Motorcycle specifications Buell Hammerhead 1190 RX 2021 Sport with a sledgehammer

After closing up store in 2009, Mr. Buell managed to relaunch the company with a new identity: EBR (Erik Buell Racing). A few models were produced under this banner, before the wind shifted again. But the Buell name is back, and the sports car is one of the things the brand wants to keep going.

EBR had the 1190 RX in its catalog. Now it's also called Hammerhead, a striking name in the language of Uncle Sam. In this country where custom is king, to see a missile in the offering of a local manufacturer is a curiosity in itself.

The Buell also stands out for its engine. It's the last hypersport to be powered by a big twin. From the days of the VTR SP-1 and 2, Ducati 1199 Panigale, KTM RC8-R, Suzuki TLR, Bimota SB8-R, Mondial Piega and Aprilia RSV-R...., only memories remain. The Hammerhead is the only one to offer the ferocity of a 185 hp twin-cylinder engine. This engine, originally developed by Rotax for the old 1125 R and 1125 CR, now measures 1190 cm3. Its maximum power comes out at 10,600 rpm, while its massive torque reaches 14.1 mkg earlier, at 8,200 rpm. Big muscle on the rebound!

If these figures whet the appetite, they also show that this Hammerhead differs little (if at all) from the ex 1190 RX - the data are the same, with no modifications or evolutions specified. To relaunch the brand and this model, most of the work was focused on refreshing the bodywork. Aerodynamic gills have been installed everywhere, the choice of colors has increased, a version with a carbon fairing has been added... and that's it.

This technical timidity allowed us to rediscover Erik Buell's eccentricities, such as the perimeter aluminum frame with huge spars that acted as a fuel tank, and the perimeter front brake disc with 8-piston caliper and ducted air cooling.

Buell's renaissance is accompanied by plans and perseverance for the machines of the EBR era. The Hammerhead 1190 RX presents itself as a slightly eccentric sportbike in its class. But it has the merit and exclusivity of being the only big sports bike of American origin.
The question of importing it into France or Europe remains unanswered... Much remains to be done to see Buells return to the other side of the Atlantic.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos