10 Things You Didn't Know About the EBR 1190RX

The Erik Buell Racing 1190RX is a sport bike made in the United States. It’s somewhat of a rarity. If you haven’t heard of it or seen this bike in action, you’ve been missing out. The company produced unique street and racing bikes out of East Troy, Wisconsin, but the company ran into some financial problems in April 2015 when it entered into receivership. The bike has held its own in many ways when going up against some stiff high-end racing competition. It has its share of drawbacks but it’s shown superiority as well. Here are ten things you didn’t know about the EBR 1190RX

1. Niccolo Canepa gave it kudos over Ducati

It’s a huge compliment for Niccolo Canepa to ride a bike in a race and compare it to a Ducati in performance. When it comes to cornering in a race, the bike has a chassis build that gives it an edge over the Ducati Panigale because it’s more stable when rounding corners. This is coming from a professional racer who knows all about bikes and it looks like EBR did something really right in the chassis design of the bike.

2. The EBR 1190RX is a dual purpose bike

A noted superbike magazine editor threw in his two cents on the ER 1190RX and he gave it high praise The bike seems impatient at stops and it seems to be pawing at the gate because it wants to be given its head to charge forward. The behaviors of the bike in street performance are more like a racer than a street bike, and although it’s totally street legal, it’s so powerful that it doesn’t seem like it should be.

3. It roars like a beast

This bike is equipped with an engine that is purpose tuned. It’s a racer for certain and you can drive it down the street. Having said this, the sound is absolutely thrilling. It’s enough to set every nerve in your body on edge with anticipation of what’s to come whether you’re on the road or the track. An uneven engine idle gives it the sound of an impatient best that’s caged and waiting to be unleashed. The personality of the bike comes to life from the moment to turn the engine over. What really ices the cake is the rush of torque, the ample gear whine, and the combustion vibration. Performance aside, the sound alone is enough to stimulate the senses.

4. In 2015 it broke a track record

Niccola Canepa gave the bike its head in a test for the World Superbike Championship in 2015. The EBR 1190RX didn’t disappoint. Previously given a dock for a speed that clocked in lower than average due to fewer horses, the EBR team worked their magic to address the problem and it came out of the gates pawing and snorting with enough fury and speed to shatter the previous track record at the event set by Jennings by 0.7 seconds. This was no small feat.

5. EBR retuned the 1190RX to outperform Ducati in two performance aspects

After testing the bike and discovering its strengths and weaknesses, it came out ahead on chassis and cornering, but although it was fast and powerful, the Ducati Panigale had an advantage in these aspects. The EBR team got together and applied a fix that gave the 1190RX the edge in these areas as well. They gave it a bracing peak in horsepower and a spread of torque with a longer sustaining than the Panigale. While the Panigale reach the line of 80 lb-ft briefly, the 1190RX cranked 60 lb-ft plus from 3,500 revs per minute and over 80 at 2,000.

6. The 2014 EBR 1190RX failed to perform at peak

When the 2014 RX went out for testing, it didn’t realize its full potential. That would come the following year. It clocked in at 30 mph slower on the straights than other superbikes on the track. This was a dismal realization that the design team wasn’t there with the bike yet. It had tremendous unrealized potential that would be addressed within the year and appropriate fixes applied.

7. Despite its success, the 1190RX didn’t achieve sales goals

One of the issues faced by EBR as a company is the fact that the 1190RX was underproduced and the demand for the bike wasn’t as high as they had hoped. Not enough were sold to sustain the business and continued development so the company is currently in liquidation of assets and is shutting down.

8. Your warranties are still good

If you own an EBR 1190RX, you won’t have to worry about the fulfillment of the warranty. It’s been announced that all warranties will be honored. In addition to this, you’ll still be able to find and purchase parts.

9. There is a special edition 1190RX

On March 17, 2016, a special edition of the EBR 1190RX was produced. The Stars and Stripes version added a patriotic theme to the popular racer. Although the company was having financial issues at the time, they planned to establish a new dealership and continue production.

10. It’s earned a place in history

Although the future of EBR is uncertain, one thing is for sure. The EBR 1190RX has made its mark in the sportbike racing industry. It bested Ducati and many other high-end racers. In its short and rocky run, EBR has made its contributions to the racing world and will hopefully rebound and carry on in the future.

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