Stator failed in traffic on the highway, had to push bike across a lane of traffic on hwy 95 florida.
The worst 2009 Buell 1125R problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical32
- Engine8
- Lights4
- Acceleration2
- Brakes2
- Fuel system1
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Buell 1125R
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Motorcycle Stalling
ODI opened this investigation based on 25 allegations of subject motorcycle stalling, without warning, due to charging system failure (typically involving the stator).As part of this investigation, testing was conducted to assess whether there would be areasonable warning prior to stator-related engine shut-down while underway.A memo describing this testing may be found in the public file for this investigation.Given the relative frequency of alleged stator failures involving Buell 1125's, it is apparent that customers may not be satisfied with their motorcycle.An example of a manufacturer responding to this type of dissatisfaction is found in the Harley Davidson December 7, 2009product improvement campaign to address the stalling issue.However, current test data does not establish that this customer satisfaction issue is also a safety defect that results in an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.In the absence of a safety defect trend related to Buell 1125 charging system failures, this investigation is closed. The 62 ODI complaints we cite may be found by entering the following ODI investigation numbersat www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference:10373814,10386008,10397985,10406939,10406967,10406969,10407046, 10407318,10407511,10407672,10410524,10411954,10429450,10429467, 10429481,10429488,10429530,10429531,10429964,10429970,10429985, 10429987,10430176,10430736,10432169,10432891,10445118,10452480, 10457062,10457815,10457829,10462420,10462439,10462834,10463008, 10463483,10463664,10465165,10465225,10465226,10466505,10470386, 10470415,10470428,10473664,10474136,10474363,10479428,10484793, 10494949,10495197,10496446,10496804,10497643,10496127,10496088, 10496048,10496022,10496018,10495355,10495331,10495307
PE12035
Sudden fuel expulsion
We opened this PE based on a single complaint of rapid fuel expulsion while re-fueling from the owner of a Buell 1125CR.After opening this PE, we contacted other owners, Buell dealer service departments and monitored activity of various Buell-related web forums.While Harley Davidson (Buell was a subsidiary) has no owner complaints, it did receive four warranty claims related to this issue.Two involve the fuel line check valve, one a pinched fuel vent hose, and one saturated charcoal cannister due to over-fill.Currently, the data does not indicate a trending safety defect exists.We will continue to monitor this issue and take action as appropriate.
PE10004
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Buell 1125R 2
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2009 Buell 1125R owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
Voltage light came on with check engine light. Engine died. This is the third time the stator has went out. One time the voltage regulator went out. Harley refused to fix it under warranty. I have 2 of these motorcycles & both have the same problems.
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.
Bike has had multiple charging issues: stator, voltage regulator, and other components. Currently going to repair in spring.
While riding buell 1125r 2009 I experienced a complete power failure while riding. Losing power in traffic is dangerous. After doing research it appears this is a very widespread issue with this model year buell. It is dangerous and costly to the consumer and should be resolved by the company.
Stator failure charging system failed.
2009 buell 1125r - I bought it from an hd dealership (like new) with 2,500 miles on it. The bike had no warranty. They tried to sell me an 'extended warranty' which I did not buy (for about $2k). This was either standard procedure, or suspicious - I don't know which, because the bike's charging system (stator) failed on me at 3,586 miles. Fortunately, I was nearly home. Like some of the other complaints, the engine died amid traffic (low speed, thankfully). The battery & engine lights came on about a mile beforehand. I had the bike diagnosed/repaired (stator replacement) at an hd/buell certified dealership. Cost (parts & labor) $1,045 !!! I have since read that this has been a huge issue especially with the 09 1125r buell's. I have heard of owners that are capable of doing their own mechanic work, pulling the (bad) stator and rotor, and sending them to (ebr) eric buell racing - for a 're-wind' on the stator for around $150 - to - $175. Ebr also sells an 'upgraded' rotor for $450 that supposedly does a better job of lubricating the stator, thus eliminating the problem. This should definitely be a total recall !
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 buell 1125r motorcycle. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the low battery warning light. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the stator needed to be replaced because it had overheated and burned out. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 10,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Compare the 2009 Buell 1125R
Other model years
20082009
Questions about the 2009 Buell 1125R
Is the 2009 Buell 1125R reliable?
Owners have filed 39 complaints about the 2009 Buell 1125R, close to a typical 1125R model year.
What is the 2009 Buell 1125R year score?
The 2009 Buell 1125R scores 75 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Buell 1125R: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Buell 1125R?
Electrical system, with 32 complaints, typically around 7,016 miles. Next is engine (8).
How many recalls does the 2009 Buell 1125R have?
No recalls on record.
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