It looks like we didn’t have to wait until tomorrow to see the 2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS finally out in the open (and with its clothes on this time). Finally breaking cover, we can see the details of the EBR 1190RS that Erik Buell has been hiding from his fans for all this time. Called the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Carbon Edition, the name implies what material the bike mostly consists of, as this is supposed to be the premium model that will be sold in limited quantities to help get the 1190RS homologated for racing duty.
Only 100 or so models are needed for such a purpose, meaning this will be limited-run, and one expensive endevour for the intrepid few (Buell isn’t quoting prices just yet, but Ducati 1198R prices are being banded about). While the high-cost will keep many Buell fans left out in the cold, cheaper, more production-ready examples of the 1190RS are expected down the line. It seems Erik Buell Racing wants the 1190RS Carbon Edition to be its halo bike, as the company looks to recreate a dealer network, woo investors, and begin racing on a more even playing field with the other 1,200cc racing v-twins and 1,000 racing inline-fours.
From the photos we can see EBR’s new lighter magnesium wheel design, and while power figures aren’t available (the race-ready EBR 1190RR, which the 1190RS is based off of, makes 185hp), the bike is said to be on the anorexic side of the scale…the race kit even includes ballast to help meet minimum weight requirements (which come in around 380 lbs wet sans fuel). Other items include the dual-muffler exhaust we’ve been moaning about for a while, but there is apparently some method to the madness as the exhaust can we’ve seen in spy photos is the second stage to the muffler system, which is located in the belly pan of the EBR 1190RS. This design helps lower the Cg, meet emission and noise regulations across the world, and doesn’t suck too much power from the peppy v-twin motor. Ok, those are good things Erik, but we’ll still be excited for a nice aftermarket option.
Styling will be subjective, but we happen to like the double-stacked headlight look that EBR has done here, while the mirrors with their integrated turn signals stick out oddly at us (and by oddly we mean the bike looks depressed). Looking at the bike head-on you can see the teardrop design in the fairings, which should make for good ground clearance (like on previous Buell models). Of course our favorite color for any motorcycle is going to be carbon black, which the EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition has plenty of in spades. We’ll live with the minimalist tail, and cardboard looking race seat…we’ll even live with those funky mirrors as they’re not needed where this bike was born to thrive.
Of course the thing no one is talking about yet is whether the EBR 1190RS can sell itself on the the merits, like Erik Buell originally intended, or is it back to appealing to people’s sentiments to move models out of the dealer doorway. While the technical specifications are presumably present this time around, we suspect the price tag will be a deal-breaker for everyone but the most loyal of Buell fans (that could very well be the intention though). Compare the EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition’s expected price of nearly $40,000 to the offerings of KTM, Ducati, and Aprilia, and see where customers come down on their purchasing decision we say. Let us know what you think about Buell’s latest creation in the comments, would you sign-up for one?
Source: Road Racing World; Photos: Steve Anderson / Erik Buell Racing
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