Buell is building a factory racer for Formula Xtreme. The non street legal racer has been designed and purpose built to compete with the other teams at the highest levels. Specs are 150 horsepower from the 1339cc V twin, 362 pounds, five speed, chain drive on 17 inch wheels. The carbon fiber bodywork was refined in the wind tunnel and it looks good. Stopping chores performed by an eight piston front caliper. Cost is $30,995.
Full press release:
EAST TROY, Wis. — (Monday, January 23, 2006) Erik Buell and company come full circle with the introduction of the 2007 Buell XBRR, a limited-edition production racing motorcycle designed exclusively for closed course competition. A spiritual successor to Buell’s first motorcycle, the 1983 RW750, the XBRR is poised to change the face of privateer racing with a professional-level, race-ready, production-based platform featuring top-shelf racing technology and typical Buell innovation.
“The XBRR combines the current culmination of Buell’s leading edge chassis technology and Harley-Davidson’s air-cooled V-Twin powertrain development in a platform designed by and developed for dedicated racers,†said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Buell Motorcycle Company.
For Erik Buell, the XBRR marks a return to his racing roots. As a successful privateer road racer early in his career, Buell eventually built his own race bikes for the AMA’s then-premier Formula 1 class. The RW750 was a hand-built race bike, and it became the first official Buell motorcycle. Two were produced before the AMA discontinued the class after 1985. Buell then translated his race-bred design principles into a line of successful street bikes leading up to the current XB platform.
The Buell XBRR features a modified XB Thunderstorm 1339cc (103.6mm bore x 79.4mm stroke) air/oil-cooled V-Twin motor rated at 150-hp (measured at the crankshaft). The engine is fed by a dual-downdraft 62mm throttle-body electronic fuel injection system and a ram-air intake system integrated with a new wind-tunnel developed carbon fiber fairing.
The XBRR is the first production Buell since the 1988-89 RR1200 to feature a full fairing. Its lightweight carbon design integrates ducts for cooling of the engine and oil cooler. The fairing was extensively wind tunnel tested to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag.
The XBRR chassis is the revolutionary XB design with fuel-in-the-frame and oil-in-the-swingarm, modified with a billet axle adjustment system and chain-drive to allow gearing changes for different race tracks. Suspension travel is managed by fully adjustable Ohlins units, with 43mm front forks and a remote-reservoir rear shock.
A new ZTL2 (Zero Torsional Load) eight-piston front caliper grabs a standard XB front rotor providing outstanding braking performance, but with less weight than conventional designs. New XBRR six-spoke magnesium wheels weigh 33 percent less than standard XB wheels.
Instruments include tachometer, indicator lamps for shift, power on and low oil pressure. The XBRR features a unique Buell Racing paint scheme.
Buell XBRR features:
* 1339cc (81.7 cid) Thunderstorm Powertrain:
o 4.080 inch (103.6 mm) bore and 3.125 inch (79.4mm) stroke
o 12.5:1 compression ratio
o Dual 62 mm down-draft fuel-injection throttle bodies
o WAVE-analyzed header and mass-centralized muffler
o 150+ peak engine horsepower at 8000 rpm (per SAE J607)
o 100 ft. lbs. peak engine torque at 6500 rpm (per SAE J607)
* Black 6-Spoke Cast Magnesium Racing wheels:
o Front: 3.5 inch (88.9mm) x 17 inch (431.8mm) wheel with 120/70R-17 tire
o Rear: 5.5 inch (139.7mm) x 17 inch (431.8mm) wheel with 190/55R-17 tire
* Buell ZTL2reversed rotor front brake with eight-piston Nissin caliper
* Ram Air system integrated with full racing fairing
* Carbon fiber bodywork
* 43mm Ohlins adjustable front suspension with inverted forks
* Ohlins fully-adjustable rear suspension with coil-over monoshock with remote reservoir
* 55-degree lean angle (hard contact)
* 30.5-inch (775 mm) seat height
* 21-degree rake and 3.4-inch (86 mm) trail
* Cast-aluminum swingarm with billet axle adjustment system
o Center position wheelbase 52.8 inches (1341 mm)
o Range wheelbase 51.8 – 53.8 inches (1315 mm – 1367 mm)
* Buell Racing paint scheme
* To accommodate eligibility in a wide variety of racing classes, an engine modification kit will be available to help conform the XBRR to a wide range of class regulations.
Buell will produce 50 XBRR motorcycles with a short initial run in late February and the balance made in April. U.S. MSRP is $30,995.
Buell Firebolt XBRR
The Kneeslider: Buell Motorcycles for sale
aaron says
just looked at the rulebook for formula xtreme http://www.amaproracing.com/prorace/pdf/RR%2006%20Rulebook.pdf
looks like erik buell wrote this rulebook!
“twin cylinder air cooled motorcycles – engine modifications are unlimited”
no joke – this is the only line about air cooled twins…does this include turbo’s?
liquid cooled – well to sum up the mess of limitations, you can use aftermarket cams, but some things you see on fancy production street bikes are prohibited- variable length intake tracts like the new MV agusta for example.
I wonder if yamaha would do well to try a limited run short stroke mt01 next to the r6?
hoyt says
A revised MT-01 would do well in the showroom too.
I’d like to see Guzzi put the MGS-01 into this series. With Guzzi’s return to racing and the new BMW Boxer & 1000 DS Supersport bikes from Ducati(air-cooled), this could be the best racing besides MotoGP. Racing fans and racers would see bikes from Japan, Europe (3), & USA.
I’ve posted something similar to this on a Guzzi forum and some of them responded that it would turn into a Ducati/Buell fest. Maybe, but I wouldn’t count out the new BMW. Plus, a Lemans-type series would be loads of fun….different bikes in different classes racing at the same time. A tribute to the air-cooled origins of motorcycling.
Prester John says
I think the rules are written the way they are because 4cyl’s already have Supersport and Superstock and the AMA would love to involve the factories, aftermarket and legions of fans of twins (Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, H-D, KTM, Guzzi – and for that matter, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha) in a race series.
The AMA might be dreaming about 600,000 folks cheering an HDI product at Dayton, but for a gear head, who wins would be small matter compared to the joy of being at trackside _hearing_ the different engines race by.
Burt Munro, call your office!
Tom
aaron says
the biggest problem with inviting competition from the others is the difficulty in getting a 1340cc machine… ducati dosen’t have a hope in hell, the ds aircooled engines probably would turn into gernades before 1150cc and the guzzi big bore kit being marketed adds liquid cooled heads, so no luck there… for ducati I think the ama would alter the rules to differenciate between push rods and desmo OHC also…and both bmw and ducati could be refered to as “liquid cooled” by some rule enforcers due to oil cooling assisting the air…
hmmm, the mgs-01 guzzi is looking like the best of the europeans here, just need a swallower chain drive conversion kit………..
todd says
all engines are cooled in some degree by oil. Oil is a liquid. Aaron brought up a good point that might actually disqualify Buell if one were to look at things this way without further rule clarification. If oil circulates anywhere in the head or splashes onto the underside of the piston then the motor is liquid cooled (in this case oil), but not as a primary source of cooling. Now one only has to determine whether the air or oil is the primary source of engine cooling…
Ahh, rules.
-todd
hoyt says
The Swallower is a cool setup for changing gear sets per track, but I think the MGS-01 would do fine with shaft drive