Kick to Ride?
That bike would be longer, heavier and have less down-low torque.
It would gain 50-75 pounds along with the 15-19hp. So an air-cooled Buell would be pushing 5 pounds per hp, and a liquid-cooled one, 4.7, unless Buell really souped-up the VR motor. Still, no matter how powerful, a VR Buell would be too heavy for Erik. Also, the VR motor would add expense, expense Buell would have to take from their sweet suspension, frame and brakes. That thunderstorm motor is designed to be inexpensive to build, yet still have sufficient performance. It makes more torque than a 999 Ducati and will wheelie a bike as good as anything on the market. How much power do you need to have fun?
I often hear this question from folks who have never ridden a Buell recently or ever. I never hear it from Buell owners.
Buell and Ducati are similar companies. Both companies trade heavily on their air-cooled, V-twin heritage, and both companies have limited production. Ducati is limited by space constraints to 38,000 units a year; in practice they usually build around 30,000. Buell makes about 10,000 units and that seems to make them happy.
Because of small production numbers, both factories can make what THEY want to build, not what the mass-market of consumers want. They sell everything they make. Why should they build a product they don't want to build?
-Gabe