farther to the left so I'm providing roughly 70% or so of my usable torque right off idle. No kidding. I've mapped out the belly in the torque curve from 2800-3800 rpm so it pulls like a freight train straight on through to 5500. So yeah...I'm kinda spoiled in that aspect.

The torque curve on the 1125 seemed to be linear. I twisted the throttle, it would move. However, the wheelies I was warned about never seemed to appear. I'd pay a little line out to the ride captain, and then reel him in, but it wasn't "scary" fast like everyone warned me about. I was surprised at how smooth it was though. I'll give it that. I did briefly wind it up past 7000 a couple of times and the bike flashed it's intentions to me, but still...very manageable.

Comfort....I'm 6'2", and I thought I fit very nicely on the bike. Again, the ride was too short, but I could see I could "fit" on the bike. "Fitting" and being comfortable for extended periods are two different things though. I noticed some hot spots flaring up right quick right in the bend of my butt at the top of my thighs. It was definitely from a thin seat pad. A Corbin or Sargent seat would probably provide the proper fix. Other than the pressure on my wrists, which is par for the course on that type of bike, the riding position was good, but again, it'd benefit from a trip to the Corbin factory.

I captured some sound and video for y'all, but apparently, it didn't save on my phone. I found the sound to be very anemic and bland. Certainly, not the imagination capturing, soul stirring sound you get from the Thunderstorm family.

Handling was crisp. I had to again play out some line to the ride captain, and then weave or negotiate a corner at my own pace in order to evaluate the handling. I found it to be superb, as is expected on a Buell, but of course, it would benefit greatly from an hour or so of adjusting it to my weight.

Personally, myself, I'm gonna wait on this one. If I find a used one in a few years down the road, at a greatly reduced price, I'd add it to my garage, but as it stands, I can't see it in my garage now. I'm still gonna look at the Kawasaki Concourse.

[oyrider]

I took the opportunity to go for a test ride on the 1125r. I thought it was fun. While trying out the brakes, I pulled the rear wheel off the ground. I didn't really notice it until I felt it set back down on the ground, so it wasn't very high. The salesperson with me encouraged me to "get on it some", so, being an accommodating person, I gassed it. I thought it went pretty good, about like the 98 ninja 900 I used to have. No unintentional wheelies. Since I rode an 07 honda 600rr to the dealership, the Buell felt kinda big, but at 5'7" and 165 lbs, I felt comfortable on the bike. I wouldn't buy one right now, since the 600 is filling that spot in the garage, but maybe for my next sportbike? Right now, I want a CityX to replace the M2 I sold last year. Like the guys above, this was just a test ride and not more than a couple of miles long.

[Davecm203]

I rode one. It was only me and the salesman and we went on about a 40 min ride. My Super Hawk was stolen last Nov. and wanted another V-Twin sport bike. I liked my Hawk better in that it seemed to have better torque off the line. The 1125 would stumble if I was about 45 or under and was in 5th or 6th. Definitely had to be in 4th when going that slow. The bike does have a lot more front weight bias than my Hawk did, so the front end did not come up easily. We did travel as some good speeds on a few curvy roads and I thought it handled very well although it did need set up for my weight (I am 6'2"). I decided to not get it. I could not make myself spend that kind of money on it.

[chadrob30]

I rode my buddy's CR, and was definitely unimpressed. It was too small, too cramped, and it just felt goofy. Of course coming off a B-King any bike would feel goofy...lol.

[oyrider]

Unfortunately, Harley Davidson closed the doors on Buell. A business decision. Sucks big time. On the plus side, the remaining Buell's are being sold at BIG discounts, around 1/2 of the MSRP. So, I bought a 2009 1125CR. Size wise, its good for me! Raw power and an edginess that my other bikes don't have.

[john12121]

Buell 1125R is targeted more towards comfort than performance. Footpegs are relatively low and the handlebar is in a forward position, but confortable for long drives.