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Riding the Black Beast on the Road...

While thoughtful ergonomics make the Buell 1125R easy enough to ride over long distances, the bike's true test comes under more demanding circumstances: high-performance riding. It is, after all, a tremendously capable motorcycle which intends to run with the likes of potent competitors like the Kawasaki ZX-12R and the Suzuki GSXR-1000.

Though it's not small in size, the 1125R weighs only 375 pounds dry, and Buell engineers are quick to point out that its wet weight minus fuel is 1 lb less than the featherweight Ducati 1098; an impressive feat for a bike that is a full $3,000 cheaper than the Duc.


Maneuver the bike at low speeds, and its light weight is immediately apparent. The bike changes direction easily, and generally feels willing to comply to rider input. It's no 750 or 600 by any stretch of the imagination, but the 1125R is relatively nimble for its displacement and overall size.

At higher speeds, the 1125R feels as though it needs a tiny bit of a tug at the handlebars in order to instigate a turn; this isn't so much a handling issue as much as it is a symptom of the bike's good directional stability. After initial turn-in, the 1125R stays commited to turns and feels utterly stable under the steepest of lean angles.

The bike's 8-piston brakes work well and offer plenty of stopping power, though sportbike purists might miss the feel of traditional radially mounted calipers. Ride quality is somewhat firm with a good feel of the road, though it's difficult to speculate on how pre-production adjustments will affect the final production version of the bike.

...and on the Track

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca enabled us to see what the Buell 1125R can really do, and while power never feels lacking on the road, the 146 horsepower V-Twin feels particularly well-suited to the scale of the track.

Thrust lays on dramatically from idle, and merely starting the bike off the line requires a bit of clutch slip up to 10 mph, thanks to a tall first gear.

The V-Twin's power delivery is linear and predictable, and exhibits a nice little kick at around 8,000 rpm that extends all the way to redline. The six-speed transmission effectively combines smooth shifts and positive feel, and though I encountered several false neutrals during rapid upshifts, the gearbox otherwise performed well.

Past Buells have earned a reputation for serious engine vibration, and the 1125R sticks to that tradition between the mid-range and the 10,500 redline: the vibes first become evident in the handlebars at around 5,000 rpm, and travel down to the footpegs at around 8,000 rpm. Though high revs can be easily avoided during street riding, the track demands usage of the entire powerband, which can make for a ticklish ride at best, and a hand and foot-numbing one at worst. The roar of the V-Twin also becomes more pronounced during aggressive riding, which is consistent with the 1125R's hardcore edge.

The pneumatically operated slipper clutch worked wonderfully on the track, absorbing the shock of sudden downshifts with ease. Brakes were strong, and always felt up the task of slowing the bike down for dramatic twisties like the famous Corkscrew and the final left-hander, turn 11.

Buell's 1125R is Ready for the World; Is the World Ready for it?

The superbike market is saturated with Japanese and, thanks to Ducati's 1098, Italian contenders that offer some extremely competent motorcycles. Buell has taken a big risk by stepping outside of its comfort zone and creating a high-performance, water-cooled bike, and its efforts to build a world-class bike are largely successful.

It might lack the polish and finely-tuned characteristics of some of the standard-setting bikes that have benefited from decades of evolution, but for a first effort, Buell's 1125R is a notable achievement from the American manufacturer that has long been satisfied to be a big fish in the relatively small pond consisting of boutique, air-cooled motorcyles.

At $11,995, the 1125R is priced attractively enough for buyers who might choose it over more tried and true sport bikes. Whether or not they bite will depend on whether they're willing to stick out from the crowd.

I'm betting they will.

Click here for a photo gallery of the 2008 Buell 1125R