What Made Buell Illegal

[Zac]

I rode my TZ250 on the street.

I have too, if around-the-block counts  ;D

-z.

[Zac]

Why is it that a "real" production racebike cannot race in any AMA RACING class.  Only modified streetbikes allowed.  Does that make any sense?

I hope the XBRR (and Ducati's closed-course only DS1000 at the club level) bring about a resurgance in production racebikes available from the factories (like the GP bikes of old, sure you can still buy a 2006 TZ from Yamaha, but there is no new developement going on).  In the long run you'll get more bang for the buck buying a purpose built racebike than converting a streetbike and overcoming the compromises that must be made.

If the class is called Formula XTREME - let's keep it extreme.

-z.

[damico]

As for it being legal, if you put your Ed Key glasses on it is legal. But if you look closer at the rules it says the swingarm and engine must be based off the production street bike. The xbrr has a totally new swingarm and engine cases.
I have been building a race XB9 engine over the last month for a customer and have talked with some people who have actually ridden or have been at the tests with the xbrr. And Baker is right the thing will not last the pork chop crank is actually to light and is causing some problems. It locks the rear wheel on decel to the point where it almost will not restart and something about when the pork chop lobe is not quite at the top of its radius and the vertical cylinder fires it puts ton of stress on the primary chain and or the crank. This causes the already famous buell grenade.

[tug296]

The first thing I thought of was, they will have to make 50 of them available with lights and all the street legal stuff, if they came with wiring for lights and were street legal except for epa req., would there still be an argument over the legality of it.
Reminded me of when Bimota was trying to enter races with similar controversy?
Being an old Harley guy, I like the fact that the Buell is going to be racing in the 200. Maybe the AMA is wanting to bring in some Harley fans as they did with the Harley Super Bike program.
It's good for the Sport.

Any predictions on how many will finish 200 angry miles at Daytona?

[Fat_Nate]

That part about the "pork chop crank" and "incredible stress" causing "rear wheel lock-up on decel" sounds really nasty.  Like, for example, coming off the banking into turn one?  Three wide?  Yikes.  Let's hope they get that sorted.

[andy908hamblin]

The reason why Erik made this XBRR, as stated in Roadracing world, was because all of the buells are becoming that you have the know the right people to get it right. He made this bike to be a better shot for a privateer against the people that have tons of people behind them. This bike was built with much thought and testing into the motor to last for a full season as stated in Roadracing world. I thank Erik for making his dream come true and designing such a bike so that i can be competetive agaist the bigger names. i have been racing a XB9R since april of 2002, when i was 15 and i even did a full season with everything stock and still did well. I have put my life on the table for the exposure of my xb9, if anyone remembers i was on the cover of October 2002 Cycle Scene Magazine which right after the shoot i was in a bad accident and in the hospital for 6 weeks.  i have been racing with my buell with slight modification to a 1169 battling xb12's and placed well. I cant wait for the new XBRR to come my way while i will be racing for the awesome people at Harley Davidson of Lakeland Florida and Customworld.com

Doesnt Ducati have a pork chop shapped crank too? the swingarm is basically a xb12 long and i believe the only new thing about the cases is that they are made of slightly lighter metal. I have full faith in this bike and myself and time will tell that this Buell WILL demolish many of its competitors. I will say that i am a proud american that will be aboard a great American Buell motorcycle. If you read the roadracing world article it says 150 HP at the WHEEL. also it says the motor is made differently then the xb12 allowing the use of larger internals. And it also says this motor has the same stroke as a stock XB9R 984cc motor. so i dont know how using a xb12 to make a clone XBRR is possible.

[Suzy]

This is puuuurdy!!  ;D

[Super Dave]

Why is it that a "real" production racebike cannot race in any AMA RACING class.  Only modified streetbikes allowed.  Does that make any sense?.

Completely.  You can buy an XB12R, a CBR, or an R6, etc.

The manufactures want to get out of building production race bikes like TZ's, RXS's, etc.  If they didn't, they would support those classes.  And they didn't support much.  No Suzuki's or Kawasaki's in the 250 class, and Honda's were a bit more rare.  Almost a one make race with Yamaha and the TZ's.  Was still cool, but the writing on the wall was there years ago.

[Super Dave]

As for it being legal, if you put your Ed Key glasses on it is legal. But if you look closer at the rules it says the swingarm and engine must be based off the production street bike. The xbrr has a totally new swingarm and engine cases.

Air cooled twins have the specific exemption in the FX rules to run a different swingarm.  Engine is still based off the XB12R.  Merrill has already ruled on this.  

[Super Dave]

Maybe the AMA is wanting to bring in some Harley fans as they did with the Harley Super Bike program.
It's good for the Sport.

Any predictions on how many will finish 200 angry miles at Daytona?

The 883 program was better.  Racers made some cash, if they could get an H-D dealer involved.  It was a different sound, which is actually very important.  NASCAR wants sound, MotoGP has open pipes, and Henry Degow pays more in ULGP if you run an open pipe.  How many in line fours have you heard?  The Triumph triple will sound good.  The big Buell will add flavor.  

Now we're back to what the two stroke GP bike provided...a different sound.

[251am]

http://www.buell.com/en_us/buell_way/buelltech.asp


 The techies the techies the techies :-X

[badmonkey]

If everybody is so proud of buell and they make so much HP , why do they run lightweight and not middleweight? Can't compete in class they were designed for so put them in a less competitive class to make them shine..  just my 2 cents....