| Author | Message | ||
     Eeeeek |
Hmmm, have you seen the pushrod covers on the Blast! Looks to me like they could hide a cam cahin under them, if they wanted to, and we'd never know.... Just a thought that someone pointed out before... Vik | ||
| Airborne |
Allow me to re-phrase my thought process to elimanate the confussion here. The rumor I heard was that the current engine design on the Blast was a test bed for expansion into another V-twin engine. Sorry if you guys thought that H2O had anything to do with it. I didn't intend for that to happen. I was talking about two different engines in two different paragraphs. Here is the specs for the converted blast engine to a V-twin bike. (Air cooled) 360lb dry 120 crank hp 80 ft lbs torque 984 cc 3 valve engine (key is short stroke and good breathing heads = higher rpm) half fairings with RAM AIR, no more bread box. aluminum twin spar type frame perimeter brakes? clip on style bars (billet?) no more dirt bike bars | ||
| Blake |
Damnit eeeeek! Get back to work!!  | ||
| Blake |
Thanks for the clarification Airborne. Eeeeek! STFU!  | ||
| Eeeeek |
I think I'm getting close to having this new bike figured out. I started a thread on SacBorg called "Strange but True" and I'll repost it here: I grabbed this from ATC. http://www.americanthunderbike.com/wwwboard/messages/16273.html
Jim pointed us to Velicchi's website.. http://www.verlicchi.it/english/prodotti.html , and then I got to thinking, this is it! Think about it. A single perimeter brake sounds like a really crappy idea to me, but I could see Buell pulling it off. People keep eluding to inovations, well that's one. And a frame made by Velicchi, maybe that's just a pipe dream, but I wouldn't be surprized if they designed or had a part in it. So now all that's left is the engine. Dual blast or something else? Idea's? There's a lot of misinforamtion out there, but the above could lead to a great street bike! Nothing that's going to win WSB, but something that could compete on the street. Now that I think about it, twin Blast with overhead cams? Hmmmm... Single perimeter brake, oil filled swingarm and an airbox where the gas tank normally resides, moving the gas tank to the...frame? Full fairing and a convensional rear shock. C'mon, someone let me know if I'm at least warm! Vik | ||
| Court |
>>>of which only 500 will be made 350  | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Does this sound "Reasonable?": Ducati has to sell 350 (and registered 38,130 bikes last year according to their annual report in their webpage) Aprilia has to sell 500, and according to their webpage: During 2000, total production amounted to about 240 thousand scooters and motorcycles with capacities of between 50 and 1000 cc. 80% of their sales are SCOOTERS, so they are only producing 48,000 bikes or so. HD only sold 50 VR1000's and produced 95,811 bikes in '94, while BUELL produced 576 bikes. Check out the Investor Web page I understand that it's based on the amount of bikes manufactured, but the AMA's math still does not make sense Blake, It's not Aprilias fault that WORLD SUPEBIKE only requires 150 bikes to be sold, while the AMA requires 500. They'll get there eventually. Mark my words, watch APRILIA sales EXPLODE in the US when they finally start racing and WINNING here. Did you call the AMA to find out about this, Court? I'm DYING to know. __________________________________________________ Blake, Read here about the history of the Air Fence and the AMA. To say that the AMA "Dragged their Feet" would be to put it mildly. __________________________________________________ Maybe we should start a 2002 BUELL WEBPAGE SPECULATION folder, cause BUELL still SUCKS! Check out DUCATI and APRILIA Well, at least BUELL.COM is starting to report BUELL DIRT TRACK results in the NEWS. | ||
| Court |
Uh....."the Buell webpage sucks" was news in 1998. But, I'm with you. The Ducati and Aprilia sites are awesome. I've been hooked on the Ducati (cousin took delivery of his Hailwood last Saturday) for about a year since I did the speech for Ducati about Paul Smart and Imola. Now, I confess I am getting hooked on bidding on stuff. This is THE way to get owners involed and prospects owning. Flash on over to Apilia and the bar gets raised again. When they came to America I got the same "wait and see how long they last...." from the same co-workers who called the Ducti Monster a "stipped down flash in the pan". I knew better. Check out Aprilia....EVERYONE is a test rider ...read this carefully.....To do this we need your help. This is why we have created Aprilia Tester, a group of people who are fond of the world on two wheels, or who more simply use a motorcycle or a scooter, and who collaborate freely with Aprilia research and development, with the aim of guiding the company's choices, so that it will produce vehicles that are always better and offer a more efficient service. That's right the COMPANY is enfranchising owners to ride and provide comments to R&D. In America the cry from the lawyers would be deafening and I'm not sure why. Aprilia offers owners the chance to sell used bikes on the company's website, thus CREATING a secondary market. Cool beans. Buell, dear friends, had THIS technology in 1997. Ask the Woz about the speech I gave with Bill Gates (kid from Microsoft) about Buell Internet design at Mocone Center. Thank two things...lawyers and mindset. As one of the Harlet-Davidson Customer Service reps told me "Over my dead body will I do anything for Buell that makes HD look like it's lagging in technology". Don't read this wrong. I love BUELL, Erik Buell's Dream and Buell people. I do not think much of watering it down to make HD look "less dated". Again...if you are that out of sorts with the Buell, do what I do when I get that way....go down to your local "insert name of brand here" and plop down a few bucks. As soon as I service the Buell today, I am off to get the BMW and the Yamaha inspected in time to meet Stephen on the Kawasaki for coffee at 7:00pm (here)in Brooklyn Heights.  The world is stuffed full of wonderful motorcycles. Any anst or chagrin can be quickly relieved. Court | ||
| Rocketman |
Court with his pants down : I was hoping to eat my words. You were not supposed to agree with me On the Europe sales thread.......... I can see how Europe could "pull" Buell sales along in the rest of the world, but I don't know what the % of outside US sales Buell achives, or its future target is, but I'd assume it would\will be rather small compared to US targets which makes me think Buell does not need to rely upon world sales to survive. However, Buell may well rely upon the "reputation" of world (European) sales to sell its NEW (Buell) to the home market. Another reason for Buell to play it safe ? You know, as I type this, one bike comes to mind that I'm beginning to think might make a comparison to the new Buell.....................DUCATI ST4 ? (how am I doing ?) Please tell me I'm wrong Rocket in England | ||
| Court |
You are doing very well. You only flaw is the "Buell does not need to rely upon world sales to survive" Way wrong. Europe is to "Sportbike" sales as the United States is to Cruisers. You can "feed the family" domestically if you are Harley-Davidson., not if you are Buell. Overseas reputation and sales are CRITICAL to the future of Buell Motorcycles. Court | ||
| Blake |
José: My point about the AMA SBK homologation rules is that they are formally written into the rulebook and are not arbitrarily decided at the whim of the AMA only upon a manufacturer's request for homologation. The current rules are based upon total production of the manufacturer. Do we know that the rules today are the same as the rules back in '94? It is most probable that if HD wanted to field a new entry, they too would need to produce (NOT sell!) 500 of their new race-bikes. I tried to find the current AMA SBK rulebook, but the AMA site only offers amature and semi-pro rulebooks online. As far as the airfence goes... you again miss my point. I'm saying that I would personally expect the major manufacturers (Honda, Suz, Yam, Kaw, HD, Duc...) and the track owners/management to be the primary forces that should have prioritized and pushed/funded the track safety issue (along with the AMA). If ire is to be directed at the AMA, it should also and more keenly be focused on the factory sponsors and track owners/management. The AMA after all is a NON-profit organization. I think the grassroots airfence effort is exactly what was needed and am thankful that the roadracing crew got it going. Personally, I'm not an AMA member. I frankly don't like the bureaucracy. I was once a member. I'm not an off roader and frankly, when I'm hiking through a government owned natural/recreation area/park, the LAST thing I want is to hear/see/smell is a bunch of motorcycles. I don't like straight pipes on public roads, and aside from some goofy parking rules in New Hope, PA, I have never been a victim of serious predjudice aimed at moto riders. I just don't see a serious threat to my freedom to ride on public roads. I know others may disagree. The one AMA issue that I support is the battle against the EPA. It's ludricous to target motorcycles for improved emisions when the road is replete with diesel trucks and gas guzzling pick up trucks and SUVs. Whew, what a rant! Sorry about that. Blake (needsbadlytopayavisithometothewife!) Now, guns on the other hand... | ||
| Tripper |
But Blake, when you crash on a public road and your employers medical insurance company refuses your medical bills because you were engaged in a "DANGEROUS RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY" (driving to work), perhaps you will wish that the AMA's lobbyists had been better funded. Like you I never felt the need to join AMA until recently. Of course I also wanted to get into the pits at an AMA race to mingle with BNallin Oh, the topic is 2002 Buell, well, ahh, yea, whatever they decide to do is ok by me. | ||
| Rocketman |
You know Court, I see your point. Buell have balanced on the brink of disaster here in the UK. I won't mention my source, but some time ago I was told that it was only the EFFORTS of Buell's UK personel that kept BMC from withdrawing them from the UK market altogether. Rocket in England | ||
| José_Quiñones |
....are not arbitrarily decided at the whim of the AMA only upon a manufacturer's request for homologation Past history suggests exactly the opposite: Try to find out about the "compression rule" mess back in the late 40's and 50's, when HD and INDIAN along with the AMA, manipulated the rules to keep the American bikes competitive with the british bikes. It's been going on ever since. Find out why Ducati 748's race against Japanese 600's in Europe, but that's not allowed here in the US (Hint: DUcati is not on the AMA board either). Whether it's homologation rules or just competition rules, there is plenty of evidence of AMA rule changing to "protect" their board members, HD included. I hate conspiracy theories, but this one happens to be true! | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Court, It's still news if it hasn't IMPROVED! |
