| Author | Message | ||
     Gater |
I saw this on Supermoto Junkie. http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Oct/091016expl deleted.htm I suppose Buell's announcement that they will cease operations was, for a lot of people, shocking. I'm not among them, frankly. I'm saddened for anyone who works at Buell and for Buell's small, but vocal, group of passionate customers and evangelists. Sad, but not shocked; not at all. Since the beginning, the addition of Buell to the Harley-Davidson company has been an odd mix, both in Milwaukee and on the dealership floor. Inside Harley, Buell has always been a weird stepchild few at "The Motor Company" embraced. For many years, and it still may be true today, if you wanted to get your jaw wired in place for six weeks, a great way to have that done was to walk into any bar near a Harley-Davidson assembly plant and proclaim that Buells were Harleys because they share the same powerplant. Pow! Inside the Motor Company, there were Harley people and then there were the Buell outcasts. To say that it was any other way is simply not truthful. On the dealer floor, dealers that I know who carried both brands were confused; many times the Buell models just sat and seemed to gather dust as a parade of Harleys were sold and serviced. Harley stuck a fortune into Buell, in buying it and in fixing all the early recalls and then trying to build it into a brand--although I always wondered what that brand would be, or could be, with such a dominant parent company. Most expected that at some point Buell would become Harley but it never did. When times were good at Harley and quarter after quarter of record profits rolled in, the money that Buell cost them was just a blip, a few sentences worth of mention on an investor conference call. Those days, I'm afraid, are gone. The video on the Buell Web site of Eric with a K telling the tale that Buell was finished was sobering to watch even for me, someone who wasn't Erik's biggest disciple in the press corp--Lord knows there were enough of those. Buell, broken, ashen-faced, and seemingly at times on the verge of tears, spelled out that the company that he'd spent a lifetime building would be no more. Just because he's gutted, it didn't stop Buell from spinning his company's saddest accomplishment. In the video, Buell says that, in 2009 "... in competition at the highest level, the Rossmeyer Geico team took the AMA Pro SportBike championship, competing against the much larger, factory-backed teams from Japan and Europe, proving to all that (Buell) innovation and technology is world class." There was, of course, no mention of the fact that the Buell is 1200cc while the Japanese brands entered anemic 600s, bikes so slow that one factory rider termed his 600 not just the slowest 600 he'd ever ridden, or the slowest race bike he'd ever ridden, but, in fact, the slowest motorcycle he'd ever ridden. Let's be real, the bias in the DMG Daytona Sport Bike rules destroyed any chance Buell had at racing credibility in 2009. I've said this privately for a long time: Buell Motorcycles would have been more successful if Erik had retired and left the company in the hands of someone else. The PR spin on Erik is that he was focused and passionate, the great defender of the Buell crest. Another perspective might see it differently: Erik could also be divisive, and on a personal level, you were either with him or against him, it seemed. Anybody who didn't join Erik's special little club "had an agenda" and was frozen out. That method of dealing with people is tolerable if your products are absolutely kicking ass in the marketplace. You can be as mercurial as Steve Jobs when your products fly off the shelves. You can re-wire an entire industry when the re-wiring results in business success. But, for whatever reason, Erik's bikes remained machines with a small and cult-ish following. The technological tangents that Erik became so passionate about--fuel in the frame, goofy brakes, and all the rest--were they the best use of Buell's resources? I understand that Erik wanted to solidify his legacy in the motorcycle industry. But in all honestly, just because you use your own press releases to call yourself a "visionary" doesn't make it so. I think, if Erik had left the company and ten more years passed-- enough time to see the retirement of most of the old guard at Harley who didn't like it when The Motor Company acquired a stake in Buell in the early 1990s--and a newer generation of people who only knew Harley as being attached to Buell came on board, then Buell might have seen some real success. In a wider scope, Buell folding up shop signals another bad business decision by DMG. Here is where they sit after sticking their index finger into the eyeballs of the Japanese manufacturers. All that conflict, all that turmoil, while they stood shoulder to shoulder with Erik Buell against those "Japanese factories' barely disguised race bikes". DMG sacrificed all remaining credibility when they allowed the clearly illegal Buell 1125 Superbike into the Superbike class and bristled at the suggestion that it was anything but legal. All that skullduggery, and for what? All for the champion in Daytona SportBike, DMG's star class to now be riding a motorcycle made by a defunct company. All those relationships burned willingly, almost gleefully, by DMG so they could pledge allegiance to their pace bike, the Buell, which is as of today, no longer being produced. Daytona Sport Bike champion and Buell hero Danny Eslick told Cycle News that he expects to go racing in 2010, to defend his title, on a Buell. Would anything more profoundly demonstrate DMG's efforts at running a series into the ground than to have the number one plate in the "Daytona" class be on a motorcycle made by a defunct manufacturer? Will Buell's demise be the shockwave that forces DMG to mediate a peace with Honda and the rest? Please. With the press conference at Laguna Seca fresh in my mind, I feel that this is not how DMG operates; there is no admission of mistakes made and a plea for forgiveness. There are more companies to use as a pivot against the Japanese--Aprilia, BMW, etc.--and more double-the-displacement-against-glorified-vacuum-c leaner rules and enemies lists to compile. Supposedly, there are no second acts in America. And, while Erik Buell looked like a broken man in the video, I have a hard time believing that the closing of Buell Motor Company will finally silence Erik Buell. ENDS | ||
| Black |
Yep, I read our friend Dean's first article announcing Buell's demise and thought that maybe he actually had it in himself to, just maybe for once, be a little gracious. Once again though, he showed his true colors and followed up with the above. I have to say though, that I cannot think of a better compliment than to be trash talked by the likes of Dean Adams and his kind. Too bad they don't have the decency to be quiet for just a little while, but then, what can you expect? | ||
| Jasonnennig |
Dean- What a bunch of BULL. You are twisted on so many fronts, I don't know were to start. Your opinion's sound like they are coming from someone who knows little of the deeper reality of the situation. You sound like someone who buys into the whole short-sided HD reasoning for dumping Buell...From your views on Erik to your bashing of the recent racing success...Your an idiot This comes from someone who is a proud friend of Erik's and many who worked at the factory in East Troy. Jason Nennig Mukwonago WI (Message edited by jasonnennig on October 17, 2009) (Message edited by jasonnennig on October 17, 2009) | ||
| Jake318 |
gator , life didnt turn out the way you expected it to now your a bitter man ? Thats what your rant sounds like | ||
| Jake318 |
GATOR!!! IM SOOO SORRY I THOUGHT YOU WROTE THAT YOURSELF AND BLACK KNEW YOUR REAL NAME . A THOUSAND APPOLOGIES!!! | ||
| Gater |
That is all good Jake318, I would never write a article like this I love my Buell's. I was flabbergasted when I read this article. I'm not surprised that someone would write a article like this. I saw it on Super Moto Junkies. I felt that we should bash the looser who wrote the article. Yesterday myself and some of my fellow Buell riders went to our local Harley dealer to mourn along with the Owner of the dealership General Manager and Parts Manager who are also die hard Buell owners and riders. Long live Buell. I came home with a two 2009 parts catalogues one for my brother and one for myself. Also picked up my brothers Uly comfort kit. The dealership raised there Buell hats form $17.50 to $20.50 oh well what are you going to do except buy one. | ||
| Black |
Man Jake, Don't worry about it! Supersquidplanet has bashed Buell all summer. Their attacks have been almost surreal. I can't imagine how anybody could hate Buell so badly unless Erik had stolen his lunch money in the second grade......or they are on somebody's payroll! Basically, Supersquidplanet hates anything that isn't Japanese. They want everyone to think that displacement is the advantage, that because a Buell is 1125 CCs, it can beat any 600 Japanese in-line 4, and that Buell has a tremendous advantage. Yes the Japanese 600s are "anemic". They will only do 180 plus MPH....now that is anemic in anybody's book! Anyway, they hate DMG because it brought back competition to Americam MC road racing. Buell brought somebody that wasn't a Japanese manufacturer, who could actually compete and win. If Buell doesn't survive, they will continue to attack Ducati, BMW, KTM, and Aprilia who are now racing in the AMA Sportbike class. l They don't want any real competition. My two cents worth anyway. | ||
| Goldrush |
I don't care what they say. I know Buell tried to climb the impossible mountain and they almost did. Maybe if HD dodn't buy MV Agusta as well as have such horrible lending practices Buell wouldn't be on the chopping block. Wait and see a couple of years will pass and HD will be back at it trying to figure out how to tap into the sportbike market. | ||
| Gater |
" Maybe if HD didn't buy MV Agusta as well as have such horrible lending practices Buell wouldn't be on the chopping block. Wait and see a couple of years will pass and HD will be back at it trying to figure out how to tap into the sport-bike market." That is exactly what the Owner of my local Harley dealer said. | ||
| M2nc |
You have to put Super Squid Master Dean in the right category then it all makes sense. He is no journalist. He is a sensationalist. If you compare him to television personalities, he is no Dan Rather, but more Rush Limbaugh. He is all spin with only enough truth to keep him out of court. He picks the popular conservative view and spins it, rather than trying to come up with a balanced and truth filled story. A Johnny come lately that likes to look into the past and call himself a prophet. All I can say is do not go to Supersquidplanet. Do not support that stupidity. | ||
| Goldrush |
Great comment! | ||
| Jake318 |
Thank you for the understanding . I was already poed when i read the copied post and didnt see the thread where it came from . With Buell closing im only going to race 1 XB12 firebolt now . the other im saving as a hopped up street bike . Henry Duga was supposed to send me racing part I desperatly needed , but I Know hes having ALOT bigger problems . so im ertainly not angry at him . i called and sent my condolances . Hopefully Dris(twins motorcycles in netherlands ) can do some majic with my ECM for the 90ci race bike | ||
| Jake318 |
Sorry I got off topic .... What I was Poed about was some of the H-D forum people are being real assholes . (My son has a Roadking with 131ci Jims racing engine retro styling , beautiful bike as long as your riding in strait line lol) Anyway they are saying good ridance ect . Of course its the same smacked asses that own the Dyna glides with ape hanger bars ( the guys too cool to wave back ) The people on the ZX10 forum have much more sympathy beleive it or not | ||
| Goldrush |
HD has ridden the wave of exclusivity all the way to the sand. Now HDs are not holding value and they are only slightly more sought after than the metric bikes. HD has only hype to make new believers because they certainly do not have performance. HD had/has an opportunity to coat tail off of Buells marvelous out of the box thinking staff which revolutionized new ways of engineering sport performance bikes. Proven performance created simply by a RACER who wanted to build an American sport bike.} | ||
| Reepicheep |
I read as far as "against anemic 600's". Yeah. That's the daytona sportbike R6... what, 180 MPH worth of anemia? | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
"There are more companies to use as a pivot against the Japanese--Aprilia, BMW, etc." He's already setting up to start bashing those other "cheaters". Pathetic. | ||
| Jasonnennig |
Nicely said M2nc!!!! |
