Buell Motorcycles

About Buell

The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin, and was founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.

The first Buell motorcycle, the RW750, was built in 1983 purely for competition in the AMA Formula 1 motorcycle road racing championship. At that time, Erik Buell was a top contending privateer motorcycle racer. After completion of the first two RW750 racing machines, one of which was sold to another racing team, the Formula 1 series was canceled. Erik Buell then turned his focus towards racing-inspired, street-going machines using engines manufactured by Harley.

Most Buell motorcycles use four-stroke air-cooled V-twin engines, originally built from XR1000 Sportster engines. After these were depleted, a basic 1200 Sportster engine was used. In 1995, the engines were upgraded with Buell engineered high-performance parts and further upgraded in 1998.

In 1998, Harley-Davidson bought a majority stake and took control of Buell Motorcycle Company, and the company became a subsidiary. Since then, Buell has used modified Harley-Davidson engines, primarily from the Sportster, to power its motorcycles.

In 2003, Buell decided to make some improvements and introduced an efficient engine which left behind all the emissions test requirements. On the same list of innovations were the ZTL perimeter floating disc brake system found on the new models, then the fuel-in-frame technology and the dual use of the swingarm as an oil tank.

On October 15, 2009, Harley-Davidson announced the discontinuation of the Buell product line as part of its strategy to focus on the Harley-Davidson brand. The last Buell motorcycle was produced on October 30, bringing the number manufactured to 136,923.

Moto blog

Meet AMA Superbike Rider Geoff May At D-Store Chicago May 30th

This weekend, the AMA Pro Roadracing circus makes its way to Road America for round two of the series. Before festivities on track get started, however, here’s your chance to meet Dainese-sponsored rider Geoff May as the D-Store Chicago will be hosting a meet and greet on Thursday, May 30, starting at 4pm. The event will include raffle prizes, with proceeds benefitting W.I.N.G.S., an organization providing integrated services to families, in an effort to end domestic violence and homelessness.

AMA Pro Racing Announces Basic Twins Flat Track Class for 2014 Season

AMA Pro Racing announced a new class for Flat Track racing designed to provide a new stepping stone for up-and-coming Pro-licensed racers, replacing the Pro Singles class in 2014. The new class, to be called Basic Twins, is more or less a revival of the Basic Expert Twins division that ran during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but dropped when the Pro Singles class was introduced for 2009. The new class will give young racers a chance to showcase their skills on Twins, easing their transition to eventually enter the Grand National Expert Twins class.

Erik Buell Racing To Host Dealers At AIMExpo

Add another to the list of manufacturers committing to the American International Motorcycle Expo, as Erik Buell Racing (EBR) has announced it will be hosting its dealers at the event to be held in October this year. As such, EBR joins an expanding list of motorcycle OEMs participating in AIMExpo, the powersports industry’s first combined trade, consumer and media event in North America. Since introducing its first motorcycle, the EBR 1190RS, in 2011, enthusiasts worldwide have been waiting to see the rest of Erik Buell’s lineup.

Hero MotoCorp Returning As Title Sponsor For EBR in AMA Superbike. Yates Joins May As Team Riders

Today, Erik Buell Racing announced Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer in terms of unit volumes by a single company in a calendar year, will return as title sponsor for the Team Hero EBR 1190RS in the 2013 AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series.  The Team Hero entry will be for returning rider, Geoff May, aboard his familiar number 99 machine. Mike Fitzgerald will be his crew chief, with Ryan Kelly and Grant Singley making up the rest of May’s crew. In addition, in a similar fashion to last year, expect to see several Hero technicians working alongside the team as they prepare themselves and hone their skills for racing in India.

Erik Buell Racing Secures GE Capital Dealer Financing

Erik Buell Racing has taken a vital big step forward by securing inventory financing from GE Capital. With support from GE Capital’s Commercial Distribution Finance program, Erik Buell Racing can expand its dealer network across the U.S. and sell its new motorcycles such as the 1190 RS.

Apple Lightning Connector Trademark Acquired from … Harley-Davidson and Buell?

Apple is one of the world’s most powerful brands, and it looks like it recently enlisted the help of another top brand: Harley-Davidson. The two companies are among the top 100 brands in the world, as ranked by brand consultancy firm Interbrand. Apple is #2 on Interbrand’s rankings for top brands of 2012 with a brand value of $76.57 billion, while Harley-Davidson is ranked 96th overall with a value of $3.86 billion.

RoboCop Remake Has RoboCop Riding A Motorcycle

The semi-futuristic 1987 film, “RoboCop,” starring actor Peter Weller, told the tale of fatally injured Detroit cop effectively resurrected to life, but in the form of mostly metal, cyborg-like being. RoboCop was the ultimate crime-fighting tool, and the public loved the premise of the movie to the tune of two sequels, lots of merchandising and even a short-lived television series. “RoboCop” has been resurrected again, the film that is, and is currently shooting in Toronto according to the Daily Mail. And as you can see by these images from the Daily Mail, RoboCop is now fighting crime on two wheels.

Erik Buell Racing Secures $20 Million in Foreign Investments

Erik Buell Racing has received a $20 million injection from investors. The increased funding is expected to expand the company’s product line and create about 200 jobs. The investment comes through the somewhat fittingly-named “EB-5” program, a product of the Immigrant Act of 1990 designed to encourage investment in American companies by potential immigrants.

Hero MotoCorp Launches 125cc Ignitor in India

Hero MotoCorp has launched the Ignitor, a 125cc premium model based on the CBF Stunner from former partner turned rival Honda. The Ignitor is one of the final models Hero will produce with technology licensed from Honda, and it is expected to bridge the gap before Hero introduces its own new models (with help from a gentleman named Erik Buell.) Like the Stunner, the Hero Ignitor is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder engine. Both models claim 11hp and 8 ft-lb., but the Ignitor reaches its peak torque at 5000 rpm while the Stunner has to spin up to 6500 rpm.

One and Done: Daytona 200 Winning Project 1 Atlanta Folds

Apparently winning isn’t enough to pay the bills any more, not even if the victory comes at the storied Daytona 200. The 2012 Daytona 200-winning Project 1 Atlanta team has folded after unable to secure funding for the rest of the season. Project 1 Atlanta, and racer Joey Pascarella, stunned AMA Pro Racing fans with a Cinderella story victory at the Daytona 200.