| Author | Message | ||
     Qcbrob |
I discovered Buell through my love for Sportster motor, and was always impressed with what Erik built around them. I LOVE the XB motor and think that it really was the pinnacle of what could be done with the (admittedly archaic)4-cam, aircooled, pushrod design. I am DISGUSTED with HD , but still have to wonder - will that great XB motor just be allowed to disappear? Thoughts? | ||
| Schmitty |
The HD XR1200 has a lot of Buell engine parts. Schmitty | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Probably. The only possibility is that it will replace the motor currently in the Sportster as far as I can guess. | ||
| Brumbear |
they won't put a fan on it it will run 1 year and be dead as it will kill the sportser as the Generic hd new guys will put reg fuel in it as they spent all there extra home eQ loan cash avaliable on chrome and need to save money on gas | ||
| Nik |
A large part of the greatness of the XB engine are its intake and exhaust designs; neither of which would transfer over to HD. | ||
| Percyco |
Golf carts !  | ||
| Fahren |
Keep your air-cooled v-twins going, man! How long will it be before the EPA outlaws air-cooled engines? | ||
| Nik |
Keep your air-cooled v-twins going, man! How long will it be before the EPA outlaws air-cooled engines? The EPA doesn't outlaw technology. They'll be around as long as companies are willing to put in the engineering effort. | ||
| Froggy |
You do eventually get to a point when the technology to keep a motor legal outweighs the cost people are willing to spend, then the motor gets sacked. | ||
| Desmo900 |
Nik you're right the EPA doesn't outlaw technology. But they do manipulate rules and regulations in such a way as to effectively do the same thing. How many 2 stroke bikes, watercraft and quads are around now. EPA didn't ban them directly. The days of the Aircooled motorcycle are numbered. | ||
| Froggy |
I have read articles from bike mags in the 70's saying the exact same thing.  Yes they are numbered, but there is quite a few more numbers than you think. | ||
| Sticks |
I want my XB motor to become a 1170. | ||
| Nextcorner |
Percyco, That's funny. There was a 12 engine with rear swingarm/tire for sale near me for $500. I was thinking about turning it into a go-kart. | ||
| Jraice |
I think its safe to assume that if Erik starts up fresh, it'll be all rotax. | ||
| Redbuelljunkie |
I hope it will be all Buell. Nothing against Rotax, but I'd prefer an American designed, American built powerplant in an American sportbike. I think Erik needs a clean sheet- the 26 year warm-up is complete, the remaining 174 years should be all Buell. | ||
| Jraice |
Well maybe they will develop a liquid cooled motor? I just know I have heard that Erik wants to move in that direction... An air cooled non harley motor could be neat as well though... | ||
| Slaughter |
Sticks - 1170 - good choice! | ||
| Desmo900 |
Mmmm An all American made over-square, 45deg., twin plug, SOHC, counter-balanced 1170cc,V-twin. Ill betcha Edelbrock could do all the casting and the Elves can do the machining and assembly. Im starting to become more optimistic about the future. Go Erik Go | ||
| Fmaxwell |
Just bought an 1125CR for a crazy-good price and I will swim against the tide: Erik was wise to go with Rotax and, if we're so fortunate as to see him make another go of it, Rotax would be a great partner. Erik is a wizard at making bikes handle. He's a genius at innovative chassis design. But the cost for machining alone to mass-produce competitive sport bike engines is staggering. He needs a strong partner that has the experience and production capability of a Rotax. If he's up to the challenge of starting over, I'm betting that he will want to avoid running the costs up so high that he has to sell a controlling interest to HD, Polaris, Bombardier, etc. | ||
| Bombardier |
Take a look at the American fellow who tried to build a GP bike from scratch. Takes a lot of time and money to do that kind of thing. Probably a lot more for a street bike as the design, emission and safety rules would probably be more rigorous. | ||
| Redbuelljunkie |
Probably a lot more for a street bike as the design, emission and safety rules would probably be more rigorous. Well, seeing as the motor that Czysz built was a design that Honda engineers deemed "impossible" (counter-rotating crankshafts), I'd bet reliability and EPA issues for a conventional design would be a little less rigorous. My point is that I want America to stand up and take on the world using American ingenuity, engineering, manufacturing and pride- and beat them at their own game. The desire is already there (EB), what's lacking is investors who share the dream. | ||
| Greg_e |
And have you priced the Czysz bike? Obviously that ingenuity costs a lot of money, more money than most people will be willing to pay. | ||
| Teddagreek |
S&S motor.....  | ||
| Slaughter |
Hardley would be FOOLISH to not adopt the new oiling system, electronics and big-end beef up. (they may have already but I don't follow Hardley developments so wouldn't know) | ||
| Slaughter |
Wait a minute... did I just say Hardley would be FOOLISH? What was I thinking! | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
SS......guess what I heard through the grapevine? You remember that XBRR??...welll......... I don't know how or in what chassis, but I heard its being "played with" for a "sport-type" bike. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Hardley would be FOOLISH to not adopt the new oiling system, electronics and big-end beef up. I remember reading an article back in 2007 (?) when the Sportster went to the same crank-triggered ignition that the 2008-up XB uses. Willie G. said they elected to keep a fake "points cover" on the right side cover because that's what Sportster buyers expect to see. I guess they'll never adopt the improved oiling system because they'd have to change the looks even further.  | ||
| Fmaxwell |
@Bombardier "Take a look at the American fellow who tried to build a GP bike from scratch." Michael Czysz http://http://www.motoczysz.com/main.php?area=07C1 He's basically thrown in the towel and is building experimental electric motorcycles. Takes a lot of time and money to do that kind of thing. Probably a lot more for a street bike as the design, emission and safety rules would probably be more rigorous. It's also damned risky from an investment standpoint. Erik Buell has shown that he knows how to soup-up and improve an existing engine, but designing one from scratch to be put into tens of thousands of vehicles? That's a big jump. | ||
| Slaughter |
Beefed up and de-tuned the XBRR might yet fight to life in the right hands... just not likely Harleys' |
