2009 Buell 1125CR Engine Problems

MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER AND STALLED AT INTERSECTION UPON ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10504118

Incident

Apr 11, 2010

Mileage

1,000 mi

THE STATOR AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED GIVING ME ISSUES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE BIKE. I FIRST HAD MY VOLTAGE REGULATOR GO OUT ON ME. I THEN HAD THE WARRANTY HARNESS UPGRADE WHICH WAS SUPPOSED FIX THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, BUT IT DIDN'T. PRIOR TO MY STATOR FAILING, THE VOLTAGE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 11.9 WHICH IS TOO LOW. THE STATOR EVENTUALLY OVER WORKED ITSELF AND MELTED INTERNALLY. THE BIKE STARTED BACKFIRING LOUDLY, LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS GOT VERY DIM AND THE BIKE WAS EXTREMELY HOT AS IT WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. I STOPPED THE BIKE FOR A MINUTE FOR IT TO COOL DOWN. AFTER I DID THAT THE BIKE WOULD NOT START AND STRANDED ME ON THE ROAD 20 MILES FROM HOME. THIS IS A KNOWN ELECTRICAL ISSUE FOR 2009 1125CR MOTORCYCLES. THE FIX AND LABOR COST FOR THIS WAS WELL OVER $1500 AND QUITE THE PAIN AND HASSLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10499715

Incident

Jul 31, 2012

Mileage

10,060 mi

I WAS EXITING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN MY 2009 BUELL 1125CR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTDOWN, CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO TURN OFF, ALL ELECTRICAL LIGHTS TURNED OFF, AND WAS UNABLE TO WARN A VEHICLE BEHIND ME THAT WAS ALSO EXITING. DRIVER IN VEHICLE BEHIND ME ALMOST STRUCK ME AND SHORTLY STOPPED AND WARNED ME THAT MY TAIL-LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. MOTORCYCLE SKIDDED TO A STOP AT END OF EXIT RAMP AND I HAD TO TURN IGNITION KEY TO OFF POSITION AND TRY TO RE-START MOTORCYCLE. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DISPLAYED 'SYSTEM VOLTAGE' AND BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I TRIED TO RE-START ENGINE AND THE LCD SCREEN WOULD TURN OFF AND THEN READ 'COMM ERROR', THEN IT WOULD START AND THE ENGINE WOULD RUN OK, BUT LCD SCREEN WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. DURING DRIVE HOME, MY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT WOULD TURN OFF AND ON REPEATEDLY UNTIL IT FLASHED ITSELF OFF COMPLETELY. NOW WHILE DRIVING MOTORCYCLE, IT HAS NO TAIL-LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, OR LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT AND ONLY ABLE TO OPERATE WITH HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHT. I HAVE MOTORCYCLE PARKED AT MY RESIDENCE AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10496446

Incident

Feb 5, 2013

Mileage

4,480 mi

AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT HANDED TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC WHEN THE BIKE SUDDENLY DIED AND WAS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED IT WAS THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR/STATOR HAD FAILED. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO HAVE AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY MAINTAINED MACHINE THAT WILL SUDDENLY UNEXPECTEDLY QUIT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10496022

Incident

Jan 8, 2013

Mileage

8,600 mi

I RECENTLY MOVED TO A NEW CITY AND THE CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED ON MY FIRST RIDE THERE (30 MILES). I NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE HOUSE. BATTERY VOLTAGE HAD DROPPED FROM THE NORMAL 13.5-14.3 RANGE TO 11.1 AND WAS DROPPING FAST. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND REMOVE THE HEADLIGHT FUSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE HOUSE. REMOVAL OF THE FUSE GREATLY DECREASED THE RATE AT WHICH THE BATTERY DISCHARGED. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT 9.5 OF THE 10 MILES BACK BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED AND HAD TO PUSH THE MOTORCYCLE THE REMAINING DISTANCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10495355

Incident

Jul 7, 2012

Mileage

5,900 mi

WHILE RIDING MY 2009 BUELL 1125CR, I NOTICED MY VOLTAGE DROPPING RATHER FAST (14V DOWN TO 9V). THE BUELL HAS JUST OVER 4,000 MILES ON IT AND I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE ISSUES THIS EARLY. UPON RESEARCH, APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL. AFTER HOURS OF MECHANICAL WORK, IT TURNS OUT THE STATOR OVER HEATED AND FRIED ITSELF, DUE TO THE LACK OF LUBRICATION. ITS A DESIGN FLAW. NOW I HAVE TO REWRAP MY STATOR AND PURCHASE ANOTHER PART THE COVERS THE STATOR THAT PREVENTS THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. SHOULDN'T/DOESN'T THIS QUALIFY AS A DEFECT/RECALL ITEM?... AND WHY NOT? *TR

NHTSA ID

10484793

Incident

Oct 31, 2012

Mileage

4,202 mi

STATOR BURNED UP AND FORCED COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF BIKE, INCLUDING LIGHTS AND ENGINE. LEFT ME STRANDED ON A LONG STRETCH OF KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY WITH NO SAFE SHOULDER TO PARK THE BIKE ON-JUST TOO MUCH JUNGLE ON ONE SIDE AND THE OCEAN ON THE OTHER. HAD TO PUSH THE BIKE A LONG, LONG, WAY. THIS IS THE SECOND STATOR FAILURE ON THIS BIKE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10470415

Incident

May 8, 2012

Mileage

15,010 mi

VOLTAGE STARTED JUMPING AROUND ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE MORNING. MY VOLTAGE DROPPED TO 10.9, THEN MY LIGHTS DIED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AS THE BIKE WAS BUCKING AND SPUTTERING TO A STOP. IT WAS NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10465165

Incident

Jul 3, 2012

Mileage

14,650 mi

WHILE RIDING MY BUELL 1125CR, THE SYSTEM VOLTAGE ERROR CAME UP ON THE DISPLAY. IT WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS THE STATOR BURNING UP BECAUSE OF THE HEAT THAT IS PRODUCED IN THE CHARGING SYSTEM. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED I LOST THE ABILITY TO CHARGE MY BATTERY THUS EVENTUALLY MY MOTORCYCLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS SPECIALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING OF THIS HAPPENING AND THIS FAILURE IS VERY COMMON ON THIS YEAR MODEL AROUND THIS MILEAGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10463664

Incident

May 15, 2012

Mileage

5,120 mi

THE STATOR OR ALTERNATOR FAILED WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE ON A CURVY ROAD. THE ENGINE STOPPED ABRUPTLY DUE TO THE INABILITY OF THE CHARGING SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY VOLTAGE HIGH ENOUGH TO RUN ESSENTIAL ENGINE COMPONENTS SUCH AS IGNITION COILS AND FUEL INJECTORS. THE STALLING RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE EXITING THE TURN VERY WIDE AND RUNNING OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INOPERABLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE TRAFFIC WAS PASSING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10463008

Incident

Jun 10, 2010

Mileage

4,650 mi

2ND STATOR FAILED AT 12,466 MILES, FIRST FAILED ON 6/17/10 AT 4,459 MILES. *KB

NHTSA ID

10429531

Incident

May 31, 2011

Mileage

12,466 mi

STATOR FAILURE, 1ST OF 2 (SO FAR) FOR THIS BIKE. 2ND FAILURE ON 5/31/11 AT 12,466 MILES. *KB

NHTSA ID

10429530

Incident

Jun 17, 2010

Mileage

4,459 mi

I WAS RIDING ON HWY17 IN KENTUCKY ABOUT 50 TO 60 MPH WHEN THE BIKE JUST DIED. I HAD NO TURN SIGNALS OR BRAKE LIGHTS.THE GOOD THING WAS MY BROTHER IN LAW WAS BEHIND ME TO CONTROL TRAFFIC. THIS ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN A FURTHER ISSUE IF I HAD LOST POWER 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IN THE SHARP TURNS. *KB

NHTSA ID

10429481

Incident

Sep 17, 2011

Mileage

3,048 mi