Random Pics...

I have not blogged in some time, it has been a busy yet very good summer!  I have not put as many kilometers on my bikes as last summer, but the ones that I have put on have been good ones!

Here are a few random pics of my 1125R and my Street Glide!

Finally...

This past winter has been a long one and it seemed like it was never going to end.  Once the snow went, we were faced with several weeks of cold and wet weather.  Last weekend, we finally had some nice weather and I had one thing on my mind...riding motorcycles!

I decided to get my 1125R out first as I have it stored here at my place...the Street Glide is stored offsite.  First thing on the agenda was installing the battery, 3 quarts of Amsoil Synthetic Motorcycle Oil and a K & N Oil Filter.

Amsoil 20W50 MC Oil

Once the oil change was finished, I completed a check of all systems - coolant, brakes, tire pressure, etc., it was time to "unleash the beast" and fire her up!

Ready for 2015 MC Season

After warmup, it was time to get the gear on and go for the 2015 inaugural ride! Within 5 minutes of riding, I was smiling and thinking, man this feels good!  Very quickly, I forgot about the past winter and focused on riding!  My ride was short...about 100km, but it was good and it seemed like every motorcyclist in New Brunswick was on the road.  I am pretty sure that every motorcycle enthusiast in the province had the same thing on their mind, the weather is nice and I am going to ride!

 

Next thing on the agenda is getting my 2013 Harley Davidson Street Glide out of storage and on the road! I know it's cliche to say this, but all of a sudden life is good again!  Keep the right hand cranked and ride safe!

Finally...

The 2014 riding season is finally here! It seems like it was a longer than usual winter and I was starting to get impatient with late season snowstorms, crappy roads, potholes, etc. The weather turned last weekend and it was nice to have a sunny Saturday! As a result, I just had take advantage of the day!

First on the agenda, my Rocket - 2009 Buell 1125R! I connected battery cables and pulled the 1125R out to the driveway.  I gave the 1125R the once over safety check, fluids, brakes, lights, tire pressure, etc. and decided to install my new Zero Gravity SR windshield.

It was a quick install and I am very pleased with the look. The smoked shielded fits well with the red and black colors of the bike.

Next, it was on with the gear and time to go for a rip! I went for a short 60km ride and it was great! With the new EBR rotor/stator upgrade and a new K&N air filter, the 1125R seems to work much better. I did not notice any difference between the Zero Gravity windshield and the stock shield and to be honest, I did not expect to feel a difference. It was so nice to get back on the road and just enjoy myself...a feeling all bikers know!

Yesterday was another great weather day and it was time to get my 2013 Street Glide out of storage. I took the afternoon off work to get the Street Glide ready for pick up. Unfortunately, I did not get to ride the Street Glide as the Harley Davidson dealer was in town and they were picking up the HD to take it for it's 10,000km checkup/service. It was great to get the Street Glide out and I should have it back mid-week!

I did however take advantage of the weather.  After the Street Glide was loaded on the trailer and on it's way to the dealer, I fired up the 1125R and went for a 100km ride! I am looking forward to a great riding season! Life is good!

1125R Upgrade (Part IV)

This morning my good friend Luc came over and provided the second set of hands that were needed for the muffler install.  After a coffee and a quick chat, we put the stock exhaust back on the bike.  It's amazing how easy the stock can went back on with a little help!

Stock exhaust installed!

Next, we pulled the 1125R out into the yard to see if the EBR rotor and new stator install would work.  I was pretty confident as I really took my time on this job!

Getting ready for startup!

The 1125R started right up and mechanically, the engine sounds normal (very noisy).  Luc thought he could hear air sucking somewhere, so we removed the airbox cover and listened, it was hard to tell from that perspective.  One of the exhaust gaskets is just about shot, I am not sure if that is creating air noise or not?  The only thing I can think of re: air noise would be with the airbox baseplate and everything there seemed to install well. Maybe I am just chasing a ghost, not sure?

The positive, the stator and EBR rotor seem to be working as they should.  Voltage readings are within acceptable range.

Voltage reading - 14.4V

Finished product!

I took the 1125R for a short ride with Luc following behind in his truck (just in case).  Bike worked fine and voltage reading was consistently between 13.9V and 14.4V, exactly what it should be reading.  I will check the Bad Weather Bikers 1125R Superbike Forum to see if anyone else has experienced the air noise issue.  Other than that, I am very pleased!  Next up, a longer test ride!

1125R Upgrade (Part II)

I have been procrastinating on the 1125R electrical repair; procrastinating for two reasons.  First, I am back at work so time is limited and second, I am riding the Street Glide when I have free time!  I decided that this weekend, I would continue the repair.  Here's how I made out!

Seat, battery and airbox removed.

Stator wires disconnected from harness

Stator wire pulled through harness channel (use mechanic's wire)

Stator cover removed & one well done stator (toasted)!

Damaged stator and new stator

New stator installed

Stock rotor and sprag clutch removed

Crankshaft and starter gears

EBR modified rotor & stock rotor

EBR rotor with sprag clutch

I still have to torque the rotor (295 ft/lbs) and need to borrow a 3/4" torque wrench for that.  Once that is complete, reassembly and I should be good to go.  Will keep you posted!

Until next time, ride safe!

1125R Upgrade

After procrastinating and some pressure from my good friend Luc, I finally started work on the charging system upgrade for my 1125R...the first stage~!

Stage 1: 1st - consult service manual, 2nd - remove the stock exhaust (look at the size of that exhaust can), 3rd - drain engine oil.

Love electronic versions of service manuals!

Stock exhaust can removed

Look at the size of that beast! I am thinking that it is not going back on. Smaller after market might be the way to go, maybe a HMF slip on from Erik Buell Racing.

HMF slip on exhaust

Drain engine oil

New EBR modified rotor & associated parts

Next, I will tackle the stator cover, stator and rotor! Ride safe!

1125R Breakdown

Thought my ride on the 1125R this afternoon was going to be fun, not the case! Check engine and battery light came on, System Voltage Error, watched voltage drop from 12V to 10V to 8V then complete shut down! As soon as error appeared, I headed for home as fast as I could, bike died 500m from my house! Good thing it is downhill, I coasted home and into driveway! Tried boosting with power-pack, nothing! Battery is on charger, but I know the verdict!

2009's are famous for stator burning up at 8-10 thousand kilometers and I have 10K on mine. This is going to cost me as the only real fix is through Erik Buell Racing!  EBR Rotor Upgrade - $450, Crankshaft Tool - $65, Rotor Nut - $14.95, Gasket Kit - $15.95, Stator Rewind - $165 + shipping & duty, possibly voltage regulator ($150) and new battery ($125) too. Somehow, this is not sounding like the "priceless" MasterCard commercial!  I can't be too upset as I knew this would happen at some point in time!

Good thing I have the Street Glide!

Weekend Ride!

The weather has been amazing which has resulted in a great start to our riding season.  I took Friday afternoon off work and went on a leisurely 250 kilometer solo ride on the Street Glide.  Just me, the open road and U2 blasting on the stereo...it was great!

Saturday, I got the Buell 1125R out of storage and ready for the road!  The morning consisted of quick wash jobs on both the 1125R and the Street Glide and then it was off for an afternoon rip on the 1125R.

'09 Buell 1125R & '13 Harley Davidson Street Glide

Earlier in the week, my friend Luc and I decided that we would head out for a long ride on Sunday!  We weren't sure if we were going to go in "Cruise" mode or "Sportbike" mode.  On Sunday morning we decided to go with the Sportbikes.  Luc and I connected early in the morning and were off, he on his CBR1000RR and I on the 1125R.  As per usual, we had no real destination in mind, we just wanted to ride.  Here is the 370 kilometer loop we ended up doing: Fredericton, Harvey Station, St. Andrews, Dipper Harbour, Saint John, Fredericton.

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking, enjoy!

Luc hooking up the GoPro on his CBR100RR

Adjusting the GoPro

GoPro Time Lapse Shot of the 1125R

Another GoPro Shot

St. Andrews by the Sea & the Two Rockets!

Coffee Break at Honeybeans in St. Andrews (excellent coffee)

Near Dipper Harbour, NB

A fitting end to the day!

A quick stop at a local gas station and conversation with fellow bikers proved to be a fitting end to a great day of riding!  To quote my friend, Jeff S. aka @JoeRocket, "until next time, a low, slow wave."

New Tires

Well, it was time to add new tires to my 2009 Buell 1125R!  I really liked the stock Pirelli Corsa III's, but the rear had flat spotted and it was time to replace. 

I was pleased to get 8500km out of Corsa III's and with the performance that they gave me.  I am not an overly aggressive rider, but I found the Pirelli's stuck very well to the road...almost like riding on rails.

Before deciding on what to purchase, I went to the 1125R Superbike Board at Bad Weather Bikers and asked for suggestions. As expected, the feedback that I received was mixed and everyone had an opinion...that's the beauty of online forums.  Since there did not seem to be consensus, I embarked further with my own research based on my riding style.  As mentioned, I am not an overly aggressive rider and I do not ride the 1125R on the track...that's not to say that I don't enjoy the twisties and the opportunity to crank the throttle!  Most of my riding is street/highway, so a dual compound tire is what I was looking for, something with decent grip and good wear.   Two tires came to the forefront for me, the Michelin Pilot Road 2 and the Michelin Pilot Road 3. Reviews at Web Bike World and Visor Down swayed me in the direction of the Pilot Road 3.

I searched online and checked with local dealers and found the best price at the local Yamaha dealer, almost 30% lower than any other price I could find.  The service manager at the Yamaha dealer happens to be my neighbor, so we worked out the final pricing and an installation time.  He knows how fussy I am about my bikes, so I was confident that the dealership could handle the job with a little direction from me.

To assist the Yamaha dealer, I wrote a wheel removal/installation guide for a 2009 Buell 1125R.  I consulted with the Bad Weather Bikers 1125R Superbike Board and my Twitter friend Jase at Hellcat Customs prior to putting the guide together. I also watched JDugger's YouTube videos on 1125R wheel removal...check out my 1125R Wheel Removal/Installation Guide.  Upon arrival at the Yamaha dealer, I asked to speak to the technician who would be working on my 1125R.  I provided the technician with the guide and went through it with him.  Two hours later, my new tires were installed and the 1125R was good to go!

Pilot Road 3 Rear

 Pilot Road 3 Front

Since the installation, I have put approximately 300km on the Pilot Road 3's.  So far they feel good, but I have to put a few more miles on them before I am as confident on the bike as I was with the Corsa III's.  Stay tuned for a follow up report!  Until next time, ride safe!

Great Day!

Just a few short words...today I finished servicing the Buell 1125R, got her out of storage and went for a ride! What a great day!


Looking forward to another great riding season!