Buell’s XB-series of part naked bike, part streetfighter motorcycle hit the market in 2003, with the XB12 today leading the way. With Harley-Davidson — owning close to half of the company — influencing the XB’s design and powertrain, the popular sport bike could use some extra love (no offence, HD). Enter the Bott XR-1 built by Valencia, Spain-based Bottpower where designer David Sanchez gave the venerable Buell XB12 more flat tracker aesthetics while shaving 20kgs of weight compared to a stock Buell XB12 SS. All this while adding a secondary fuel tank good for 11 litres of total capacity. Sanchez stuck with the original Buell XB chassis for overall shape while ensuring this 1203cc, Thunderstorm V-Twin-powered rocket actually performs on the track, putting down 100-hp at 6,600 rpm with loads of torque. Bottpower will either build the XR-1 for customers (using the customers’ bike or sourcing a donor Buell) or offer a highly customizable kit (in whole or specific parts) with an approximate 6 week turnaround for Buell owners looking to add their own flair. The carbon fibre moulded rear fairing and tank helps with the weight savings while adding huge dose of style — the best part, no two XR-1s look alike in the Buell world of DIY builders. If cafe racers are more your thing with that low ride height and performance bias, the Spanish builder also sells the Bott XC1 kit for the XB12. End of the day, Sanchez has taken an already capable motorcycle and made it better by reducing weight, adding killer design upgrades while retaining performance for serious riders.
