daywalker wrote:
Very gorgeous bike. But only 1000cc?
Taken from the Spring 2008 issue of UKBEG's American Thunder - History of Buell feature:
The first motorcycle designed and built by Erik Buell was the RW750 in 1983. This was a 750cc, two-stroke, “square-four”, rotary-valve racing machine designed specifically to compete in the AMA Formula One road racing class. A prototype RW750 first hit the track in the AMA National at Pocono Speedway in the summer of 1983. Buell continued extensive testing and development work on the bike throughout that summer and into the autumn. His success was measured during testing at Talladega, Alabama, where it was clocked at a top speed of 178 mph. Development on the RW750 continued through 1984, a production version was released in the autumn. Just one RW750 was sold to the American Machinists Racing Team before the AMA announced that 1985 would be the last year of Formula One racing. An announcement that Superbikes would occupy the premier race class in 1986 effectively eliminated any market for the RW750.
Crushing as that may have been to lesser builders, Buell viewed the rules change simply as a setback. He went back to work, this time aiming squarely at the goal of building the first world-class sport bike designed and built in the USA. Tapping his knowledge of what works on the racetrack and his experience as a Harley-Davidson engineer,
Erik Buell designed his first entry into the sport bike market, the RR1000. Powered by the Harley-Davidson XR1000 engine, the stiff, light chassis was designed to allow rubber-mounting that became a patented engineering “trademark” of Buell sport bikes. Buell’s design also utilised the engine as a fully stressed member of the frame. Capping the engineering firsts was Buell’s use of a rear suspension mounted beneath the motor and a shock that operated in reverse of the conventional compression-rebound practice. A total of 50 RR1000 models were produced during 1987-88 before the remaining XR1000 engines were depleted.Buell saw the new 1203cc Harley-Davidson Evolution engine as an opportunity to continue tuning the performance and handling qualities of his bikes. With that in mind, he began redesigning the chassis to accommodate the 1203.
_________________
Chris & Jane Jessop
Founders of UKBEG April 1998
www.ukbuellgroup.co.uk
Register
Login
FAQ
Search
and both not for sale been asking for a year or two now 
