The Buell motorcycle brand might be dead, having been closed down by parent company Harley-Davidson in October 2009, but founder Erik Buell is planning a comeback.
That's right, Buell is back. Sort of...
Erik Buell Racing, or EBR, has been making several intriguing noises over the past few months, hinting at the development of a new motorcycle for production.
An affiliate of the company has launched a new teaser video that all but confirms the presence of a new sports bike, which will be based on EBR current race bike, the 1190RS. That bike, in turn, is based on the Buell Barracuda 2, a motorcycle developed during the H-D era but which never saw the light of day due to the closure of the Buell brand.
But all that research, development and testing has not gone to waste, as this new video shows. See bottom of page for the short vid.
"You know the name," teases the trailer, "You know the power," it blurts across the screen (185hp approx.), ending with "Will you be ready?"
The new 1200cc V-twin sports bike will not be released until early 2011, expected to be around February at the earliest, as that's when EBR non-competitive contract with Harley-Davidson ends.
It's not yet known whether EBR will offer the bike only in the United States, or whether it'll export the new model around the globe, to places like Australia and European countries.
Likely to rival motorcycles such as the Ducati 1198 for pace and potentially dynamics, the 185hp (138kW) twin-cylinder sporty will likely start out as a niche model. If demand increases, we could see a lower-specification, more affordable model.
2011 Buell 1190RS
Eric Buell Racing is back in the saddle again. A couple of days ago, EBR released it’s first ever teaser image announcing their newest street-legal bike, the EBR 1190RS. This image was made to pave the way for the production of the street-legal sportbike in 2011.
The new motorbike is probably the first Buell streetbike that was produced since Harley-Davidson shut down the Buell Brand last year. Limited details were announced during the bike’s public introduction, but we did learn that the EBR 1190RS was based off the 1190RR race bike. Its most obvious similarity is that it will utilize a 1190cc V-Twin engine with 185 hp and 93 ft-lb. of torque. This was a shock in itself as no one was expecting that Erik Buell was planning a street bike based on the 1190RR. The bike is expected to weigh 161kg/355lbs (dry) which will help it become a strong competitor against its rival, the Ducati 1198 which weighs 377lbs/171kg (dry) and produces 170bhp.
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