Erik Buell's new street bike

SteveFord · « **on:** 1 Jun 2011, 01:01 am »

http://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle_roadtest/first_rides_articles/11q2/erik_buell_racing_1190rs_-_exclusive_first_ride

mcgsxr · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Jun 2011, 09:41 pm »

Nice piece, just the type of over the top stuff that I would expect from Eric!

Reminds me of the bikes that used to come up from NZ, out of John Britten's garage etc.

Cool stuff, and one of the few Harley derived bikes I am drawn to.

Mitsuman · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Jun 2011, 10:11 pm »

I need to go get some kleenex.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Jun 2011, 10:16 pm »

My being cheap first thing i think of is PRICE: this one: $40,000. Which is a Hell of a lot of money for a motorcycle.
Considering you can go 200mph for $11,000. this would have to really be pretty spectacular to blow $40,000., and is, for a race ready machine. Not a street bike, except maybe Jay Leno?
(I used to, years ago, be interested in motorcycles. Now, i would not go get on a two wheeled anything, with the insane other drivers out there texting, etc... It WAs fun, but i am too old to fall off at 184 miles an hour....

Crimson · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Jun 2011, 04:30 am »

Quote

Considering you can go 200mph for $11,000. this would have to really be pretty spectacular to blow $40,000

And I can get 105db equivalent out of my first gen Sony Walkman cassette Player.

SteveFord · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Jun 2011, 10:03 pm »

This is pretty spectacular, all right; they'll sell out pretty quickly and then there supposedly will be a less exotic version for your average guy.
I'll be needing a new bike in the next few years so it'll be nice to be able to buy another Buell again.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 01:24 am »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 1 Jun 2011, 09:41 pm

Cool stuff, and one of the few Harley derived bikes I am drawn to.

I'm not sure there's much Harley left in it!

Engine seems to be a modded Rotax.

Very desirable bike, though.

I'd like a smaller version of the same thing, for local rides. That is way too much bike for everyday use around here - you'd have to drive 200 miles "up island" (Vancouver Island) to really open it up.

doug s. · « **Reply #7 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 08:26 pm »

this bike has nothing at all in common with h-d. none of the 1125cc rotax-powered buells do, even when made from 2008-2010, before h-d closed buell down. (the bastards!)

this new bike is wery expensive because it is basically a hand-built custom low-wolume-production machine. it will be nice if erik can get financing to produce more mainstream higher-wolume production bikes. erik buell is a genius; my '95 s2 is one of the best all-around streetbikes i have ever had the pleasure of riding. i would love to get a more modern iteration. and i hate h-d for what it did to buell. tho i was never a fan of cruisers, i always pointed cruiser-minded folks to h-d's, now i will point them to anything but h-d.

doug s.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 09:16 pm »

Nice bike, Doug. I always though Buell had good ideas, and the notion of a big twin sports bike strongly appeals.

I think a 400cc Rotax V-twin street bike with down-spec equipment would sell well for around $13,000 and would suit a lot of people. With the same specific power output as the 1125cc twin (at 175hp) the 400 should make 62hp which is fine by me for short local trips.

doug s. · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 09:35 pm »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 3 Jun 2011, 09:16 pm

Nice bike, Doug. I always though Buell had good ideas, and the notion of a big twin sports bike strongly appeals.

I think a 400cc Rotax V-twin street bike with down-spec equipment would sell well for around $13,000 and would suit a lot of people. With the same specific power output as the 1125cc twin (at 175hp) the 400 should make 62hp which is fine by me for short local trips.

i think the $13k price will be close to a more mass-produced bike that ebr may produce, but i don't think there will be a model under 750cc; at least not for several years down the road. the first models will likely still be >1000cc, but simply detuned - "only" 130-150hp, depending on displacement. the 1125r and 1125cr bikes that carried the buell name before h-d shut 'em down had 146hp, and weighed only 375lbs dry. great bikes at ~$13k retail, and simply amazing deals, when they were blown out at $5-$7k when h-d closed them out. you can still find these used rotax-powered buells for ~$5-$7k, and they're still a great deal. if i had room for a 4th bike, i'd be sorely tempted...

if you want a tamer v-twin, you can always find an older air-cooled buell, or an early-90's to mid-2000's air-cooled ducati. these are some of the most fun bikes extant, imo... and they won't break the bank...

doug s.

AVnerdguy · « **Reply #10 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 09:47 pm »

Beautiful. Excuse me - I have to go buy some lottery tickets now.......

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 09:50 pm »

Maybe if I told you what I'd like, if it were practical, you'd get a better picture of what I'd like Buell to make, since it seems he has a handle on frame geometry which, in my estimation, is a rare and valuable thing.

I'd love to have the money and time to get into the fiddling with and care for a Moto Morini - either a 350 or the 500.

Love those Heron heads!

1978 350 sport

I remember a road test at the time which said something like "this is the kind of bike where you could leave the house to go down to the corner store to get milk and come to your senses 3 states away". I'm guessing the Buells must be like that.

here are some more:
http://www.motomoriniclub.nl/list/list.html

SteveFord · « **Reply #12 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 11:15 pm »

I've never ridden a MoMo but have quite a bit of experience with good handling bikes - Triumph Bonneville, Norton Commandos, Ducati bevel heads, Ducati and BSA singles, lots of Guzzis - and the various Buells outhandle them all.
Erik is a genius at making a bike handle, there is no two ways about that. No matter how hot you go into a corner you just flick it over and the bike saves your bacon. Great brakes, too.
Erik's a very tenacious fellow and I know that he hasn't forgotten about his dirt bike project that H-D pulled the plug on. Sooner or later he'll have something for the off road crowd which will be pretty wild.
That 3 1/2 is a little beauty, the Italians have such flair to their styling.
I read that Morini finally went under the other day which was sad news.

doug s. · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 07:12 pm »

Quote from: SteveFord on 3 Jun 2011, 11:15 pm

I've never ridden a MoMo but have quite a bit of experience with good handling bikes - Triumph Bonneville, Norton Commandos, Ducati bevel heads, Ducati and BSA singles, lots of Guzzis - and the various Buells outhandle them all.
Erik is a genius at making a bike handle, there is no two ways about that. No matter how hot you go into a corner you just flick it over and the bike saves your bacon. Great brakes, too.
Erik's a very tenacious fellow and I know that he hasn't forgotten about his dirt bike project that H-D pulled the plug on. Sooner or later he'll have something for the off road crowd which will be pretty wild.
That 3 1/2 is a little beauty, the Italians have such flair to their styling.
I read that Morini finally went under the other day which was sad news.

i have never ridden a mo-mo either. (those pics remind me of smaller iterations of the wintage ducati's.

) and, certainly, the buellies handle better than the bikes you mention. i also have some experience:

much as i love the buells, and tho my wintage buell easily outhandles my way-wintage ducati, the more modern ducati's are right there w/the buells... i really would also love to add a more recent ducati to my stable. maybe a mid-90's 900ss/sp? or a more modern iteration of my '78 darmah bevel - the 2006/2007 gt1000 or sport classic?

and, i also got bit by the motard bug - this was the result:

i got this bike - 2000 dr650 w/8k miles - for the cost of the motard wheels/tires the p.o. installed, and it's a hoot. i had some additional work done to it, like installing inwerted forks, shock/spring re-walving, better lighting, upgraded exhaust & carb. unfortunately, it still sits in the shop, cuz i was sent overseas to latvia on a "temporary 8 week assignment" that is now entering its 9th month; the bike was ready soon after i left. i am having severe motorcycle withdrawal pains now.

doug s.

jkelly · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Jul 2011, 09:31 pm »

I still have my Buell Ulysses, but did let my 11125CR go last fall.
Awesome ride!

Jeff

SteveFord · « **Reply #15 on:** 31 Jul 2011, 12:50 pm »

Jkelly,
Pop the seat on the Useless and check to see if the seat pan is contacting the ECM (especially if you have a low seat on it). The pan ends up slowly destroying the ECM which is the cause of my agita. Guess what happened to me and I finally fixed?!?
A red CR was my next purchase before that bozo, Wandell, pulled the plug. Gets his learner's permit and it goes right to his head...

Doug s.,
If you buy new tires for it and get my turn signals working I'll ship you the Purple Nurple (96 Parkway Blue S2) for a loaner.
It has a lot of 98 S3 parts on it (complete motor and trans, swingarm, shock, wheels, calipers, etc.) and dynoed at a little over 98 RWHP so it's a bit of a beast and sounds like it's eating Cleveland when it's running. I probably should repack the V&H cannister one of these years but then the neighbors might start talking to me which could prove to be annoying.

Berndt · « **Reply #16 on:** 31 Jul 2011, 01:33 pm »

I had no idea I was going to see morinis in a buell thread.
I owned the bike that is labeled as a 78 3 1/2 sport. Mine was considered a 76 though. HD was considering purchasing morini, back in the day. They purchased some of their bikes and then flushed them out through a few dealers. Oshkosh HD had my example on their showroom floor.
Very pretty bike, oh, and a sportster motor will fit into a morini frame without chopping.

rajesh · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 Jul 2011, 03:42 pm »

Hey Jeff, that is an awesome looking bike.

doug s. · « **Reply #18 on:** 31 Jul 2011, 04:07 pm »

Quote from: SteveFord on 31 Jul 2011, 12:50 pm

Jkelly,
Pop the seat on the Useless and check to see if the seat pan is contacting the ECM (especially if you have a low seat on it). The pan ends up slowly destroying the ECM which is the cause of my agita. Guess what happened to me and I finally fixed?!?
A red CR was my next purchase before that bozo, Wandell, pulled the plug. Gets his learner's permit and it goes right to his head...

Doug s.,
If you buy new tires for it and get my turn signals working I'll ship you the Purple Nurple (96 Parkway Blue S2) for a loaner.
It has a lot of 98 S3 parts on it (complete motor and trans, swingarm, shock, wheels, calipers, etc.) and dynoed at a little over 98 RWHP so it's a bit of a beast and sounds like it's eating Cleveland when it's running. I probably should repack the V&H cannister one of these years but then the neighbors might start talking to me which could prove to be annoying.

hey jeff, where ya located?

98rwhp sounds like more than a stock s3 engine - my bike is updated to "101hp" specs, and also includes the race kit, and it's 90 hp/90ft-lbs torque at the wheel...

pm me about the "loaner" thing - not exactly sure what you have in mind...

doug s.

Berndt · « **Reply #19 on:** 31 Jul 2011, 05:15 pm »

If I had 40k burning a motorcycle shaped hole in my pocket I would be thinking desmodeici. Used of course.