Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

sens ation . Pow er ed by a free- breathing 1200cc Spor ts te r en g in e connected to Harley 's 100,OOO -mile Kevlar be lt, Eric Bu e ll 's T-bolt is d evelo ping 66 foo tpounds of to rq ue from just u nder 2500 rp m, and it keeps po unding it out at this level up to 5500 rp m. The bike's hor sepower rating is also about the same: 675 at the rear wheel, happening at 5300 rpm. There appears little di fference, mo reover, in the amazing flatlining torque no matter whose dyn o you use. Motorcyclist Magazine's read ings were nearly identical to the printou ts ur ged upon me by the dyn oeq uipped d istributor, Rockville H arleyDavidson in Gaithersberg, Maryland. Much of the oom ph can be attributed to the "Free-Breathing" system that Buell w o rke d o n w it h Har le y e ng in ee rs. Together they found a way to realize big gains with the single 40mm Keihin carburetor and K&N filter, in conjunction with careful baffling in the single exhaust canister and, pr esumab ly, dyno tuning with th e h ead pipes. Buell wo n' t discu ss exha ust-gas-extraction prin ciples or other mumbo-ju mbo. But su ffice it to say, it works. Just compare the Buell's 67.5 hp to a standard Sports ter' s 50 or so. And it's still EPA-friendl y. For so me mor e perspective, consid er the thunderi ng Ha rl ey CCS -class 883 Sportster race bikes strain to make 53-55 horsepower; as I saw them do near Daytona at the American Motorcycle Ins titu te's (AM I) " Bru te H orse p ow er Shootout" last year (a reminder that noise is a useless correlative to power ). I'd she lve d p lans to "' Bolt" u p th e interstate; white-lining could await th e return trip . Instead , from near the dealer, 1 chose Rou te 355, a windi ng piece of "B" road, with lots of road variations. I knew this bike was a solid piece right out of the pa rking lot. Wa rmi ng u p the tires in a "ro ad race wea ve," the impact of the 55inch wh eelbase was immediate. It flicks! I smiled: this was go ing to be great. Poin ted • towards Fred eri ck, we navigated co nstructio n zo nes; di sintegrating b ridge expansio n joints, midsize pothol es even a fist-size roc k. Ver ily, thi s punishmen t wo uld red uce your average racer re plica and its rider to juddcring wrecks at any speed over 25 mp h. The Buell soaked it all up at better than 50 - and given the bike's looks and capa bilities - in comfort. Wha t couldn't be instantly steered aroun d could be safely engaged. There were few jolts up the spine, and nothing to upset the Buell's composure or put it off line. The suspension was w ell-sorted, the WP "Rorna " fork (spring p re lo ad , co m p ressio n and reb ound preload se ttings) jus t right for this rider. The chassis, meantime, did an exemplary job in the stability department. It wo uld ha ve to, wi th the Buell's un Harley -like rake and trail. These factors, along with the 29.S-inch seat height, low cen te r of g ravity, wet weight of 470 pounds and narrow profile add up to a confidence-inspiring package. Oh, and don 't forget the patented "Uniplanar" e ng ine m oun ts. They b a n ish vibratio n by sus pe nding the engin e on special bars equ ipped w ith rub ber donuts; th e motor ac ts as a s tressed member. Somewhat similar to the old Norton Commando met-up from the 19705, the rubber pieces allow the engi ne to shake while isolating the vibes from the rider. True, Harley-type reso nances intrude d own low, but they're all ove r by abou t 2800 rp m ; n ot a p p ea ri n g agai n until aro und 70 mph (in any gea r). Anyway, it's ma inly through the handlebars that you notice the tingles. Pegs and frame hardly buzz at all. But this is a nigg le. Fact is, any awareness of vibratory thin gs is quickly - very quickly - overwhelmed by the Buell exper}e nce . It isn ' t ju st the brrroom m p! of (Left)The thunder in the Bolt: Harley-Davidson 's 1200cc Evolution V-Twin powers the bike. The mill produces tractor- like torque between 2500 and 6000 rpm. Peak horsepower is 67.5. (Below left) The horzontally moun ted White Power shock absorber hand les rear suspension chores. The unit operates In a reverse extension/compression fas hion completely opposite from norma l shocks. (Below) The Buell features quailty components made from outside the factory where necessary. The s ix piston BuelVPerfonnance Machnine front brake provides ample stopping power. Also note the WP Roma fork an d cast alloy Marchesini wheels. (Below) Instrumentation is s partan. A 9000 rpm tach ometer (shown ) and 140 mph speedometer complete the package. (Above) Details, details: Items like the mach ined , polished footpeg brackets add to the bike's character. accelera tion - not unlike when your father propelled you into the next room to apo logize for dropping a piece of your mom 's best china. It's also the inta ngibles. Like the intoxicating exhaust notes and induction roar. And the nasty snout of a fairing. And the fact that you're powered by H-D! It all makes for a very superb time - especially when passing moto rists who wish ou r kin d wou ld all drop and d ie . You know, the ones who believe their Eclipses, Porsches, Q45s and ot her p ricey Yu ppiernob iles will grind us up. Ha! Even in fourth gear, the Buell's torque hurtles you past them like, well, like a thunderbo lt! I own a Kawasak i Ninja ZX-l l , so others' evalua tions of the Buell - "Can outhustle a CBR900 RR"- had left me dubiou s, at best. But, incred ibly, the 52 does produce the same torqu e and near ly identical 40-80 mph roll-on times as the big Ninja at half the revs. And of course, without tapdancing on the gearbox. Hu stle? Believe it. Up to 100 or 110 m ph , even the cro tchrockete rs will be impressed. The Buell top s out at a creditable 130 mph. And yes, it is stable at speed . In the twisty going, too, this real-wo rld power was a real boon. In the mountainous Ca toctin State Park, I could stay in one gea r most of the time and just work the midran ge. Not on ly were there no fea rs of the "midco rner b reak tracti on bl ues"; throwing the Bue ll th rou gh the swi tchbacks was a good deal eas ier than on the ZX-11; hence, high ly pleasu rable. Low to the ground an d svelte, the Buell Thunderbolt makes "co nserva tive" (i.e. slower riders like yours truly) feel like GP experts. The bike has massive ground clearance. And while not good enough to scrape the peg feelers, I go t down low enough to scrape the sidestand foot. In other wo rds, we were cookin', Sweepers fast and slow were a piece of cake, too; the motorcycle feels very righ t taking long ones at '95 mph (tha nk you, Cincinna ti Microw ave). Neutral steering is also a Buell trademark. It easily passes the hand s-off test. But as n icel y and as ea rl y as th e hum on gou s p ow e r co mes on, it goes aw ay just as quickly. At 6000 rpm you hit th e rev-limiter so h ard th at it fee ls as though a plu~ wire had fallen off. Not to worry, though. This bike requires you to learn when the gearbox and cam are in sync. The good stuff, in fact, is anywhere benea th 6000 rp m. Keep within this band, an d let the games begin! Understand that at 70 mp h you're only turni ng 3200 rpm . The re's meat aplenty; meat for making lunging passes, meat for easy rush -hourplod di ng, meat for pulling long, steep hills without downshifting. It idles, too. At 1100 rpm the Buell is well -p leased, an d never shudders and dips. This is one carbureted motor that behaves like an injected one . [ know, I also ride an injected Kawasaki Turbo. The gearbox is also a revelation - hardly the ou tmoded instru men t that so me have all eged . The throws may be a bit long, bu t are made without any clanks or hesitation. Even finding and keep ing neutral is a breeze. No need to stamp down with yo ur Ton y La mas as on ordi nary Harleys, th en d ev elop bu rsi tis on the upshifts. . While the engine cools, let's give this exhilara ting motorcycle a once-over. Out front are the race-bred WP forks, and a very powerful, albeit single floating disk and six-piston cali per made by Perfor- A B Sl ~ 23

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