Bright Lights, Big City: The...
Bright Lights, Big City: The Perfect Stomping Grounds For A Street Monster. The 1125CR is almost the ideal weapon, but it could use a few mods to really get it screaming.
Trimmed down compared to its brother, the 1125R sportbike, the 1125CR is devoid of excess and it carries only what it needs for battle. Sporting just a headlight and shrouds, the CR wastes little time in letting you know it's there to take names.
Proudly flexing its V-twin motor for all to see, the CR is like Mike Tyson at his baddest-a skull crusher. Bad behavior comes pretty easily, but we want our wheelies, stoppies and knee downs to be totally effortless. That's where the aftermarket mods come into play.
Buell created one helluva bike with the CR, but like everything off the showroom floor there's room for improvement. Although it's nearly there as a street brawler, some upgrades would make it a true killer.
Since Buell provided a great platform to build upon we're not going to reinvent the wheel (Buell already did that-Ed.). Instead, we'll show you how to create a showstopping street killer on a realistic budget. Hell, most of the work can be done in your garage with some buddies and a 12-pack of PBR.
In the Shop
With such a beastly engine it's unfortunate that the stock exhaust is so damn quiet. To uncork the muffled monster we went to Jardine for an RT5 slip-on pipe and a matching Protune 3 fuel-management computer. We walked out of there with more than we'd bargained for...
Installation of both pieces was straightforward and fitment was factory clean. No cutting and fabbing here, just a bolt-on affair like it should be.
The immediately obvious improvement is the added snap from the pipe. Off-idle it barks so crisply you'll wonder if it's the same bike. Throttle response is also tighter thanks to the Protune 3. The factory fuel map was horribly lean, and the open Jardine exhaust only exacerbated the issue.
To make sure the bite matched the bark we strapped it on Jardine's dyno to reveal gains of 6 HP and 6 LB-FT at peak, with midrange improvements in the neighborhood of 15 HP.
If the good looks and power increase from the pipe/fuel management combo aren't enough to make you want it, the fact that it weighs less than half of the heavy stocker should be.
ProTune3
The ProTune install...
ProTune3
The ProTune install was quick and easy. just remove the tank and airbox, plug in the connectors and reassemble.
Don't forget to delete the...
Don't forget to delete the factory air intake solenoid with the Buell Racing resistor. it makes a world of difference.
1 RT5 Slip-on
After pulling...
1 RT5 Slip-on
After pulling a few bolts the heavy stock pipe can be removed.
2 The high-flow merge on...
2 The high-flow merge on the Jardine is held in place with springs, making the install a snap.
3 Mount the rear muffler...
3 Mount the rear muffler and you're all done.
4 Check out that carbon can....
4 Check out that carbon can. lightweight and great sounding: so fresh, so clean.
Chris Neely at Jardine helped...
Chris Neely at Jardine helped fit the parts and run the dyno.
Out on the open road the sound finally matches the looks, and the added grunt makes lofting the wheel a result of softly twisting the throttle (that's what we're telling cops anyways). While off-idle torque is noticeably stronger, the midrange hit is now phenomenal.
This sucker sounds off too. A loud, quick revving twin is an unusual aural experience for most people who are used to the lazy toilet sounds emitting from traditional V-twin roadsters, so lots of eyes turn towards this black stallion. And because it sounds so good, that evil little fella on your shoulder whispers for you to give it more gas. Then the front wheel rises even higher...in each of the first three gears.