Here's my take. I have a dealer that sells the EBR, KTM RC8R, Panigale and MV F4.
All were sitting next to one another. The issue is design and the way they look next to one another. I am biased of course, but the Pani and MV win hands down. The RC8R is also very trick and cool, but starting to look dated. The EBR looks like a Chinese bike.
Take a close look. I took a ton of pics. If you are spending north of $18k, you deserve components, fit and finish at a top level and just plain kick ... style.
I want the EBR to succeed. I do. I love the story, love Erik's vision and love the passion with everything they are doing.
But simple things like an inch longer lower shock bolt that looked like they rummaged around in a Folgers can for it, no black vinyl at the bottom of the windscreen to cover the exposed electronics behind the dash, thick rubber washers that raise the fairing bolts 1/8" above the fairing panels, exposed clip washers UNDER and exposed at the tail under the seat.
Not to mention the components. That rear shock looks like a 1995 CBR600F3 rear shock the way it has stepped preload adjustment, etc. Decals that show the creases where applied, etc.
It just doesn't have the fit and finish of an equally priced bike. These tests are silly. Especially from comic books that get paid. Wait until RRW does a test and see. I can promise that they won't be .10 slower on the EBR. That gap will be much greater.
What I do get out of the article is that they are essentially justifying the short comings of the EBR... That's all cool and it certainly is awesome they are supporting the brand as it is great to see a US brand out there. But, they have to be truthful. How does it stack up? If I were to sit them all out in a row and have a focus group look and judge, they aren't picking the EBR high. Then base the performance numbers and you'll see it is not very good. Now if this were stacked against the 1098, maybe we have a fight. It just isn't...
Hate to be a downer. I really do. I want success. But you cannot argue the pure performance and ability of the 1199. It just doesn't stack up.
Agree completely on the fit/finish, but then Ducati and MV are always going to win in the looks department, so there's really no news there. I mean, they are Italian after all. Which is why they covered up the nice sight glass in the motor with the fairing, and I have to use an LED flashlight to check my oil level in broad daylight...
And I also get all the Pani-love here, but then go into any model specific forum and try to talk up a competitor and you see the same. Everyone's a stakeholder of some sort or other here, so you expect that. I like mine too!
Buells (and now EBR's) have always been a bit weird, because they carry EB's design signature, not that of a group or committee. Which makes the result more of a love/hate thing; just the nature of seeing one guy's vision. But that vision is now unencumbered by his former HD masters and empowered by Hero Corp's money. You're talking about a guy whose former meal ticket was trying to turn a Sportster into a sportbike, and now he finally gets to do what he wanted to do all along. Better results would just about
have to ensue.
And as for RRW, they have ridden it. Not a full comparo yet, but CU rode it at Jennings and pronounced it ready to take on anything on the market, no excuses. And recall that Toye absolutely loved the lighter but less powerful RS, going faster on it in a full, spec-tired shootout than anything but the winning S1000RR.
So yeah; tiny new brand, questionable future values, less than top tier F&F, all that. But performance-wise, a competitive player in the liter bike marketplace, carrying a twin with GSX-R/ZX-10 level power. And for the flag wavers out there (and they are plenty), something to hang their hat, er, helmet on. Welcome to the playing field, says me. Game on!
