Manager Reports

State of the Elves
02/06/2002

08/29/2001

State of the Elves - 2001

Rider Selection - 2000

Manager Report, posted August 29, 2001

“Just go ride the motorcycle”

It’s been 14 years since I met Erik Buell and that phrase stands alone as perhaps the wisest and most revealing phrase in describing the lure of the Buell American Motorcycle.

In 1995, on a cold Chicago Saturday afternoon, a pundit stood at the Buell display. Each and every time someone would explain the unique benefits of “mass centralization”, the rigid frame or any of the uniquely Buell features, this “natural pundit” would pooh-pooh the idea that anything different could be any better. It was here that I first heard Erik utter what would later become the marching orders for Buell faithful around the world.

Two years later, At Uke’s HC/Buell in Kenosha, WI, I next crossed paths with Dan. He’d just bought his second Buell and asked me “why didn’t you tell me these bikes were so much fun”? I explained, what we all know, that you just have to go “ride the motorcycle”. There is no way to appreciate a Buell like riding a Buell.

It was this same thinking that TEAM ELVES grew out of. Aaron Wilson had lots of Buell and in his “getting” snagged himself a primo RR-1000 #50. While the “normals” were contemplating how to achieve the proper humidity and temperature for museum storage of this classic, he was jerking the engine out of the bike and sending to fabled engine building elder Ron Dickey and his wiser, if quieter, confederate Joe George. These guys are to motorcycles as Air Jordan is to round ball. This bike was going to go RACING. Aaron was going to do for a Buell what Sea World had done for Dolphins…. place it in its “natural environment”.

The 1987 RR-1000 is a special motorcycle. To this day, no automaker or motorcycle maker has made a bike that achieves the low Coefficient of Drag of the RR. Several years before funding provided computers to do the ciphering, Erik Buell had made history with a pencil and Big Chief tablet. To let this bike sit would be blasphemy.

Spin the wheel to 2000. People, the key ingredient in the Buell-quation, hear what Aaron is up to and lo and behold ya got Doctors, Fisherman, Video Wallsist’s, Engineers, Texans and Fur-in-errrs all lining up to help. In today’s world, success is the end result of creative collaboration and the next thing you knew we had talent out the gazoo and were headed to the World of Speed at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats to make a point about what happens when you mix one part Buell Motorcycle and 17 parts Buell People and add enthusiasm while stirring.

We frankly tired of hearing “don’t get overly confident. Everyone has high hopes their first year, but be ready to accept it as a learning experience”. They’d not seen Buell folks working in concert. Five days later we were packing about as many trophies as you can load in the front seat of a Ford pickup and inquiring minds were trying to sort out how may World Land Speed Records had been broken in how many hours. Perhaps, to me, the high point was when we were tagged “the best organized team to ever arrive on the Salt”.

“Best” doesn’t happen when the flute plays, it happens when the orchestra plays. From rider to tuner to web hack to gourmet cook to EMT to logistics each and every TEAM ELVES’ member executed their assigned task. The results went in the record books and have survived and withstood a vigorous assault this year.

We’re going back. Actually “we” is misleading. This year we are bringing “Buell people” from England, Holland, Australia and Texas. Funny thing happens when you toss a Buell into a group of rabid enthusiasts.

THE PLAN:

This year we’ve expanded the program. Team Elves will return in full force, well equipped and well fed. This year we’ll be hammering on our own records first, then opening the Nitrous Oxide valve to see what lies on the other side of lunacy.
In a related (but privately funded) effort we’re also taking a Buell BLAST and a 90# pilot that we think can raise a few eyebrows.

The fine folks at the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association have started a series of “other awards” having to do with team organization and professionalism. As Team Manager my orders to the group we, in Buell fashion, simple. I WANT THEM ALL!

The ELVES went to work. This year look for lots of finishing touches such as custom uniforms, drill team precision in the organization, on site media rep, our version of “ground control” to insure everyone is in the right place at the right time, custom TEAM ELVES flags for the “Elf-Asis: which again will feature gourmet foods but, this year, will be sowed in Astroturf. Once again, Rex, our Logistics Elf, will be standing in the corner with his book to make sure everything from safety to late night dry cleaning is planned for in advance.

One of the neat NEW features is the RUN YOUR OWN BUELL program we’ve added. Any Buell owner wanting to make a stab at the Salt will get full support. We will have a separate pit area with Peter Moltmann (flying in from Amsterdam) providing tech support. We’ll have folks to help you with your paperwork and getting you and your bike moved around.

For those wanting to do this…

1. Go to www.teamelves .com, go to “Bonneville”….2001 Event…..Run Your Own
2. Read “The Rules”
3. Go to http://www.saltflats.com/index.html
4. Read and complete:
a. Entry Form
b. Medical Form
c. Liability Release
d. Membership Form
5. Come to Bonneville and get ready to rock!

Okay…I’ve used up 1,000 of my allotted 250 words so I’m outta here to go start packing. We hope you can join us. Buells are fabulous; they are their best when mixed with Buell people. If you can’t stay tuned. We’ll be doing the daily updates to the web page and you can be tuned into the action as it unfolds.

Thanks to all of you who have provided support, encouragement and help. Once again, you’ve reminded me what’s so special about Buell Motorcycles.

Courtney Canfield
Manager – TEAM ELVES