Erik Buell Racing’s->ke1393 unexpected closure yesterday is still a little difficult to comprehend. The ramifications were pretty big for a lot of people, but thankfully, I have some good news to report. Team Hero->ke4116 EBR, the World Superbike->ke3395 team that rides the EBR 1190RX will continue to compete in the series.

While it doesn’t quite alleviate the pain being experienced by all the employees of Erik Buell Racing who lost their jobs, it at least allays some fears from people involved with the team. Team Manager and rider Larry Pegram confirmed to WorldSBK.com that the team will continue to race on until the season.

That said, the team still plans to issue a press release next week addressing the situation involving Erik Buell Racing. What’s important for now is that the team will continue to compete in the series, something that it can probably thank Hero Motorcycles, the Indian motorcycle brand that purchased a majority stake in EBR last year.

Some people might not know this but Team Hero EBR is actually funded by Hero, not EBR. The latter supplies the machines the team races in, which in this case is the EBR 1190RX. But with EBR closing, don’t discount the possibility of Team Hero switching bikes in the middle of the season to become a little more competitive in these races.

I like the 1190RX, but let’s face it, the bike isn’t cutting the mustard in the series. Of the eight motorcycle manufacturers competing in the series, EBR ranks dead last with just three total points to show for it. I don’t have any inside info on the issue, but don’t be surprised if next week’s announcement has something to do with Team Hero switching bikes for the rest of the season.

But for now, let’s heave a nice sigh of relief knowing that for now, Team Hero EBR isn’t going to be affected by Erik Buell Racing’s closure.

Continue reading to read more about Team Hero EBR's status in the WSBK.

Why it matters

It’s nice to see that Team Hero EBR will continue to race for the season and in some way, EBR’s closure could end up becoming a blessing in disguise for the team. One only needs to look at the current WSBK standings to see just how uncompetitive the team is right now. It’s two riders - Larry Pegram and Niccolo Canepa - are languishing at the bottom of the standings. Canepa’s currently dead last with just one point to his name and Pegram hasn’t fared any better with just three points.

Now, it must be noted that switching bikes isn’t a move that Team Hero has already

decided on. There are still a lot of discussions and potential legal issues that must be ironed out before Team Hero can take advantage of that option.

I don’t know if Team Hero is actually considering that route. It’s just a possibility that shouldn’t be discounted for now since there are still a lot of questions surrounding the status of Team Hero’s partnership with EBR.

If I were to make a guess, Team Hero’s pending announcement could be about its decision to remain in the World Superbike Championships with the EBR 1190RX for the “time being.”

How it describes that phrase “time being” is what we should all keep our eyes on.