Buell Conversion Kit From Fusion Motorcycles
September 18th, 2008 at 9:09 am by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider"
Remember “The Machine” from Fusion Motorcycles? Well, Will Thibeault has been hard at work on something a lot of you may find interesting, he’s designed a conversion kit that will transform your donor Buell into a custom with killer looks.
Will’s kit uses a billet T6 aluminum bolt together frame with a built in oil tank, a 60 inch wheelbase and 33 degrees of rake. The Buell Thunderstorm motor, Buell forks, Buell six piston caliper and Buell rear caliper, all come from the donor bike.
The bike shown in these photos is for a customer with a lot of custom touches, a hard carbon fiber seat (customer request, Will prefers padded), Piaa head lights..same as he used on The Machine, Will’s own stainless pipes and Fusion Motorcycles billet 18″ wheels, 240 on the rear and 130 up front. Rear turn signals are LED.
According to Will:
The future bikes will have front and rear carbon fenders, and will be totally road legal. The Frame kits will include: frame, seat, rear shock, swing arm, oil tank, and gas tank for $4,500. For less than $10,000 a person can build their own w/ the purchase of a donor Buell. We will build the complete bike “road legal” for $19,500 and there are always the options of whatever you could think of i.e. carbon wheel, S&S motors, front ends and Ti frames
There are quite a few guys building choppers and all sorts of bikes from Buell parts and pieces but, in my opinion, this kit has just the right look. There seems to be a Confederate Hellcat influence, which is a good thing since I like the Hellcat, but overall, for the money, I don’t see how you could go wrong here. Anyone with a Buell who is thinking about getting another bike, might want to consider this kit first, you get a completely different look and you already own half of the necessary parts. I like this, a lot. I have to think a lot of guys are going to start looking for a good used Buell and making a bit of work room in their garage. Nice work, Will!
UPDATE: Will Thibeault has added a few comments below about his kit
More photos and link below:
Link: Fusion Motorcycles
Posted in Motorcycle Builders, Motorcycle Design
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51 Responses to “Buell Conversion Kit From Fusion Motorcycles”
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September 18th, 2008 at 9:20 am
OK, looks cool. But why would you take a bike like the Thunderbolt that was designed to be_ridden_and spend 10K to make it into a basically useless bar-hopper (albeit cool looking)? Unless yer in the market for a bar-hopper. Then for 10K, wouldn’t an sweet ol’ skool Triumph chopper or XR-ish street tracker make more sense?
September 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am
So ditch the perimeter brakes, ditch the fuel-in-frame, ditch the handling…
Erik Buell must be proud.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:49 am
If you want a stock Buell or a sportbike, then this is not for you, there are plenty of options in that segment. But you might want to check a few other Buell conversions and compare them with this to see what a nice bit of work Will has done. Though this will not be a sportbike, I highly doubt it’s going to be some sort of ill handling slug.
If someone is looking for a cool custom you can have fun riding, this fills the bill quite nicely. Sportbike riders and Buell purists, move along please, there’s nothing for you to see here.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
That’s what I’m talking about … love it
September 18th, 2008 at 10:01 am
The entire frame appears to be water jet and machined aluminum plate construction, Cool.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:04 am
The rear shock mounted to the seat could be…shocking??
Overall, a nice take on a modern bobber, but needs a girder fork.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I have always been told to keep the pipes the same length. that rear pipe coming all the way forward doesn’t look right.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
It reminds one of the Confederate except @40K cheaper. Glad to see someone doing something different for a frame construction methodology.
Curious what the longevity of the frame will be with that vibrating engine in it at 30K miles plus and suspension forces input from riding on the road…
September 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Nice job Will. A knockoff Hellcat for $19,500? Hell, you might be on to something! I saw a Chinese gen-one Hellcat knockoff at a dealer show once. Except it was 3/4 scale and had a scooter engine!
September 18th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I’m glad I’m not the only one that was worried about the vibration/bolt together frame issue. My thought is IF its put together at the shop, instead of by the customer, it SHOULD be ok. Re-torquing of the frame bolts would be a must at regular service intervals I’d think either way.
It looks amazing, and the girder forks they offer are the icing on the cake for this machine. Picturing it with a 2 into 1 exhaust, a short sport bike rear fender and front fender and the RIGHT TSSM setup it would look great! Add a supercharger hanging off the side to complete the look and you have one NICE “radical” street fighter.
Good job, and should I find a salvaged Buell, I think I know what I’d be building.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I’ve often though about putting a Buell engine into a custom bike. The buell is the engine the Sporster should have it in if Harley wasn’t too concerned about the sound of the bike. It vibrates less, better gas mileage, and has better HP/Torque which is a win for me.
If Harley ever offered the Buell engine in a Sporster proper I’d buy that bike in a heart beat. If I had a Buell or if I could find a beater buell cheap enough I’d consider one of these just as quickly.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
to Sean
the thunderbolt engine came from a bike that did not have fuel in the frame or a perimeter brake.
i think it looks very functional. especially when compared to other buell rebuilds i’ve seen.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Guy’s & Gal’s,
Before you get all excited about one more under engineered custom, please look at the left side exhaust pipe. Think about you inner leg close to your under pants, can you spell “HOT”. I have used exhaust rapp on more race cars than I can count, it only stops the “mega burn”.
The rear drive belt has the tensioner on the drive side of the belt, not the slack side. There is a reason that all 10 million bicycles built each year, put the derailer on the slack side of the chain. Do yourself & your wallet a favor and purchase your next bike from a company that actually has an engineering department.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
taxman - I didn’t realize that, I though all Buells had those features and although I can see the draw of this kind of bike I wondered why those awesome features wouldn’t be at least carried over.
I stand corrected
September 18th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Hell yes! Like a confederate hellcat!
I would build this just like in the pictures except with a girder fork/penske monoshock setup.
Really like it.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
What a waste of a perfectly good Buell. Have fun
getting this thing registered. Have more fun
waiting for parts when something breaks or you
crash it.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
To Brian,
You mean like cofederate had for the first 10yrs.
Only hand sketches on scrap paper from welders and machinists. What a joke.
As far as knock off..well the customer of this bike didn’t have the $85,000, so this is what he wanted. Overall looks good for 25% of the cost.And really you shoudn’t take things so serious, because not every one has the big dllars for the G2. The exhaust is also the customers idea, I agree that a 2 into 1 would be more functional and fitting for this bike.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
ouch..that looks painful!
September 18th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
For everyone all worried about the exhaust, re-read the post, the exhaust is not included in the kit so you can do whatever you want. If you had this one, it would take what, 5 minutes to remove the pipes? Then you could build your perfect setup. As Will states, this one is for a customer and built to his specs.
Ross, “waiting for parts,” a lot of what’s here is stock Buell. The rest could be repaired or if totally destroyed, you write it off. What’s the issue?
September 18th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I was still wondering how the belt tensioner would work before I read Brians post. It looks more like a fixed idler wheel. Can you see some sort of pivot for it?
It would be pretty cool to put an old triumph or XS650 motor in it, more authentic. I don’t find throw away Buell donors all that often. More likely is an actual worked Sportster motor for cheap.
What’s the benefit of this kit over a modified stocker frame or other, cheaper alternatives?
-todd
September 18th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Don’t care if this bike has been build by engineers or monkeys, or if the perimeter brakes don’t contain the oil, it still looks like a damn good looking stuff, specially for the price.
I want one
September 18th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Looks like a modern ride-able bobber at a very affordable price. I see no reason why the exhaust or other items can’t be changed to suit the owners needs.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Please don’t missunderstand me. Anybody can build just about any kind of a bike that they want to and get it registered in most states. Building it for sale, (for money), to the general public is a completely different matter. It then comes under state & fed. laws, even in very low numbers. There are so many things that are illegal on this bike, as to make it almost crazy to think he would sell it. The customer isn’t respondsible or liable, the builder is. There were about 100 big chopper builders 3 years ago, now there are only a handfull. S&S has let go about 33% of there workforce, with more reductions to follow. Mostly, the bikes were too expensive, they didn’t work very well, and you could not resell “your idea” of a dream bike.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Brian,
This bike was built for a customer to his own specs. A production bike would be DOT legal in accordance with state and federal law. Any one can take a legal bike then modify it to the point where it is no longer a street legal machine. If you just keep looking at this one bike, your right, this does not have an epa cert muffler, or front turn signals along with other things. Then again the vertical mount plate holder on the Confederates alone will make it fail many state dot inspections, never mind the exhaust.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Getting this registered as anything other than
a U-Build in Canada would be impossible. No big deal if you keep it forever. The Bluebook will
never have a listing for a “2008 Fred Jones”.
Damage one of those frame spars or the swingarm
and see how long it takes to get a replacement.
I’d be surprised if these folks have any or enough
product liability insurance. While I can appreciate the time and effort thats gone into this m/c, The look however does nothing for me.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Todd,
We are working a kit for Ducati air cooled engines now, as well as a triumph. as far as the belt tensioner, It has two sealed ball bearings, it does rotate. The bike also has one one the bottom side as well “after the pics”. The tensioners are fixed in position, no ajustment like the new Buell XB’s
September 18th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Brian (not Case),
Please post some examples of your supremely engineered motorcycles.
While you are at it, fill us in on the results of “your” company’s AMA superbike results.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I like it. I would love to own a Confederate, but I don’t have that kind of disposable money, and I’m better off than a lot of people.
Maybe Confederate’s market will “always” be there, despite the economy and the stock market. Not my style.
Go Fusion!
September 19th, 2008 at 12:27 am
That’s a fine lookin’ motorbike.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Very good looking bike!
Belt tensioner really needs sorting.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Golly Gee,
I’d be glad to sent you a few photo’s, give me an email.
Brian
September 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Brian,
You should send them to Paul, we’d all love to see your machines right here on The Kneeslider.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Brian,
Unless you are ashamed of your work, how about raising the level of submissions?
http://thekneeslider.com/contact/
Seriously, if for nobody else, I could use the inspiration. If Kneeslider wants to give you my email address, hey, great - he has it. I agree with you more than you know, but I don’t laugh at my young childrens’ artwork, either.
There’s a reason why guys like Burt Rutan aren’t motorcycle designers/engineers…….
September 19th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Will, I suspect side mount tag plates are not a problem, as evidenced on the new ‘09 Harley Sportster. The US regs are not hard to follow, and they’re a whole lot better than Euro/TUV.
Also, I believe it’s a good idea to have the tensioner on the slack side, and new ones are even spring loaded to compensate for the change in swing arm pivot length.
I definitely would not put any idler on the drive side. I’m assuming you did this to get the bike together and you’ll fix it later. And, I know belt guards look hideous, but the smallest pebble caught between the slack side and the rear sprocket can snap a belt in a jiffy. Shrapnel in the leg is no fun. Seen it happen personally. But, use this as an opportunity to design your own minimal belt guard, possibly out of bent lasercut aluminum. Simple but effective.
I think you would have enjoyed the Gen-two years. It was a trip, that’s for sure. Maybe one day we’ll swap stories over a beer…
September 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Sweet bike, there’s lots of nice stuff going on there.
Does anyone remember ATK motorcycles? If I remember correctly, there was a tensioner on the drive side of the chain. This was an innovation from Horst Leitner, the suspension engineer who has done so much for mountain bike suspensions.
The theory, if I understand it, was that with drivetrain forces at a 90 degree angle to the ground, the suspension wouldn’t lock up/squat under power.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
B.Case
Buell belts do not break that easy. Look at the Uly. They are now made by Goodyear. They can take a rock.
The biggest problem i see and hear is the frame and exhaust. it is critical for motor longevity and optimal power to have the right back pressure and to have the same front and back. these two pipes do not have the same back pressure. The buell race bike has a chain conversion. just wondering why this still has the belt.
September 20th, 2008 at 8:43 am
B. Case,
I would have loved to work on the G2 with you guys. The only reason I left was my family,,,wife wanted to be near them when she had our son. I think the belt gaurd is a good idea, will consider one for future projects. I also agree with the idle pulley on the power side, should be changed.
Thanks for the contuctive criticism. Thats why this is a good place for the bikes to be seen.
I might have to take you up on the beer one day.
September 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Derek,
The belt was what the customer wanted, I myself like chains, same with the exhaust, a tuned 2 into 1 would be best. But like I said this one was for a customer,,, a custom bike. The bottom line is we have to make the customer happy.
Will
September 20th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Derek, like I said, I’ve seen them break personally. But that’s just the nature of belts, regardless how much kevlar is used. They are not meant to stretch. I have nothing against belts, but they do need to be protected, like they are on Buells. The Ulysses has a significant amount of guarding around the area i’m referring to. No guarding=broken belt.
September 20th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Not my cup of tea but it looks cool . I would like to see a Buell motor in a featherbed frame and clubman bars . A little modern/retro .
September 20th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
To be more specific an Aircooled Buell motor . Just to not confused with the CR1125 .
September 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am
Funny that sure looks a lot like a Confederate MC Hellcat …. !
Not that that’s a bad thing …. but still ….
September 21st, 2008 at 8:23 am
Why the dipstick in the oil tank with such a large sight glass ? Just a detail I noticed .
September 21st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Jeff,
Oil temp.
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:29 am
First off, I like the bike. I think it looks great and I definitely encourage you guys to keep it up. Giving the customer what they want, and as long as the bike’s safe and they’re happy, well then I think everyone wins.
I was curious about this tensioner assembly that Roderick mentioned about on old ATK dirtbikes, and it turns out the ATK dirtbike did have such a device, but it actually tensioned the chain on the drive side and slack side of the chain (the patent is here: http://www.amp-research.com/company/patent.asp#). The name ATK actually stands for Anti-Tension Kettenantrieb, which is actually the name of the assembly of this tenioner system. Interesting.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Will,
I don’t know how long you have been in business, but from my experiance, the customer is not always right. That exhaust looks like crap and probibly functions the same. this customer was wrong. looks wise the exhaust is my only problem. the rest of the thing is awsome. Keep up the good work. but try not to do everything a cusomer wants in the future.
October 26th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
will
Love the bike, will any year buell work with this kit? Also is that a carbon tank? I just decided last week to start saving to build a bike, and was thinking about using a Redneck Engineering frame untill today when found this page. And like most people on here i cant afford a CM Hellcat. So when i get ready i will be giving you a call.
gearhead
November 5th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Will
Love it, would modify to my own style, but great would be a hit here in Australia have been on plenty of compliant reliable bikes that look like only a commuting NERD would ride something to be said for a bike that make you feel good to own and proud to ride I bet you park this beside a group of goldwings and the chicks will be around the Fusion for sure.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:37 am
WOW!! Killer Looks!! I already started looking for a Buell donor bike. Sign me up for a U-build it kit.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I am the owner of this bike I would be happy to speak with any of you about it and its performance or lack there of.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:10 am
in fact feel free to call 413-329-7938