EBR gone again | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

EBR gone again

Forum Sponsor
BigEvilDoer said:
Even WSBK riders were surprised that the single front perimeter brake disc system works as well as it does.
Click to expand...
I find that hard to believe sorry... the race bikes were going through 5-8 sets of discs each weekend because they would just warp under heavy "race" use. By the end of the race the riders would have ZERO feel in their brake levers. Im surprised those guys rode the bikes as well as they did with the junk they were given.
 
BigEvilDoer said:
Ummmm...
You really need to do some research before spewing off nonsense.

Harley offered those engines to them, and none other. EB made drastic revisions to the sportster motor to make it rev smoother and have a better rpm range, which are still being utilized by HD to this day.
Click to expand...

I know about the Sportster engine as the only one offered. I said Sportster "based" as in outside dimensions and weight. The new generation XB had to be built around that engine. While the idea of a big aircooled lump stuffed into a TZ250 size chassis has an appeal to some it probably wouldn't find mass appeal. If anything it should have been stuffed into something bigger than the previous generation tubers. I'm also aware of the modifications to the engine. I like the power and character. But trust me I can't get my SS riding friends on board. It's way to much Harley like coming off a 4 cyl. Is that opinion nonsense?
 
Well, Inreb... to quote you..
" still using rubber mounted Sportster based engine. That was a make or break decision for the Buell company."

it wasn't a Buell decision to continue using the Sportster lump. So, it's not your opinion. It's fact. The XB still out-accelerates almost anything from a standing stop to about 50 mph.

Agreed, it rides too much like a Harley lump than an i4 sport bike.

And to Downunder... from a Nicolo Canepa interview:
"“So far, I haven't discovered any major problems with the bike, I think last year it didn't show its full potential,” said Canepa. “I just need to do as many laps as I can to get a good feeling of how the bike reacts to setup changes, and get accustomed to the perimeter brake in the front.” Canepa has been testing two bikes back and forth, one fitted with the original perimeter brake configuration and the other with usual Brembo twin-disc setup used by the rest of the competition. “I think we'll use both during the season, depending on the circuit,” the Italian observed. “Some tracks flow more and therefore will allow us to take advantage of the perimeter brake. For example, I can hold the brakes much deeper into the corner and the bike keeps the ideal trajectory. On the other hand, it lacks some power. If only I could mix both...”
So the perimeter brake has valid advantages and disadvantages - not total junk as you claim.
 
inreb said:
After the tubers the chassis design went even more extreme with short wheelbase, rake/trail etc. still using rubber mounted Sportster based engine. That was a make or break decision for the Buell company. You've got a bike style no typical HD rider wants and an engine no typical sport bike rider wants. As a consequence sales are low. It didn't have to be that way.
Click to expand...

BigEvilDoer said:
Well, Inreb... to quote you..
" still using rubber mounted Sportster based engine. That was a make or break decision for the Buell company."

it wasn't a Buell decision to continue using the Sportster lump. So, it's not your opinion. It's fact. The XB still out-accelerates almost anything from a standing stop to about 50 mph.

Agreed, it rides too much like a Harley lump than an i4 sport bike.
Click to expand...

Yes the common thread running thru tubers and XB is the Sportster based engine. The make or break decision I'm referring to is what type of bike to put it in. It's my opinion, and backed up by unopened wallets, that a small, razor sharp chassis isn't the best choice. Look at the popularity of some of the retro line of bikes, they sell very well. The Sportster sized engine would work very well in a retro standard. Think of the various models possible on one platform a la Triumph twins. I think that was a squandered opportunity. I know, Monday morning quarterback.
 
The use of the Sportster engine was irrelevant to the EBR version of Buell ... those used the Rotax 1125 engine.

The EBR seemed very expensive for what you got, and that's a recipe for slow sales.
 
I would suggest expensive for what you got = slow sales is only part of the puzzle. They had no pedigree to trade on and no panache. Make a new Norton, maybe some Vincents and please somebody take a new royal enfield cafe and jam a V twin in there. Ducati makes a "special" and there are waiting lists.
Limit the number that will hit the market, make it sort of exclusive and you can have average performance, big price tags and sell through.
Engineering marvels or fails aside, they lacked a solid marketing plan.
 
Brian P said:
The use of the Sportster engine was irrelevant to the EBR version of Buell ... those used the Rotax 1125 engine.

The EBR seemed very expensive for what you got, and that's a recipe for slow sales.
Click to expand...

None of us are insiders at Buell. I'm seeing other threads on the net where apparent CEO's are commenting on EB business acumen. As a bystander all I can do is look at the past for clues about the present. The XB vision, assumed to be largely driven by the man himself, is eerily similar to the present situation. That's where talk of the Sportster engine came from. It's relevant to some degree.
 
Last edited:
Nobody bought 'em = end of company.
Did they ever really build enough specials for WSBK homologation or were they just allowed in to fill up the grids ?
 
TK4 said:
Nobody bought 'em = end of company.
Did they ever really build enough specials for WSBK homologation or were they just allowed in to fill up the grids ?
Click to expand...

doesnt really matter now does it?

Third times the charm folks, wait for a V twin with a supercharger driven off an electro servo from the giant front brake rotor. It'll be awesome.
 
One visionary and many disciples. A little light on the disciples is not good. I see a pattern developing.
 
Wish EB well. Hope they can pull it together this time.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
I had a feeling it wouldn't take long before someone else decided to try their luck at it. Now owned by Atlantic Metals Group LLC

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/buell/the-man-who-bought-buell-bruce-belfer.html
Click to expand...

What a bizarre interview, full of hyperbole and confidence ('murica!), but no actual statement about a plan.
Again, over and over and over about what an awesome guy Buell is, big genius, etc. etc. but no one is buying what he's selling.
In the end, it's still about trying to sell >$20,000 bikes against the likes of Aprilia, Ducati, BMW with a re-hashed Rotax.

"I’m going to be me, I’m going to say what I mean and mean what I say, and I’m going to do what I said I was going to do." This guy talks a lot and says nothing.
He's insane if he thinks anyone is going to sign up as an EBR dealer again.
 
I liked the reverse caliper/rotor thing (although I imagine checking tire pressure is a pain in the *** and I didn't get why they didn't put two on [maybe so you can check the pressure, lol]), love under engine exhausts (no cannons on the side), and love a torquey engine. Unfortunately the huge CC's mean huge insurance (for the most part), they had a bad reliability/quality reputation, and while I liked all those things I mentioned I thought their bikes looked fugly for the most part.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom