| Author | Message | ||
     Lemonchili_x1 |
I've just been reading Steve Anderson's Cycle World article again, and though I've heard some things in it, quite a bit of it was new to me. So tell me if I've got the following right... Buell had plans for variations of the Blast, such as a 600cc model and sportier variants, but these could never happen due to the H-D running 80 percent over budget on the engine. Buell lost lost money on each Blast sold due to the unit engine cost (from H-D). The XB series was planned to have three powertrains - the 984cc "9", a short stroke 1350, and a 150hp/120ft-lb turbo called "Diablo". We got the 9, but the short stroke 1350 was canned because H-D wouldn't build the high deck height cases required, so we got the long stroke XB12 series instead. (Were the short stroke XBRR engine cases Proof-of-Concept parts?) Mules with the turbo charged engine were actually built in X1 chassis, but "...the Diable died when Harley was unable to forge an agreement with Aerocharger, and an in-house effort to develop it's own cost millions (in part charged to Buell) but never produced a working product". The engine price for the XB powerplant "...soared over the original business cases..." and significantly increased the sell price of the XB9R. The 1125R and CR models were done on a shoestring budget, hence the Firebolt bodywork etc. H-D set the guidelines that the bike couldn't be fully faired. The next model after the CR was to be a "radical streetfighter", but this was shelved for the Barracuda II, as it was finally agreed by H-D that fully faired bike was needed. In the fall of 2007, not long before the 1125R release, the H-D Inc board approved development of "a radically designed family of middleweight three-cylinder sportbikes". Was this the "Sugar" project? Do I read good? | ||
| Rainman |
Too good.\ I'm so bummed about what HD did to the Blast. The bike is such a good daily runner that I can only imagine the wonderfulness it could have been in different variations and tunings. It's made me love singles and lust for an affordable version of the KTM Duke. Fie on HD. Although, I still like the XR 1200. | ||
| Swordsman |
Yeah, it seems that one of the reasons Buell had such a hard time making good profit was because Harley wanted to rape them on the engine prices. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. I mean, the whole process was a clusterF. Harley dictated the engine requirements, then dictated how much Buell would pay for them. Erik's attorney wasn't kidding, he was a slave. ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on March 26, 2010) | ||
| Pwnzor |
Although, I still like the XR 1200 I've ridden it, it's a pig... you're not missing anything. | ||
| Drkside79 |
Same goes for my ex | ||
| Whatever |
Hence... Court's comment about the mental gum on the shoe... more will be revealed I think... | ||
| Oddball |
What a way to depress me Lemonchili. I could picture many/all of those in a dream garage.  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Look forward lads. The BEST of Buell is yet to come. Imagine handlers with both money AND vision. The next round will be what we've always wanted. I'm psyched for 2012/2013. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Next year. Erik will be free of the brupabrup tyrants. HD commies can't kill the American sportbike. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
I didn't mean to depress, and it's amazing what Erik and Co. did given the constraints  . Me, I like the sound of a short-stroke 1350cc, and that is kinda do-able as people like Slaughter have shown. I'd *love* to know more about the triples... "Look forward lads. The BEST of Buell is yet to come." +1  | ||
| Fast1075 |
Perhaps we will get a real half litre sportbike yet, Chili . Hopefully while I am still young enough to wring one out....LOL (Message edited by fast1075 on March 26, 2010) | ||
| Glitch |
It pissed me off as well. Then I thought... To have had to live under those circumstances and still come up with, and produce the XB range and make it a success. A much larger success than anyone imagined. That's the reason I bought mine. It's the epitome of one of my philosophies. Doin' what you can with what you've got. The XB9 is the "Bike of the Decade" If Erik can do the XB range under the thumb of H-D, just think of what he's capable of being on his own! I sincerely hope that Erik gets the backing he needs to carry on with Racing, and Street Bikes. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The more I think about it, the more I think Erik's new home will be BRP. They have a hole and the opportunity to fill it with top tier talent. They were willing to buy it from HD. Now I think they will be willing to create it from scratch. Given the vertical integration of BRP and Rotax for motors, it just makes sense. The market is ready for a BRP Buell. BRP is poised to be the next Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki. I can't wait. | ||
| Gunut75 |
}I sincerely hope that Erik gets the backing he needs to carry on with Racing, and Street Bikes. People like E.B. dont do such a good job of keeping their feet on the ground, just to disappear into the woodwork. I have a funny feeling that someone is counting days until the HD thumb is lifted. Just my opinion. | ||
| Oddball |
The short stroke 1350 engine (ie XBRR) would be great. The "Big Twin" engine teams would have to be embarrassed a bit when this 'baby' big twin would show how pathetic their creations were. | ||
| Whatever |
 | ||
| Glitch |
It's sad though. No more air cooled Buells. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I think this is the biggest surprise from the article (near the front), referring to an HD board meeting in fall 2007: 'The plan requires additional investment in racing to strengthen the Buell brand, along with a multimillion-dollar expenditure and headcount increases to create a radically designed middleweight family of three-cylinder sport bikes to broaden the range." Three cylinder Buells? Wow! If they were planned 2 years before the closure, how far did they get with that project? I hope some specs/photos/drawings of those get out at some point. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
I guess they were aiming at trying to attack triumph with a triple. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Wonder if Rotax was working on that motor too. Since it never saw the light of day, wonder if they still have the ability to produce it. Wonder if BRP would like to have a street bike with a 3 cylinder motor? | ||
| Midknyte |
Triumph has been reaping the benefits of [3 cylinder] uniqueness http://www.motorcycledaily.com/02March10_TriumphAd vantage.htm | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Lemonchilli, if you don't mind I have posted this on my local sportbike forum. Good read, thanks for the post! | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
You know I see this topic as well as a similar one on another buell enthusiast site with the same hopes and dreams of EB getting the financial backing to one day build street bikes again. I think that WE as Buell believers should be the ones to help back him in some way with money. Make it a public company from the start owned buy the people that believe in it whole heartedly that agree to keep Erik in control of it. I am not saying I have a lot of money to put in to it but my little bit of money put with all of you guys little bit of money I think we could collectivity help the next buell company be the company that should have been from the start. (Message edited by firebolt020283 on March 26, 2010) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Y'all forgot the dirty Rooster... the Griffin. Sniff. The writing was on the wall, we all missed it. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Oh yea, another tidbit dropped further down on the same page: "I lead the design teams for the XBRR, the stillborn "Griffin" motocrosser and "Sugar" middleweight, and ..." So not HD axed not only the Griffin, but Sugar too! | ||
| Malott442 |
The triple "go ahead" wasn't to MV? I think I heard they just put out a triple slated for production. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
A Harley triple engine? Can you imagine that? What'd they do? Add another one on the front? or in parallel with one of the others? What root vegetable noise would it make? I'm only being narky. I presume they were going to steal a triple engine from MV's parts bin. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Imagine a triple v with two in the front and one in the rear. (Message edited by ft_bstrd on March 26, 2010) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
it was already out there.... http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/feuling _w3/index.html the W3. Never heard one though. | ||
| Phillyblast |
The XB6R Shocker? |
