2009 Buell 1125R Engine Problems

RIDING MY 2009 BUELL 1125R, THE OEM STATOR OVERHEATED AND FRIED 1 LEG OF THE 3 LEG STATOR. I HAD THE HARLEY DAVIDSON RECALL DONE ON THE BIKE AND THIS MADE IT WORSE, WHEN GOING UNDER 5K RPMS THE BIKE WOULD OVERHEAT; WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO THE STATOR FRYING. THIS CAUSED THE REGULATOR TO BE FRIED AS WELL SINCE THE STATOR GOES DIRECTLY TO THE STATOR. THIS ALSO ALMOST KILLED MY BATTERY. THE HARLEY DAVIDSON FIX DOESN'T WORK AND THEY SHOULD IMPLEMENT A BETTER FIX FOR THE BIKE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10702678

Incident

Mar 30, 2015

Mileage

3,450 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUELL 1125R. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME HOT AND THE ENGINE FAN WOULD ENGAGE, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STATOR AND THE CLUTCH HAD FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH AND CHANGED THE WIRING HARNESS FROM A 4-CHARGE TO A 3-CHARGE STATOR AND CLUTCH. THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE ALSO DRAINED THE BATTERY PREMATURELY. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE BATTERY THREE TIMES BEFORE DISCOVERING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAD THREE DIFFERENT COMPANIES PRODUCING THE WIRING HARNESS AND STATOR FOR THE CLUTCH, BUT THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,509. *TR

NHTSA ID

10510420

Incident

Mar 5, 2012

Mileage

1,400 mi

IT WAS A FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER AND I WAS LOOKING AT BUYING A 2009 BUELL 1125CR, I HAD DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH ABOUT THE BIKE AND KNEW ABOUT THE STATOR/CHARGING PROBLEM. I KNEW THAT IT DID HAPPEN WHILE SOME PEOPLE WHERE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLES. I WENT INTO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP THAT WAS SELLING ONE AND WAS GRANTED A TEST DRIVE OF THE BIKE. I TOOK IT OUT ON SOME BACK ROADS TO SEE HOW IT WOULD HANDLE AND I ALSO TOOK IT ON THE FREEWAY TO SEE HOW IT WOULD RIDE IN TRAFFIC. SO WHILE I WAS GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY OF I WAS GETTING UP TO SPEED AROUND 50 OR SO TRYING TO GET UP TO 70. THE BIKE STARTED TO HESITATE THEN CHUG AT AROUND 50, I COULD NOT GET UP TO SPEED AS THE BIKE DIED AND I WAS LEFT COASTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I HAD TRAFFIC AT 70 MPH RUNNING UP MY BACK AND WAS IN A "PANIC MODE" TRYING TO GET THE BIKE OVER WITHOUT GETTING HIT.I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY WHERE I GOT OFF THE BIKE AND LET IT SIT. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO I TRIED TO START IT UP WITH NO SUCCESS AND THEN REPEATED UNTIL IT STARTED. IT FINALLY STARTED REALLY HEAVILY AND DOGGY. I WAS ABLE TO RIDE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND INEVITABLY NOT BUY THE BIKE. I KNOW THE BIKE HAS PROBLEMS BECAUSE THERE IS MULTIPLE COMPLAINS ON BUELL FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10496557

Incident

Sep 7, 2012

Mileage

5,870 mi

I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE IN A 70 MPH ZONE. THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER STARTED TO 'FLAKE OUT'. THEN THE BIKE STARTED TO MISS AND RUN ROUGH ALL OF THE SUDDEN. I WAS 'BOXED' INTO TRAFFIC SO I TRIED TO SPEED UP TO GET A QUICK GAP TO BE ABLE TO STOP BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A SUITABLE SHOULDER WHERE I WAS TO SAFELY GET ASIDE. UPON TRYING TO SPEED UP, THE BIKE STOPPED RUNNING ALTOGETHER. I TRIED TO RESTART THE BIKE BY PULLING IN THE CLUTCH AND THEN 'DROPPING' THE CLUTCH TO BUMP THE ENGINE OVER. IT DID NOT. THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED AND THE BIKE SKIDDED UNTIL I PULLED THE CLUTCH BACK IN. BY THAT TIME I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED AND WHEN THE CARS BEHIND ME SWERVED AWAY, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE ENOUGH TO SAFELY STOP. *JS

NHTSA ID

10462439

Incident

Jun 5, 2012

Mileage

8,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON BUELL 1125R MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL FREQUENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE TURN SIGNALS AND GAUGES WOULD BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED PARTS THAT WERE UNKNOWN TO THE CONTACT. THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,242.

NHTSA ID

10452480

Incident

Mar 21, 2011

Mileage

1,400 mi

DURING HIGHWAY SPEED OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE, THERE WAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE MOTOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE CAUSING THE RIGHTSIDE ENGINE CASE TO FRACTURE AND SPRAY OUT ALL CRANKCASE OIL. THE MOTOR SEIZED, AND WHOLLY FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10429986

Incident

Jun 11, 2011

Mileage

9,994 mi

2009 BUELL 1125R WAS RIDING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND VOLTAGE STARTED TO DROP. INTENSE HEAT TO FRAME BURNING LEGS THROUGH HEAVY RIDING GEAR, SMOKE POURING FROM UNDER THE SEAT. VEHICLE ENGINE CUT OUT SUDDENLY AS I APPROACHED HOME AND LUCKILY I HAD THE CLUTCH PULLED IN. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND IGNITION IS DEAD.. VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH 2009 1125'S AND LUCKILY IT FAILED ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. VOLTAGE REGULATOR, STATOR FAILED PARTS ON BACKORDER DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FAILURES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10407318

Incident

Jun 9, 2011

Mileage

2,800 mi

MY 2009 BUELL 1125R MOTORCYCLE USES A HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED CLUTCH. THE CLUTCH FLUID BEGAN TO LEAK OUT OF THE ENGINE COVER, EMANATING A DROP OF FLUID FOR EACH TIME THE CLUTCH WAS DISENGAGED. THERE IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF CLUTCH FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR, AND THE LEAKAGE WILL EVENTUALLY DEPLETE THE RESERVOIR. WITHOUT FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR, THE RIDER'S ABILITY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH IS ELIMINATED. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED NEW PARTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE NEW PARTS DID NOT REPAIR THE LEAK. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF CLUTCH CONTROL, THE FLUID ITSELF IS DOT4 BRAKE FLUID. WHILE RIDING, THE LEAKED FLUID SPRAYS BACK ONTO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE FLUID IS VERY SLIPPERY, AND IF IT SPRAYS ONTO CERTAIN COMPONENTS IT MAY CAUSE THE REAR BRAKE TO FAIL TO OPERATE, OR THE REAR TIRE TO LOSE TRACTION. I DID NOT CRASH AS A RESULT OF THE CLUTCH FLUID LEAKAGE, BUT A LESS ATTENTIVE RIDER MAY NOT NOTICE THE LEAK UNTIL THEY LOSE CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE'S CLUTCH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10324792

Incident

Mar 15, 2010

Mileage

7,500 mi