EWC 1190RS motorcycle test: A Ducati is on the other hand commodity

At Oschersleben, motorcycle fans a similar sound as the northern loop of the castle around Nur. On the circuit is raging out of professionals and amateur racers on Ducati, Buell and BMW boxers. The relaxed atmosphere led to one or the other once too frivolous offerings - such as myself to trust the new superbike from Buell, which goes by the somewhat cumbersome name 1190RS EWC in order to explore once the limits of the round course.

"The track is totally clear and the 1190s is about as handy as a bike ride," says her owner Thomas Wanner. Wanner, who runs the Pegasus Race team, easily persuaded. Well laps hold fast motorcycles, in principle, less danger than the Hamburg city traffic, but I'm at best amateur racers, and the EWC 1190RS is a special motorcycle: 155 hp at the rear, 179 kg light, constructed from aluminum and magnesium parts and a lot of carbon. Pure Superbike Power, Made in USA. Its builder, the American engineer and inventor Erik Buell has, at the EWC 1190RS waived gadgets such as traction control or ABS, or would you price that is around 44,000 euros, 50,000 over the limit increased. 

But not only the high price guarantees exclusivity: Buell motorcycles built by the first of a limited edition of one hundred copies - and only one of which was shipped to Europe until now. So I sit on a quasi one-off. 

Good-natured muscleman 

Good drivers are on the exit of the finishing straight at Oschersleben with about 70 to 80 miles per hour on the road. Then, to speed up full. The 1190RS has so much power and torque that is 600 meters with occasional contact of the front wheel to the road three or four courses are through. At the braking point close to 250 kilometers per hour have been reached, before going fully into the iron.

This puts stress the chassis of the 1190RS better off than me. The chassis consists of a solid aluminum frame with integral fuel tank, magnesium wheels are the front of an upside-down forks and rear swing arm via a spring and a leg. Erik Buell took it back on components from Öhlins and saved elsewhere at any point: In front there is still a huge single disc, which bridles the elemental force of the machine itself. Only the somewhat unwieldy display panel in the cockpit is testament to the resources that ultimately were still limited.

The water-cooled V-twin engine's performance brings unimpressed and completely linear with no holes even from low speeds. It is already known from the Buell 1125, prior to the closure of the production by the then parent Harley-Davidson in October 2009 as the last model rolled off the assembly line. Built with Rotax in Austria, and of EWC in East Troy, Wisconsin bored to 1190 cc, it is of American drivers and the Pegasus race team already used successfully in the pure racing version 1190RR.

 

The slightly modified version 1190RS street racing is her sister in Oschersleben not far behind. In the harassment and cornering and the points of the curves proves the 179 kilogram single-seater to be extremely handy; Wanner comparison with the bike is not too far-fetched. After the first rounds of respect and adrenaline levels have gradually leveled out, but if you let the bike run smoothly, it looks almost playful way, and also runs his chance as racers like us safely along the road. Wanner, who runs faster, and its top drivers Harald Kitsch unanimously confirm that the 1190RS also in the border area behaves absolutely docile.

 

Who should buy it? 

 

Compared to the 2009 closed area in which at least a hundred thousand Buell ran off the line, Erik Buell Racing is a small sweatshop - but large enough to produce a hundred machines by hand. This number must EWC within two years to reach in order to compete in the American AMA racing series against the Japanese Superbike racing teams can. Without podiums and trophies goes nothing: Erik Buell living as a designer of his racing successes like Apple design awards.

 

As in the United States approved for the road racer but a commercial zero-sum game or even the success of which will, however, is still an open question. Erik Buell has the Harley possessed nothing out an American Superbike built, the Japanese competition, which can range Ducati 1198 and the BMW S 1000 RR with no water problems. More than that: In terms of exclusivity of the top dogs challenger is way ahead. Hundreds of pieces are so sure of themselves exorbitant price of 45,000 €, and by way of agreement - most probably for collectors and American patriots who have been waiting for a super bike from American hands.

 

But the mass production that Erik Buell envisioned, and a coherent business model, he is far away. Only an estimated 5,000 units built from a sale price can be around 20,000 € realize that they can mobilize the potential buyer-1190RS. These numbers also need the technical wizard Buell a production line - and an investor with a lot of money. However, EWC, one hears, already filed in an appropriate business plan, and talks recently with Chinese donors.