The Kneeslider

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BOTT XR-1 Progress Continues with Chassis Design

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BOTT XR-1 chassis for Buell XB engine
Bottpower BOTT XR-1 chassis for Buell XB engine

David Sánchez sent me an update on the BOTT XR-1 project. The chassis design is finished, they’ve built the jig and they’re beginning to weld the first unit. Because of the positive response to their initial renderings, they have decided to go ahead with the creation of a kit so you’ll be able to take a Buell XB and transform it into your very own BOTT XR-1.

The frame was impossible to see in the initial images of the complete bike so they created quite a few views of the chassis design. It looks compact and strong. They’re promising photos very soon.

Like I said when writing about those initial images, this might be a good time to start looking for a used Buell XB. At 375 pounds, the BOTT XR-1 should be one helluva lot of fun and is an absolute featherweight compared to an XR1200. Very nice!

Link: Bottpower

BOTT XR-1 chassis for Buell XB engine
BOTT XR-1 chassis for Buell XB engine

Comments

  1. Nice work. If I get a set-up like this will it make me a faster rider? My Ducati seems to be slowing me down from achieving outright perfection…

    I’m not familiar with the original Buell “isolastic” design. Does this reuse those components or are they all new?

    -todd

    • todd, the XR-1 uses the same Buell engine mounting system.
      Because we are making a kit to transform a Buell into a BOTT XR-1, we try to use as many components from the original Buell as possible, in order to keep cost low.

  2. Nice looking, but it is defeating the purpose of a Buell. The fuel in frame made the center of gravity lower in order to handle better, taking the fuel in frame design away, you have a nothing but a really nice sounding vtwin sport bike. Right?

      • hmmm…. okay I’m interested. It has potential, I got a spare swingarm, and motor….definitely will be watching this project progress. Good Job!

  3. David, I was looking at an older Buell a few weeks ago and its front mount was tied off the generator base in the front of the engine. Was that moved? Secondly, harley barrels move a lot – does the stress from the mounts affect anything? I`ve read people`s opinions (here) that mounting stresses will distort cylinders.

    • Hi Paulinator, the Buell engine has 2 main mounting points (one just behind the steering head and another one at the rear end of the chassis) which are made thorugh rubber. Appart of those, it has 3 “secondary” mounting points, made through rod ends. One is also at the rear of the chassis, the other one is in the rear cylinder head and the third one is at the front, in the steering head area. This is the one you mean. We are using all the mounting points except this third one. We want to experiment with it when we test our bike. Anyway the chassis is ready to use it (with those small cylinders that you can see just behind the steering head).
      Regaring stress caused by vibrations, we use the Buell isolastic system. With this I mean that we take the parts (let’s call them silentblocks) from the donor bike and use them in our bike.
      This means that the engine is not attached in a rigid way, so there is not stress.

  4. I imagine you can come up with some sort of bracketry that ties the two heads together making the top end stronger – much like a fork brace. Maybe it could tie into the original isolator location but rigidly span both heads (retaining an isolator). Putting one on both sides of the head would be ideal obviously. This would be easier to install than a set of plates in between the head and the cylinder, directly tying the cylinder studs together. Maybe this has been tried before?

    -todd

    • Hi todd, our intention is to keep it simple and use the Buell isolastic system as it is. I thikn that Buell had a lot of time and means to experiment with it, so for sure that they arrived to a very good solution. And using this system will help us to keep the cost low.
      We just want to experiment a little bit with one of the 3 secondary mounting points (just because the aesthetics).

  5. What a great looking bike. I really wish you all the best on its production and only hope the finished result is relatively afordable so many others can get them on the streets. cheers Troy

    • Hi Big Troy, we are working to try to offer a very afordable kit. I think that using a lot of parts from the donor bike will help to achieve a low cost kit.

  8. Well I’ll be damned…that looks like the same configuration as my 1981 XV920RH! I knew yamaha was onto something.

  9. OK. I like the concept…and I like the Buell. I never rode a Buell, but I put thousands of miles on my old Norton. It had an amazing Isolastic set-up…way better than the furniture that my mife made me sell it for. Furniture`s gone now, but I still have the wife. She`s pretty comfortable, too.

  10. I wonder if a “normal”Sportster motor would work in this frame, Much easier to sourse than the Buell, thus cheeper. Its fairly simple to Hop Up a Sporty engine to a high torque 90 HP unit.

  11. Im impressed with the picture but I really don’t understand the clear purpose/improvement over a “regular” Buell. Seems like an alternative Buell rather than a clearly better Buell worth the cost and effort. I would be somewhat concerned that there is no left/right torsional support for the lower front of the motor and the difficulty of solid mount supports for the footpegs. FWIW, I basically did the same thing years ago (built a bolt on frame for a Buell that hung the motor from the head and rear motor mount).

    • I think this is more of an alternative to the XR Harley than an alt. Buell.

      David – very nice! Will you incorporate the Both Power logo as the taillight and turn signals in one?

    • Yes, it does look like the motor (together with the rear arm and wheel) will try to move torsionally along the length of the bike – or basically the front wheel will twist the neck and top tube. It’s hard to tell but the bottom U mount on the rear-most isolator is all there is to resist this movement. It’s not clear how much the front mount will resist this or allow it as an isolation point. At least the drive belt will always be in alignment. I’m not familiar enough with Buells (other than riding them) to know if this how it’s done on those as well.

      -todd

      • Hi todd, appart of the 2 main mounting points (front and rear of the chassis) you have 2 extra mounting points (through rod ends) to resist that twist, plus a 3rd one that we will add at the front if we consider it necessary after testing the bike. This is the same system that the Buell XB is using.
        You can be sure that we won’t release a bike which doesn’t handle at least as well as the original Buell. 🙂

  12. a deep dent in the xb’s tank/frame will total it…this is an excellent solution and great excuse to pick up a salvage post tuber. if the kit price is right.

  13. My old tube framed Buell frame weighed in @ 26lbs.
    There are times when I wish I had it back.
    The price of that Olins shock would probably pay for 1/2 of a good donor Buell.

  15. David – would someone be able to buy just the frame & lower fuel tank and not the entire kit? This frame would make an existing Firebolt look even better

  16. While I like the Vib Iso Mounts, they seem very close to a line that won’t be stiff laterally. Possibly 2 soft mounts either side of the fwd head (where the hard mounts are at present) & a hard mount at the frame? Maybe similar ar the rear of the trans?

    Other than that, What a Beauty this will be! GSXR fwd & aft wheels & brakes. Fairing like Britten (min frontal area, shows most of the machinery, low frontal area even if Cd is less than optimum.

    Won’t find many like that around!

    Lotsa Luck Guys!

    Please, keep us all posted.

    Gus

  17. I wonder if this frame will take the Buell SS heads w the downdraft.vertical carbs. Will S&S make some SS heads to fit?

    Gus

  19. Very nice. I hate the styling of the Buells but LOVE how dirt track Harleys look. I hope it can be sold for a reasonable price.

  20. You’ll get my X1 as a donor when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. However, after some thought, I no longer hate this design. Still not for me, but it’s pretty cool, from the dirt-track Harley perspective like Pete said, and it’s a good option for somebody with a crashed XB. Furthermore, I have lots of respect for those who are actually designing and building projects like this. Nice work.