2009 Buell 1125CR problems & reliability
44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Buell 1125CR, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Buell 1125CR vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 41 | 93% |
| Engine → | 10 | 23% |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 41 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 5,120 miles (middle 50% between 4,007 and 8,200 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“As I was riding at 40-45 mph I noticed a battery light come on. Short time later my display read (system voltage) within minutes everything on my bike shut off including engine abruptly neatly tossing me off the bike. Thankfully, I managed to stay on and safely (only because drivers were paying attention) was able to…”
Electrical System · filed May 3, 2018
“Electrical system overheat situation, burnt stator due to over heating on a poorly designed charging system. I'm not the first and definitely not the last with this issue that harley davidson chooses to overlook instead of fixing the problem. For the few owners that had this repaired under warranty, hd only changed…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 2, 2013
“Prior to the first incident the motorcycle had been running for about an hour traveling at a conservative speed behind a leader of a pack of riders. The vehicle was parked at a location where the air temperature was roughly 45 degrees f for about 30-45 minutes. Upon attempting to start the motorcycle, power would…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 5, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Motorcycle Stalling
Preliminary Evaluation PE12035 · opened Nov 16, 2012 · closed Apr 16, 2013
- SUDDEN FUEL EXPULSION
Preliminary Evaluation PE10004 · opened Jan 25, 2010 · closed May 10, 2010
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Buell 1125CR.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1684: MARKET SPECIFIC BATTERY INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers of the availability of new batteries for new Original Equipment (OE) vehicle production and in the…
M1684 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 16, 2025
Buell motorcycles: certain motorcycles-1125r and 1125cr 2009-10 and 2008 1125r have been refitted with a 2009 or 2010 engine. On these models the stator may operate at temperatures that exceed the manufacturer's…
SB-B-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2010
Buel motorcycles: a defect relating to motorcycle safety of certain 1125cr. Motorcycle may experience premature failure of the rear cylinder cam chain tension guide. *pe
B-084A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 27, 2008
Buell motorcycles: may experience a premature failure of the rear cylinder cam chain tension guide. This can cause plastic debris to block the oil pump screen, possibly leading to oil starvation and engine seizure. *pe
B-084 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 27, 2008
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Buell 1125CR has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Buell 1125CR?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 5,120 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.