Buell Homecoming Celebration June 5-7
Ron Lieback
AllAboutBikes.com Staff Writer
Coinciding with the AMA Pro Road Race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Buell Motorcycle Company invites the public for a behind-the-scenes looks at its products.
Continuing to build competitive bikes like the 1125R that took a historic AMA Daytona SportBike win at Road Atlanta April 4, the Buell Motorcycle Company is inviting two-wheel enthusiasts to their Wisconsin Headquarters for the company’s 2009 homecoming June 4-6. The celebration at the East Troy factory will coincide with AMA Pro Racing’s event at Road America in Elkhart, Wis., where the Buell festivities will continue.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 5, Buell fans can take part in an open house, including factory tours and outdoor product displays of motorcycles, accessories and apparel. And if you want to meet the personality behind the company, founder Erik Buell will be signing autographs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All events at East Troy are open and free for any Buell enthusiast. No tickets are necessary for participation, and no pre-registration is required.
In addition to the open house, the following events will be held at Road Atlanta during the AMA race weekend:
· Demo rides on the full line of Buell motorcycles will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday (June 4-7)
· Racer autograph session under the Buell demo canopy
· Rider recharge hospitality area under the demo canopy
· Exclusive Buell Motorcycle parking near the demo area
· Up close views of Buell racers competing in AMA Pro Racing and Moto-GT action
And if you’re going to get an autograph, might as well know a bit about Erik Buell. In 1982, Buell, an amateur racer, left his position in R&D at Harley-Davidson to pursue a dream: build his own race bike. Two years later, Buell completed the square-four, two-stroke RW750 (Road Warrior), designed to compete in the AMA Formula 1 road racing championship, providing an alternative to the esteemed Yamaha TZ750. But soon after Erik sold his first race machine, AMA eliminated the class with a simple stroke of a pen.
Erik then turned his talents to creating an American sportbike. Harley-Davidson supplied Erik with engines for a series of innovative models between 1987 and 1993, each of which incorporated exceptional features, some groundbreaking. Mostly unknown, Buell was the first manufacturer to use upside down front forks and braided steel brake hoses on production motorcycles. Harley has owned Buell since 1998, and Erik continues to build many innovative machines in the challenging motorcycle market.
