Nacimiento-Ferguson is a narrow and gnarled piece of busted asphalt California likes to call a road. Elevating from its Pacific Ocean starting point it repeatedly doubles back as it climbs the mountainside, kicking gravel on itself as it does. The road is a challenge to a rider on a familiar enduro machine, let alone a moto-journalist on a first-ride press intro piloting a bike he’s been warned not to crash. But this is where Buell’s new 1125R shines.

Tight, hard switchback after tight, hard switchback the 1125R seemingly gives nothing away to the handling characteristics of its shorter wheelbase XB counterparts. The 1125R’s swingarm is 3.5 inches longer than that of its XB brethren but the bike has only a 2.5-inch longer wheelbase thanks to the stacked transmission that moves the swingarm pivot one inch closer to the crankshaft. Necessitating the longer wheelbase is the increase in horsepower to a claimed 146 — enough to keep the front end aloft even with the additional inches.

Between corners I recall the early morning tech briefing and what was said about mass-centralization and the 20-pound weight advantage the 1125R has over the XB12R. Putting that thought on hold I roll off the throttle, slow the Buell with its six-piston front caliper and navigate through a shaded, 160-degree, dirty, uphill right-hander. The Buell finesses the corner with the aplomb of Santa landing eight 200-pound reindeer on a rooftop without waking the children.

All that jive about “trilogy of technology” and “intuitive handling and power delivery” they were feeding us along with the breakfast buffet seems more than just imaginative marketing when riding a road like Nacimiento-Ferguson.

Three-quarters of the way up and my internal warning mechanism is telling me I’m riding far too aggressively on a bike I need to return. A sign that — if I’m this comfortable riding the 1125R as fast as I am with no more than two hours seat time — something must be right with this new model.

The literal and figurative downside to Nacimiento-Ferguson road is a 20-mile drone through Fort Hunter-Liggett at 35 mph — a speed limit the military base is serious about. And it’s now, with nothing to do but sit and sweat in the summer heat until exiting the base, that some of the Buell’s foibles are exposed.

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Although it’s liquid-cooled, the Helicon engine emits enough heat to a make a booted foot uncomfortable, especially a right one. After stopping outside the base, swigging some warm bottled water it becomes apparent after touching the shift and brake levers that they are too hot to touch. Granted it was August, but this kind of heat is excessive on a bike with no lower fairing impeding heat dispersal. Is that big black can to blame?

Beneath the engine, residing in the same vicinity of all Buell models for decades is the exhaust system. Eric Buell must be smiling as the trend for under-engine exhausts grows among Japanese sportbikes, instigated from current MotoGP competition. Unlike fully faired bikes from Japan, the Buell exhaust is exposed and is therefore subject to styling protocol and ridicule.

The slow grind across the embattled military training ground also brought forth a “searching” problem from the fuel injection system while trying to maintain a steady speed at the restricted pace. Buell says the company is aware of the problem and will have it smoothed out before sending bikes to dealers.

In full-throttle mode on the freshly resurfaced face of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca there are no readily apparent flaws other than a tach needle that doubles as a useless shift light because it imperceptibly turns from orange to red, and the need of a steering damper to keep chassis nervousness to a minimum.

It is also on the track where the new transmission and slipper clutch make their advantages known. Where the XBs are almost impossible to speed shift, the new Helicon transmission is as smooth and willing as anything to come out of Japan. The new six-speed, close-ratio transmission’s stacked configuration minimizes engine length and maximizes chassis placement, utilizes a belt final drive (on the left side) and features a Hydraulic Vacuum Assist (HVA) slipper clutch. Besides performing as well if not better than the more customary ball and ramp slipper clutch, the HVA system reduces clutch pull when the bike is running from 16 lbs. to 13.5 lbs. “It actually engages the clutch a little when you roll off the throttle and the butterflies close,” says platform engineering director Tony Stefanelli.

Where the XB models lack enough horsepower to make things exciting in a closed course environment, the 1125R’s 146 hp is enough to keep any track day thrilling. This newfound horsepower, coupled with Buell’s inherently supreme handling provides a classroom where a person can focus on improving riding skills without invoking the nervous anticipation of inadvertently breaking the rear tire lose like when riding one of the 1,000cc hypersorts bikes of the Big Four. The 1125R’s aerodynamics, taken largely from the XBRR racer, create a massive quiet zone behind the bubble, and the rev-limiter won’t throw the operator over the handlebars when it kicks in. Some vibration is felt when riding the new Buell, but nothing I would consider obtrusive or irregular from a twin spinning two 500cc jugs at 10,000 rpm. Famous for coloring outside the lines, Buell cannot be scolded for ignoring its critics. Condemned for the company’s long adhered to air- oil- fan-cooled, 45-degree, push rod engine architecture, the 2008 1125R is none of those. While the bike maintains the individuality for which Buells are famous, it elevates the level of engineering and performance well above the high-water mark set by previous Buell models.