Erik Buell
Encyclopedia
Erik F. Buell is the founder, former Chairman and Chief Technical Officer
of the Buell Motorcycle Company
, which eventually merged with Harley-Davidson
Corp. Buell is a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology. Buell is also the founder of Erik Buell Racing
.
and thus learned to work on machinery at a young age. In his teen years, Buell took up motorcycling. His first ride was an Italian
-made Parilla
90cc moped
. He attended the University of Pittsburgh
.
in a '52 frame with KHK front end. Red metal flake paint and those crazy two-piece ape hanger handlebars, which would come loose and swing back and forth. I'd shove wads of steel wool into the mufflers to quiet it down for the cops, but when I was really hauling, it would shoot these glowing balls of flame out the back. Man, that's cool stuff when you're a kid!"
Buell raced motocross
before becoming interested in road racing in his early 20s. He became an avid part-time road racer and did his racing astride a Ducati in the AMA 'Superbike' class and a Yamaha
TZ750 in 'Formula One', despite the aging race program at Yamaha.
During this period, Buell was employed as a motorcycle mechanic
during the day and engineering student taking night classes at the University of Pittsburgh
.
After receiving his degree in engineering in 1979, Buell landed a job at Harley-Davidson after he flew himself to Milwaukee, WI to get an interview and "beat my way in the door," as Buell put it. While at Harley, he was involved with concept motorcycle
s, Porsche
-designed "Nova" V-four program, and was responsible for considerable stability and refinements to the chassis design of the FXR series of cruisers, noted for their rubber-mounted engines.
While working for Harley-Davidson, Buell’s road racing hobby was slowed. Additionally, as Harley-Davidson went through some hard times in the early 1980s, he didn’t feel right racing a Japan
ese or Italian
motorcycle.
) in 1981 - he bought their limited-production racer, powered by a water-cooled 750 cc Square Four two-stroke engine. Unfortunately, the bike was very poorly manufactured, used such cheap materials and the engine was plagued with gremlins to the point of being unmanageable. However, with Buell's engineering background (and unwaning optimism), he felt that he could refine the weak points using his own designs and make the engine work for him. Slowly, as parts failed he re-engineered them to increase reliability, and in many cases saw performance gains with his modifications. The chassis was a different story, however - Buell deemed it a lost cause from the beginning and designed his own chassis from the ground up. Nonetheless, the engine would often have failures before even completing a race.
Buell first raced a prototype of his bike, still using the mostly stock Barton engine, in summer of 1982 at AMA National on the Pocono Speedway
. He dubbed it the RW750 (RW standing for Road Warrior). During testing at Talladega, AL, the RW750 was clocked at a top speed of 178 mi/h. He raced in the 500 cc-dominated Formula One class (the Barton engine was designed prior to 1978 and was grandfathered in to this class by AMA rules). He found some success at the local club levels despite the grossly overpowered, unrefined engine.
In 1982, Barton was shutting down and Buell was given the option to purchase the entire stock of spare engines and parts, all drawings and the rights to produce and sell the engine. Buell did so, but the shipment was delayed such that he missed the opportunity to make full use of this new equipment and knowledge for the upcoming 1983 racing season, which delayed the development of the engine somewhat.
s were selling for around $30,000. Buell offered his RW750s under the 'Buell Motor Company' marque for $15,900 to much lauding by the press. The American Machinist's Union Racing Team bought, tested and raced the first publicly sold RW750 (commonly known as 'RW750 number 2'), and gave it glowing marks.
Despite all of this, his timing couldn’t have been worse — the AMA announced in the spring of 1985 that the Superbike class would supplant Formula One as the premier road racing class for the 1986 racing season and the Formula One class would be discontinued, leaving Buell with no market for his creation.
Battle of the Twins National, so he had confidence in this engine's potential in the sport market. Around this powerhouse, he designed a stiff, extremely light chassis that incorporated the unconventional rubber-mounting system known as "the Uniplanar" that became a patent
ed engineering trademark
of Buell sport bikes. The wrap-around fairing
design (another innovation by Buell) had lower aerodynamic drag
than all but a small handful of even current 21st century sportbikes.
Buell's design incorporated the engine as a fully stressed member of the frame. Capping the engineering firsts in this design was Buell's use of a horizontally mounted suspension located beneath the motor utilizing a shock that operated in reverse of the conventional compression-rebound design. Fifty RR1000 models were produced during 1987-1988 before the supply of XR1000 engines was depleted.
Buell saw the newly developed 1203 cc Harley-Davidson Evolution engine being used in their 'Sportster' model line as solid base platform to further tune the performance and handling qualities of his bikes. The RR1200 model was introduced during 1988 with a redesigned chassis to incorporate a modified version of this very different engine design. Through 1989, 65 were produced for sale.
In 1989, Buell introduced the RS1200 model, a two-seat version of the RR1200 marketed to riders who demanded both world-class performance and desired (at least occasional) passenger capacity. 105 of these then-unusual models were produced through 1990.
In 1991, Buell incorporated a five-speed transmission
mated to the 1203 cc engine. Buell responded to Harley's revised engine mounting points by further improving an already staggeringly innovative design that was the RS chassis. Stainless steel
braided brake
lines and a six-piston front brake caliper
. Later that same year, Buell introduced a single-seat version of the RS1200 model, dubbed the RSS1200, it won enthusiastic approval of the industry press for its lean, clean lines. Combined production of RSS and RS models totalled 325 through 1993.
In the 1990s, Buell reformed his production house as the 'Buell Motorcycle Company
' in which Harley-Davidson invested a 51 percent interest from the company's onset. Harley-Davidson bought complete control of Buell Motorcycle in 2003, and distributed all Buell motorcycles through selected Harley-Davidson dealerships. Erik Buell remained responsible for the engineering and design of all Buell motorcycles.
Buell led the company to create some of the most innovative, usable sport bikes to date under the XB series of Buell Motorcycles. Using inventions like a hollow frame to house the fuel, a hollow swing arm to house the oil, and an underslung exhaust pipe, he was able to keep the center of gravity low for optimum handling. However, he was still reliant on Harley Davidson and their supply of Sportster Engines for use in his motorcycles until he finally developed the Buell 1125R
and 1125CR using a Rotax engine he had a large part in developing. On October 15, 2009, amid the uncertainty of the economic conditions in America, Harley Davidson announced that all production of Buell motorcycles would cease on October 30, 2009.
. Originally continuing by only producing race-only versions of the Buell 1125R
, he is now rolling out his latest creation now unrestricted by Harley Davidson, a bored out, highly upgraded, and newly styled riff on the 1125R, the 1190RS. The 1190RS is receiving rave reviews in the race community, even though it is built street legal. As of now, EBR only plans to make 100 1190RS bikes, but is looking forward to ramping up production with other models in the future after as he rebuilds his innovative motorcycle building empire.
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
.
The very first (prototype) RW750 eventually found its fate as pieces in Erik's barn workshop, as is common for development machines. In 1998 a group of long-time Buell employees and supporters worked in secret to reassemble this bike using as many original pieces as they could find, hand crafting any missing pieces to bring it as close as possible to its 1983 racing condition. A new Buell 850 cc engine out of a D-sports racing car was used as the powerplant. The reborn bike was given to Erik Buell at the 1998 Race of Champions event, as a complete surprise to him. He was brought to tears and his knees made weak.
The September 2011 issue of MotorCyclist magazine names Erik Buell the 2011 Motorcyclist Of The Year.
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
of the Buell Motorcycle Company
Buell Motorcycle Company
The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary by 2003....
, which eventually merged with Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
Corp. Buell is a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology. Buell is also the founder of Erik Buell Racing
Erik Buell Racing
Erik Buell Racing is a motorcycle sport company which produces street and racing motorcycles, based in East Troy, Wisconsin, USA. Erik Buell founded the company in November 2009 following the shutdown of his previous company, Buell Motorcycle Company, by parent company/majority stakeholder Harley...
.
The early years
Buell was raised on a farm in Gibsonia, PAGibsonia, Pennsylvania
Gibsonia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, north of the city of Pittsburgh. It had a population of 2,733 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP Code is 15044.-Geography:...
and thus learned to work on machinery at a young age. In his teen years, Buell took up motorcycling. His first ride was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-made Parilla
Parilla
Parilla may refer to:* A brand name belonging to kart engine maker Italian American Motor Engineering, including the 100 cc Parilla Reedjet for use in the ICA class and the 125 cc Leopard TaG....
90cc moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
. He attended the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
Motorcycles and motorcycle racing
After his moped, Buell jumped right up to a 74ci basket-case Harley-Davidson. To quote: "To be exact, it was a '57 PanheadPanhead
The panhead was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, so nicknamed because of the distinct shape of the rocker covers. The engine is a two-cylinder, two-valve-per-cylinder, pushrod V-twin...
in a '52 frame with KHK front end. Red metal flake paint and those crazy two-piece ape hanger handlebars, which would come loose and swing back and forth. I'd shove wads of steel wool into the mufflers to quiet it down for the cops, but when I was really hauling, it would shoot these glowing balls of flame out the back. Man, that's cool stuff when you're a kid!"
Buell raced motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
before becoming interested in road racing in his early 20s. He became an avid part-time road racer and did his racing astride a Ducati in the AMA 'Superbike' class and a Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
TZ750 in 'Formula One', despite the aging race program at Yamaha.
During this period, Buell was employed as a motorcycle mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
during the day and engineering student taking night classes at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
After receiving his degree in engineering in 1979, Buell landed a job at Harley-Davidson after he flew himself to Milwaukee, WI to get an interview and "beat my way in the door," as Buell put it. While at Harley, he was involved with concept motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
-designed "Nova" V-four program, and was responsible for considerable stability and refinements to the chassis design of the FXR series of cruisers, noted for their rubber-mounted engines.
While working for Harley-Davidson, Buell’s road racing hobby was slowed. Additionally, as Harley-Davidson went through some hard times in the early 1980s, he didn’t feel right racing a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese or Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
motorcycle.
The Barton
Buell first heard of the small, privately held general-purpose engine maker Barton (based in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
) in 1981 - he bought their limited-production racer, powered by a water-cooled 750 cc Square Four two-stroke engine. Unfortunately, the bike was very poorly manufactured, used such cheap materials and the engine was plagued with gremlins to the point of being unmanageable. However, with Buell's engineering background (and unwaning optimism), he felt that he could refine the weak points using his own designs and make the engine work for him. Slowly, as parts failed he re-engineered them to increase reliability, and in many cases saw performance gains with his modifications. The chassis was a different story, however - Buell deemed it a lost cause from the beginning and designed his own chassis from the ground up. Nonetheless, the engine would often have failures before even completing a race.
Buell first raced a prototype of his bike, still using the mostly stock Barton engine, in summer of 1982 at AMA National on the Pocono Speedway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
. He dubbed it the RW750 (RW standing for Road Warrior). During testing at Talladega, AL, the RW750 was clocked at a top speed of 178 mi/h. He raced in the 500 cc-dominated Formula One class (the Barton engine was designed prior to 1978 and was grandfathered in to this class by AMA rules). He found some success at the local club levels despite the grossly overpowered, unrefined engine.
In 1982, Barton was shutting down and Buell was given the option to purchase the entire stock of spare engines and parts, all drawings and the rights to produce and sell the engine. Buell did so, but the shipment was delayed such that he missed the opportunity to make full use of this new equipment and knowledge for the upcoming 1983 racing season, which delayed the development of the engine somewhat.
Leaving Harley-Davidson
With the stunted development, Buell's inquiry with his employer to gain engineering and financial support was declined due to continuing reliability problems with mostly stock Barton engine. It was at this point that Buell had to quit his job at Harley-Davidson (parting amicably) in order to devote more time to the development of his racing effort.The Buell Motor Company
By late 1984, Yamaha TZs were scarce (Yamaha had ceased production of the TZ series) and the competing HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
s were selling for around $30,000. Buell offered his RW750s under the 'Buell Motor Company' marque for $15,900 to much lauding by the press. The American Machinist's Union Racing Team bought, tested and raced the first publicly sold RW750 (commonly known as 'RW750 number 2'), and gave it glowing marks.
Despite all of this, his timing couldn’t have been worse — the AMA announced in the spring of 1985 that the Superbike class would supplant Formula One as the premier road racing class for the 1986 racing season and the Formula One class would be discontinued, leaving Buell with no market for his creation.
Innovation
Despite this staggering setback, Buell forged ahead and designed his first entry into the sportbike market, the RR1000. Using his connections at Harley-Davidson, he acquired a sizeable cache of unused XR1000 racing engines, the powerplant of a model he had ridden to a podium finish at the 1983 Road AmericaRoad America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
Battle of the Twins National, so he had confidence in this engine's potential in the sport market. Around this powerhouse, he designed a stiff, extremely light chassis that incorporated the unconventional rubber-mounting system known as "the Uniplanar" that became a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed engineering trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
of Buell sport bikes. The wrap-around fairing
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
design (another innovation by Buell) had lower aerodynamic drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
than all but a small handful of even current 21st century sportbikes.
Buell's design incorporated the engine as a fully stressed member of the frame. Capping the engineering firsts in this design was Buell's use of a horizontally mounted suspension located beneath the motor utilizing a shock that operated in reverse of the conventional compression-rebound design. Fifty RR1000 models were produced during 1987-1988 before the supply of XR1000 engines was depleted.
Buell saw the newly developed 1203 cc Harley-Davidson Evolution engine being used in their 'Sportster' model line as solid base platform to further tune the performance and handling qualities of his bikes. The RR1200 model was introduced during 1988 with a redesigned chassis to incorporate a modified version of this very different engine design. Through 1989, 65 were produced for sale.
In 1989, Buell introduced the RS1200 model, a two-seat version of the RR1200 marketed to riders who demanded both world-class performance and desired (at least occasional) passenger capacity. 105 of these then-unusual models were produced through 1990.
In 1991, Buell incorporated a five-speed transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
mated to the 1203 cc engine. Buell responded to Harley's revised engine mounting points by further improving an already staggeringly innovative design that was the RS chassis. Stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
braided brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
lines and a six-piston front brake caliper
Caliper
A caliper is a device used to measure the distance between two opposing sides of an object. A caliper can be as simple as a compass with inward or outward-facing points...
. Later that same year, Buell introduced a single-seat version of the RS1200 model, dubbed the RSS1200, it won enthusiastic approval of the industry press for its lean, clean lines. Combined production of RSS and RS models totalled 325 through 1993.
Back under Harley-Davidson
Even in 1985, Buell's close relationship with Harley-Davidson enabled him to sell his RR1000s in select dealerships.In the 1990s, Buell reformed his production house as the 'Buell Motorcycle Company
Buell Motorcycle Company
The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary by 2003....
' in which Harley-Davidson invested a 51 percent interest from the company's onset. Harley-Davidson bought complete control of Buell Motorcycle in 2003, and distributed all Buell motorcycles through selected Harley-Davidson dealerships. Erik Buell remained responsible for the engineering and design of all Buell motorcycles.
Buell led the company to create some of the most innovative, usable sport bikes to date under the XB series of Buell Motorcycles. Using inventions like a hollow frame to house the fuel, a hollow swing arm to house the oil, and an underslung exhaust pipe, he was able to keep the center of gravity low for optimum handling. However, he was still reliant on Harley Davidson and their supply of Sportster Engines for use in his motorcycles until he finally developed the Buell 1125R
Buell 1125R
The Buell 1125R is a sport bike that was manufactured by Buell Motorcycle Company in the United States. It was introduced in July 2007 for the 2008 model year. Production of road-going models ceased in October 2009, when Erik Buell announced the cessation of production for the entire Buell range...
and 1125CR using a Rotax engine he had a large part in developing. On October 15, 2009, amid the uncertainty of the economic conditions in America, Harley Davidson announced that all production of Buell motorcycles would cease on October 30, 2009.
Erik Buell Racing
In November 2009, shortly after being dropped by Harley Davidson, Buell launched Erik Buell RacingErik Buell Racing
Erik Buell Racing is a motorcycle sport company which produces street and racing motorcycles, based in East Troy, Wisconsin, USA. Erik Buell founded the company in November 2009 following the shutdown of his previous company, Buell Motorcycle Company, by parent company/majority stakeholder Harley...
. Originally continuing by only producing race-only versions of the Buell 1125R
Buell 1125R
The Buell 1125R is a sport bike that was manufactured by Buell Motorcycle Company in the United States. It was introduced in July 2007 for the 2008 model year. Production of road-going models ceased in October 2009, when Erik Buell announced the cessation of production for the entire Buell range...
, he is now rolling out his latest creation now unrestricted by Harley Davidson, a bored out, highly upgraded, and newly styled riff on the 1125R, the 1190RS. The 1190RS is receiving rave reviews in the race community, even though it is built street legal. As of now, EBR only plans to make 100 1190RS bikes, but is looking forward to ramping up production with other models in the future after as he rebuilds his innovative motorcycle building empire.
Honors
In 2002 Buell was inducted into the AMAAmerican Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association that recognizes individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction and motorcycling in general. It displays motorcycles and riding gear and memoribilia. The museum is located in...
.
The very first (prototype) RW750 eventually found its fate as pieces in Erik's barn workshop, as is common for development machines. In 1998 a group of long-time Buell employees and supporters worked in secret to reassemble this bike using as many original pieces as they could find, hand crafting any missing pieces to bring it as close as possible to its 1983 racing condition. A new Buell 850 cc engine out of a D-sports racing car was used as the powerplant. The reborn bike was given to Erik Buell at the 1998 Race of Champions event, as a complete surprise to him. He was brought to tears and his knees made weak.
The September 2011 issue of MotorCyclist magazine names Erik Buell the 2011 Motorcyclist Of The Year.