Here's the latest in our July is Bribes Month contest.

Much has been said recently by both enthusiasts and the moto-press about the death of the Buell Motorcycle Company, at the hands of its parent, Harley-Davidson. Love them or hate them, with the Buell factory in East Troy, Wisconsin cleared to the bare walls, the American made sportbike is extinct. Or is it?

Buell's beginnings were humble - a single, driven individual, with a dream, engineering ability, and a belief that there was a better way forward than the Japanese or European status quo was offering. Through hard work, determination, and a fair amount of good luck, the company grew.

Today there are several American motorcycle manufacturing startups that share much of the core that Buell started with. These are very small companies that are now building bikes mostly by hand, and to order. The dream of the American sportbike is still alive and well in these firms, however, and success and growth could be right around the corner for any of them.

Here are a few notables that bear watching

Fischer Motor Company http://www.fischer1.com/Fischer_Motorcycle.htm

Fischer is building the MRX, powered by a Hyosung sourced 650cc v-twin, a Korean clone of the Suzuki SV650 powerplant. Fischer claims 80HP/52 lb.ft from this engine, in a very light, GP inspired chassis. Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, and sleek bodywork designed by Glynn Kerr set it apart from the SV and others in its category. What doesn't set it apart, though, is price - at about $8K, it is very much in the hunt.

U.S. Highland http://www.ushighland.com/bike_gallery.php

The Viking 990 and 1050 are the first real forays into the streetbike market for Highland, a company known for building very high end off road machines. The move to production since opening the U.S. manufacturing facility in Oklahoma has been swift, with prototype test bikes released to the press within less than 2 years. The company is adopting the same approach with on road machines as they have with their dirt bound cousins - bespoke, built to order bikes, taking into account the customer's height, weight, reach, inseam, and level of riding ability. British built Spondon frames, top shelf suspension and brakes, and a highly tuned proprietary 60 degree v-twin are this company's calling cards.

Roehr Motorcycles http://www.roehrmotorcycles.com/specs.html

Brute force is what comes to mind when reviewing the specifications for the Roehr 1250SC. The "SC" designation denotes the supercharger this bike is equipped with, bolted atop a Harley-Davidson Revolution engine. Roehr claims 180HP/115 lb.ft, for the liquid cooled v-twin, which should provide effortless acceleration for its claimed 432 lb dry weight. The frame is a beam type, comprised of both 4130 CrMo steel and 6061 aluminum, configured to provide a 56 inch wheelbase with fairly aggressive 23.5 degree steering rake. High end Ohlins suspension, forged Marchesini wheels, and Brembo brakes round out the package.