| Author | Message | ||
     Duggram |
Hughlysses: Thanks, I saw that. And thank you for contributing Court. You're one heck of writer. | ||
| Court |
Those were fun days . . . . they really were. i was logging a couple thousand miles a week on some really neat Buells. Kinda fun, looking back, to have been PAID to ride in 44 of the 48 contiguous states. For 2 years, I was leaving Topeka about every Friday and either riding or flying somewhere. For a period of time the folks at Buell Distribution Corporation, really just didn't get it. They hired me to go to all the IMS shows for 2 years. I'd spend Friday afternoon and evening, long Saturdays and all day Sundays talking Buell to folks. I met some amazing folks, Jeremy Ricker among them, and had some amazing times. I also used to get folks wanting to go riding and show me all these neat places while I was in town so we started scheduling the "Buell Rides" about the time Buell pioneered the "Demo Ride" (BMW soon followed). It was at some of these that I met some of the most amazing folks I've ever met . . . thousands of them. One of my greatest rewards are that I still see some of them and they remain amazing . . . names many of you would know. Some of my most memorable experiences, like the one with Jeremy's Gamma, were on bikes I had no business, at the time, riding . . . . Another hilarious one was the day a LARGE group was assembled and a famed dealer decided it was time to break his old RR1200 out of storage, fuel it and send me out on it. Fun idea, huh? Well. . . .it seemed like it at the time. No one . . . .myself included . . . had given much thought to what happens to tires that sit for about 7 years. As I left the parking lot, fueled with adrenaline from having the crowd watching . . . . I performed an unexpected maneuver that resembled something from the Joey Chitwood Auto Thrill show. The RR1200 went . . . .left, right, left right and the ass end of the bike was swinging wildly as I recalled the mantra that served me so well in so many similar situations . . ."RIDE THE XXXXX MOTORCYCLE". I always remembered that the Buells I rode were always smarter than I and each and every time I flirted with disaster were times when I tried to coax the Buell to go places and do things it didn't want to. I brought the throttle in . . .loosened my grip and off I went. When I returned, about 10 minutes later, only the most foolhardy of the onlookers would have bought into a "I did that on purpose" line . . . Fun times. | ||
| Syonyk |
"hey, wait. . . . if 40+ of the best engineers in the industry are working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 25 months . . where is the output? There MUST be something going somewhere . . ." Oh, I've been asking myself that a lot.  Just seeing the 1190RS with a ton of the "Huh... yeah, now that someone has done that, it's obvious..." improvements (brake duct, hubless wheels, carbon structural stuff, etc), I figure the past year or two has involved a ton of radical new stuff that will be obvious... once someone releases a bike with it, blowing everyone else out of the water. I'm not in a position to buy a new bike right now, but am hoping to be fairly soon after the new stuff comes out. A brand new EBR is one of very, very few vehicles I'd buy new (a diesel Subaru would be the other). Until then, I just assume that really smart people are doing what they do best. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Court's just trying to throw us off the scent...we all know the new bikes will have warp drive.  | ||
| Hughlysses |
I tried a patent search; didn't find much there, at least not in Erik's name. The rear-mounted radiator patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=1RQBAgAAEBAJ&prin tsec=frontcover&dq=erik+buell&source=bl&ots=A1bKmY Mi95&sig=aIJySEGYazRGwFyT-98kJQpK2xI&hl=en&sa=X&ei =xjY5ULO1PIfH6wG59oDQBg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA was issued to him post-Buell Motor Company. Nothing under EBR, but there could be stuff under many of the different engineer's names that work there... | ||
| Court |
:-) Kinda. Actually . . . there was a point in time where a young engineer was doing about any and everything he could to survive. One of those every things involved doing a "clean sheet" design from the ground up for a well known Japanese manufacturer The resulting product was nothing short of a home run . . . The company used everything except one of the concepts . . an amazing, out of view, radiator that took advantage of unusually good airflow and in a place that minimized parasite drag. The idea is still sound. | ||
| Finedaddy1 |
"The bikes, the ones you and I will buy, have been done for quite some time. Tested, retested and well sorted." Ahhhh, it felt good just to read that, especially from someone "behind the scenes". Thank you! | ||
| Reducati |
plus 1000 on Courts confirmation!!! | ||
| Smoke4ndmears |
Arghhh!!! Court, what are they waiting for then??? | ||
| Curve__carver |
...and the dealer network is.... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Court, what are they waiting for then??? It takes time. Dealer networks need to be cemented. Production lines need to be built and tested (preproduction mules are generally handbuilt). Certifications need to be given - EPA, DOT, you name it. Licensing. Let's not forget marketing. Lots and lots of paperwork. Oh...and there's the fact that EBR has 2 riders in the top 10 in AMA Superbike. That takes work right there. Patience, grasshopper. Patience. | ||
| Court |
A huge part of any successful plan . . . . Old timers have heard me say, since 1990, that "when you have a really good, well developed motorcycle you are 3% of the way to having a motorcycle company". Truer now, in this maze of regulations . . you know EBR has to be registered for tax not just in WI but in each and every place they intend to sell a part . . that's states, continents, countries and principalities. If you are going to do this and not become an Excelsior-Henderson, Motus, Fischer or Indian you have to mind the minutia and do it right. I have bets with 2 Badwebbers, they know who they are, about what EBR will do in 2014. It's little more than a guess, based on some of the folks I see arriving at the party, on my part . . .but I'm standing by it. I bought my first Buell when you could load all the Buells in the world in a single 40' trailer . . . I'm not done yet. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
"If you are going to do this and not become an Excelsior-Henderson, Motus, Fischer or Indian " And now Norton. Various issues there seem to be making this a no-go. Too bad. http://www.bikerglory.com/2012/08/the-norton-saga/ What's going wrong with Motus? | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm not done yet. Me either, bring 'em on. Don't know what to do tho, only room in the garage for 2 bikes. I have Loretta, the first 1125 in Colorado and the Uly. CAN'T let go of either one... Maybe another shed(2 already). <sigh> Life is tough Z | ||
| Rodrob |
I hope no one took my post as an insult. For the record, I am not an EBR insider. Yes due to having bought and raced (with the help of some great folks on this site) an 1190RS, I have developed good relationships, but I am not a party to inside info. Which is fine. I am grateful to have received the great support that Erik, Michael and the rest have provided our privateer racing effort. However, having been exposed to the talent, dedication, passion and knowledge of EBR close up, I can't imagine that all the bikes won't be EBR from top to bottom in the near future. | ||
| Stacius |
"hey, wait. . . . if 40+ of the best engineers in the industry are working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 25 months . . where is the output? There MUST be something going somewhere . . ." I (probably mis-)remember reading that Erik once had plans for a bike with a supercharged triple in it. The thought made me weak in the knees... Frankly, if I had my way I'd want what is basically the 1190 Typhon. That would be the ultimate expression of a road bike for me. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
With a turbo... | ||
| Redcrrider |
Too many rules and regulations! I don't think i'd even try to wade through the red tape that is the epa. Does the government require them to crash test motorcycle like they do cars? I'm all for safety, but at some point it's just a waste of resources. | ||
| Court |
>>>Does the government require them to crash test motorcycle like they do cars? No. There are no crash test standards nor prescribed/required testing for motorcycles. This creates a very interesting dilemma. The EPA is but one of the myriad of agencies . . . . some related to doing business, some related to building and selling motor vehicles. Tons more related to freight, taxes, homologation, export and so forth. | ||
| Fast1075 |
How are they getting the DiLithium inverter past the EPA? | ||
| Hughlysses |
On a whim this morning I checked the EPA's website to see if there's any evidence of EBR's recent efforts. No listings for EBR in the 2013 motorcycle emissions certifications, but oddly enough there are TWO listings for EBR under the 2012 motorcycle certifications. One is listed as having an 1193cc engine and the other is listed as having an 1191cc engine. Perhaps they played around with slightly different bore/stroke combinations and certified both? Still looking. There MUST be some evidence of their recent efforts out there somewhere... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Ooooo! I found another little interesting tidbit on the NHTSA's website. A letter explaining EBR's scheme for VIN's for future motorcycles. Some big hints there about future products from EBR.  ftp://ftp.nhtsa.dot.gov/mfrmail/ORG6436.pdf | ||
| Curve__carver |
^^^ Good find. The categories seem pretty similar to the BMC bikes. The big difference being that they are at least making accommodations in their VIN for a 3 cylinder motor. | ||
| Duggram |
Hughlysses, nice find. How about a street fighter low, not just a street fighter. And the adventure bike has my attention as well. thanks! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Cool! I call dibs on: VIN: 546 D C A D 3 N D E 000002 (#1 should go to an employee) | ||
| Reepicheep |
546 = EBR D = Adventure Touring C = Naked A = USA D = 101-125 HP 3 = Triple N = Check Digit D = 2013 E = East Troy 0000002 = Second one made Yum! | ||
| Hughlysses |
 I spent 20 minutes of my lunch period trying to find ANY patents associated with EBR. As near as I can tell, NOBODY that had their name on a patent at Buell Motorcycle Company has patented anything since and there are no patents associated with EBR. Seems awfully odd. Maybe the patents (if there are any new ones) are under another company to provide some secrecy? | ||
| Fast1075 |
I want: 546CCAB1*DE THANK YOU!!! | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
I want: 546AAAG2*DE  I can dream right!? lol Jake | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
no 4cyl option? and only through 2013? thanks hugh |
