2009 Buell 1125R

THE STATOR FAILED, SO THE ENGINE CUT-OUT AS I WAS RIDING WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH POWER TO RUN THE CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE CHARGING SYSTEM WAS ALSO AFFECTED, RESULTING IN A DRAINED BATTERY. WHEN THE ENGINE CUT-OUT, THE REAR WHEEL SKIDDED (JUST SHORT OF LOCKING UP) UNTIL I PULLED THE CLUTCH TO TAKE THE ENGINE OUT OF GEAR. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, PRESUMABLY WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR INDICATOR LIGHTS. *TT

DURING LIGHT TRAFFIC (STOP-AND-GO) AND LOW-RPM OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE (HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN HIGH-GEAR), THE STATOR WINDINGS OVER HEAT AND SHORT. THIS CAUSES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO DRAIN THE BATTERY UNTIL THE ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS FAIL COMPLETELY. THE STATOR WAS REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW OEM PART BY A CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN AT THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP, BUT THE SAME MODE OF FAILURE AND RESULTS HAPPENED AGAIN LATER IN THE SAME YEAR (AUGUST 2010) AT 7000 MI ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR THE STATOR & REGULATOR/RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES ON THE 2009 BUELL 1125R AND 2009 BUELL 1125R MOTORCYCLES CREATE A UNCONTROLLED BUILD UP OF ELECTRICAL HEAT THAT CAN CAUSE THESE COMPONENTS TO FAIL. THE STATOR ASSEMBLIES HAVE INSUFFICIENT THERMAL PROTECTION TO HANDLE THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE CHARGING SYSTEM. THIS CAUSES THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION TO MELT TO A POINT WHERE A SHORT CIRCUIT SITUATION IS CREATED AND THE STATOR FAILS. THE REGULATOR/RECTIFIER WAS PRODUCED WITH INSUFFICIENT ABILITY TO DISSIPATE HEAT GENERATED BY THE CHARGING SYSTEM. THIS CONDITION CAUSES EXCESSIVE HEAT WITHIN THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND UNCONTROLLED ELECTRIC CURRENT OUTPUT WHICH CAN RESULT IN INSUFFICIENT CHARGING CURRENT BEING PROVIDED TO THE MOTORCYCLE BATTERY. THIS CAN CAUSE THE DISCHARGE OF THE BUELL MOTORCYCLE'S BATTERY, WHICH CAN LEAD TO STALLING OR A NON-START CONDITION; IF THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STALLS, IT COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. *KB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD AT ABOUT 30-35MPH, LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD HARLEY DAVIDSON DIAG AND REPAIR BURNT STATOR. WAS RETURNED VEHICLE AND CHARGING SYSTEM WORKED. HAD CHARGING SYSTEM OVERLAY HARNESS INSTALLED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON. SINCE THEN, HAVE HAD 2 FAILED VOLTAGE REGULATORS, 1 FAILED BATTERY AND HAVE BEEN LEFT STRANDED NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO DISCHARGED BATTERY. VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT VERY LOW SPEEDS(1-5 MPH) WHILE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON I-26 IN THE MIDDLE LANE. BATT WAS SO DISCHARGED WITH NO CURRENT PROBLEMS(OTHER THAN 1 LEG OF CHARGING BEING DISABLED DUE TO HARNESS OVERLAY). HAD TO PUSH BIKE BY HAND ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR TO GET TO SAFETY. VEHICLE NOW HAS 20,000 MILES AND WILL HAVE SECOND NEW REGULATOR INSTALLED ON 10-14-11. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUELL 1125R MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING A RECURRING FAILURE WITH THE STATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATORS OVERHEATING. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A REDUCTION OF ALL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR WERE REPLACED. THE COMPONENTS HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AS A RESULT OF THE STATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR OVERHEATING. THE FAILURE DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL THE SYSTEM WAS UPGRADED BY A PREVIOUS DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,777.

THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CHARGING SYSTEM OF THE '09 BUELL 1125R AND 1125CR MOTORCYCLES. THE ELECTRICAL STATOR PRODUCES MORE HEAT THAN CAN BE MANAGED AND WILL EVENTUALLY OVER HEAT AND FAIL. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF '09 BUELL 1125R AND 1125CR MOTORCYCLES. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON (BUELL'S PARENT) HAVE BEEN BACKORDERED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AS SUPPLY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FAILURES. THERE ARE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, HEADLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS FAIL TO WORK. THE MOTORCYCLE MAY STALL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. HARLEY HAS ISSUED A 'FIX' IN THE FORM OF A RELAY THAT SHUTS OFF 1/3 OF THE CHARGING SYSTEM. IRONICALLY THE 'FIX' SEEMS TO HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURES. WITH THE 'FIX' IN PLACE THE MOTORCYCLE IS STARVED FOR ELECTRICAL POWER. THERE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT POWER TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED. BRIGHT HEADLIGHT CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT FURTHER DRAINING OF MOTORCYCLE'S BATTERY, ETC. MANY, MANY CASES OF STATOR FAILURES CAN BE FOUND HERE: HTTP://WWW.BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM/BUELL/MESSAGES/290431/290431.HTML?1309888179 PLEASE LAUNCH A DEFECT INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THESE SAFETY CONCERNS. *KB

THE CHARGING SYSTEM ON THE 2009 BUELL 1125R AND 1125CR HAS A DESIGN DEFECT. WHILE IDLING IN TRAFFIC, THE CHARGING SYSTEM WILL OVERHEAT AND THE STATOR WILL BURN OUT AND FAIL, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO STALL AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED DUE TO THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED. THIS DEFECT AFFECTS ALL 2009 BUELL 1125R AND 1125CR MOTORCYCLES. HARLEY DAVIDSON (BUELL'S PARENT COMPANY) IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN DEFECT AND IN MARCH, 2010 RELEASED A 'FIX' IN THE FORM OF A CHARGING HARNESS UPGRADE. THIS 'FIX' WAS INSTALLED ON MY MOTORCYCLE AT 1,456 MILES. MY CHARGING SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED AT 3,706 MILES. THE 'FIX' ISSUED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON SHUTS OFF 1/3 OF THE STATOR LEAVING THE MOTORCYCLE ONLY 2/3 OF THE POWER LISTED IN THE SPECIFICATION. THIS IS ULTIMATELY NOT ENOUGH POWER TO OPERATE ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE MOTORCYCLE. BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT CAUSING THE BATTERY LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND ULTIMATELY DRAINING THE BATTERY. AT IDLE, THE CHARGING SYSTEM CANNOT PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED. SEVERAL MINUTES OF IDLING WILL CAUSE THE BATTERY LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, THEN A 'SYSTEM VOLTAGE ERROR' WILL APPEAR ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, THEN THE HEADLIGHTS & TURN SIGNALS WILL STOP WORKING, FINALLY THE MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL. MY ENTIRE CHARGING SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED (STATOR, VOLTAGE REGULATOR, BATTERY), AND HAS BEEN INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES BY A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER AND BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON CORPORATE. THE SITUATION HAS NOT IMPROVED. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS EITHER INCAPABLE OR UNWILLING TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

REF 2009 BUELL 1125R AND CR COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR THE STATOR & REGULATOR/RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES ON THE 2009 BUELL 1125R AND 2009 BUELL 1125CR MOTORCYCLES CREATE A UNCONTROLLED BUILD UP OF ELECTRICAL HEAT THAT CAN CAUSE THESE COMPONENTS TO FAIL. THE STATOR ASSEMBLIES HAVE INSUFFICIENT THERMAL PROTECTION TO HANDLE THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE CHARGING SYSTEM. THIS CAUSES THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION TO MELT TO A POINT WHERE A SHORT CIRCUIT SITUATION IS CREATED AND THE STATOR FAILS. THE REGULATOR/RECTIFIER WAS PRODUCED WITH INSUFFICIENT ABILITY TO DISSIPATE HEAT GENERATED BY THE CHARGING SYSTEM. THIS CONDITION CAUSES EXCESSIVE HEAT WITHIN THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND UNCONTROLLED ELECTRIC CURRENT OUTPUT WHICH CAN RESULT IN INSUFFICIENT CHARGING CURRENT BEING PROVIDED TO THE MOTORCYCLE BATTERY. THIS CAN CAUSE THE DISCHARGE OF THE BUELL MOTORCYCLE'S BATTERY, WHICH CAN LEAD TO STALLING OR A NON-START CONDITION; IF THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STALLS, IT COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. *TT

CHARGING SYSTEM STATOR FAILS RESULTING IN LOW SYSTEM VOLTAGE AND EVENTUALLY ENGINE WILL QUIT RUNNING OR STALL. I HAD THREE FAILURES IN THE FIRST 12,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. THE LAST FAILURE I INSTALLED THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR('08) COMPONENTS (ROTOR AND STATOR) THAT HAVE A LOWER ELECTRICAL OUTPUT, AT MY OWN EXPENSE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. DEALER UNDER WARRANTY WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE STATOR WITH THE SAME (09) PART THAT KEEPS FAILING. *TR