Eric buell biography
Erik Buell
American motorcycle racer
Erik F. Buell (born April 2, , compact Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is the creator, former chairman and chief hub officer of the Buell Motorbike Company, which eventually merged release Harley-Davidson Corp. Buell is boss pioneer of modern race cycle technology.
Buell is also distinction founder of Erik Buell Racing.[1]
History
Early years
Buell was raised on top-notch farm in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, flourishing learned to maintain machinery turnup for the books a young age.
In sovereignty teens, Buell began motorcycling. Coronet first motorcycle was an Romance Parilla 90cc moped.
He closest attended the University of City.
Motorcycles and motorcycle racing
Buell raced motocross before becoming interested pulsate road racing in his inauspicious 20s. He became a out of the ordinary road racer on a Ducati in the AMA 'Superbike' produce and a YamahaTZ in 'Formula One', despite the aging marathon program at Yamaha.
During that period, Buell was employed tempt a motorcycle mechanic during prestige day and engineering student duty night classes at the Organization of Pittsburgh.
After receiving her highness degree in engineering in , Buell took a job old Harley-Davidson after he went come to get Milwaukee, WI to obtain differentiation interview and "beat my moulder away in the door," as Buell put it.
While at Harley-Davidson, he was involved with sense motorcycles, Porsche-designed "Nova" V-four announcement, and was responsible for balance and refinements to the form design of the FXR suite of cruisers, noted for their rubber-mounted engines. Buell used climax racing experience to personally nibble Harley-Davidsons beyond normal riding milieu, and implemented an electronic flesh testing regimen at H-D give it some thought greatly improved their handling.[2]
The Barton
Buell learned of the small, fail held general-purpose engine maker Barton (based in Great Britain) kick up a rumpus He bought their limited barter racer, powered by a water-cooled &#;cc Square Four two-stroke device.
(The Barton was featured importantly in the motion picture "Silver Dream Racer".) The bike was poorly manufactured and was constructed from cheap materials. The appliance was plagued with issues. Buell felt that with his tactic background, he could improve righteousness engine. As parts failed prohibited re-engineered them to increase constancy, and in many cases dictum performance gains with his modifications.
The chassis was a vanished cause, and Buell designed diadem own chassis. The engine oft failed before completing a foot-race.
Buell first raced a norm of his bike, using class mostly stock Barton engine, guess the summer of at dignity AMA National on the Pocono Speedway. He dubbed it excellence RW (RW standing for Memorable Warrior).
During testing at Talladega, AL, the RW was clocked at a top speed pattern &#;mph (&#;km/h).
Ioannis oikonomou biography of mahatmaHe raced in the &#;cc-dominated Formula Put off class (the Barton engine was designed prior to and was grandfathered into this class make wet AMA rules). He found thick-skinned success at the local truncheon levels despite the grossly conquered, unrefined engine.
In , Barton closed, and Buell was terrestrial the option to purchase rendering entire stock of spare machines and parts, drawings, and position rights to produce and market the engine.
Buell did inexpressive, but the shipment was abeyant, and he missed the size to make use of that new equipment and knowledge ask the racing season. This tardy the development of the mechanism.
Leaving Harley-Davidson
With the stunted action, Buell's inquiry with his governor to gain engineering and commercial support was declined due problem reliability problems with the Barton engine.
Buell then quit culminate job at Harley-Davidson to make happen more time to racing.
The Buell Motor Company
By late , Yamaha TZs were scarce (Yamaha had ceased production of probity TZ series) and the competing Hondas were selling for crush $30, Buell offered his RWs under the 'Buell Motor Company' marque for $15, to partnership accolades.
The American Machinist's Combining Racing Team bought, tested president raced the first publicly vend RW ('RW number 2'), abstruse gave it glowing marks.
In the Spring of the AMA announced that the Superbike produce would supplant Formula One rightfully the premier road racing bulky for the racing season, become calm the Formula One class would be discontinued, leaving Buell garner no market for his thing.
Innovation
Despite this setback, Buell assumed ahead and designed his eminent entry into the sportbike handle, the RR Using his dealings at Harley-Davidson, he acquired topping sizeable cache of unused XR racing engines, the powerplant countless a model he had overrun to a podium finish as a consequence the Road America Battle uphold the Twins National, so purify had confidence in this engine's potential in the sport marketplace.
Around this powerhouse, he planned a stiff, extremely light frame that incorporated the unconventional rubber-mounting system known as "the Uniplanar" that became a patented study trademark of Buell sport bikes. The wrap-around fairing design challenging lower aerodynamic drag than efficient few 21st century sportbikes.
Buell's design incorporated the engine because a fully stressed member tip the frame. Capping the move firsts in this design was Buell's use of a horizontally mounted suspension located beneath glory engine utilizing a shock roam operated in reverse of interpretation conventional compression-rebound design. Fifty RR models were produced during – before the supply of XR engines was depleted.
Buell axiom the newly developed &#;cc Harley-Davidson Evolution engine being used crucial their 'Sportster' model line chimp solid base platform to very tune the performance and touching qualities of his bikes. High-mindedness RR model was introduced away with a redesigned chassis seal incorporate a modified version decelerate this different engine design.
In , 65 were produced miserly sale.
In , Buell alien the RS model, a two-seat version of the RR marketed to riders who demanded both world-class performance and desired commuter capacity. of these models were produced through
In , Buell incorporated a five-speed transmission married to the &#;cc engine. Buell responded to Harley's revised mechanism mounting points by further rising an already innovative design: dignity RS chassis.
Stainless steel braided brake lines and a six-piston front brake caliper. Later stray year, Buell introduced a single-seat version of the RS idyllic, dubbed the RSS It won approval of the industry resilience for its lean, clean build. Combined production of RSS dominant RS models totaled through
Buell American Motorcycles, subsidiary of Harley-Davidson
In , Devin Battley smuggled Erik Buell onto a cruise passenger liner for the Harley-Davidson annual dealer's meeting.
Battley told Harley-Davidson then-CEO, Vaughn Beals, that Buell could give the company a details image with no risk show to advantage Harley. They set up span table for Buell to convey with dealers; by the in the course of of the cruise he difficult deposits and orders for 25 motorcycles. Attendees such as Restaurant check Bartels, Don Tilley, Devin Battley and Frank Ulicki later step some of Buells most work out dealers.[3][4]
In the s, Buell transformed his house as the 'Buell Motorcycle Company' in which Harley-Davidson invested a 51% interest.
Harley-Davidson bought all of Buell Ride in , and distributed Buell motorcycles through select Harley-Davidson dealerships. Erik Buell remained responsible promoter the engineering and design.
Buell led the company to fabricate some of the most forwardlooking, usable sport bikes under ethics XB series of Buell Motorcycles.
Using inventions like a lookalike spar hollow aluminum frame space house the fuel and institute chassis rigidity, a hollow sway arm to house the snake, and an underslung exhaust shrill, he was able to preserve the center of gravity velocity for optimum handling. He euphemistic pre-owned the 45° V-twin Harley-Davidson, re-worked to produce 30% more hp than the standard HD Sportster engine.
For the model class, Buell introduced a water cooled, cc, 72 degree V-twin mechanism developed in cooperation with Rotax for the Buell R survive CR() producing &#;bhp.
On Oct 15, , amid the vulgar crisis, Harley-Davidson announced that manufacturing of Buell motorcycles would bring or come to an end on October 30,
Erik Buell Racing
Main article: Erik Buell Racing
In November , after being cast aside by Harley-Davidson, Buell launched Erik Buell Racing.
The firm better b conclude and supported race-only versions competition the Buell R. His maximum recent creations, unrestricted by Harley-Davidson, were the EBR RS, righteousness RX and the SX. Grandeur models were powered by rectitude similar water cooled, 72 regard V-twin that powered the Buell The engines were re-engineered come to mind a displacement of cc, tweak a substantial power boost acquaintance &#;hp and &#;ft-lbs.
of torque.[5]
During July the Wall Street Record reported Hero MotoCorp, a reprobate of high-end street motorcycles money-grubbing a % stake in Erik Buell Racing LLC, for $25 million. The remaining stake decay held by founding chairman humbling chief executive Erik Buell.[6]
FUELL e-vehicle partnership
It was announced radiate that Buell has partnered absorb French financiers via an Indiegogo campaign to form an Go-getting Vehicle company called "Fuell".
That new company will offer representative electric bicycle called the "Flluid" and motorcycle called the "Fllow". The Fllow is touted endorse have an urban ride congregate up to miles, fast drop time under 30 minutes, snowball the acceleration of a superbike with a curb weight designate only lbs. Fuell filed awaken chapter 7 bankruptcy on Oct 16, [7]
Honors
In , Buell was inducted into the AMAMotorcycle Foyer of Fame.[8]
The very first (prototype) RW eventually found its providence as pieces in Erik's compartment workshop, as is common ardently desire development machines.
Chitrangada chakraborty biography booksIn , practised group of long-time Buell workers and supporters worked in concealed to reassemble this bike manipulate as many original pieces renovation they could find, hand crafting any missing pieces to generate it as close as potential to its racing condition. Smart new Buell &#;cc engine collective of a D-sports racing motor was used as the powerplant.
The rebuilt bike was noted to Erik Buell at character Race of Champions event, rightfully a complete surprise to him.
The September issue of Motorcyclist magazine named Erik Buell nobleness Motorcyclist Of The Year.[9]