2012 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS

Whenever talk turns to 'exotic' sports bikes, conversation usually meanders its way towards European or Italian brands, but what about an exotic American sports bike -- would that pique your interest?

The EBR (Erik Buell Racing) 1190RS has finally reached production and as a former Harley-Davidson employee and the creative force behind and founder of Buell Motorcycles, Erik Buell knows how to build a bike.

Powered by a Rotax-built 1190cc V-twin engine with titanium valves, the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS outputs 175hp (129kW) at 9750rpm and a storming 131Nm of torque just a couple of hundred revs prior, at 9400rpm.

It's these engine speed figures that give the bike a very tight but muscular top end powerband. Being a V-twin engine there's a decent spread of mid-range torque that builds up to its almost 10,000rpm performance peak.

All that power and twist is channelled through a six-speed manual gearbox whose partner in crime is a wet slipper clutch to reduce rear wheel compression lock up when downshifting through gear rapidly.

Weighing 176kg dry, the EBR 1190RS has been a stringent diet of aluminium, making use of the lightweight metal to help reduce overall weight. The US$40,000 motorcycle can also be specified with a carbon fibre package adds an even more exotic flavour. It hikes the price by 10 per cent, adding $4000 to the pricetag.

At this stage EBR is not looking at exporting the limited run model to Australia.

The EBR 1190RS features an aluminium frame with an integrated fuel tank which should improve its balance, and even the swingarm is aluminium. EBR has retained another Buell signature component, an oversized rim-mounted single front disc brake.

Front forks are 43mm Ohlins upside-down jobbies, adjustable in every which way, which the rear also get an Ohlins TTX coil over monoshock, all of which should give the bike plenty of feel and grip when cornering.

Every inch an exotic, this motorcycle is a rival for high end Italian motorcycles such as the Ducati 1198R and Aprilia RSV4 R Factory, and in essence is a race bike that has had indicators and a speedometer tacked on so that it passes legal requirements for riding on the road.

It's not the sort of thing you'd ride to work everyday, but would be awesome for a short sharp blast through the hills, and is ideally suited to track work.

Erik Buell will build just 100 versions of the EBR1190RS, but the rumour is already churning at full tilt on EBR's next products - likely to be less exotic than this bad boy.

Codenamed the RX, SX, and AX, Erik Buell has plans for three new models in the mid-term future. See below for specifications on the EBR 1190RS.

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