Monstrosity Posted May 28, 2010 Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 I must say, I had a freakin blast on it! I've always made fun of them being associated with HD. Well I ate my words today! A buddy was in town with his 1125 (naked model). He moded the bars but other than that it was mostly stock. Sounded good, great torque, and was comfy yet incredibly fast. Its got me re-thinking what I want to buy... How is the reliability of buells? I really thought I was going to hold out till I either found a good deal on a 07 or so Speed Triple, or Monster but I'm debating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 Don't assume an XB is on par with the new Rotax models. They are both great handling bikes' date=' but they are worlds apart regarding their engines. BTW, Buell fracking rocks my socks![/quote']Dont take this the wrong way but I figured you'd be the last person to be a Buell fan on here. As far as your first statement, can you elaborate on that a bit? I'll be honest I dont know jack shit about these bikes. I've never owned a bike with a belt, everything has had a chain. I've also owned mostly I4 and one I3. Maintenance intervals, valve adjustments?I like the XB streetfighter as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted May 28, 2010 Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 The 1125 has a few quirks out of the box. But they are easily corrected under warranty at no charge to the owner. Long term reliability seems to be good.--Reflash the ECM - runs smoother, runs cooler, makes a bit more power.--Clutch cover tends to weep a small amount of oil out of the vent hole (small amount= a drop every thousand miles or so). New version of the clutch cover is available under warranty.--The Low Fuel Light can come on faslely at low temps, say under 45 degrees, it goes off as the motor reaches operating temp. The fix is to replace the Instrument Cluster with one with an updated firmware version. Free under warranty.--The only ongoing issue seems to be stator failures on 09s. HD has replaced (not recalled) the charging harness with one that seems to extend stator life. Perhaps they will realease an updated stator that solves the problem completely.*Not all 1125 have these issues, but these are the ones that have been mentioned with some regularity on the the Buell forums.All in all, I am happy with my 1125. The handling is top notch & the power delivery is quite linear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 The 1125 has a few quirks out of the box. But they are easily corrected under warranty at no charge to the owner. Long term reliability seems to be good.--Reflash the ECM - runs smoother, runs cooler, makes a bit more power.--Clutch cover tends to weep a small amount of oil out of the vent hole (small amount= a drop every thousand miles or so). New version of the clutch cover is available under warranty.--The Low Fuel Light can come on faslely at low temps, say under 45 degrees, it goes off as the motor reaches operating temp. The fix is to replace the Instrument Cluster with one with an updated firmware version. Free under warranty.--The only ongoing issue seems to be stator failures on 09s. HD has replaced (not recalled) the charging harness with one that seems to extend stator life. Perhaps they will realease an updated stator that solves the problem completely.*Not all 1125 have these issues, but these are the ones that have been mentioned with some regularity on the the Buell forums.All in all, I am happy with my 1125. The handling is top notch & the power delivery is quite linear.huh, thanks for all the info!How does the City X compare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted May 28, 2010 Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 XBs are quite possibly the lowest maintenance sporty bikes you can buy and very reliable. No valve adjustments, no throttle body sync, maintenance free belt drive, etc.I put over 34k on an 03 XB9S. Maintenance was limited to oil, tires, spark plugs, and brake pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFM Posted May 28, 2010 Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 My old Buell was the bike that made me decide that speed was cooler than posing on a Harley.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboglock Posted May 28, 2010 Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 I do really love riding my XB lightning and it is a very low maintenance bike. It has lots of low end torque and is great for street ridding but its alot slower than the 1125's. But it can hold its one with must of the monsters and isnt much slower the the street triple. I personally love the harley sound on a sport bike. its also a very very comfortable riding position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2010 XBs are quite possibly the lowest maintenance sporty bikes you can buy and very reliable. No valve adjustments, no throttle body sync, maintenance free belt drive, etc.I put over 34k on an 03 XB9S. Maintenance was limited to oil, tires, spark plugs, and brake pads.No valve adjustment? Does it have pushrods in it? I'm kinda retarded with V twins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 No valve adjustment? Does it have pushrods in it? I'm kinda retarded with V twins.Pushrods and hydraulic lifters. Good = No Valve adjustments and lots of low end torque.Bad = There are limits to HP and RPM. Overall it a good streetable motor with plenty power for aggressive riding, but it won't set anyone's hair on fire on the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skrewloose Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 does well in the short sections ... but once the track opens up .... the lack of top end really shows. Make up as much ground as possible in the corners .... the belt lacks gearing changes as well for the track ... better canyon/street bike than a track machine ... still fun as hell .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alienpi Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 I love my 1125R. Passing cagers with the tach anywhere above 5K sounds awesome! She's a perfect sport-tourer. In order to complete the package I added a few accessories. A steering damper to enhance it's wheelie-friendliness. As you probably figured out, its front end likes to come off the ground.TechSpec tank grips, which seem to really help with cornering, fast stops, and preventing testicle damage.Fieldsheer Contour saddlebags, add some much needed storage for those multi-day trips. The only thing that may take a little to get used to is the heat. She doesn't like to go less than 35 mph and stop and go traffic can get a little warm on the legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 I only want it for a street bike and to ride 2 up from time to time. I'm not sure if I should look for the 1125 or the XB then at that full fairing or streetfighter. I like both models and think both will do what I'm looking for.No valve adjustment is awesome! Pushrods and lifters like a small block chevy I can handle! Is the 1125 the same way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 I love my 1125R. Passing cagers with the tach anywhere above 5K sounds awesome! She's a perfect sport-tourer. In order to complete the package I added a few accessories. A steering damper to enhance it's wheelie-friendliness. As you probably figured out, its front end likes to come off the ground.TechSpec tank grips, which seem to really help with cornering, fast stops, and preventing testicle damage.Fieldsheer Contour saddlebags, add some much needed storage for those multi-day trips. The only thing that may take a little to get used to is the heat. She doesn't like to go less than 35 mph and stop and go traffic can get a little warm on the legs.How often do you change belts? Does the belt break or stretch from wheelies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monstrosity Posted May 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 The 1125 is a Rotax engine with DOHC valve actuation that requires inspection/service.How often do they need checked/adjusted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 How often do you change belts? Does the belt break or stretch from wheelies?Depending on year, the belts last from 25k-Lifetime. Belt drive has several advantages over a chain. The only downside is you can't change gearing, as mentioned above. How often do they need checked/adjusted?12k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOW Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 Depending on year, the belts last from 25k-Lifetime. Belt drive has several advantages over a chain. The only downside is you can't change gearing, as mentioned above. 12kYou can change gearing on a belt drive by changing out the pulleys and belt. Lower tooth count will give you more bottom end torque, higher count lowers your RPMs and pretty much turn you into a dedicated cruiser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shittygsxr Posted May 29, 2010 Report Share Posted May 29, 2010 You can change gearing on a belt drive by changing out the pulleys and belt. Lower tooth count will give you more bottom end torque, higher count lowers your RPMs and pretty much turn you into a dedicated cruiser.since the tensioner and axle are static just changing the pulleys and belt will not give you proper tension. Believe it or not but the 1125r and 1125cr have different swingarms because of their different gearing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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