Buell is back and manufacturing in Grand Rapids MI

[Fire-medic]

Michigan-based Buell Motorcycles resumes production after 12-year hiatus (msn.com)



Shown in the gallery above, the Hammerhead 1190RX is powered by a 72-degree V-twin with a displacement of 1,190 cubic centimeters. It develops 185 horsepower at 10,600 rpm and 102 pound-feet of torque at 8,200 rpm, figures that are seriously impressive considering the bike weighs 419 pounds without fuel. With those figures in mind, an equally important part of the design is the braking system, which includes 15.2-inch front rotors gripped by eight-piston calipers. Buyers can choose a bare carbon fiber finish or a number of heritage-laced colors.

While the 1190RX is at home on the race track, the 1190SX is more of a street-oriented model, though it's powered by the same engine. An all-terrain evolution of the 1190 called Super Touring should join the line-up in 2023.

Buell pointed out it's not stuck in the superbike segment. It will expand its range of models to include dirt, dual-sport, touring, and cruiser models, and it will add medium- and small-displacement engines to its arsenal to make its bikes accessible to a wider audience. It's also open to making an electric model, though details are few and far between.

(end)

Always good to see another bike entering production, I recall seeing an RR1000 at Daytona Bike Week in about 1984 as their first model, which like the Ducati Paso, was entirely-encased in bodywork.


Buell RR 1000 Battlewin (motorcyclespecs.co.za)

The article says, "eight piston caliper(s)" but I believe the new release has one eight-piston (four opposed pairs of pads) caliper and not two rotors or calipers, continuing the single, affixed to the wheel rim rotor of the Buells by H-D.

 

[Harry76]

I think they are just using the Buell name, Erik Buell is not associated with it.

 

[Radioguylogs]

A friend let me ride his XB12 and I was surprised that I could be satisfied with a V twin.

Nice to see the someone carry on the heritage, even with different engineering/owner.

 

[CaptainKyle]

I think they are just using the Buell name, Erik Buell is not associated with it.

Yep !

 

[Fire-medic]

Wasn't the last Buell using a Rotax V-twin?

 

[CaptainKyle]

Wasn't the last Buell using a Rotax V-twin?

Just the 1125

 

[Fire-medic]

Just the 1125

Yes, that's the one of-which I was thinking.

I recall a number of years ago, Kevin Cameron of Cycle World was taking a Milwaukee? Kansas City? York? tour of the engine production where they were casting the cases for Sportsters, and he noticed some unusual differences in the cases from a standard Sportster casting. When Kevin Cameron raised the issue of the casting anomalies to the factory representative, the factory representative told him, "you didn't see anything!" and he refused to comment further.

Having toured the Milwaukee H-D Museum, I saw some very interesting engines sitting in rows plainly on display, behind metal bar doors. There was a very interesting mix of engine projects, and one museum case featured a H-D/Porsche 'Nova' project engine, and some orthographic projections of it. It was easy to i.d. the different eras of design projects, because of the configurations and the design of the cases. What was interesting was that some of the engines were modular in their arrangement. As I recall, they were all V-twins to-begin, but then more cylinders were added! What happens when you add more cylinders to a V-twin, what do you end-up with? Why a V-four! Some were clearly air-cooled, and some were water-cooled. They also had a number of VR1000 engines, and the full fairings were displayed up by the roof, hanging from their high perches, like vultures staring down at their victims, waiting for them to perish.

Proceeding, there were also two-more cylinders added to the V-four. Can you say, V-six? I knew you-could! I have pics on another computer, so I'd have to add them later.

In one of Kevin Cameron's other columns, he mentions some design characteristics of some nationalities' engineering. He mentions the propensity of the English to design a superfluous number of fasteners for pieces like engine case covers. Take a look at a Hesketh OHC engine's vault/case cover for the OHC drive, or the first of the Bloor Triumphs' three and four cylinder case covers, for their number of fasteners.

 

[jlw1911]

I recently saw what I assume is the same article on FB. Apparently Buell never quit manufacturing - they just did it very low volume and low key.

IMHO if Buell doesn't come out with something that appeals to the masses they will be bankrupt again. I also don't think the Buell superbike will catch on. Guy who ride a brand are all loyal. I'm a Yamaha guy but I own a few Hondas and one Harley Davidson. My Vmax is the first and usually bike I talk about even when I ride the Softail to events. I would think that Buell breaking into the crotch rocket market would be as difficult as the big four breaking into the MC world (they still haven't btw). The big 4 sell LOTS of cruisers but I would wager that 95% of MCs (excluding the sportbike clubs who don't want Jap cruisers either) and 4% is probably Indian at this point.

jm2c

 

[Craig Huckeby]

Eric buell is very hardheaded. He tried to compete with the Japanese bikes. Big guys like us who would ride a buell don’t want tiny little crotch rockets. He could have built a very cool larger sport bike that worked for the general public. Larger doesn’t have to mean heavier.

 

[jlw1911]

I personally am more of a sportbike kinda guy - hence the Vmax. I am a big guy and getting older so seated position is more important to me now than it was when I was red lining a Honda F2 LMAO. I would probably not even buy one now if it were big enough simply for comfort reasons. I also would not buy a Buell because I don't think they'll be around in 5 years.