Sports Cycle

EBR has been placed into receivership in the hands of court-appointed attorney Michael S Polsky and has filed for Chapter 128 court protection from creditors under a Wisconsin state statute similar to US federal bankruptcy law. EBR is reported to have more than $20 million in outstanding liabilities.

“To say this setback is a disappointment does not begin to express what I feel right now,” company founder Erik Buell said in a statement released on April 15.

“I am personally grateful for the support of our outstanding workers, customers and vendors. The turn we recently took, after we thought we were moving forward, was unexpected. We thought we had secured funding, but in the end, we were not able to get the funding in place.”

In a recent exclusive interview, partner company Hero MotoCorp’s CEO/vice-chairman Pawan Munjal did not hide his enthusiasm for expanding his share in EBR. Several of the new Hero prototypes and concept models unveiled at last year’s Delhi Auto Expo – India’s key industry showcase – were developed for the Indian giant by EBR, including the HX250R sports single, the RnT electrodiesel hybrid, the SimplEcity foldaway urban e-bike, the iON electric concept vehicle featuring a hydrogen fuel cell, and the Leap hybrid scooter which is due to commence production within the next three months.

“One reason for acquiring that equity (for $25 million) was that we are keen to enter the US market, as well as to get into different areas in the motorcycle and scooter segments that we are not presently in today,” Munjal said.

“This was one very quick way to do that, so we are part owners in a company that is already established in that market. (After meeting him) I could clearly see Erik as an innovator, an engineer and a thinker, and that even for our smaller 100cc models or a Hero scooter, he could use his knowledge, experience, innovation and ideas to build exciting new stuff for us. In our first meeting I could make out that this man was not just about big sports bikes. There was more to him than that, which is why I put my confidence and faith in him.”

When quizzed if Hero would expand its interest to 100% ownership of EBR, Munjal said, “It depends on what Erik would like to do, but I would say I am ready to do so (to purchase the remaining 50.8% share), if he (Erik) ever wants to do it.” Now it appears Munjal won’t need Erik Buell’s permission to do just that...


EBR’s demise is of course a sad moment for Erik Buell personally, as this is the second time an attempt at establishing his own brand has run on to the rocks.The Buell Motorcycle Company was founded in 1986, and ran until 2009. Its 180 employees produced 13,119 Buell motorcycles that year, before then-owner Harley-Davidson decided to wind the company up in the midst of the global recession.

Buell models were lauded around the world as innovative and different, a trait Buell incorporated in the products of his new company, EBR, which initially focused on low-volume, racing-based machines. Eventually the model range grew to include the 1190 SX Streetfighter, and 1190 RX Superbike.

Erik Buell’s renowned passion for racing saw his EBR 1190 machines debut under the Hero banner in the World Superbike Championship series last year, with American riders Geoff May and Aaron Yates. With the suddenness of events back home catching the team by surprise, the squad was already set-up in the pit garages for the most recent round of the Superbike World Championship at Assen in the Netherlands when news broke of EBR’s bankruptcy.

“I think that we have a great sponsor in Hero, and the indications are that they want to continue,” said Pegram in a statement at Assen. “I only know what is going on with the race team. I do not know the situation in the US whatsoever, and I do not know what exactly anybody is going to do, but the indications that I heard are that we will continue.”

Repeated attempts to contact Erik Buell for further comment following the announcement have drawn a blank, and as we go to press, no official word has come from Hero regarding its stake in the EBR concern.

However, Erik Buell has broken his silence on the company’s Facebook page, registering heartfelt thanks to EBR supporters and adding: “I want you to know that looking ahead my focus is 100% on helping the receiver best maximize the value from EBR to benefit all, and I will make every possible effort to get the new organization to where it can support the dealers and customers first, and then help find investment to get back to full throttle.”

Hero's Opportunity

As EBR falls, its partner company Hero MotoCorp – the largest manufacturer in the world by unit volume of predominantly motorcycles, but also scooters – has announced that its global sales grew by 6.2% in its April 2014 to March 2015 financial year, selling 6,631,826 powered two-wheelers.

“In FY ’15, the (Indian) industry continued to remain sluggish due to the overall market sentiments and the slowing rural economy,” said Pawan Munjal. “Even in such a challenging market environment, we managed to buck the trend and registered healthy growth, further consolidating our leadership. The journey from here promises to get better and exciting”.

This record performance and its continued R&D expansion asks further questions surrounding Hero’s decision to allow EBR, in which it held a 49.2% equity share, to file for bankruptcy. The use of the little known Chapter 128 receivership process means that under Wisconsin state law EBR’s assets will now be sold off to the highest bidder – and with more than 100 employees of the now defunct EBR working on new Hero models before the bankruptcy, the Indian giant is sure to be the front-runner for the purchase of those assets.

This would then allow Hero to rebrand the born-again company as a wholly owned US subsidiary for future model development purposes, as well as a base – complete with warehousing – for future distribution of Hero products in North America. Under Chapter 128 this would come without any liability for warranty or mandatory spare parts backup for the 1000 or so 1190cc V-twin motorcycles understood to have been manufactured by the old EBR concern, and delivered to customers in North America, Europe and Australasia.

Ride is the latest attempt to simulate the energy and intensity of riding motorcycles in the form of a computer game. 

Honestly, I loving both sitting on a sofa playing games and also riding motorcycles, it would be interesting to see how I would enjoy Ride on my Sony's PS4. After all, for lazy gits like me, it means I can indulge in motorcycling when it’s raining or in the winter…


Although the game is based heavily on the modern range of motorcycles (it features more than 100) there are also some pretty cool unlockable ‘modern classics’ that make us drool. These include Honda’s CBR900RR Original Fireblade of 1992, Yamaha’s OW-01 from the late 1980s, the Aprilia RSV1000 Mille of 1998, the 1996 Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD and Honda’s oval-pistoned NR750 from the early 1990s.




I bought the game just before deadline for this issue and so far I’m loving it : you can customise your rider in all manner of kit and make your motorcycle unique too. You’ve also a wide range of tracks to choose from, including our faves Donington Park and a lovely "North Wales" road circuit.

While it’s not realistic in any way at all (basically I’m a riding god on this game) it is a splendid bit of fun which is well worth a look and cheaper than buying an NR750 at least… So, buy this game for your kids/grandkids/great-grandkids and then hog the controller. It’s a blast!

Ride is out now and available for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4.

Suzuki really stirred up the pot with the GSX1100E of 1980, if you wanted sphincter-searing acceleration at a knock down price the GSX had it all covered.

Suzuki sat back to watch the combined efforts from Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki flounder in its wake until (with the opposition closing the gap) the EFE was born in 1984, and it had no intention of taking any prisoners.

The GSX1100E motor is astoundingly simple : it has Inline four cylinders, five speeds and one destination, the top of the heap. It builds on the principles established as far back as the GT750 water-cooled two-stroke. The transmission layout is very similar, this design carried on to the GS750, the GS1000 and then the GSX1100.



The crank and gearbox input and output shaft centres are shared with its four-stroke buddies, the basic design of the camshaft drive chain and tensioners is a simple evolution of its forebears. That’s the trick that Suzuki pulled off for the umpteenth time, no crazy ideas, just good old simplicity and brilliance of design that don’t hanker after adulation or adoration, but that does tend to follow after the first time you crank open the throttle on one!

Around the time that the 100 horsepower gate swung open the Big 4 were all capable of producing bikes that could transcend this hurdle but there were many problems which befell them. There were chocolate cams and recalcitrant camchain tensioners and second gear selectors that did and then didn’t.

Big problems emerged when bikes exceeded 200 kilos and 100 HP. But the EFE tore up that risk assessment, and then proceeded to tear up the quarter mile with Pee Wee Gleason on board in mid 10 second order at close to 130mph. These numbers were pretty impressive back then... wait a mo, they’re pretty impressive now ! The reason for this massive rush of ballbusting torque is simple, the development that Suzuki did on the GSX1100 was just the starter, when the main course rolled up the EFE had a totally sorted carb/cam/valve/piston/exhaust combo.




The carbs were just big enough to allow in excess of 110 HP but small enough to encourage high intake velocity which gave near perfect atomisation of the intake charge, hence great midrange and throttle response regardless of gear position or the position of the tacho needle.

The cams, likewise didn’t need crazy lifts or excessive spring pressures to get the job done, just enough was okay thanks. The intake valves increased in diameter by 1mm from 27 to 28mm but the exhaust stayed the same at 23mm. The 76mm pistons are lovely, tough with slim rings, the forgings (not castings) are neatly ribbed under the crown for strength and heat dissipation.

Yet again Suzuki pulled a rabbit out of their hat here, generally speaking, alloys used for casting use a higher proportion of silicone in their mix. This reduces the coefficient of expansion thus allowing tighter piston to wall clearances, the ART alloy used for the forged pistons still allows minimal clearances which were previously unheard of. It might be worth mentioning here that Suzuki’s GS1000R F1 racebikes used pistons crafted by Fred Hadleigh at Omega in the West Midlands.

What is truly amazing is the similarity twixt the Omega design and the later factory pistons as installed in the EFE, and yes I am aware that the 1000R was a two-valver and the GSX has four of ’em, the design clues I’m referring to relate to the internal design as opposed to the piston crown.

Vincenzo Piatti pioneered a fully machinable combustion chamber which optimised compression, valve size and flame travel to burn the precious charge in the most efficient way possible. With this single refinement the GSX and its first cousin, the EFE, stomped off into the distance, any gear, any revs, anytime.

Given the fact that there was so much of everything available at relatively low engine speeds, riding an EFE was rapidly recognised as a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon, they start easily, will run on just about any kind of fuel without complaining, they don’t get hot, they have a huge alternator to fire up the similarly huge headlamp and they don’t wilt after a tankful of abuse. Even 30 odd years after its release the EFE has a loyal band of followers that can’t get enough of that torque-nami, sure they dress ’em up with USD forks and trick swingarms (like Colin Peabody’s lovely bike here) but the stuff that sits under that crackle black cam cover is sacrosanct, the beating heart of a true classic.



The architecture that was laid down back then has not changed, particularly in drag racing circles (or should that be straights?) Whatever, EFE-based bikes, with a few tweaks are running over three seconds quicker down the 1320 than Pee Wee ran at Orange County International Raceway all those years ago, sure they have multi-stage lock up clutches and trick auto boxes and digital everything but underneath are still the rock solid design concepts that haven’t been improved on. With capacities of up to 1600cc by virtue of big pistons and stroker cranks it’s unlikely there will ever be a more appropriate basis for this kind of lunacy as slimmer, modern engines afford less room to grow.

So we have a great spread of everything, reliability, simplicity, strength and power. Can’t last can it? And it didn’t, fuel injection, water cooling and Nikasil plated bores changed what had previously been simple and pure into, well, complicated, and we don’t really do complicated. So the EFE continues to co-exist with its younger siblings, I wonder how things will be in another 30 years? I know which one my money’s on.

Suzuki GSX1100E Specifications

Manufacturing : Suzuki Motor Co.

Model : GSX1100E (EFE)

Production Year : 1972 - 1976



Engine : 4-Stroke, Oil-Cooled, Inline 4 Cylinder DOHC 16-Valve

Bore x Stroke : 72 x 66 mm

Cylinder capacity : 1.074 cc

Fuel Supply System : Carburetor Mikuni 34mm

Compression ratio : 9.5: 1

Transmission : 5 - Speed

Ignition : CDI

Starter : Electric Starter

Max Power : 100 HP @ 8.700 RPM

Max Torque : 85,3 N.m @ 6.500 RPM

Top Speed : 227 Km / h



Dimensions L x W x H : 2.255 x 760 x 1.190 mm

Wheelbase: 1.510 mm

Ground Clearance: 152 mm

Dry weight : 237 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 19 L



Frame : Tubular Steel Double Cradle

Front Suspension : 37mm Kayaba Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension : Kayaba Dual Shock

Front Brakes : Dual Hydraulic Disc 275mm, 2 Pots

Rear Brakes : Single Hydraulic Disc 275mm, 2 Pots

Front Tires : 3:50 - 19

Rear tires : 4.50 - 17