[Dave]

i was kinda surprised to see on in fast bikes this month, this is what they had to say:

words by: alistair fagan

lets be honest, the 1125r is never going to cut it as a hardcore sportsbike. the rotax powered yank-mobile has some sweet manners, mainly the lump and the chassis itself, but is let down by suspension and the rim mounted disc. will binning the fairings, sticking on some mx bars and putting a c before the r produce the vinegar stroke? the cr is eric buell's vision of a contemporary cafe racer. it certainly gives our vision a better time, even though the big elephant ears for induction pods still boss the front end, along with the b-king style headlight. looks slightly badass, though. the cr comes with ace bars for that cafe racer attitude, similar to those found on an FS1E,but mx-style bars are available as an aftermarket option. they really should roll off the production line with the flat bars. buell claim rivals like the super duke and tuono - a bold statement - so it should be dubbed as a naked sportsbike. the clubman-style bars make it too similar to the 1125r and give a riding position similar to taht of taking a dump and holding a snooker pool cue out with your arms stretched. the mx bars lend a whole different attitude to the cr, giving it more leverage, better ergonomics and generally better control. the cr retains the grunty rotax lump, but with shorter gearing to liven things up. we were flat out on the autobahn and the clocks read 155 mph, so its aint too short. the fuelling has also had some tinkering, and the result is a smoother delivery, and no more glitches. the throttle responce from closed is still shady though. handling is enhanced through the flat bars, due to the balance and different weight transfer they offer. suspension is still very harsh on the road. but it laps up the smoother stuff. the chassis itself is correct, and it steers beautifully, especially with the extra leverage. but standard steup lacks bump management although mechanical grip is decent when settled. it's midcorner where the 1125cr lacks talent, especially in the tighter stuff. at decent pace, holding a line is tricky and there isint enough weight on the front to induce confidence. ground clearance is poor too. corner entry has improved though, thanks to the option of a race spec brake pad. there's less lever travel, more braking power and no brake judder from pad residue left on the disc. the 1125cr will get annihilated by a super duke, but its going to be an interesting 2009 naked twins test with the addition of the new buell. its cheap compared to its rivals, wicked fun, stunts like a trooper and, although flawed in some aspects, it's a new viable option to a european v-twin, once you get over the unique looks and other buell idiosyncrasies.

verdict:

+ engine, fuelling, chassis, brakes
- ground clearance, throttle response
7/10

track 4, fast road 3, hooligan 4, new rider 3, desirability 2