When Harley-Davidson pulled the plug on the man who lived by the “mass centralization” mantra it was a sad moment. Buell Motorcycles until that fateful day seemed to have been relentlessly driven forward by the will of Eric Buell himself. The Thunderbolt, the X1, the Ulysses and finally the more modern 1125 bikes were all unique products – perhaps even a little too unique. Eric Buell’s drive to build motorcycles didn’t end with his relationship with Harley-Davidson but was reborn under the EBR Motorcycles moniker – with financial support from India’s Hero Motorcycles – as he again began building both street and race motorcycles. Sadly yet again, Erik Buell faces another challenge now it has been reported that EBR has closed its doors. Is this last we will see of Erik Buell? Doubtful. A man with this kind of passion for motorcycles isn’t going to just walk away.
Keep independent motorcycle journalism alive! If you found this article interesting or useful, please consider sharing.