I know why cheap bikes aren't selling

[Benyen Soljax]

http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/erikbuell.cfm

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!!!!!!!!

[Steve Butters]

i saw "Fan Pack" and got excited for a minute thinking it said "Fanny Pack"

am disappoint

[alienpi]

I'd like to see EBR have a commercial advertising the 1190RS with the 1190RS passing the Harley Davidson XR1200 like it's standing still on the track, and on the street. And then at the end have the 1190RS riding a wheelie past a group of Harleys while giving them the finger.

[YSR_Racer_99]

Or giving the finger while dragging knee, then wheelying away with a hot track bunny on the back. And on shitires, to boot.

[SirAlienJ]

I always get a chuckle about all the anger toward Harley wrt Buell. People always proclaim to love these bikes yet in this thread not one person is listed as an owner. And some wonder why Harley shut it down.

[RFM]

I always get a chuckle about all the anger toward Harley wrt Buell. People always proclaim to love these bikes yet in this thread not one person is listed as an owner. And some wonder why Harley shut it down.

I learned to ride a motorcycle on a Harley back in 1991, and I learned to love tearing around a track on a Buell in 2004. I learned to hate Harley in 2010. Fuck them, and every twat that buys into the lifestyle/image rather than ride. A motorcycle is a vehicle... And a douche is a douche.

[shittygsxr]

I always get a chuckle about all the anger toward Harley wrt Buell. People always proclaim to love these bikes yet in this thread not one person is listed as an owner. And some wonder why Harley shut it down.

actually there already was one owner that posted and now two. I wonder why I am typing this because it seems you cant read anyways

[Tpoppa]

I always get a chuckle about all the anger toward Harley wrt Buell. People always proclaim to love these bikes yet in this thread not one person is listed as an owner. And some wonder why Harley shut it down.

I've owned 3.

Read the May issue of Cycle World if you want to know the scenario about the shutdown. It's pretty well spelled out, probably to the dismay of HD and HD stockholders.

Back to the 1190RS...I suspect this will be a limited production run for homologation purposes to allow 1190 to race in AMA Superbike (the 1125 has placed 6th and 7th in the last few Superbike races). I imagine they'll be priced fairly high. Perhaps this will set the stage for a larger scale return to producing streetbikes.

[SirAlienJ]

I missed the 1125R. Apologies.

You'd think though that for all the Harley hate that some of you would be happy HD shut it down. It gives Eric Buell a chance to restart the brand on his terms.

Harley will always protect its main brand. That's its business.

My point was that on this an many other forums people decry Harley for shutting down the Buell line. I admit they were great looking bikes with some interesting twists on technology. But in these same threads people list their current bikes and I rarely see a Buell. If something doesn't sell you scale it back or kill it.

Maybe Harley never made the commitment to Buell it needed or didn't know how to market it. Again, that just means you should be happy Mr. Buell has a chance to do it on his terms.

To Mr. "A Douche is A Douche": Nice personal attack. But, of course, you have no idea why I ride what I ride and I'm not going to bother explaining it to you.

[shittygsxr]

Its not that Harley shut them down its that they refused to sell even when they had eager buyers. I dont care what you ride or why you ride it. Just make sure when you make arrogant posts you verify your info first.

[SirAlienJ]

Its not that Harley shut them down its that they refused to sell even when they had eager buyers. I dont care what you ride or why you ride it. Just make sure when you make arrogant posts you verify your info first.

So they had an eager buyer. Perhaps it was more tax advantageous to take the write down than to sell the brand. Who knows? Pretty much though this sums up my thoughts re the ire of Harley and Buell.

Companies make weird or stupid decisions all the time. (The things I know about my employer make the baby Jesus cry.)

[Tpoppa]

Its not that Harley shut them down its that they refused to sell even when they had eager buyers. I dont care what you ride or why you ride it. Just make sure when you make arrogant posts you verify your info first.

Agreed.

'All American' HD could have easily saved 'all American' jobs. Buyers were lined up to buy Buell, HD declined. BTW, many of the folks that pushed to close & not sell Buell have since been ousted from HD. From a dollars and cents standpoint their decision didn't make business sense.

It may take a few years, but I'm curious to see what Erik Buell will do without HD limiting his options.

[Tpoppa]

So they had an eager buyer. Perhaps it was more tax advantageous to take the write down than to sell the brand.

In this case, absolutely not...unless HD's tax rate is 100% They would have saved hundreds of millions by selling Buell and not buying out vendor contracts.

Now explain the financial enema that MV just gave HD.

[SirAlienJ]

Agreed.

BTW, many of the folks that pushed to close & not sell Buell have since been ousted from HD.

It may take a few years, but I'm curious to see what Erik Buell will do without HD limiting his options.

Ah, so it was a management issue. See this is key. Sure HD will always protect the Bar and Shield but it only takes a couple of dumbasses in the right positions to screw things up royally. (Again, the stories about my employer.)

On your second paragraph, agreed.

[SirAlienJ]

'All American' HD could have easily saved 'all American' jobs.

Anyone who buys that All American stuff is the kind of crap weasel who has clothes that look like an American flag.

Don't look too closely at the labels on the boots and other merch.

Wolverine makes the boots and shoes for Harley...at one of their factories in China. Harley balked at first about having them made in China. Wolverine showed them how much it would cost to have them made in the states. HD decided to deal with the PR battle. When push comes to shove, nearly every company will choose the money.

[RFM]

A douche is a douche. That is truth, and it has nothing to do with you, and is not a personal attack. I was a Harley rider, and my brother is a Harley mechanic. A douche is that guy in a bandana, the Wolverine boots with the Harley label, a t-shirt that of course says Harley. Just like a douche is a guy with a Ferrari shirt, Ferrari branded Puma shoes, and an enviable car out in the lot. Bought the lifestyle from an image department rather than be themself. And I wouldn't want to be that douche either- aside from owning the Ferrari.

[Tpoppa]

I think that any one with any industry knowlegde could list the reasons why selling Buells in HD dealships was a poor fit. You can also make a case that HD divesting Buell could be a good decision. However, there is no business case that favors closing a brand (at a cost in the hundreds of millions) with buyers lined up, that doesn't directly compete with your other lines.

It's been suggested by people with some inside knowledge that HD was concerned about potentially looking foolish if Buell were to have more success with HD out of the equation. Perhaps this is true. The May Cycle World is the most factual article I have seen.

[NightRider]

A douche is a douche. That is truth, and it has nothing to do with you, and is not a personal attack. I was a Harley rider, and my brother is a Harley mechanic. A douche is that guy in a bandana, the Wolverine boots with the Harley label, a t-shirt that of course says Harley. Just like a douche is a guy with a Ferrari shirt, Ferrari branded Puma shoes, and an enviable car out in the lot. Bought the lifestyle from an image department rather than be themself. And I wouldn't want to be that douche either- aside from owning the Ferrari.

Harley douche guy. In HD gear....from head to toe. Sometime's...more than not doesn't even own a Harley. Let alone even ride.

Again as RFM stated, no disrespect to anyone here. Just rather humorous.

[Tpoppa]

fore-mentioned article:

http://www.froggypwns.com/buellpdfs/Cycle%20World%20-%20May2010%20-%20Demise%20of%20Buell%20and%20Barracuda%202.pdf

[alienpi]

Edited...

Edited September 9, 2010 by alienpi

[RFM]

fore-mentioned article:

http://www.froggypwns.com/buellpdfs/Cycle%20World%20-%20May2010%20-%20Demise%20of%20Buell%20and%20Barracuda%202.pdf

Great read. Thanks!

[Tpoppa]

So, if HD wouldn't have pulled the rug out from under Buell (which had been growing faster than HD itself). We would have:

An American produced 450cc dirtbike - design completed and tooling had been paid for.

An American produced middleweight 3 cyl sportbike - design completed and tooling underway.

An American produced 1190cc Buell Barracuda Superbike (without radiator pods) - design completed and tooling had been paid for.

...and a few hundred more American manufacturing jobs in Wisconson.

Instead, if you want a sporty American bike you can pick up a 550lb, 85 hp, HD XR1200. Take your time, because they'll be sitting in the showroom for awhile.

[LINK]

All I can say is "Rose Colored Glasses", from a hopefully soon ex Buell owner.

Not a personal attack on anyone, just my opinion!

It is a shame the way many Buell owners bash the I-4's, and all other Non-Buell Motorcycles and owners, when the very same people they are bashing support them and agree that HD should have offered a better solution for Erik and Buell as a company, kind of a Harley Davidson mentality to me.

Not just my opinion, I personally witnessed it several times from various Buell owners, in person, and especially on Badweatherbikers.com, mainly from the owner of the site, the moderators, and the "all Buell's are great" Cult like members.

When Harley Davidson buys back my Ohio Lemon Law 1125R, I roughly estimated HD's cost for this bike alone, will be well over double of what I paid for it originally, due to all of the warranty work, and the buy back, and it will probably be resold with more warranty work needed in the future.

I am not a fan of HD, but I do understand them closing Buell.

I did own a 2007 Night Train for 2 years with no problems though, it was just not my thing, I sold it.

Needless to say, the 1190 will not be an interest of mine, never say never though, I will wait for a "Firesale" this time.

[Rassilon]

A douche is a douche.

and Erik Buell is one of the biggest douchebags around. He can suck it, and his ugly ass bikes can rust.

[Benyen Soljax]

and Erik Buell is one of the biggest douchebags around. He can suck it, and his ugly ass bikes can rust.