Buell goes TU

Guest Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:14 am

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Oct/091015buellfolds.htm

Guest Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:17 pm

Not a big surprise, you just never saw many of those bikes on the roads or at the local motorcycle hangout places. In fact I see a lot more Ducati's and Triumphs then I ever did Buell's.

Guest Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:44 am

Danny Eslick just won the Daytona sportbike class on his 1125rr Buell. I must say it was the fastest 600 I have ever seen Buell goes TU Icon_rolleyes

Guest Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:13 pm

Didn't the 1125 have a Rotax engine not a HD engine?

Guest Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:29 pm

AURORA wrote:Didn't the 1125 have a Rotax engine not a HD engine?

That is correct.
I am really bummed about this. I was truly hoping Buell and company would succeed. I have an '04 XB12S Lightning and it's probably the most fun streetbike I've ever owned.
Even with the sporster derived engines, once "uncorked" are a very entertaining ride.
I hope Erik comes back from this and builds bikes once again, without any association with HD. It would be different, I'm sure, to have a parent company and dealers who actually wanted to sell the bikes, and weren't treated with indifference.

Guest Sat Oct 17, 2009 7:35 pm

in the FJ1200 forum and they've had some great discussion about this. My thinking is Buell's creative vision and aesthetic are a bad fit for Harley. The Harley stuff is simply a lifestyle. They probably make more money off people getting their costume on, starting their vibrating oil leak, riding to another town, finding another Harley dealer, and then buying something with the word Harley written on it, than they make off bikes.

Plus, did Harley just buy MV Agusta a few months ago? Seems like these jerks buy up other businesses when times are good instead of fortifying their own through R&D. Once they amass larger a top line they ramp up their pay for doing it. Then when it all fails they fire sale everything and ramp up their pay for saving the business.

I don't like Buell's stuff but like Cannondale and ATK I really hate seeing American's be the people losing out on this business when we are the world's largest market for this.

Brucifier might recognize the location of this photo. I took it on the way to Oregon last year.

Guest Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:21 am

It is sad, very sad not just for Buell lovers like me but should be for any motorcycle owners.

Guest Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:21 am

Buells would of been better sold in Jap bike showrooms even then in uncaring HD Showrooms where the sales man knew little about the product.

HD thought man this will get the young folks in who then will move onto a cruiser...WRONG. It never even occurred to me to go to a HD dealership to even look at a Buell *shrug*

Buell should look for backers to put the brand in Jap showrooms, just liek you find a lot of Triumphs now. It would sell a whole lot more Buell's.

Guest Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:52 am

Bump wrote:in the FJ1200 forum and they've had some great discussion about this. My thinking is Buell's creative vision and aesthetic are a bad fit for Harley. The Harley stuff is simply a lifestyle. They probably make more money off people getting their costume on, starting their vibrating oil leak, riding to another town, find another Harley dealer, and then buying something with the word Harley written on it than they make of bikes.

Plus, did Harley just buy MV Agusta a few months ago? Seems like these jerks buy up other businesses when times are good
instead of fortifying their own through R&D. Once they amass
larger a top line they ramp up their pay for doing it. Then when it all
fails they fire sale everything and ramp up their pay for saving the business.

I don't like Buell's stuff but like Cannondale and ATK I really hate seeing American's be the people losing out on this business when we are the world's largest market for this.

Brucifier might recognize the location of this photo. I took it on the way to Oregon last year.

Looks familiar. Where is it? Is it by McKinleyville?

Guest Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:53 pm

Where the 199 heads NE to Grant's Pass. We stopped for gas and the one guy seemed to be praying for a quick fix as he was stuck with his buddy's stopped itinerary... My 78 year old uncle was the in a Buick behind us and I stopped at the Wal-Mart just up the road for some Motorola walkie talkies to make things easier. Beautiful town coming in from the south.