Buell Firebolt XB12R - Specifications & Review

Company History

Buell Motorcycles, founded by engineer and former racer Erik Buell, reimagined sportbike design around mass centralization and chassis stiffness. Early Buells used Harley-Davidson V-twins in compact frames, evolving into the XB series with fuel stored inside the frame spars and a perimeter (rim-mounted) front brake that reduced unsprung weight. The result was agile steering, fierce mid-corner feedback, and a uniquely American take on the sportbike: torque-rich engines married to short wheelbases and steep geometry. Later, liquid-cooled Rotax-powered 1125 models pushed performance further. Buell’s partnership with Harley-Davidson provided factory resources and dealer reach, but strategic tensions and the 2008–09 downturn led to the brand’s closure under H-D ownership. Erik Buell returned with Erik Buell Racing (EBR), developing 1190cc superbikes that proved competitive yet financially difficult in a niche market. The Buell name has since resurfaced under new stewardship, underscoring how resilient the idea remains. Historically, Buell matters because it asked different questions: What if the frame carried fuel? What if the front rotor’s diameter increased while caliper mass shrank? What if rideability on real roads mattered as much as peak dyno numbers? For riders, a Buell offers character—snappy turn-in, stout midrange, and the feeling that the chassis is a living partner. Love or quibble with the quirks, the brand expanded sportbike vocabulary, leaving an imprint on how engineers and enthusiasts think about where weight lives and how a motorcycle should communicate at the limit.