Photo Gallery: Buell Enters Superbike Fray with New 1125R!
Using their first ever liquid-cooled engine* in a street-legal bike, Buell's new 2008 1125R enters the superbike fray with a host of firsts from the Harley-Davidson-owned manufacturer.
Mechanically, the 1125R features an 1,125cc dual overhead cam V-Twin developed with BRP-Rotax boasting the most power of any street-legal Buell engine: 146 crank horsepower. Redline comes on at 10,500 rpm, and the powerplant is cradled in Buell's new Intuitive Response Chassis (IRC), which uses aluminum spars doubling as the fuel reservoir.
Buell's sticking to their "Trilogy of Technology" story with the 1125R, incorporating chassis rigidity, low unsprung weight, and mass centralization throughout for maximum performance. 47 mm inverted forks up front and eight-piston calipers inspired by the XBRR race bike are sure to provide tight handling and braking dynamics, and the six-speed transmission will be mated to a hydraulic vacuum assist slipper clutch which uses engine vacuum to boost clutch-lever action. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Buell without an underslung exhaust.
The 1125R's styling varies wildly depending on viewing angle, thanks to a curvaceous radiator cowling and a jutting fairing inspired by Buell's limited production XBRR race motorcycle, a feature particularly noticeable when the bike is in profile.
Which side of the fence do you fall on? Peruse the gallery, post a comment, and share your thoughts on the latest from Buell!
* Trivia fans may note that Erik Buell's first race bike, the RW750, was liquid-cooled, but a street version was never made.
Photo © Buell
Comments
Finally… a proper engine for a Buell sportbike instead of an antiquated lump.
Now, Buell may have a world contender with both handling and power.
Congrats!!!
Now let’s see how it handles.
Was about time!!!
I always wondered however why Buell never built a bike at least with the VRod engine…
Actually, I still don’t understand why HD doesn’t adopt the VROD engine across the border and dump that piece of junk it uses…
Again..Congrats Buell!!!
The VRod engine, while good for a cruiser, is nothing compared to the 1125R engine. Erik correctly waited for a first-class sport bike engine. This bike will be awesome.
The subject of using the V-Rod engine was covered by the press before. Short version is that it’s too bulky and far too heavy for use in a proper sportbike. Plus traditionalists seem to have been slow to accept it.
Not sure if it was a matter of Erik “waiting” for the right engine. Perhaps more of a “waiting for permission from Harley” to use something else.
I threw a leg over a pre-production version that was on display at the USGP this weekend… will be interested to ride it. It’s definitely the biggest Buell I’ve sat on, especially the fairing/front end.
When asked about the engine, an engineer told me that Harley’s engine-building commitments necessitated Buell to outsource the mill to Rotax, as they did about a decade ago when they built a bike for the US military.
Hmmm… that sounds like the same answer given when CW or Motorcyclist asked why the V-Rod engine was outsourced to Porsche…
No shame in it. Both BMW and Aprilia have used Rotax and they turned out to be some really nice implementations.
No shame at all! It must have been exciting for the Buell folks to finally get the go-ahead to build the bike.
On another note, when I asked about the rear suspension, the engineer told me that a single coil-over shock was sufficient (as opposed to a multi-link setup) because of dramatic improvements in shock technology.
Incidentally, I just received an invitation to attend the launch of the bike in late August at Laguna Seca, so I should be posting a full review by early October.
Nice! Look forward to your impressions of the 1125R.
Man, Having HD own Buell is like having a mean step father that once in a while trully shows us some love. This bike is trully a sign of that begrudging love.
This motorcycle will bring Buell to the forefront of the industry, and will be a serious threat to the likes of the Ducati 1098…Can’t wait to get one in my garage!!!