Tech Talks with Jacob Stark: Buell and the World’s Last Production V-Twin Sport Bikes

Today we sit down with Jacob Stark in honor of big-bore, V-Twin power.

For those of you who are new here, Stark was the first new Buell hire following the brand’s refresh, taking on the role of “Engineering Specialist and General Misfit” like a duck to water.

Stark is a frequent contributor to online Buell forums, vying regularly for the public, citing that the reason he came to Buell was for that addicting, V-twin growl.

Today, we get to pick Stark’s brain on the 1190 platform and the stigma surrounding the following statement:

“America can’t make sport bikes”

Let’s dive in.

Do you like V-Twin power?

“Oh, yeah. I love V-twins… the only reason why I got into Buell is because they were one of the few sport bikes that ran a big, aggressive V-twin.

I grew up with Harleys, with that American image of a motorcycle… but I was also young and liked to go fast.

Buell’s bikes are real fast.”

Buell 1190 V-Twin Engine

What are the benefits of having a V-Twin sport bike?

“Well, V-Twin sport bikes have a lot of predictability and useability, they give a great road seal. To that, I’ll add that they have character. Both Ducati and Buell proved this, that a V-Twin is not just a street fight, but also a capable, high-performance engine design with great drive-ability and performance.

It’s the most versatile of the engines.”

Why do you think America hasn’t been able to make sport bikes on home turf?

These days, everyone has the idea that Japanese, Italian, and British sports bikes stay around, but American sports bikes don't. When you get as big as Buell did and you still don't last, it kind of creates a ripple effect through the industry.

But we did make it, and we’re back at it again. It’s not cheap, and competition usually crushes the smaller brands, but we’re happy to disrupt the industry and make a ruckus while we’re here.”

Do you think Buell’s V-twin platform could be improved by upgrading the electronics package?

Buell Hammerhead 1190

“I mean, the reality of electronics is different in the racing world compared to the consumer world. The consumer sees it as, “ooh, bells and whistles.” It’s a knick-knack, a cool thing that comes as standard, so they want more, more, more.

To a racer, electronics are a handicap - and we come from a racing heritage.

Ultimately, electronics will keep you safer on the street but will make you slower on a circuit… but that’s just my opinion. There’s also the reality that you're not going up against electronics on the track, you're going up against riders, the raw motorcycle - and you can really surprise other riders out there with the capabilities of the Hammerhead.”

Do you think you could find a sports-oriented bike that performs better than a Hammerhead (or 1190 SX) for less money?

“It's actually very difficult to go out and buy a bike that costs less and still outperforms the 1190 on the track, especially straight out of the box.

I mean, let’s do the math. You can go out there and buy a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP for an MSRP of $17,228 USD. This bike’s got ABS, it's got Traction Control, it's got cornering ABS… it might have a few more ponies, but it’s not any more competitive or that much better than the Hammerhead. In fact, I wouldn't even argue that it's better - I would say that there's a give-and-take there.

Sure it might be a thousand dollars less, but you definitely didn't get a bike that is faster than the 1190… the tricky part is, it can be really hard to show that unless someone gets on a Hammerhead for themselves.”

What are your hopes and aspirations for Buell’s current V-twin platform?

Variants of the 1190 engine would be cool, for sure...

Would you like to try a Buell bike on the track? 

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