TECH INSPECTION
Red White and Buell, Part 2
Author: K3 Chris Onwiler
Track Transformation
 Nothing cures the wintertime blues like working on a new motorcycle. Our Buell Firebolt project bike will be used for racing as well as trackday duty, so we have some serious modifications planned. With the bike’s first test at JenningsGP on January 17/18 looming large on the horizon, our plan is to build the basic foundation of a track-ready motorcycle first, then worry about the fancy go-fast stuff later. We began by removing all the unnesessary street stuff. By the time we were done, the pile was getting pretty big....
Our rider for this project will be club racing expert and AMA privateer Rob Oliva. Rob owns Lithium Motorsports, http://www.lithiummotorsports.com one of the largest suppliers of racing and trackday parts, gear and accessories in the country. Lithium distributes Pirelli racing tires, making our rubber choice an easy one. Next, we needed to give the Firebolt a suspension worthy of its rider’s abilities. The crisp handling of the XB series is what drew us to these machines in the first place. Buells have some of the most aggressive geometry numbers in the sport and snap into corners with the fierceness of a switchblade springing open. Still, springs need damping and the stock setup is no match for what the racing aftermarket can offer. One of our goals with the Red White and Buell project is to keep the machine as American as possible. You don’t have to go to Europe or Asia to find high-quality performance parts for your motorcycle. Some of the best equipment available is built right here. For this reason, we took our suspension needs to Traxxion Dynamics and Penske.  Out front, we chose Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 cartridges. This setup completely replaces the stock “built to a price” fork internals with new parts that are designed for optimum performance. When you order your AK-20 kit, the good old Georgia boys at Traxxion Dynamics custom build it for your application, taking into account your weight, riding ability, intended use and choice of machine. We’ve also recently plugged a set of AK-20s into Editor Don Cook’s GSXR and will be running a full installation and track test article on these cartridges once the weather breaks. For now, know that this is the good stuff. It’s telling to note that AK-20 cartridges are Oliva’s weapon of choice in the AMA, making them the obvious pick for our Buell project as well.
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