Barcelona (Spain), Thursday 12 December 2013 – Dorna WSBK are pleased to announce that Team Hero EBR will make the switch from the AMA Superbike series to the Superbike World Championship in 2014. This will be a two rider team running the new 2014 EBR 1190RX, represented by riders Geoff May and Aaron Yates.
Both May and Yates make the move to the WSBK series after a number of successful seasons in the AMA Superbike series. May, who is an accomplished AMA rider, has ridden the EBR machine in the states for the past two seasons claiming a podium finish at the Sonoma Raceway circuit in 2012 on his way to 5th position overall in the rider classification. Yates, who has over 20 years racing experience, joined the squad for their 2013 AMA campaign finishing a respectable 8th overall in the final standings, one point ahead of May.
The team will be run by Claudio Quintarelli, Team Owner, and Giulio Bardi, Team Manager, both proud to field the first American motorcycle to contest the World Championship with two American riders.
Team Hero EBR is bringing back Erik Buell’s passion onto the world stage: the founder of the Buell Motorcycle Company is a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology.
Former racer Buell has himself competed against some of the greats in the past, and is excited and optimistic about this challenge ahead:
“More than three decades of racing, engineering, and manufacturing experience goes into every EBR motorcycle” said Erik Buell, Founder, EBR Motorcycles. The EBR 1190RX has some very unique engineering technology, and how to optimize this for each race series is something that takes time to learn. With the winter testing ban, we will have to wait and see where we are in terms of current pace and performance. Nobody is expecting podiums, but we will be hard at work, learning and improving. We are confident EBR will bring a fun and exciting story to the series, and know the results will come.
Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & CEO, Hero MotoCorp Ltd: “We are delighted to be partnering with EBR at the Superbike World Championship this year. Hero is the first Indian two-wheeler brand to be associated with this event and this is also the debut year for Team Hero EBR at the series. This is in perfect sync with brand Hero’s fast-paced global expansion into new international markets. I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun and we do look forward to some exciting times at the championships this year.”
Javier Alonso, WSBK Executive Director: “It is a great pleasure for WSBK to welcome an attractive and unique brand like EBR to the series. The American Manufacturer is the eighth different brand to compete in this new and challenging edition of the Championship, and we are equally confident that their involvement will add to the show. Moreover, it is really good to have two American riders on the starting grid again representing a strong nationality in the history of the series.
The Team will launch a new website shortly.
This is really cool news, and I can’t wait to see them on the grid. I have found that I recently enjoy WSBK more than motoGP so this will be fun. AMA road racing has gotten sorry bad the last few years since NASCAR took it over.
Having owned 3 Buells, and the third one being my daily ride, I am a huge follower and fan of Erik and crew. This is a gigantic leap with a steep steep learning curve for everyone involved, but the mere fact there will be a Buell within a hemisphere of a WSBK venue is absolutely astonishing. I am so proud to have stayed the course with Buell because we are now seeing something that I hope will really showcase Erik’s passion, design innovation, and his thinking way outside the box. It’s refreshing to know that Erik is one of those guys who is willing to put himself out there in spite of the past tide of negative press and flack, especially when he was harnessed to HD. I have ridden for over 30 years, owned twenty plus motorcycles, and even touched a race track a time or two in my time, and I can say without any hesitation whatsoever, that my slow, clunky shifting, Buell XB9 is the best cornering motorcycle I have ever had the pleasure of riding. I quite often switch bikes with a friend who owns both a GSXR1000 Suzuki and a Aprilia 1000 Factory – both wonderful bikes to ride. They are both immeasurably faster in a straight line, but both the GSXR and the Aprilia steer like barges in the twisties and feel like they are 50 feet long when stringing apexes together. Great fun for an old Geezer like myself. I really hope that the (new) Buell is truly able to hold the banner high in WSBK. No one expects podiums – but again, no one ever expected to see and hear what’s happening now at this point either. Erik, I for one will be shouting myself horse when I first see the EBR on the WSBK grid. I know it’s been a long road – lets do this. All the best.
I’m hugely glad to see EBR get into world competition and I hope they make great progress in getting the bike sorted out and be competitive. Unfortunately, I don’t think either May and especially Yates will be a factor in this level of competition. They haven”t been much of a threat for some time in AMA and this will be far more difficult for them.
Wow! Fabulous news. Go EBR!
Good news!!!