Erik Buell has always marched to his own beat and stuck to his guns. Without his ingenuity the notion of an American sportbike may have been nothing more than an oxymoron.
No matter how you cut the cake, a Buell motorcycle is as unique as its founder. With oil housed in the swingarm, fuel in the frame and distinctive engines, Buell (both man and machine) have stood alone and performed well.
Erik buell demonstrates the...
Erik buell demonstrates the look on his face the first time he rode the prototype harley-davidson VR1000.
And while Buell has truly achieved greatness by traveling the path untaken, until recently little was known about the method behind the madness.
SSB was granted a behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing plant in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. As an added treat we also got a peek into Eric Buell's humble farmhouse beginnings.
They say that everybody starts somewhere, and Erik Buell's beginnings stem from a small garage on a rural piece of farmland. During the 1980s, this small workshop affectionately known as "The Barn," was the birthplace of the RW750 and the RR1000 racers. Now, the workspace hides a prototype VR1000 racer, the infamous RW750 and a prototype V-Rod. It was a treat to see these two-wheeled relics and nice to see Buell preserving its rich heritage where it all began.
The famous 'barn' where the...
The famous 'barn' where the history of buell motorcycles began. Talk about humble roots.
After checking out Buell's modest roots we traveled to the current headquarters where the term "cutting edge" is an understatement. Whether you're talking about the hi-tech R&D department and assembly line or the quality control area, Buell is in it to win it.
In addition to the all-access pass, Buell let us experience the 2009 model line at Road America. To make the deal even sweeter we also got some flying laps on the Daytona Superbike 1125RR racer.
Erik Buell has proved that following a dream isn't only for the foolish. Instead, he took his ideas and turned them into two-wheeled reality that's only getting better-just check the latest race results. Here's to shooting for the stars.
What's this? Another prototype...
What's this? Another prototype racer wrapped in an SRAD'S bodywork, of course.
An 1125R Slowly Takes Shape...
An 1125R Slowly Takes Shape In The Assembly Warehouse.