Buell 1125R Test Ride

Glendale Harley Davidson / Buell has been doing test rides every Saturday for the last couple weeks and in the pool of bikes is an 08 1125R. I wanted to tryout one the 1125CR's but they didn't have one available for test rides.

I ended up going out twice. The first time was with a group of 3 other riders that couldn't even get the bike out of the parking lot. The guy leading the ride said that I could go ahead of the group but when I saw that he had his hands full I decided to stick with them and make sure that these noobies made it back OK. Then Carlos took me back out for some highway riding.

Once I got the bike out on the road and was able to open it up a bit I started to appreciate the engineering that went into this bike. The first thing I noticed was how smooth yet responsive the throttle was. With most sport bikes there is a bit of a jump when you roll on the throttle, but the 1125R didn't exhibit this "jumping" characteristic.

The Helicon engine was a very good decision on Buell's part. It is extremely smooth and very powerful. Another nice feature is that the engine is liquid cooled which allows it to be pushed a bit further. The tach red-lines a little over 10.5K RPM's. The placement of the engine is awesome and well balanced. Everytime I rolled on the throttle I was grinning from ear to ear. This is a great engine and it really gets going no matter the RPM's.

While on the freeway the suspension was smooth despite the disrepair of the road. The suspension was also very noticeable when when braking, well not noticeable, rather notable. There were a couple instances where I had to get on the brakes and the suspension performed nicely. Again, another great decsion by Buell going with Showa for the suspension.

The 8 piston brakes really stop the bike. They were very responsive and it didn't take much pressure at all to get the bike to slow. While braking the front end stayed controllable and the suspension compressed nicely.

As I was following my escort for the ride I noticed that his jeans were really flapping in the wind. I then started paying attention to the wind against my body and clothes and there was virtually nothing. The aerodynamics of the bike are great and make the ride really nice.

The rider position is very athletic, almost too athletic, but my everyday bike is an XB12X which has an upright stance. The handlebars are in a great position and provide for easy control. All of the controls were nicely placed and I had no problem with turn signals, high beams, and high beam flasher. It took very little effort to get the bike to do what I wanted it to.

I have been in search of track bike and this bike is a contender. After about 5 mins on the 1125R I felt as if I had been riding the bike for years. I am going to test ride some Ducatis and various Japanese fair before setting out to purchase a track bike. The 1125R is high on the list though. I have watched Shawn Higbee smoke everyone else at Willow Springs on a regular basis on an 1125R, and he seems to do it with ease. I know that the Ducatis have a proven track record (literally) but the 1125R is nicely priced with a lot of power and maneuverability.

*Photos taken from http://www.buell.com

Ditch the Harley-Davidson Oil

If you have a Harley or a Buell, don't let anyone ever put that Harley-Davidson crap oil in your bike. Get it the F out if you value your engine and its performance. Suggestions... Motul & Amsoil. All of the Buell race bikes are running Motul which is what my mechanic just put into my bike. He said that when he pulled the Harley oil out, barely at 2500 miles (which HD / Buell claims you can go 5k with Syn), it looked like choclate bars coming out.

Since I have been running the Motul in my 08 XB12X, I have not had to add a drop of oil. I check it every fillup and all is well. I am currently about 1800 miles in, and with the HD oil I would be half way through a quart. Engine is quieter and smoother, and the fan does not seem to run as much anymore. Reduce the friction, reduce the heat, reduce the wear.

Disconnecting the acutator cable

So... there have not been any negative long term effects resulting from disconnecting the actuator cable that goes between the airbox and the exhaust. The bike seems to respond better overall and I have actually seen an increase in gas mileage. That may be due to me not have to bury the damn throttle all of the time in anticipation of needing the power.

On a side note, I swapped out my stock exhaust for a Jardine RT-1. The bike has a ton more zip to it and I haven't noticed any change in the gas milage, but I do get pop when I roll off the throttle. I put in the baffle, which helped, but I still get some popping. I wish Buell would come out with a programmable ECU for the 08+ XB's. I am going to pull the baffle out and plug a couple of the holes in hopes it will create enough back pressure so the pop goes away, and thus balances the system. It does run a bit lean on idle and will stall sometimes when cold, but overall it runs better.

Still loving this bike! The XB12X is at the top of my list for most favorite bikes ever.

V-Twin Meetups

We have a new meetup group that is for Sport-Twins. There are tons of groups for 4 bangers and Harleys, and even for Ducati's, but the rest of us get left out. So far everyone that I have met is pretty cool. We have 3 Buell, 1 Aprilia, and 1 Ducati in the group. There are other members, but these are the only ones I have met.

Anyway, I have noticed something about Sport-Twin riders, we all get a long and don't have an elitist attitude. Not to say that all others do, or that some of us don't, it is just an observation. Well, due to the bike feeling like it is slipping on me I had to opt out of a great ride this past weekend lead by Ray on his Aprilia. Hopefully I will be back in the saddle this weekend.

It sucks having only one bike. I may get a Blast or similar to tool around on when my Uly is getting worked on.

Doing a little catching up

I was tired of my 1203 Harley engine sounding like a sewing machine so I put on a new exhaust. I purchased a Jardine RT1 from my local Harley / Buell dealer. They installed it, and the next day I rode out to the race track to watch Higbee and Dixon battle it out in Willow Springs.

Oh, the power!!! The beast has been released. Never mind the awesome sound, I have a lot more noticeable power! I also added the K&N air filter to allow it to breath. Man, it is a whole new bike. I can't wait for them to come out with an 08 race ECM. This bike is so much fun and I love riding it.

I did have some small issues recently that has caused me to lose confidence with my machine. I am taking it in to get looked at before I get back on the road.

What am I going to do next to the bike? Paint it. I will post a poll to see what people think. I am leaning towards a matte black with spot gloss Harley orange racing stripes down the middle.

Since I have disconnected the actuator cable...

Since I have disconnected the actuator cable to the exhaust on my XB12X the bike has been running great. I was on one of the Buell forums someone corrected me on the default position of the valve in the exhaust. It fails shut which forces the exhaust gases to pass through the entire can before exiting.

The bike seems to run better in this configuration. I have enjoyed consistent power with no delays. Really makes things nice in the canyons. There has been one thing that has been bothering me though; the bike feels like it has more power hidden in its guts.

Ride to Willow on Sunday

We will be meeting at Glendale HD - Buell to ride out to Willow Springs. They are in the first race of the day and finish at race 5 so we will need to leave by 7:30AM. I think we will take two routes out there. One over the crest for the adventurous, and one via freeway for everyone else. On the way back we will all take the canyons. Let me know if you have any questions.

motocaliblog@gmail.com

WSMC Club Races

So, here is a taste of what to expect at Willow Springs this month.




Music by Nine Inch Nails from their new album.
Album: "The Slip"
Song: "1,000,000"

Conti Road Attacks & the Buell XB12X

I really do like the Conti Road Attacks on my bike. I had my Buell XB12X, which is a dual sport bike that sits pretty high, leaned over to the point of scraping my peg in a turn. We came up on a decreasing radius turn and I had to lean it over pretty far. I started to fight to keep the tires from touching the double yellow and quickly realized that the bike and my new rubber needed no convincing. As my foot started contacting the pavement I thought, "man, I am really leaned over." As I pulled out of that turn I had another and the bike performed with grace. I started replaying the turn in my head and realized the tires really did a great job of gripping the pavement. I could not feel any slip at all.

Of course the tires weren't the only thing keeping me from spilling it. A lot has to do with my confidence on that particular bike, and the bike itself. I have been really satisfied with my Buell and I would purchase another one in a heartbeat. Thanks goes to my brother for turning me on to this bike. I have been enjoying the hell out of it and don't think I will ever sell it.

Editing Software Crashing

Sorry for the delay on the video. I have been working nonstop for the past few weeks and have finally found some downtime to work on the video. Now both iMovie and Final Cut are giving me problems, which leads me to believe the issue it with my hardware. Once I get it sorted out I will post them. What I have been able to edit so far looks pretty cool.

Sunday at the track

The track was fun as usual. I had four bikes ride over Angeles Crest with me. We talked about riding techniques and headed up the canyon with no issues. Once we were at the track our hosts, Glendale Harley-Davidson / Buell, were already set up and waiting for their race. Unfortunately, Patrick was not able to race due to a crash the week prior. Apparently he was knocked out by someone else with a few laps remaining. He was still awarded 2nd place despite not being able to finish the race.

Jeff "Slipp" Dixon didn't get much of a chance to run on Sunday. His RR was being worked on so he rode Patrick's XB12R. There was some mechanical issues with the bike that Ernie was able to sort out before the second race, but by lap four or five the bike started experiencing issues. Hopefully Jeff's RR will be ready to go next weekend for the Pro races (check the event calendar).

On the other hand, Buell had a great day. Shawn Higbee rode the new 1125R for Bartel's, pretty much stock, and did a great job. I have some video that hopefully turned out. I have not had a chance to look at it yet, but will try to get around to in the next couple days. I think with a little modification that bike it will be a rocket. BTW, Shawn is a professional racer so he had a skill advantage over the rest of the field.

One Lap at Willow Springs

I would like to thank Mario Vindeni at Glendale Harley-Davidson / Buell for the video. The rider that is being chased by the camera is Mario on a track day. I edited the video to make it shorter and changed the music.




Music Clip: Before I Forget - Slipknot (www.slipknot1.com)

Willow Springs

I will be headed down to Willow Springs on Sunday to watch the races and to support the Glendale Buell team. Hopefully the weather will be good enough to race. Looking at the current weather forecast it looks as if it may rain. If that is the case I am sure they will cancel the race. It will be interesting to attend one of these events. I have heard that they are a lot of fun and am looking forward to it.

According to the Glendale Harley website Jeff Dixon (Glendale Harley / Buell's guy) won on Feb 17th beating the Ducati 1098. Great job Jeff! Can't wait to see you fight it out on Sunday.

I want to see the 1125 on the track. Since I am a Buell owner I can attend the Inside Pass track day where you get some track time with the 08 models. The Willow Springs day isn't until Nov. Maybe I will catch one in a different city during the summer. I need to purchase some leathers before then. I have been trying on every brand under the sun and nothing fits me properly. I have come to the conclusion that I will need to have them custom made to fit me. More to come on that.