I can’t resist an event where a company lets me ride their motorcycles on an 11 mile real world ride for free and you have to love Harley for this once a year not to miss event.
Harley-Davidson Open House Sept 25-Sept 27
A cut-a-way of the new Buell / Rotax liquid cooled 1125cc Helicon V-Twin caught my eye at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Washington D.C last winter.
Buell is the sport bike division of Harley-Davidson marketed to riders who aren’t into the chrome and mystique, but would like to buy something American made that isn’t a clone of anything.
Buell went to Austrian engine manufacturer Rotax to help them design a V-twin engine that utilizes three counter-balancers that smooth out the power monster. Rotax also makes the parallel 800 cc twin in my BMW 800 ST.
I love the quirky, one of a kind Buell designs, the low maintenance lifetime drive belt (BMW take notes here) with a tensioner that makes it feel like a drive shaft that only pulls in one direction – straight . However, I have never been a fan of a bike that the mirrors vibrate so badly you can’t see what’s behind you at a stop light. Previous Buells are based on HD engines.
The new Helicon® V-Twin is a symphony of motorcycle ecstasy. Lots of torque, a subtle trashy mechanical sound, and an assertive exhaust that lets you know it’s a stealth rocket without sounding noisy.
The engine uses a “Hydraulic Vacuum Assist (HVA) Slipper-Action clutch that eases clutch pull and limits back-torque during hard downshifts”. The result is one silky clutch/transmission combination.
Now if they would put this engine in the Buell Ulysses series (I’m more of an upright rider)… and trim down the cc to about 800 (I want to get 60+ mpg) .. that would be about perfect for me.
The small 492 cc, single cylinder engine Buell Blast gets 72 mpg according to the Buell website.
