Buell Motorcycle Company
From Freepedia
The Buell Motorcycle Company is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded by Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell. Since 1998 it has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harley. The company is the only significant manufacturer of "sport motorcycles" in the United States.
Buell motorcycles were first built in 1993 by a partnership between Harley-Davidson and Buell. Mr. Buell started with a stock Harley-Davidson "Sportster" engine, then highly modified it and bolted it to a frame of his own design. Buells typically employ radical frame designs and unconventional suspension systems that, along with the relatively (for Harley) high output Sportster engine, culminate in a nimble and atypical, however less powerful and somewhat more expensive alternative to the Japanese sport bikes.
Models
Most Buell motorcycles use four-stroke V-twin engines. These engines were originally built from Harley-Davidson XR750 Sportster engines, after the 750s were depleted Erik Buell used a basic 1200 Harley-Davidson Sportster engine.
In 1996 the engines were upgraded with Buell engineered parts and further upgraded in 1998. In 2003 Buell introduced a whole new engine so efficient it passed emission tests well into 2006.
What makes Buells stand apart from their Harley-Davidson origins are what Buell refers to as the "Trilogy of Tech": mass centralization, low unsprung weight, and frame rigidity. Two of the notable innovations are the use of the hollow frame as a fuel tank and the hollow rear swing-arm to hold the engine oil. These features help create a leaner and more agile sport motorcyle.
Current production models, as of February 2005, are the Blast, Firebolt, Lightning, and Lightning CityX. Earlier models included the RR1000, RR1200, RS1200 West wind, RSS West wind, S2 & S2T Thunderbolt, S1 Lighting, M2 Cyclone, S3 & S3T Thunderbolt and the X1 Lighting. The Blast is the only model to use a 492 cc, 34 hp single-cylinder engine. The highest performance bike is the Firebolt XB12R and Lighting XB12S with an 1203 cc engine that develops a claimed 103 horsepower (77 kW).
