2008 Buell 1125r (Rotax-power)

[Warpdrv]

>if you have 0 track time like me then you get some advice or coaching on your bike
As long as you are not on a demo bike you get coaching/advice. There are lots of coaches in all levels incl national champs and factory riders for the advanced guys. One guy (name I forget) owned the Road America lap record for his class. This is a top-notch track day and a steal for $100 (the Texas day is $100, others are $150)

I only demo'd so did not get coaching.

I was at the track day at Road America.... It was a blast.... first time for me on an open coarse.. Grinnin from ear to ear...

Here are a couple of shots of me and the FJR and the Buell...

I didn't have to pay a thing.... they provided breakfest, lunch, drinks..... I got invited by my buddy at the HD dealership here in town...

Free ride all the way.... boy was I sore, and tired... Put on 140 miles on the 4 mile coarse...

Way too much fun.... The Buell had pretty good acceleration, but not to be trumped by the Stock FJR... I was always climbing up their asses...

But I have to say, that the bike is 200lbs less then my fjr... but really cramped to ride... obviously Im not used to that....

But guess what.... NOW I want a track bike... Im a Yamaha Fan through and through, so Im thinking a R1 is in my future here... :yahoo:

**** HOW Do I attach Pics....***** Haven't been here for a while..

 

[kieefjr]

I had the fever for a Ulysses for quite a while and then they brought out the 1125R. I got to thinking about a Rotax powered Uly with all the current bike faults fixed.

Then I came upon a great deal on my FJR, hadn't really considered it until my fever broke for the Uly. Glad I got the FJR but I think a Buell will be in my future someday.

Buell really needs to address the sport touring crowd wth this new fomat IMO.

 

[onlyblue]

That might make me think about trading my 92 Buell [last before HD bought them] in.
Niehart

I've been considering the same. I have a 2000 S3 that has been absolutely rock solid for dependability. I don't think there's a scratch on it and it run's as well now as when new. The FJR is my choice for most commuting, and travel that takes more than a few hours; But I always take the Buell out when I feel like a hooligan and want to carve some asphalt.

 

[Scythian]

MotorcycleDaily has a first ride report here: https://www.motorcycledaily.com/27august07_2008buell1125r.htm

It sounds like a neat bike, but I don't want one....

From the (poorly written) review:



In judging beautiful women, a nice figure and athletic moves are a plus, but a beautiful face is the sine qua non. Without one, you might not be invited to the party.

. . . And so it has been for Buell and its sport bikes. Uninvited. Take a look at any number of open-class sportbike comparison tests published here in the United States or abroad. All the latest and greatest "contenders" are assembled for evaluation, but no Buell can be found amongst them.

In this analogy, a beautiful face is the engine.

Now that's a tortured metaphor! I'm yanking their metaphor license for that.... Terrible.

 

[FZ/FJR Mike]

Most everyone has been riding pre-production bikes & I'll be reading the comparos with existing sport bikes next spring . Very concerned with Buell reliability.

 

[Shadowfax]

Most everyone has been riding pre-production bikes & I'll be reading the comparos with existing sport bikes next spring . Very concerned with Buell reliability.

Buell reliability is fine. I've got a 91RS1200 and a 00Blast now, I had a 98 S1WL and a 99 S3T before.

I currently have a 2008 1125R and 2008 XB12Scg on order. I've put about 60,000 miles on Buells to date with no major manufacturer issues (several dealer and aftermarket issues) and the factory stands behind their bikes better than most.

Call the Buell Factory and go take a tour (M-F, before lunch), then hit Inside Pass and demo Buell bikes on a race track with instructors for $150, then go hear Erik Buell and his band (The Thunderbolts - pick up their new CD while you're at it) play at a dealer near you.

While you're there do something you can't do at most dealers - test ride a sportbike.

Be concered about the dealer you use but don't worry about reliability.

(then go to the Yamaha dealer down the road to get gear since the Harley dealer only has t-shirts, chaps, fingerless gloves and Christmas decorations, but don't get me started)

 

[RatoneMuerto]

I cant agree more with Shadowfax.Buell has always had a policy of standing behind its products.That is one reason I loved the machine so much.Always a pure rock solid machine and great value.His tweaks of the Sportster engine are legendary.I have never had a problem with a Rotax motor in whatever application it was on.Anything from a snowmobile,BMW F series or ultralight have all worked well with the Rotax.Buells have always been unique,fun and asking to be trashed.When they moved away from offering sport tourers like the S3T I had to look elsewhere.Truth is for me I was on my way to buy a new XB12ss when my FJR showed up on eBay locally here.The deal I got on my 04 FJR was a real no brainer.Like Shadowfax said it is usually dealer issues and not the machine.My buddy encoraged me to just show up at the test site.So more to follow and hopefully get to ride it.

 

[Jazzzzz]

I'd been looking long and hard at a Ulysses before I decided to go with the FJR. It wasn't the bikes that turned me off, it was the dealers. None of the Harley/Buell dealers in my area like the Buells, and couldn't be bothered to deal with me asking for a test ride. I wasn't impressed with their parts counters either - I'd ordered Buell signals and a flyscreen to fit to another bike, and I had to go through an out-of-town dealer to get the damned things ordered even though I had the part numbers in hand before calling anyone. The parts counters at the local dealers would just put me on hold for 30+ minutes at a time while they looked for parts catalogs, or better yet just hang up on me outright. (FYI, F&S Harley in Dayton was the one dealer I dealt with who seemed to actually care about Buell customers.)

The funny part is, after I bought the FJR (hey, it's a Yamaha, there's a ton of Yamaha dealers around and at least one of them has to be decent) I found out that the local Yamaha shops have pretty shitty parts counters and their mechanics aren't much better. At least they don't look down their nose at me when I walk in the door.

Luckily, there's a local shop with a Yamaha-certified mechanic that kicks ass (Holeshot). And after buying the FJR I've never once thought I made a bad decision. Doesn't mean I'd mind having a Lightning or a Firebolt in my garage now that I've got a great long distance bike, though.

 

[dhalen32]

Jazzz:

I'm fortunate enough to own both an FJR and a Ulysses. I intend on keeping both. Like the FJR forum, Buell has an excellent internet based support forum known as: www.badweatherbikers.com Check it out. You will be able to find who the good dealers and bad dealers are in your area as well as most anything you wish to know about Buells. I'm also fortunate to work for a very good H-D/Buell dealer. Parts are remarkably inexpensive and the bikes are very easy to work on. We're very excited about the upcoming 1125R and I'm looking forward to an 1125 powered Ulysses or Lightning sometime in the near future as my next bike.

Dave

 

[Shadowfax]

It wasn't the bikes that turned me off, it was the dealers...(FYI, F&S Harley in Dayton was the one dealer I dealt with who seemed to actually care about Buell customers.)

I found out that the local Yamaha shops have pretty shitty parts counters and their mechanics aren't much better.

Yeah the dealers are the Achilles Heel of Buell. My 3 local shops were terrible which was one of the reasons I got the FJR (I found a kick ass local Yammi dealer). But there is now a new Buell dealer in town who seems to be getting the Buell picture in focus and their affiliated dealerships (owners own 3 total) have decent reps.

F&S in Dayton - that's funny they bailed me out of a jam years ago when I needed a part real quick (dropped my Buell right before a track day).

 

[SockMonkey]

My neighbor's son just rode over with the first 1125R delivered in the state of Oregon (according to what Paradise H-D told him...). What gorgeous piece of machinery! The pictures simply do not do this bike justice. I'm 6'2" and I can't believe how well this bike sits; everything is exactly where it should be and I didn't feel cramped up in the least. Once he's got it broken in, I'm definitley going to beg a ride... B)

 

[Docholiday]

Please post a review if you ride the Buell 1125r. I would love to hear how its power and handling compare to the FJR.

 

[SockMonkey]

Please post a review if you ride the Buell 1125r. I would love to hear how its power and handling compare to the FJR.

In the meantime, take it from the guys that are actually riding the bike: BadWeather Bikers

 

[painman]

Cool site SM. What really stood out for me was the specs pitting the R1125 against the GSXR750. These two bikes are really close in all aspects. The Buell should be great for track days among the greats. Also sounds like some of the issues some of the riders were having were mellowing out with miles and wear-in on the bike. I sat on one at the IMS show and it did feel really good and the look on the front end was astounding looking like a praying mantis getting ready to leap. The ear muff radiators is going to be hard to get use to visually but may not be a bother after a while as well and rumor has it there could be a model in the spring wearing farings. Sweeeeet. PM. <><

 

[SockMonkey]

Cool site SM.

Not to get too far off topic, but...

Though it's not nearly as well managed as this forum, I have to admit that I do enjoy lurking over there (particularly the Big, Bad & Dirty Buell Ulysses board. I hold a soft spot in my heart for that bike for some odd reason...). Something I've certainly noticed in my lurking is that the Buell community in general is very, very tightly knit. I suppose it's because they all consider themselves the unwanted bastard step-children of H-D and are apparently treated as such by a majority of the H-D dealers that (begrudgingly) carry their ride of choice.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Buell community .... they all consider themselves the unwanted bastard step-children of H-D and are apparently treated as such by a majority of the H-D dealers that (begrudgingly) carry their ride of choice.

'Twas always thus....

Way back, in the mists of time -- when H-D sent a letter to all their dealers that they must order a certain percentage of their yearly bikes as the new lightweight (newly acquired Italian Aermachi) models; big New York dealer, Reggie Pink, answered back: "Go ahead and bill me for the damn things -- but, don't ship them."

 

[MotorToad]

Yeah the dealers are the Achilles Heel of Buell. My 3 local shops were terrible which was one of the reasons I got the FJR (I found a kick ass local Yammi dealer). But there is now a new Buell dealer in town who seems to be getting the Buell picture in focus and their affiliated dealerships (owners own 3 total) have decent reps.
F&S in Dayton - that's funny they bailed me out of a jam years ago when I needed a part real quick (dropped my Buell right before a track day).

I'd say it's the prices that have kept me away. $12k for an XB12S that's slower than my '94 FZR600? No thanks!

I really like that forum, though. With all the different fonts and such it looks hobbled together from trashbin bits. How appropriate.

 

[spalkin]

My local Hardly dealership also sells Buell. The 1125R is actually amazing looking inperson. The frame is very cool.

 

[dhalen32]

Yeah the dealers are the Achilles Heel of Buell. My 3 local shops were terrible which was one of the reasons I got the FJR (I found a kick ass local Yammi dealer). But there is now a new Buell dealer in town who seems to be getting the Buell picture in focus and their affiliated dealerships (owners own 3 total) have decent reps.
F&S in Dayton - that's funny they bailed me out of a jam years ago when I needed a part real quick (dropped my Buell right before a track day).

I'd say it's the prices that have kept me away. $12k for an XB12S that's slower than my '94 FZR600? No thanks!

I really like that forum, though. With all the different fonts and such it looks hobbled together from trashbin bits. How appropriate.

Motor Toad:

Buells are a might spendy but I think you're a bit off with your price above. The XB12S (Lightning) sold for $10K last year as does it's closest living relative in 2009, the XB12Ss. Could you perhaps be thinking of an XB12X or XT?

I own both a Ulysses and an FJR. They have both proven to be excellent and reliable machines and between the two I have logged about 30,000 miles in the last 20 months. Except for tires and oil/filter changes I have done nothing but add gas and ride. The Ulysses is much more economical with fuel while the FJR has much better weather protection and as you have mentioned is much faster. However, on a twisty road the Ulysses is hard to beat.

Dave

 

[CHRIS_D]

I too been eyeing the Uly. However I just checked BadWeather Bikers site and my local HD/Buell dealer has a real bad rap when it comes to repairing them. I also been eyeing the BMW adventure which the problem with that is that there's only two dealers in GA and not one of them is real close to me.

Maybe Yamaha will come out with the FJR Adventure!