Barracuda 2

CW EXCLUSIVE

BARRACUDA 2

Riding the Buell that might have been, but no longer is

DON CANET

A CONFLICTED SENSE OF JOY AND SORROW OVERCAME ME AS I FOUND myself behind the bubble of the Barracuda 2, code name of the concept development example of a second-generation Buell 1125R that was being readied for its planned 2011 new-model release. On one hand, how could I not be enthused to get an exclusive glimpse and riding impression of a bike the Buell product-development team had been working on right up to the fateful moment the axe came down from Milwaukee? Yet there's an aspect of this assignment that's about as blissful as writing a eulogy.

This was to be the bike that Buell Motorcycles had wished to build all along, a pure supersport machine executed free of heavy-handed influ ence by the Milwaukee mothership. Its sharp-edged full-fairing and sleek tailsection finally did visual justice to one of the more innovative chassis ever produced.

Maybe I'm being superficial, but I was amazed how much this new styling treatment affected my general perception of the bike, and I hadn't even thumbed the starter button yet. Viewed from any angle, the B2 finally projects the serious sporting intent that had simply never been fully communicated in past Buells.

I found the view from the saddle equally inspiring, beginning with the CNC-machined billet top triple-clamp. That elegant-look ing piece grasps a new Showa Big Piston Fork that showcases in each of its anodized caps compressionand rebound-damping adjusters. Updated controls grace true clip-ons mounted below the top clamp, replacing the integrated clamp/riser bars and Buell "legacy" bits found on the 1125R. All-new, high-quality switchgear and remote-reservoir master cylinders brought both function and appearance well in line with that of the B2's would-have-been com petitors. Attention to detail was evident right down to the choice of fasteners, the crown jewel being a trick-looking six-point alloy steering-stem nut. The rear subframe's airy, girder-like casting was another very nice touch.

Even though this concept-development-phase test mule was still in the rough, with only about 90 percent of its production parts in place, the B2 I rode surpassed the 1125R's level of refinement in several areas. First, the front brake was finally up to par with the sportbike competition, offering the kind of feel and immediate bite that had been lacking in earlier 1125R iterations. I also noted a huge reduction in engine heat on my legs, thanks to revised "inside-out" airflow; air now travels through new forward-facing, side-mounted radiators and exits out the fairing sides.

Riding position was much improved, too. It's said that the B2's development team used a late-model Suzuki GSX-R1 000 as its ergonomic template. The revised riding position's bar/seat/peg relationship faithfully mimics that of the GSX-R, but the Buell's midsection is narrower, bringing the rider's knees and feet closer together. The bike feels notably more compact than the Suzuki

and offers a less obstructed view of the road ahead. The B2's double-bubble windscreen is nearly 4 inches lower than that of the 1125R.

The 72-degree 1125cc Helicon V-Twin engine was slated for a significant hop-up. New pistons raised the compression ratio a half-point to 12.8:1, while a new intake cam featured increased

lift with steeper ramp profiles. Those quicker-opening profiles were made possible by the use of much lighter titanium (rather than the previous steel) intake valves. In addition, cam lobes were offset to open one valve slightly earlier than its neighbor for increased turbulence in the combus tion chamber and improved burn. Throttle-body diameter was downsized from the 61 mm bores of the 1125R to 56mm for improved response and stronger midrange delivery, in an effort to make the engine more suited to street use. Even with no change to

the under-engine exhaust, there was an expected 11 -horse boost in peak output, netting a claimed 157 horsepower at 10,300 rpm. Peak torque was said to remain at 82 foot-pounds but with a nota bly flatter curve.

Unfortunately, the B2 that I rode had a standard 1 125R engine specification, albeit with the smaller throttle bodies in place, so I'm not able to provide a hands-on assessment of where Buell was headed with overall engine tune. I did experience improved cracked-throttle, sub-4000-rpm cruising with smoother delivery than any of our 1125R testbikes had ever provided.

Another inopportune element of my day aboard the B2 was the lack of good sport-riding roads in the vicinity of Buell's East Troy, Wisconsin, plant. Oh, what a handful of laps at Road America might have revealed! As it was, photo passes made through a few select curves offered a hint at the B2's newfound feeling of lightness and agility. On this particular B2, the lighter handling is mainly attributed to a 0.75-pound weight reduction in the front wheel. But there was more to come as the final production machine was to carry an all new rear wheel (with chain final drive), some 3 pounds lighter despite being 0.5-inch wider (6.0) and shod with a 190-series radial. In fact, nearly every part of the bike had been revised, netting a claimed 20noiind rediir,tinn in overall weiaht for the finished oroduct.

onlyahint of what this lighter, sharper, leaner Buell might have provided in finished form, but the company appeared to be hitting its stride with a roadracing national title under its belt in 2009 and its most promising performance bike yet under development.

Is it cruel irony that Buell ran a print ad last year of a Blast crushed into a cube? It was strangely prophetic, in any case, because the last we heard all dozen-plus Barracuda 2s in existence will have been scrapped by the time you read this. Is this the last chapter on innovative sportbikes from a man named Buell? We hope not-the story was just getting good.