2015 EBR 1190SX Naked Bike - First Look

File this under the heading: It Had to Happen. The 2015 EBR 1190SX naked streetfighter finally broke cover. Erik Buell Racing gave no details about the new model except the model year and that the bike is in production, promising technical information about the new EBR in the coming weeks.

We can tell quite a bit just by looking at the bike. The basic chassis appears unchanged from that of the EBR 1190RX superbike, meaning it is the same burly twin-spar fuel-in-frame setup and is virtually guaranteed to have the same 22.4-degree rake angle; that frame is a big, expensive part that is unlikely to have been altered. A new upper triple clamp is used to accommodate the tubular handlebar, and there is a possibility that the offset has been changed to increase trail from the RX's 3.8-inch figure, given the different dynamic weight distribution encountered by sitting the rider up versus crouched over on the 1190RX. Wheelbase will vary only fractionally from the 56.0 inches we measured on the RX.

The 72-degree 1191cc V-twin will almost certainly be unchanged from the tune used in the 1190RX, since the cost associated with EPA/CARB certifying a new engine setup would be prohibitive for a small company like EBR. This is a good thing: The 1190RX kills on the dyno (watch the video below or see the EBR vs. Ducati Dyno Comparison), and that fat midrange and 161.2 horsepower and 87.1 pound-feet of torque we measured on our Dynojet 250i translate into excellent real-world performance.

Although no photos of the dash setup are shown, the shape and size of the small fairing’s squared-off top suggests the same LCD TFT display unit is used, which also suggests all the electronics are the same, meaning 21-level traction control.

Because only a small number of parts were changed in the making of the 1190SX, and much of the fairing has been deleted, we are willing to bet that the weight will be lower than the 425-pound dry weight we measured on the 1190RX. We’d guess it will be in the 415-pound-dry range.

The EBR 1190SX, therefore, will be a competitive machine in a highly competitive naked-bike segment, taking on the exotic likes of the Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC ABS, BMW S1000R and KTM 1290 Super Duke R. The SX's predicted 161 hp/415-lb. power-to-weight ratio is better than the Aprilia's 148/455, the BMW's 151/432 and the KTM's 152/445 by a good margin. Party in the engineering house!

MSRP has not been released and may not even be set yet, but we’ll guess that EBR will need to price the bike $1000 to $2000 lower than the $18,995 sticker on the 1190RX to maintain “model separation” in the lineup.

More information as it becomes available.