Electrical System. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

44 reports

3,900 miles · Oct 18, 2011

Electrical System

I WAS CRUISING DOWN ROAD AND HEADLIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER AND GET DIMMER AND DIMMER. NOT WANTING TO GET HIT BY SOMEONE I PULLED OFF ROAD AND CHECKED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND SAID CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE. NOT EVEN 4,000 MILES ON BRAND NEW BOUGHT BIKE AND JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10430736

4,705 miles · Oct 12, 2011

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

Read full complaint

MOTORCYCLE LOST VOLTAGE AS INDICATED ON INSTRUMENT DISPLAY WHILE RIDING IN MODERATE TRAFFIC. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY IN A SAFE MANNER TO EASE POSSIBLE CONGESTION AND NOT INCUR AN ACCIDENT. LOCAL HARLEY DEALER PICKED UP BIKE AT SIDE OF THE ROAD ON A MODERATE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC STATE ROUTE. DIAGNOSIS FROM DEALER WAS COMPLETE STATOR FAILURE IMPACTING THE CHARGING ABILITY OF THE MOTORCYCLE. HARLEY IS COVERING WITH WARRANTY WORK ON STATOR WITH SAME YEAR MODEL EQUIPMENT, 2009. SEVERAL REPORTED WEBSITES INDICATE STATOR WILL LIKELY FAIL AGAIN AT SOME POINT IN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. IT CANNOT BE EXPRESSED THE CONCERN THIS CAN HAVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON MAJOR INTERSTATES AND THOROUGHFARES. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429970

12,466 miles · Oct 11, 2011

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

2ND STATOR FAILED AT 12,466 MILES, FIRST FAILED ON 6/17/10 AT 4,459 MILES. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429531

4,459 miles · Oct 11, 2011

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

STATOR FAILURE, 1ST OF 2 (SO FAR) FOR THIS BIKE. 2ND FAILURE ON 5/31/11 AT 12,466 MILES. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429530

3,048 miles · Oct 11, 2011

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

I WAS RIDING ON HWY17 IN KENTUCKY ABOUT 50 TO 60 MPH WHEN THE BIKE JUST DIED. I HAD NO TURN SIGNALS OR BRAKE LIGHTS.THE GOOD THING WAS MY BROTHER IN LAW WAS BEHIND ME TO CONTROL TRAFFIC. THIS ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN A FURTHER ISSUE IF I HAD LOST POWER 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IN THE SHARP TURNS. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429481

11,500 miles · Oct 11, 2011

Electrical System

VOLTAGE REGULATOR FAILED, HEADLIGHT BULB BURNED AS A RESULT, NO HEADLIGHT. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LOST BACKLIGHT, TURN SIGNALS WERE OUT. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429467

6,500 miles · Oct 11, 2011

Electrical System

THE CHARGING SYSTEM ON MY 2009 BUELL 1125CR FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CEASED TO RUN. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10429450

3,200 miles · Jun 15, 2011

Electrical System

Read full complaint

2009 BUELL 1125 STATOR (ALTERNATOR) FAILURE. ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I HAVE BEEN OPERATING MY MOTORCYCLE WHEN IT HAS SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, DIED OF STATOR FAILURE. 2 OF THESE INSTANCES MAY HAVE CAUSED A LESS EXPERIENCED RIDER GREAT DANGER AS THEY HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AS 'BURNT' OR 'OVERHEATED' STATORS. EACH TIME THE PART HAS FAILED, IT WAS REPLACED WITH AN IDENTICAL PART. THE EXPLANATION HARLEY DAVIDSON (OWNER OF SUBSIDIARY BUELL) HAS GIVEN ON WHY THE PART HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED OR RETROFITTED IS "THE COMPANY (BUELL) IS NO LONGER PRODUCING MOTORCYCLES, AND WE ONLY HAVE TO REPAIR THE BIKES UNTIL THEIR WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRES". BASICALLY, THE COMPANY ADMITS THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE STATOR, BUT IS CHOOSING TO RIDE OUT THE WARRANTY PERIOD WITHOUT A PROPER FIX, AND LEAVE OWNERS TO FIX THE ISSUE CONTINUOUSLY OUT OF POCKET AND IN DANGER ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10407046

8,900 miles · Jun 15, 2011

Electrical System

CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED AT 8900 MILES, SECOND TIME. HARLEY REPLACED A ROTOR, STATOR AND A VOLTAGE REGULATOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10406969

5,500 miles · Jun 15, 2011

Electrical System

CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED. FIRST TIME AT 5500 MILES, HARLEY INSTALLED CHARGING HARNESS, AND A NEW STATOR. SECOND TIME CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED AT 8900 MILES. HARLEY INSTALLED NEW STATOR, ROTOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10406967

Official recalls

08V554000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Oct 20, 2008

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE12035 · Motorcycle Stalling

Opened Nov 16, 2012 · Closed Apr 16, 2013

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator

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

PE10004 · Sudden Fuel Expulsion

Opened Jan 25, 2010 · Closed May 10, 2010

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

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.