NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Matt Smith won his third Pro Stock Motorcycle championship while riding an EBR. That refers to a body style, not the motor sitting inside of it. Eric Buell [EBR stands by Eric Buell Racing] designed the first EBR after Buell went under and both Hector Arana Jr. and Cory Reed purchased the model. 

Reed and new teammate Joey Gladstone are still riding the first model of the EBR, which we’ll refer to as EBR 1.0 for the sake of clarity. That is not the same as the EBR ridden by the Aranas (Hector Sr. and Jr.), Smith, Scotty Pollacheck, Angie Smith or Ryan Oehler. They’re all riding what we’ll refer to as the EBR 2.0.

That bike was developed by the Lucas Oil team (the Aranas) in partnership with Buell. That team now holds the right to carbon fiber mold for the EBR 2.0 and can sell it to other riders. The 2.0 is sold at a premium compared to other Pro Stock Motorcycle bodies on the market, to the chagrin of … well, pretty much everyone. 

Reed is quick to point out that while the EBR 2.0 offers great aero, it won’t do much good without the necessary horsepower. That’s something Smith and the Arana team already possess in spades. It’s not a shortcut to a championship. With that said, Reed and Gladstone are happy with what their EBR 1.0 offers. Here are a few key differences to look out for. 

The 2.0 has almost no fairing in comparison to its older sibling. It also has side ducts that suck more air into the engine. The seat is less pronounced on the 2.0, which Reed says helps the aero but (in his opinion) is a little less comfortable. You can tell the difference just by looking at two of them side-by-side because the 2.0 looks, in Reed’s words, like a spaceship. 

Because the newer bike is technically a modification on the older model, they’re both EBRs. So, when you look on an entry list, it can be a little confusing. There isn’t really a way around that because it’s technically accurate. Right now, only Gladstone and Reed ride the older-styled EBRs. More as it breaks.