2009 Buell 1125CR
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Buell › 1125CR › 2009
These records cover every 2009 Buell 1125CR. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2009 Buell 1125CR. Newest first.
Buell IS recalling 140 my 2009 1125cr motorcycles. these motorcycles can experience a premature failure of the rear cylinder cam chain tension guide (part number f0020.1am). this can cause plastic debris to block the oil pump screen, possibly leading to oil starvation and engine seizure.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition may allow the engine to seize, resulting in rear wheel lock-up. this could result in a crash, which could cause injury or death to the rider.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the rear cam chain tensioner. the recall began on october 20, 2008. owners may contact buell at 1-414-342-4680.
Owner complaints
44 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system
As I was riding at 40-45 mph I noticed a battery light come on. short time later my display read (system voltage) within minutes everything on my bike shut off including engine abruptly neatly tossing me off the bike. thankfully, I managed to stay on and safely (only because drivers were paying…
As I was riding at 40-45 mph I noticed a battery light come on. short time later my display read (system voltage) within minutes everything on my bike shut off including engine abruptly neatly tossing me off the bike. thankfully, I managed to stay on and safely (only because drivers were paying attention) was able to gain control and stop. my bike at this time had 3800 miles. harley repaired the issue that they said was a burnt stator thus depleting my battery of any power. I'm great full I wasn't on the freeway! after some research this has happened to 100% of the 2009 1125cr's and R'S. this IS a dangerous issue and shame on harley davidson for not caring and doing the right thing! also shame on nhtsa for not protecting the consumer!!! what more IS needed??? 100% of these stock bikes have this issue!!! wwhy IS this not recalled??? IS it cause harley IS a multi-million dollar brand??? protect the consumer, do your job!!!!!!!!
- Electrical system
Electrical system overheat situation, burnt stator due to over heating on a poorly designed charging system. I'm not the first and definitely not the last with this issue that harley davidson chooses to overlook instead of fixing the problem. For the few owners that had this repaired under…
Electrical system overheat situation, burnt stator due to over heating on a poorly designed charging system. I'm not the first and definitely not the last with this issue that harley davidson chooses to overlook instead of fixing the problem. For the few owners that had this repaired under warranty, HD only changed the burnt parts with the identical replacement which fails again on nearly all repaired bikes. Erik buell racing has come up with a partial fix but, that cost ($455) comes out the owners pocket, not the manufacturer. Plus the cost of other parts, stator rebuild, gaskets, specific tools needed to complete the repair properly. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine
Motorcycle lost power and stalled at intersection upon acceleration. *tr
- Electrical system
Prior to the first incident the motorcycle had been running for about an hour traveling at a conservative speed behind a leader of a pack of riders. the vehicle was parked at a location where the air temperature was roughly 45 degrees f for about 30-45 minutes. upon attempting to start the…
Prior to the first incident the motorcycle had been running for about an hour traveling at a conservative speed behind a leader of a pack of riders. the vehicle was parked at a location where the air temperature was roughly 45 degrees f for about 30-45 minutes. upon attempting to start the motorcycle, power would successfully cycle and the electric starter switch would produce cranking with the operating switch engaged and key turned to on, but the vehicle had a considerable amount of trouble getting to an operational idle state. the electrical system's ability continued to deteriorate, resulting in more delayed starts and severely impacted operating integrity. during moving operation, the motorcycle's lcd display backlight would extinguish along with the headlights. The rpm needle would regularly drop to 0 and stay there, making it difficult for me to keep the motorcycle around 5000 rpms (recommended operating rpm to preserve life of notoriously defective stator). the vehicle presents a bucking and jerking motion while operating at conservative speeds (under 6000 rpms accelerating very gradually), resulting in sporadic accelerations/decelerations and reduction of operator control. the motorcycle has completely lost power on 4 separate occasions in dangerous environments, and 7 times with relatively safe surroundings. the motorcycle IS currently in a state of solitary non-operation (needs external power source to start) and I do not feel responsible riding it. this IS a widespread issue and something needs to be done on the manufacturer's behalf in terms of recalling the stator assembly and other electrical components that are well-known for their failure. buell forums online clearly reflect this, they can be cited upon request. *tr
- Electrical system
At around july 24TH, 2011 I was riding my 2009 buell 1125cr home at about 1AM from easton, pa. As I crossed into nj my battery light came on so I proceeded to head home with about 20 miles to go. As I got to my exit off the highway (1.5 miles from home) the bike shut off and system voltage appeared…
At around july 24TH, 2011 I was riding my 2009 buell 1125cr home at about 1AM from easton, pa. As I crossed into nj my battery light came on so I proceeded to head home with about 20 miles to go. As I got to my exit off the highway (1.5 miles from home) the bike shut off and system voltage appeared shortly before. I managed to get off the highway after the rear tire locked up causing a sudden skid of the rear tire. I found that the bike had not been charging due to a burnt out stator and failed charging system. 8 months later around the middle of may, 2012 I had taken a trip down to florida and after 2,000 miles the charging system failed again as I was stranded in daytona. I managed to get my bike jump started and ride to the nearest harley davidson/buell dealer where I had to spend $300 on a new battery and charging relay. This was at about 14,000 miles on the odo. Since then I have been having continuous issues with the charging system and removed the recalled charging harness which seems to have fixed the issue for now. But I am still worried it will happen again in the future. *tr
- Electrical system
Just before turning southbound on h 75 in dewey oklahoma, my motorcycle died completely. Had I committed to the turn and entered the highway, I would have been left without power with oncoming high speed traffic. The problem turned out to be a failed stator in the electrical system. My motorcycle…
Just before turning southbound on h 75 in dewey oklahoma, my motorcycle died completely. Had I committed to the turn and entered the highway, I would have been left without power with oncoming high speed traffic. The problem turned out to be a failed stator in the electrical system. My motorcycle had previously been serviced by route66 harley davidson in tulsa to install a corrective wiring harness to fix this known problem, but apparently the corrective action was ineffective. *Tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Exterior lighting
The stator and electrical system started giving me issues since I have owned the bike. I first had my voltage regulator go out on me. I then had the warranty harness upgrade which was supposed fix the electrical problems, but it didn't. prior to my stator failing, the voltage would not go…
The stator and electrical system started giving me issues since I have owned the bike. I first had my voltage regulator go out on me. I then had the warranty harness upgrade which was supposed fix the electrical problems, but it didn't. prior to my stator failing, the voltage would not go above 11.9 which IS too low. the stator eventually over worked itself and melted internally. the bike started backfiring loudly, lights and electrical systems got very dim and the bike was extremely hot as it was not running properly. I stopped the bike for a minute for it to cool down. after I did that the bike would not start and stranded me on the road 20 miles from home. this IS a known electrical issue for 2009 1125cr motorcycles. the fix and labor cost for this was well over $1500 and quite the pain and hassle. *tr
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
On february 21, 2013 at 10:40pm, I was travelling north on interstate highway to work when my instrument cluster which reads my speed and vehicle gauges turned off and my low-beam headlight bulb flashed and burned out, causing me to lose sight of the roadway temporarily. I switched my high-beam…
On february 21, 2013 at 10:40pm, I was travelling north on interstate highway to work when my instrument cluster which reads my speed and vehicle gauges turned off and my low-beam headlight bulb flashed and burned out, causing me to lose sight of the roadway temporarily. I switched my high-beam headlight switch to have light to see the roadway and a second later, it also flashed and burned out, as if my electrical system was faulty, again. This happened at mileage 4551. I just recently had this system serviced with another voltage regulator at mileage 4488, which means I only travelled 63 miles on the new voltage regulator. I was almost involved in an accident at mileage 4480 when my electrical system turned off during operation and nearly had another vehicle strike me from behind when vehicle electrical system turned off and stalled vehicle in traffic. This IS a safety hazard and needs to be repaired by manufacturer. This IS the 2ND safety issue I have been involved in and luckily no accident had occurred. I will be sending vehicle to maintenance shop for a 2ND time to try and have this safety issue repaired, again. Any help that nhtsa can do to help solve this safety issue IS greatly appreciated. *tr
- Electrical system
I have had two failures of the stator/rotor charging system in my bike, one at approx. 8200Mi and another at approx 15,000mi both while riding. initial failure was during the summer time, bike began to sputter and I lost all electrical and lights, it then suddenly stalled while travelling approx…
I have had two failures of the stator/rotor charging system in my bike, one at approx. 8200Mi and another at approx 15,000mi both while riding. initial failure was during the summer time, bike began to sputter and I lost all electrical and lights, it then suddenly stalled while travelling approx 45-50mph, causing the rear tire to skid before I pulled the clutch and put it in neutral. This forced me to pull over on the narrow shoulder of a busy highway and wait for a tow company to retrieve the bike and myself. I spent two hours waiting on the hot tarmac and had to hand push the bike to a safer location in order to load it up on the trailer without blocking traffic. Dealer replaced stator under factory warranty, cause due to overheating of stator unit. Date approx 7/24/2010, mileage approx 8200mi second failure was during later summer/fall, bike again started to sputter, I happened to be in town at the time and fortunately, managed to get to a local dealership where it promptly and suddenly stalled as I rolled to a stop in the parking lot. Dealer replaced stator and rotor under extended warranty due to heat related failure. Date approx 9/25/2013, mileage approx 15,000mi. *tr
- Electrical system
I was traveling south bound on a highway, at 50 mph with a steady throttle, which the power to the motorcycle cut out, and I was forced to coast to the side of the road. I was almost rear-ended due to the power not being on and the brake lights not having power. The bike was able to be re-started and finish my journey home. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Exterior lighting
I was exiting interstate highway when my 2009 buell 1125cr electrical system shutdown, causing motorcycle to turn off, all electrical lights turned off, and was unable to warn a vehicle behind me that was also exiting. Driver in vehicle behind me almost struck me and shortly stopped and warned me…
I was exiting interstate highway when my 2009 buell 1125cr electrical system shutdown, causing motorcycle to turn off, all electrical lights turned off, and was unable to warn a vehicle behind me that was also exiting. Driver in vehicle behind me almost struck me and shortly stopped and warned me that my tail-light and brake light were not functioning. Motorcycle skidded to a stop at end of exit ramp and I had to turn ignition key to off position and try to re-start motorcycle. Electrical system displayed 'system voltage' and battery light illuminated. I tried to re-start engine and the lcd screen would turn off and then read 'comm error', then it would start and the engine would run ok, but lcd screen would turn on and off. During drive home, my low-beam headlight would turn off and on repeatedly until it flashed itself off completely. Now while driving motorcycle, it has no tail-light, brake light, or low-beam headlight and only able to operate with high-beam headlight. I have motorcycle parked at my residence at this time. *tr
- Electrical system
I recently purchased a 2009 buell 1125cr from a harley dealership and discovered that the bike has had it stator assembly replaced twice on the dates of 9/10/10 with 4222 miles and 9/10/11 with 8720 miles, both replacement where covered under warranty. The battery also had to be replaced in…
I recently purchased a 2009 buell 1125cr from a harley dealership and discovered that the bike has had it stator assembly replaced twice on the dates of 9/10/10 with 4222 miles and 9/10/11 with 8720 miles, both replacement where covered under warranty. The battery also had to be replaced in 03/2012. The motorcycle IS no longer covered under factory and after conducting research I discovered that there appears to be a flaw in the 1125 electrical system. I also discovered that there has been no "true" fix to the problem other then replacing the same part multiple times. I currently have just under 11000 miles on my 1125 and I'm concerned that buell/harley davidson never formulated a "true" confirmed fix for the electrical/stator issue which could result in the motorcycle stalling prematurely while riding putting myself and other at risk. I ask that you investigate this matter and validate that buell did or will properly fix the 1125 electrical issues. thank you *tr
- Electrical system
Was coming home from a friends house, at night, when the instrument cluster and lights went out completely. I quickly stopped, and turned the bike off. I sat for a few minutes and restarted the bike. Everything seemed ok as the lights came back on. I continued home and parked the bike. The following morning, the bike did not start at all. I then took the bike to the HD dealership for repairs. *Tr
- Electrical system
Faulty charging system causing motor to die and not start, does not charge battery nor output enough voltage to run bike. Potential for dying motor while at speed and causing dangerous condition. *Tr
- Electrical system · Engine
As I was making a left handed turn across traffic when the bike suddenly died and was totally unresponsive. it was later determined it was the voltage regulator/stator had failed. it IS extremely dangerous to have an otherwise perfectly maintained machine that will suddenly unexpectedly quit. thanks for your time. *tr
- Electrical system
Charging system failure, engine dies at low rpm and won't restart or idle even after a jump start. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine
I recently moved to a new city and the charging system failed on my first ride there (30 miles). I noticed that the battery light and check engine light had come on approximately 10 miles from the house. Battery voltage had dropped from the normal 13.5-14.3 range to 11.1 and was dropping fast.…
I recently moved to a new city and the charging system failed on my first ride there (30 miles). I noticed that the battery light and check engine light had come on approximately 10 miles from the house. Battery voltage had dropped from the normal 13.5-14.3 range to 11.1 and was dropping fast. There was no warning that this would occur. I was able to pull off onto the side of the road and remove the headlight fuse in an attempt to make it back to the house. Removal of the fuse greatly decreased the rate at which the battery discharged. I was able to make it 9.5 of the 10 miles back before the engine died and had to push the motorcycle the remaining distance. *tr
- Electrical system
I experienced a low battery indication while driving the motorcycle. I was able to drive the cycle to my residence prior to battery no longer being able to power the ignition and electrical system, including head and tail lights. Stator was removed and found to be severely burned due to…
I experienced a low battery indication while driving the motorcycle. I was able to drive the cycle to my residence prior to battery no longer being able to power the ignition and electrical system, including head and tail lights. Stator was removed and found to be severely burned due to insufficient cooling. Design of this motorcycle does not allow sufficient oil cooling of the stator resulting in nearly 100% stator failure in 2009 buell 1125cr and 1125r models. I sent the stator to a facility for rewind and repair. *tr
- Electrical system
Was making left hand turn at busy intersection. Motorcycle lost power, stalled and died, nearly causing accident. Was almost hit by oncoming traffic and had to push bike to safety. The "electrical system upgrade" had been performed at last service by dealer. Motorcycle has been unstable since. Quit…
Was making left hand turn at busy intersection. Motorcycle lost power, stalled and died, nearly causing accident. Was almost hit by oncoming traffic and had to push bike to safety. The "electrical system upgrade" had been performed at last service by dealer. Motorcycle has been unstable since. Quit riding after randomly stalling 4TH time. Cannot be used safely. While researching battery replacement and causes, I realized I have symptoms of stator failure. Voltage IS unstable and drops frequently. Motorcycle has about 2700-2800 miles on it now. Was purchased new in march of 2010. *Tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Equipment adaptive/mobility
While riding my 2009 buell 1125cr, I noticed my voltage dropping rather fast (14V down to 9V). The buell has just over 4,000 miles on it and I didn't expect to see issues this early. Upon research, apparently this IS a common recurring problem with this particular year and model. After hours of…
While riding my 2009 buell 1125cr, I noticed my voltage dropping rather fast (14V down to 9V). The buell has just over 4,000 miles on it and I didn't expect to see issues this early. Upon research, apparently this IS a common recurring problem with this particular year and model. After hours of mechanical work, it turns out the stator over heated and fried itself, due to the lack of lubrication. Its a design flaw. Now I have to rewrap my stator and purchase another part the covers the stator that prevents this from happening again. Shouldn't/doesn't this qualify as a defect/recall item?... And why not? *tr
- Electrical system
The stator in my 2009 buell 1125cr failed with only just over 4,000 miles. I noticed the battery slowly draining as I was headed home. Luckily I wasnt very far from my house when it happened. The bike will no longer hold charge and the battery has been tested and IS good as well as all fuses and…
The stator in my 2009 buell 1125cr failed with only just over 4,000 miles. I noticed the battery slowly draining as I was headed home. Luckily I wasnt very far from my house when it happened. The bike will no longer hold charge and the battery has been tested and IS good as well as all fuses and relays checked, they are also all good. I know this IS a very common problem with this bike and the part should have been recalled because I havent heard of a stock 09 1125cr not having to have the stator replaced at some point. A major part like this should not be failing especially when my bike has only 4K miles on it. *tr
- Electrical system
While riding around the town got a warning light for battery (low voltage) and engine had shut down soon after. I was able to safely come to the stop on the side of the road and tow the motorcycle home, however having bike die on you out of the blue in the traffic IS not a pleasant or safe…
While riding around the town got a warning light for battery (low voltage) and engine had shut down soon after. I was able to safely come to the stop on the side of the road and tow the motorcycle home, however having bike die on you out of the blue in the traffic IS not a pleasant or safe experience and end result could have been much worse that burned up charging system it could have been someones life. Bike will operate for 30min or so once the battery has be charged through the external battery charger (trickle charger) and after the energy IS depleted from the battery motorcycle will shut down since the motorcycle's charging system IS roasted and non functional. Motorcycle had previously been serviced under a recall by harley davidson and charging harness and new fuel mapping were installed, however this did not remedy the problem. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Exterior lighting
Stator burned up and forced complete shut down of bike, including lights and engine. left me stranded on a long stretch of kamehameha highway with no safe shoulder to park the bike on-just too much jungle on one side and the ocean on the other. Had to push the bike a long, long, way. This IS the second stator failure on this bike! *tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Exterior lighting
Voltage started jumping around on my way to work one morning. My voltage dropped to 10.9, then my lights died. I was able to pull off the side of the interstate as the bike was bucking and sputtering to a stop. It was not a pleasant experience. *tr
- Engine
While riding my buell 1125cr, the system voltage error came up on the display. It was later identified as the stator burning up because of the heat that IS produced in the charging system. When this failure occurred I lost the ability to charge my battery thus eventually my motorcycle shut off in…
While riding my buell 1125cr, the system voltage error came up on the display. It was later identified as the stator burning up because of the heat that IS produced in the charging system. When this failure occurred I lost the ability to charge my battery thus eventually my motorcycle shut off in the middle of traffic. This IS specially dangerous because there IS no warning of this happening and this failure IS very common on this year model around this mileage. *tr
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- 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…
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.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID: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
- 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…
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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10032784Buell motorcycles: certain motorcycles-1125r and 1125cr 2009-10 and 2008 1125r have been refitted with a 2009 or 2010 engine. On these models the stator may operate at temperatures that exceed the manufacturer's recommendation when the vehicle IS ridden in lower rpm (below 5,000 rpm) duty cycles. The models may experience charging system issues related to excessive stator heat. Updated 6/11/10.
- 10028304Buel motorcycles: a defect relating to motorcycle safety of certain 1125cr. Motorcycle may experience premature failure of the rear cylinder cam chain tension guide.
- 10026798Buell motorcycles: may experience a premature failure of the rear cylinder cam chain tension guide. This can cause plastic debris to block the oil pump screen, possibly leading to oil starvation and engine seizure.
Every Buell 1125CR model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.