PDA

View Full Version : 1190AX at AIM Expo?



noone1569
09-15-2014, 07:18 AM
AIM Expos page states that the 1190AX will be unveiled at the expo this year.
251

http://www.aimexpousa.com/motorcycle-manufacturers/


Anyone else going to be there?

Scott
09-15-2014, 10:16 AM
Noone - Have you looked and/or seen that previously? Do we know if it's a recent addition or has it been there 6 months or more?

The reason I ask is that a while back, EBR seemed to be saying we'd see the AX this year, but recent comments seem to raise doubts regarding how soon we'll see it. So I'm curious (and you may not know) if that blurb is a recent addition or may have pre-dated a decision to hold off on the AX.

Hughlysses
09-15-2014, 01:10 PM
Interesting- the AX announcement has been removed from AIMExpo's page. Now the question is, was it a mistake and there will be no AX reveal, or did someone let the cat out of the bag? :confused:

Scott
09-15-2014, 02:54 PM
Interesting- the AX announcement has been removed from AIMExpo's page. Now the question is, was it a mistake and there will be no AX reveal, or did someone let the cat out of the bag? :confused:

Unfortunately I suspect the former. I think the plan 6 months ago was to show the AX at AIM. EBR hasn't been real secretive about the broad plans. The AX has been listed on their web-page and they've been pretty open about their plans. But recent comments indicate we'll have to wait a bit longer.

I almost even said in my previous post: "We should keep an eye on AIM's site. If they're not going to have it, someone at EBR will probably read about it on these boards and ask AIM to take it down.

Hughlysses
09-16-2014, 07:05 AM
Yea, there was an "anonymous" post on Badweb yesterday that said the announcement was incorrect and there'd be no AX reveal at the AIMExpo.

It's gonna be at least a year before I'm ready to buy, so I've really got nothing to complain about. It will be interesting to see what they do bring to AIMExpo; I'd guess we'll at least see the Hero lineup for the US and maybe some minor changes in the RX and SX 2015 models.

Scott
09-16-2014, 10:26 AM
Yea, there was an "anonymous" post on Badweb yesterday that said the announcement was incorrect and there'd be no AX reveal at the AIMExpo.

It's gonna be at least a year before I'm ready to buy, so I've really got nothing to complain about. It will be interesting to see what they do bring to AIMExpo; I'd guess we'll at least see the Hero lineup for the US and maybe some minor changes in the RX and SX 2015 models.

Considering their size and the fact that they're just getting started, it makes sense to focus on refining the RX and SX. It would be great if an updated RX could incorporate some changes to make it more competitive. Who knows, maybe a more affordable new RS could help them compete (imagine if they could price a new RS at about $25,000 - they might be able to sell enough at that price to meet homologation requirements).

Hughlysses
09-16-2014, 02:29 PM
It would be great if an updated RX could incorporate some changes to make it more competitive. Who knows, maybe a more affordable new RS could help them compete (imagine if they could price a new RS at about $25,000 - they might be able to sell enough at that price to meet homologation requirements).

Yea, they recently revised the homolgation requirements too; only 125 units have to be produced: http://www.crash.net/wsbk/news/200525/1/fim-confirms-reduced-homologation-regulations.html

Scott
09-17-2014, 08:54 AM
Yea, they recently revised the homolgation requirements too; only 125 units have to be produced: http://www.crash.net/wsbk/news/200525/1/fim-confirms-reduced-homologation-regulations.html

Interesting. So let's imagine that, hypothetically, they've identified some key engine components that have been breaking under extreme conditions and/or preventing the engine from revving high enough. If they could replace those components with exotic, titanium parts, for example, and make some other modifications (such as going more oversquare) to get 20% more power out of the same basic engine design, they could incorporate that into an 1190RR (using that designation just to avoid confusion with previous models). Assuming the exotic parts add $5000 - $7000 per bike, they could afford to price it in the ballpark of $25,000.

And according to those limits, they'd have to make 125 bikes prior to the start of the 2015 season (that shouldn't be much of a hurdle) and then an additional 125 throughout the season (again, not much of a hurdle - we're talking numbers that aren't that much higher than the 1190RS and with a lower price and more established dealers, I wouldn't anticipate any problem selling that many).

Then they'd have to make 750 in 2016. By then, we'd hope they'd be up and running and cranking out thousands of bikes, so I think that's doable. If I were running EBR, I think that's the direction I'd be going.

Of course if they did something like that, the 'RR' would look almost identical to the RX, so it wouldn't be anything amazing to see at AIM, but it would be cool if they did something like that.

I think, as much as we're curious and want the AX, it's more important for EBR to get their feet firmly under themselves and improve their racing results than it is for them to introduce an all-new model.

Scott
09-17-2014, 09:29 AM
Think about it. "People say why should I buy the EBR when the Panigale does better in Superbike and costs the same?"

But the Ducati Superbike is based on the $31,000 Panigale R, not the $19,000 Panigale.

Why shouldn't EBR do something similar?

Hughlysses
09-17-2014, 03:21 PM
Why shouldn't EBR do something similar?

You may be exactly right. The main purpose of this entire WSBK season may have been to clearly identify the performance requirements for that bike.

Hughlysses
10-19-2014, 01:32 PM
Well, no AX release at AIMExpo. Two Badwebbers that asked about it at the EBR booth got very different answers.

One said "Supposedly no AX for a few years. ...According to him there is just too much competition in the adventure bike field with not enough return to warrant a prototype at this time."

The other said "I asked about the AX and was told that their work for Hero had slowed things down. The guy said they were still in the prototype stage and to expect the AX some time next year."

Answer "B" goes with what I heard from a dealer I asked. Hopefully that's the correct info.

Scott
10-29-2014, 11:12 AM
Well, no AX release at AIMExpo. Two Badwebbers that asked about it at the EBR booth got very different answers.

One said "Supposedly no AX for a few years. ...According to him there is just too much competition in the adventure bike field with not enough return to warrant a prototype at this time."

The other said "I asked about the AX and was told that their work for Hero had slowed things down. The guy said they were still in the prototype stage and to expect the AX some time next year."

Answer "B" goes with what I heard from a dealer I asked. Hopefully that's the correct info.

Answer A doesn't sound like anything we've seen or heard anywhere else. It seems clear that the original intention was to unveil it at AIM. It may not have worked that way, but there's no evidence it's been shelved (it's still on the website for one thing).

The AX is the missing piece that would bring us back to a similar line-up to what Buell had before they closed, so I think that's where we're headed - just a little slower than originally intended.

But once we're back to that Buellish line-up, I think that's when things will get really interesting because things could go anywhere from there. Though most likely we'll be seeing a smaller platform and new range based on that smaller platform.

Hughlysses
10-29-2014, 11:14 AM
Several people at Badweb (some who should know) have stated or hinted that the AX will not be based on the 1190, but will be an all-new platform. That kind of leaves the future wide-open.

Scott
10-29-2014, 06:26 PM
Several people at Badweb (some who should know) have stated or hinted that the AX will not be based on the 1190, but will be an all-new platform. That kind of leaves the future wide-open.

Well technically the Ulysses was an 'all new platform' compared to the other XB's, correct?

It may have looked similar and shared an engine, but the frame was larger (with increased fuel capacity) and had different geometry than the XB's and was mated to a different subframe.

If I had to speculate, I'd expect the AX to be even more different than the SX and RX than the Ulysses was from the XB's, but I'd still expect it to share a family resemblance. I'd also expect the engine to grow to 1300 cc, and those changes would certainly classify it as a unique platform by most definitions.

I guess it is possible it could be based on the Hastur, for example, but I expect that's unlikely. The RX, SX and AX designations would indicate to me that the three bikes are in the same family.

But I think is safe to say we don't know much at this point, so it should be fun to see.