Posted on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 12:25 am:

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Posted by Jay on April 02, 19102 at 09:05:01 on the ATC Forum:

The following is an article from an European Moto Magizine. Enjoy:

Moto Journal 14/03/02

First test: Buell XB9R, The Clever Toy


Erik's Dream
Futuristic chassis, concept of the 3rd millennium, the Buell Firebolt is in fact 15 years old in Erik's mind, its creator. A refreshing and fantastic toy.


"There's a trick!" would have said Houdini. "It will never work! And if it was possible, then the Japanese would have done it!" said the most sceptical at the Paris show.

It is true that with a 1320mm wheelbase, 21 degrees fork rake and an 88mm trail, one can question the road holding of the new Buell Firebolt. No production bike is that short (1380 for the tiny R6) nor has such a stiff front end (23 degrees / 81 mm for the R6). That's it…and why not the fuel in the frame, the oil in the swingarm and an inside out front brake disc? Well…actually, they dared to do it at Buell. And even if the engine is still located between the front and the rear wheel, this bike is a real revolution in the production world.

You try too hard!
On the paper, we immediately imagine a bike too nervous, sensitive to tank slapping and unstable. But it works. Even better, the Firebolt is the most enjoyable bike I had to ride for a long time.
It's a toy, delicious, predictable, fun and safe, should it be for a novice or experienced rider. After 2 hours spent riding round the Valencia racetrack, I still cannot believe it! Nothing can remove this grin on my face in each curve. Quick, you've got to organise a Firebolt series. And the programme should include a 24 hours endurance race where each rider has to ride for 12 hours in a row.

Because with a 175kg and its microscopic size, one could ride it round for ages without getting tired thanks to the chassis.

Be a good boy first
My comments to Erik Buell make him laugh. Cos for him, this has nothing to do with magic! Just the achievement of a 15 years old dream.

Achievement of a concept he has in mind since he started racing in the US championship. As he can remember riding this Erv Kanemoto's prototype: "A tuned bike with the TZ750 4 cylinder engine with a radical chassis. Very efficient for the ones able to ride and make the best out of it." Or these old memories of the Daytona endurance race: "Where they put fuel in the tank but it takes several laps before you can get to your former pace. All for a few litres that weigh 50kg on the front end." That's Erik: Instead of racing, he thinks. That's how he started to build his own motorcycles. The first was: "a square Barton four cylinder 2 stroke in a special chassis I intended to sell…I finish the bike and the AMA changes the rules for the following season. My bike wasn't belonging to any series anymore, I sold only one and lost everything, house included." Erik knows what failure costs and left racing to start to work on naked bikes.

Since then, Harley bought 98% of Buell. To get there, he had to well behave, and grow his name, brand and products. "I even built the blast for Harley so I could finally follow my idea: The Firebolt". So this bike, he had it under his skin for a long time. It's a creation of his brain. A very tiny sport bike, with character, easy but also technically amazing. But even more magic is the fact that from the first wheel spins, the bike becomes an extension of your body.

A 250? No, a 125!
Too often used, this saying isn't as powerful as it used to be. But, on the Buell, you feel like you're on a 250 GP bike. This is not all by chance: 1320mm wheelbase is the wheelbase of a 250GP bike. Everything is in place so you just get into the bike. The front end is…fast, as we could expect. Fast and agile, but mostly reassuring, being glued to the tarmac. The feedback, in terms of grip, is perfect. So easy to lean, you get your knee down long before you reach the apex. Boosted by this sensation, I go faster only to find that the cornering speed is phenomenal. You glide on the rumble stripe from the tip of your knee slider. Exiting the bends, the 92 bhp of the 45 degrees V-twin are delivered very smoothly! Th belt drive, equipped with an idler pulley, is perfect; As is the fuel injection: No lash, all smooth. On the other hand, the gearbox is still very slow and sometimes the gears don't fully engage. When used to it, the twin is a bit frustrating on the track.

You're flirting with the 7000 rpm to shift up gear losing 800rpm to reach 7000rpm again, losing the essential mid-range sensations. However, this behaviour enables you to thrash the throttle earlier without any fear of the rear tyre losing grip. And there, after a few laps, it's THE REVELATION. No, the Buell is not a 250 GP….but a 125. Better, a go kart. Because the power isn't overwhelming, you have to calculate and optimise your bends entries to maintain a good cornering speed, focusing on your exiting speed.

You have to rethink the track and the line. Riding becomes a major art, a constant balance. Lap after lap, the circuit becomes less boring. The bike is well cranked over and the ground clearance seems boundless. As are the changes of line. Should it be because you're an average rider willing to modify his line or to suddenly overtake the slower guy. The grip of the Dunlop D207 is so phenomenal that you can't help but push even further, leaving you wondering if you're not going a bit too far, being so confident. I've even forgotten about the possible bad reactions of the chassis as they aren't any. In the long straight line of Valencia, the chassis is perfectly stable. Going wide on the rumble strip, full throttle, didn't imply any tank slapping. The achieved balance is perfect…but for 3 points. Strangely, if the Buell is fast to pick up the line, it needs a bit of effort on the handlebar to change its line and it is not as easy as an R6 for example (probably the weight and inertia of the V-Twin). The inside out brake isn't better than a double disc set, and we've noticed huge discrepancies between the different bikes tested. Sometimes with a good bite and consistency, the braking could become weak and inconsistent on a different bike. Finally, the Firebolt is very sensitive to suspension adjustments (Buell hands out a chart with all the different settings for the different riders and riding conditions).

A sensitivity due to such a tiny motorcycle. But also to the front forks being so stiff (21 degrees), meaning the engineers had to work on the internal components and frictions to avoid the front end freezing on bumps. That's why it is so sensitive. Vance Strader, the young chassis engineer admits: "When we contacted Showa for suspension, they said they had never worked on a similar bike. Nobody used the same measures. We had to develop special parts and internal assemblies." Result: The suspension are perfect, very sensitive to the settings but they need a good knowledge. But the whole thing is mind-blowing.

I want some road
On the road, the Firebolt is a comfortable sport bike. The seat height is accessible, the clip ons mean putting a reasonable amount of weight on your wrists and the suspension/seat combination is even comfortable. The windshield is good up to 150 km/h. Only your legs are too bent and this is where you get tired at the end of the day.

On the other hand, I've struggled to find the sensations I had on the previous day on the track. Most of this pleasure coming from your cornering speed, it takes a fast pace to get this again on the road. And also, the tyre pressure was too high to start with, the front forks pre-load was too high and the hydraulic setting too slow. All day long, we've tried to find each other to get the same perfect feeling again. Until I found THE good setting.

Becoming more agile due to the settings, the Firebolt invited me to push it further, enjoying its incredibly precise front end, the perfect work of the suspension, even on imperfect tarmac. So, I took it easy, jumping from one bend to another to play this perfect score again and again. You discover the Firebolt while you evolve. Caution, I am not saying you cannot ride it sitting in a very straight position, gently using the torque. But it becomes a toy only when you push it to its limits. Project yourself on a twisty mountain road with your mates trying to ride their big four cylinders when you just surf on the tarmac, playing with the torque, low-end grunt of the twin and the absolute efficiency of your tiny 250…Oops, your Buell. Talking about the powertrain, the twin is supple, rolling on at 2000rpm (60 km/h on the 5th gear) with nice vibrations stamped Harley. It's sad that at 3000rpm, there is a power drop (ECM mapping for the homologation) the engine struggles to get out of. It's then very nice until 6500rpm. Nice, it's the word, because we could have expected more grunt and attitude. It is actually the only compromise on this bike. Why didn't they use the typically Buell 1203cc long stroke instead of the 984cc? "Because a lot of customers coming from the in-line 4 ride the 1203cc at 6000rpm which the engine doesn't really appreciate. Doing so, they don't really understand the engine and misjudge the bike. The Firebolt is a sportbike AND a bike meant to attract new customers, so we've chosen a medium size to get more revs and have a wider spread of power." honestly says Jean-Luc Mars, from Buell US. OK, the Firebolt revs up nicely and its maximum speed is 213 km/h (220 km/h @ 7400rpm at the red line). But the bike loses, from my point of view, some of its soul, even if the brand new 980cc still is a V twin with character.

Buell reaches the moon
But apart from this small engine compromise, the Firebolt merits from not responding to any commercial logic or to any sales volume mind set. It is the true achievement of a dream. Nowadays, which manufacturer follows its dreams? The Firebolt is also the reality of a concept that has been haunting the Japanese engineers for ages. The concept of a real sport bike, simple and full of character, based on the pleasure, the emotion and not on the 200 bhp performance. Yamaha tried several times with the SRX or SZR, both featuring a 600cc single cylinder. Erik Buell went miles further. This bike is a big kick is the consensual production. Bear in mind it's the living expression of a dream some of us share; Buell conducted a market survey in Europe to know what the sportbikes riders dream of. Responses were about tuned bikes seen here and there; About bikes equipped with super light trellis chassis, with single or twin engines. Often, the Sound of Singles series was mentioned. To answer such desires means taking big risks nowadays.

A gamble!
Buell tried, will the customers follow? This bike is different. Will you understand it, seeing more than its controversial look? My only hope is that I've convinced you because this bike is so magic. And it really doesn't matter if for once we don't talk about price to conclude.

Plus
- Concept clever, innovating technology, fun bike
- Size tiny
- Chassis flickable and rigid

Minus
- Gearbox still too slow
- Suspension setting the bike is very sensitive and you have to be knowledgeable
- Engine slightly more character would have been perfect

To bear in mind
- Size of a 250GP bike with a V-twin, Erik Buell dreamt about it. He added technology with fuel in the frame, oil in the swingarm.
- On track, the cornering speed is amazing. A toy easy and efficient, even if the gearbox remains slow and the engine is frustrating on a track.
- On the road, it takes more time to discover the Firebolt and you have to look at the suspension setting to which she is sensitive. But the concept of this simple mini sport bike, easy to access, fun and full of character remains intact.

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Posted on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 04:17 pm:

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g9: Won't water-cooling and fuel injection eventually be needed to meet emissions limits?

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