[motorcyclistonline] - 2011 Motorcyclist of the Year | Erik Buell

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2011 Motorcyclist of the Year | Erik Buell

The American innovator, unleashedWhen last we met with Erik Buell on the day of the Buell Motorcycles factory liquidation in January 2010, he was visibly distraught: The Barracuda prototype he considered his finest creation would never see production. This past June, we rode the breathtaking new Erik Buell Racing 1190RS—an evolution of the Barracuda concept—during one of its first public appearances at Road America (see First Ride, page 40). After what must have been the 10th person approached Erik to sputter something to the effect of, “Holy sh*t, that bike is fast—and it looks fantastic, too,� he was again moved almost to tears—this time tears of joy. Buell has been working toward this moment for almost 40 years. That the 1190RS was ever built at all, never mind so quickly, makes this the most incredible, improbable comeback of the 21st Century—and perhaps of motorcycling’s modern era.


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