EBR 1190RX
FIRST RIDE
P86
tourer planned for 2015.
Before then, the 1190RX is
driving global recognition of the
EBR name by its presence in
the 2014 World Superbike se-
ries with Geoff May and Aaron
Yates aboard the bikes adorned
with the Hero name. For after
producing six million powered
two-wheelers in a single year,
in July last year Hero MotoCorp
purchased a 49.2 percent share
of EBR's equity as part of its stra-
tegic realignment in the wake of
its divorce from Honda.
The now Fiercely Independent
(actually, that's EBR's commer-
cial tagline) Hero MotoCorp is
still number one in India, with a
massive 46 percent market share
and is in the process of expand-
ing worldwide into dozens of new
markets, and developing the
products to sell in them.
That's where EBR comes in,
both as a development partner
for the creation of new Hero
models, and as a first-rank manu-
facturer in its own right, under-
pinned by Hero's commercial
clout, and investment capital.
The new 1190RX represents the
first step in the creation of a new
global motorcycle brand.
The chance to ride one of the
first of the 3000-plus 1190RXs
expected to roll out of EBR's
East Troy factory this year, came
in changeable conditions at the
smooth but twisting two-mile Jen-
nings GP bikes-only racetrack
on the Florida-Georgia state line.
The morning kicked off with driz-
zle coating the tarmac that later
dried out, leaving three hours of
ideal track time.
Before then, the rain had given
a chance to try out the one ma-
jor feature the new model has
– traction control. While still not
equipped with ABS - although
this is under development, says
EBR's product development boss
Tony Stefanelli - nor a choice of
riding modes, nor anti-wheelie
control, launch control, etc., the
new 1190RX does have switch-
able 20-stage traction control for
the first time on a Buell or EBR
model.
Swinging a leg over the RX's
32.5-inch-high seat revealed a
relatively spacious riding posi-
tion that's not overly cramped for
a taller rider, with the fairly wide
seat's padding softer and more
comfy than on the RS. Though it's
a sporty stance, it's also a ratio-
Iffy conditions in
the morning gave
a good indication
of how well the
EBR's traction
control works.
