Erik Buell Racing closing shop.

Can a mod edit my title?

So - is this a ploy - a la Carrol Shelby - to keep going bankrupt over and over, Erik with a gazillion DOT-authorized VINs stashed in some safe deposit box? Hoping for a day where the "classic" value of the last-gen products prompts someone to produce them again for insane money, where those VINs suddenly make gold look "cheap" - ?

Or, was this just Hero, pulling out from the promise of the glory hole - that I've been spouting for years - that Buell is? Maybe they got tired of leaving briefcases full of rupees on his bedroom dresser for only the occasional hand-job.

Seriously - and forgive me for stating it again - the worst thing for EBR (and Buell under HD before it), was letting Buell run the business. This ain't Italy and certainly not Bimota we're talking about, so I doubt there'll be resurrections in perpetuity where Erik would be left in charge ...

Now, If I were running Polaris - and let's forget that the water-cooled Buell motors were originally developed by competitor Bombardier - I'd be taking a little road trip from Medina over to East Troy, to maybe have a look around and a chat with the bankruptcy attorneys.

Erik is a genius. I have had two 98 S1W's, and they are very close to the 1290. Of course KTM had a chance in 17 years to make a bike that blows his away on everything but the instant torque wheelies. The 1290 takes a half second to get it up, and does it at twice the speed. For you Australians, think of John Britten.

Not a fan of his brake rotors nor of his bikes lack of speed looks cool though


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expensive P O S
test rode them wasnt impressed

SDNerd, I totally agree with you therefore not being able to compare both.

For me Britten was and inventor and made something leap fwd. It's an icon in motorcycle.

Buell made well with H&D stuff...but in no way I can compare both.

TBH I was impessed with the thing,,,,fit , finish,,nice bike,,,anyone going on a ten minute test ride can say what they want,,,,it takes more time in the saddle and really has to be yours to "push it" to see it's true limit's,,,,,13K, thats what I could get one for ,,,not a bad deal IMO ,,,and if it really is the end,,,a collectable down the road,,,,those perimiter brakes,,,Ghezzi + Brian used them on their supertwin back in the mid 90's that took the Euro twins championship,,,it worked for them,,,,not Eric's idea, but he used the tech that was available,,,,,and as far as Britten,,,,,nothing like it on the planet,,,and Ive been closer to it probley than any of ya, even if I was just pushing it around !,,,,still cutting edge,,,,