2009 Buell 1125R problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Buell 1125R. 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 1125R vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 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 → | 32 | 82% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 13% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 10% |
| Engine | 3 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
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 38 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 6,235 miles (middle 50% between 3,780 and 9,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Stator failed in traffic on the highway, had to push bike across a lane of traffic on hwy 95 florida.”
Electrical System · filed Oct 25, 2015
“Riding my 2009 buell 1125r, the oem stator overheated and fried 1 leg of the 3 leg stator. I had the harley davidson recall done on the bike and this made it worse, when going under 5k rpms the bike would overheat; which eventually led to the stator frying. This caused the regulator to be fried as well since the…”
Power Train · filed Mar 30, 2015
“Voltage light came on with check engine light. Engine died. This is the third time the stator has went out. One time the voltage regulator went out. Harley refused to fix it under warranty. I have 2 of these motorcycles & both have the same problems. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Apr 6, 2014
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
2 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Buell 1125R.
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
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2009 Buell 1125R in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 1125R?
- · 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 6,235 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.