I’ve been interested in Buell motorcycles ever since they introduced the new XB line. The XB has some very interesting engineering; which I’ve noted on this Flickr photo. The muffler is mounted at the lowest point on the bike for a lower center of gravity. The gas is contained within the aluminum bike frame. The airbox is located where the tank normally would be. The bike has a belt drive intended to last the lifetime of the bike. The belt tensioner is a fixed unit. The front brake is inverted so the braking force is applied directly to the hub instead of through the spokes. The engine is an 984cc air/oil cooled 92hp v-twin. The bike weighs 390lbs. dry. The steep steering head and short wheelbase make for an extremely compact package.
Erik Buell, an ex-Harley-Davidson engineer, founded the company in 1983 and built sportbikes based on HD engines. In 1998 the company was acquired by HD and now most HD engines are developed by Buell’s engineering.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I’ve put 175 miles on the bike in the last week. The first 500 miles are engine break-in.