We all know American bikemakers largely focus on making heavyweight touring and cruiser motorcycles. But time and again, we get to see some rather exciting experiments. Case in context today is a rare American-made sports bike that can smoke its Japanese counterparts of the time. Less than 1,000 examples exist, so bonus points for exclusivity.

The EBR 1190RX Employed A 1,191cc V-twin Engine

Post Erik Buell’s feud with Harley-Davidson, the American engineer birthed Erik Buell Racing. Under his new initiative, he gave the world a gem of a sports bike: the EBR 1190RX. It served as a proper V-twin sports bike in a market dominated by inline-four and L-twin engines. Speaking of which, the RX employed a 1,191cc engine.

The mill boasted a high 13.6:1 compression ratio and a 106 x 67.5 mm bore x stoke to produce 185 ponies at 10,000 RPM. The real party trick was the 102 pound-feet of torque, though, considering all of its rivals had 80-85 pound-feet. These numbers made the EBR a rampant beast, enough to clock a quarter-mile time in the low 10 seconds. That’s on par with the third-gen Suzuki Hayabusa’s quarter-mile time.

EBR 1190RX Engine Specs

Innovative Underpinnings Made The EBR 1190RX’s Package Sweeter

Things get even better as you dive deeper. Erik Buell Racing whipped up an innovative perimeter chassis for its sports bike. The frame doubled up as the fuel cell to improve the center of gravity and paired up with a magnesium subframe. Like the chassis, the front brake comprised a massive 386 mm perimeter disc in favor of dual discs. This, and the innovative inside-out eight-piston caliper, are both still found on modern-day Buell bikes.

Apart from these, the EBR boasted 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, a 220 mm rear disc, and suspension from Showa. The latter included 43 mm USD forks and a monoshock, both fully adjustable. All this helped the bike weigh in at just 419 pounds wet–pretty impressive by American bike standards.

EBR 1190RX Chassis Specs

You Can Buy An EBR 1190RX For As Low As $12,000

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So you like what you see and want to take one home. Then, you’d be happy to know there’s an EBR 1190RX available at Iconic Motorbike Auctions as we speak. It’s listed at just $12,840–an MSRP less than a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R costs with all the taxes included.

You also get an array of accessories, including carbon fiber add-ons, a slip-on exhaust, and all necessary crash protection. To make matters sweeter, this is said to be the last 1190RX made by EBR. Add to that the low odo reading (under 3,500 miles), and it seems like a steal deal.