Suggested parts - 2009 1125r

Hi Guys,

Hope you're all well. So as I've pointed out in some of my other posts I'm going to be taking my Buell in to my mechanic to give it a going over and making sure it's up to scratch, he's done my track bikes and my regular rides and he's meticulous and most importantly - honest. Call me pedantic but it's a thing I have when buying bikes second hand, unless I know the owner(s) and what they have/haven't done then I just simply don't trust what salespeople will tell me. The first goal is to go with stock parts and no crazy mods (especially during this period of uncertainty) as it will be a daily ride as well, after that happy to mod the ever-loving-s*** out of it and get something else as a daily while keeping the Buell as a weekend joyride.

The problem I'm faced with is which parts to order, for the things I can see and can't see, and what will need replacing or what can be repaired. Given the time to get parts to Australia, even with express shipping - it's something I would rather not do piecemeal and I don't really have the money to buy an entire spare parts warehouse "just in case".

Issues I've noticed:

- Check engine light with "service bike" message on instrument cluster. Now the dealer was all "nahhh the owner before just didn't have the diagnostic tool to clear the ECU error.....but I promise the guy just serviced it at his home workshop....and he had a heap of Buell's" which I call bulls*** on, it was a Suzuki dealership and I will bet anything that they didn't want to shell out for anything bar minimum to get roadworthy and because they'd have to go through Harley Davidson to do servicing (if they won't buy any parts) then they probably just went "lolnahhh". In saying that the bike isn't knocking or running "badly" or at least nothing I've felt/heard.

- Steering head bearing changed: Again this was something the dealer told me which normally says "yeaaaa the guy was popping wheelies and hard landings" but no discernible damage to the forks, no noticeable bends and the wheels are fine, my concern is towards the wheel bearings because for a steering head bearing to be replaced at 24,000km it's playing on my mind.

- Air intake scoop fairings are separating slightly (I'll send through some photos tomorrow morning as it's nearly 2300hrs here) showing it, see what it says to you.

- clutch lever and cable are stock, and the clutch is light with a long pull and short mesh which is more a comfort thing for me (as I'm used to a shorter/mid pull and a heavier mesh, easier to ride the clutch when doing a u-turn or slow motion). At any rate I do want to replace the clutch cable and keep the stock levers in a drawer and exchange for some stubbies. ]

- The belt looks to have caught a stone in the pulley and punctured through the top of the belt, so getting that replaced just as a matter of course.

- Only came with one key, and the ignition barrel flip-lid has some surface scale (rust) on it so I want to replace the keyed parts so I have two proper keys and new locking systems.

If it sounds like I'm being overreactive I promise that the bike rides like a dream and there's nothing that I can see as a major problem that would make me think it's been severely abused or neglected.....like I said I'm just a bit protective of my rides and would rather have them in good nick.
The parts I'm getting:

So the parts I know I'm getting are:

- New tyres (Michelin Pilot Road 5's, really good in the wet which is necessary here....should tell you the time I road 3km through a legitimate oil-slick, couldn't accelerate without spinning the tyres even at speed).

- New clutch cable (Buell OEM stock)

- New shorty levers (will really need your opinions gents, as I want some really nice ones)

- New key/locking assembly (Buell OEM stock)

- Toothed drive belt (Buell OEM stock)

- K&N Filters (oil/air) if they aren't there already

- O-rings/gasket/crush washer for the oil change/filter

- Front brake pads (looking a little lead on the meat, the rotor looks fine)

- Wheel bearings front/rear (will be getting Buell OEM this time around in case they turn out to be some super-specific OEM part that not's commonly available here in AUS, and like with the toothed belt, will be taking it to my Bearing/Industrial guy to document and see if he can get something alternative for supply)



The parts I'm thinking about

So this is where I'm a little worried and need your advice, if this were a Jap bike there would be a higher chance that the part would be no more than a day away or at best, 20mins away. So naturally I'm trying to be prepared for now and at least until the next service (30,000km). The general consensus of Buell is that unless it's neglected - nothing breaks, but like I said above; as I don't have the service history I'm a bit concerned about not having something that might need to be replaced or should just get replaced (due to a common fault).

- Clutch plates?

- Relays? Electrical components?

- Brake rotors?


Really looking forward to your thoughts and hope you're all enjoying your easter long weekend.

Honestly, even though it's a Buell and "rare" any decent motorcycle shop (not dealer) should be able to fix whatevers wrong. I'd suggest taking time to find an independent shop you like. Is there any way to contact the PO?

Have you looked into the charging system? If it's charging, you're probably OK and don't need to worry. But in 2009 some had a problem. You should look it up, but the cliff notes are that it would overheat and not work.
Check under the seat in the Stator harness (3 yellow wires) to see if theres an adaptor harness plugged in to delete one leg of the stator ("Harley fix", I'd remove it and fix the system correctly)
Check to see if the stators rotor has a oiling hole drilled in it (Ricks stator)
Upgrade the Stator with higher temp windings (you can buy or DIY)

Steering head bearings at that mileage aren't a worry to me
Yes, get a belt because of the damage and get an extra to keep in the garage. You'll probably never need it but you're really far away...
PR5's are a GREAT tire and will last
Clutch cable is a good replacement
ASV and CRC are good brands you'll be safe getting. Lots of Chinese stuff out there and be careful, some of those had the wrong application listed and will bolt-on but hold the front brake on slightly and can even lock up and not release! Make SURE to see the lever is NOT pressing on the master cylinder piston when installing.
EBC 245HH pads are great for the street. HONE the rotor and re-bed the pads.
Because when they go theres NO warning, I replace wheel bearings with every tire change and keep a set on the bike (but I'm cray-cray). 6005-2RS front and 6006-2RS rear. You'll have good luck with OE.
These bikes are surprisingly easy on clutches. I wouldn't have guessed that at that torque level but ??
The only way to know is to take it apart, but steels and frictions should be easy to source.
Other than the charging system, these are good on electrical parts but no motorcycle likes corrosion. Toss an extra relay and fuses under the seat JIC.
You'll probably never need a rear rotor but fronts are still easy to get, and available aftermarket from a lot of brands. PM LunaticFringe, he has a good brand he sells fairly to members:up:

Keep in mind to check the oil chart. Use the correct weight oil for the lowest temp you'll ride in. Most people throw in 20w-50 without knowing that. If it gets real hot where you are, step up. My CR loved straight 60w doing track days in 100*+.

Flush the brake fluid every year. You mentioned it's humid where you are and brake fluid is hydroscopic.

RIDE it! Don't ever start it unless you're going to ride it, and ride it a lot

Thanks Cooter, yes like you I get a little cray-cray about things simply because as you said, there's no warning and when it goes - it can go bad REALLY quickly.

Oh I have a mechanic that I use regularly and I trust him, by the by if you ever do come to Brisbane for riding I'd recommend saying hi to him, should see some of the projects he works on (He lives and breathes sports bikes and was a chief mechanic for Team Yamaha racing)

https://www.facebook.com/NipponPerformance/

To be honest, no I haven't checked the charging system as I don't have the equipment. I should have mentioned that by default I will be swapping the battery as a rule but the stator I'll bring up with the mechanic when I take her in. While I can ride, and I can get a feel for what might be wrong or not working right, taking things apart is usually fraught with something going tits up, case in point how I manage to shear bolts or destroy clutch baskets with my bare hands (a mate in Perth when I was living there still reminds me of it much to his delight.........F***** golden-handed A**hole )

Thanks for the pad suggestion, I'll have a look for those and get them. As a rule my mechanic will machine the rotors down with the new pads, but I'll get in touch with Lunatic to get another front rotor as I'll need to ask him ever so nicely if I can send all my parts to him.

I'll definitely get some fuses and relays, the weather here is going to be a little better coming into winter as it will be drier (but a little colder.....we just don't get winter in the usual sense), but come summer that's when things go to s*** for most especially when you're riding a daily. And you can tell the daily riders from the fair-weather riders as daily's will have clean but "duller" bikes (as in the plastics aren't as lustrous as new, or the aluminium has been or needs to get cleaned). But we give fair-weather riders a good mocking because they'll only ride when there's no cloud, no wind, no traffic and nothing adverse, and their leathers look like they just came out of the box. Bottom line is that humidity is a problem so relays will be a good choice for me to get, at least I'm not near the coast as those guys have to deal with the salt air.

Surprising on the wheel bearings, I was expecting some super-custom ID/OD that would make them impossible to get, funnily enough when I spoke to my industrial guy about the belt, the mention of it being 145T was enough for him to go "DAFUQ?" otherwise he can get rolls and rolls of belting and cut it to width (so 1-1/8" is nothing major) so I could have belts all the live long day. I can get the wheel bearings no problem here (phew).

you're absolutely right on the levers, I won't go near anything cheap.....but have you noticed that the design is copied by the Chinese that you wouldn't be able to tell from photos? That worries me.

+1 on the oil, coming into winter I usually change to 10w as my usual riding would be a daily commute that is more cold then not. The minute it hits summer I change out to a higher temp (some days we get 35-42 deg C days and the damn humidity again).

For reference this is the issue I was talking about with the fairings separating slightly. Not sure if they were originally glued, as I can't see any mounting hardware that's come loose or missing.

I would NOT machine the rotor (even if thats possible?), they are pretty close to minimal thickness even when new. Erik was obsessed with unsprung weight and rotating mass, so theres no extra meat to take off. A simple hone to clean off the old pad material will be fine. On the very rare occurrence of it actually being warped, just get a new one. You can check it with sandpaper on a mirror for flatness if you are worried about it.

This super smart guy wrote it out, and I believe he's really good looking too
https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?48151-EBR-Racing-front-rotor-install-instructions

If you look closely at the Chinese levers you can even see the tool path is the same (stolen CNC program) but with worn-out tooling, lol. The problem wasn't how they were made, it was a mistaken application. Some one thought a GSXR (or something) lever fit, and put Buell on the list without ever installing one. That list got copied and Bam, big problems. I have had no issues with Chinese levers (I'm cheap and consider levers and turn signals to be disposable) as long as I CHECK THEM ON INSTALL.

The radiator shrouds look normal to me. Loose feeling and gaps. You can take them apart to check the hardware but Buells never had Honda fit and finish. Or BMW. BMW makes the best bikes ever, just ask Lunatic

BrutalBuell said:

For reference this is the issue I was talking about with the fairings separating slightly. Not sure if they were originally glued, as I can't see any mounting hardware that's come loose or missing. View attachment 13198View attachment 13199

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Look inside the scoop. There may be a tab popped out or not engaged all the way. You may need to pull the cover off to do it. It’s not hard. Plus it will give you a chance to clean the debris out. Those are tiny little rads and they need all the help they can get keeping the beast cool. The covers are held on by 5 or 6 T27 screws. You can see them on the bottom and on the other side of the scoop. The RH scoop also houses the coolant overflow bottle. The LH scoop is where the ECM is.

Cooter said:

I would NOT machine the rotor (even if thats possible?), they are pretty close to minimal thickness even when new. Erik was obsessed with unsprung weight and rotating mass, so theres no extra meat to take off. A simple hone to clean off the old pad material will be fine. On the very rare occurrence of it actually being warped, just get a new one. You can check it with sandpaper on a mirror for flatness if you are worried about it.

This super smart guy wrote it out, and I believe he's really good looking too
https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?48151-EBR-Racing-front-rotor-install-instructions

If you look closely at the Chinese levers you can even see the tool path is the same (stolen CNC program) but with worn-out tooling, lol. The problem wasn't how they were made, it was a mistaken application. Some one thought a GSXR (or something) lever fit, and put Buell on the list without ever installing one. That list got copied and Bam, big problems. I have had no issues with Chinese levers (I'm cheap and consider levers and turn signals to be disposable) as long as I CHECK THEM ON INSTALL.

The radiator shrouds look normal to me. Loose feeling and gaps. You can take them apart to check the hardware but Buells never had Honda fit and finish. Or BMW. BMW makes the best bikes ever, just ask Lunatic

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thank you for the advice, I had a look-see and I can get aftermarket brake pads/rotors here in Brisbane from a reputable company so I'm sorted there. The thing about Chinese stuff that bugs me is the QC they use, sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's damn terrible. The simple fact that in my time ordering stuff from china (ranging from small electronics to larger industrial machinery and steel) that getting what you paid for is the name of the game, and while levers might be consumables - it's the when/how it breaks that concerns me (brake lever snapping when NEEDING to stop *shudders*)

Thanks for taking a look at the shrouds, I'll make a note of it and thank you to @34nineteen for taking a look as well

If you insist on using one of the adjustable type levers, bear in mind that every one I’ve ever had (on an XB) has the clutch pivot hole ovalled out. Stock levers come with bushings to help prevent this, some of the aftermarket ones do not.

That said, I only like to use stock levers.

Make sure these 3 tabs aren’t sticking out. If you look inside the scoop you shouldn’t be able to see them.

34nineteen said:

If you insist on using one of the adjustable type levers, bear in mind that every one I’ve ever had (on an XB) has the clutch pivot hole ovalled out. Stock levers come with bushings to help prevent this, some of the aftermarket ones do not.

That said, I only like to use stock levers.

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You convinced me not to change out the levers just yet. So thank you I'll give the scoops a look-see tomorrow, as from memory I don't recall seeing any of the tabs out but then again I wasn't "looking" in a way that I should have.

Cooter said:

I have had no issues with Chinese levers (I'm cheap and consider levers and turn signals to be disposable) as long as I CHECK THEM ON INSTALL.

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BEST LINE EVER!

Made my morning Cooter.

Yes its an old post but...