| Author | Message | ||
     Towjam |
I know the "Buell dealership network sux" discussion has been beat to death. I also know there are some top notch Buell dealerships which will totally kick ass with the new line. But with that said... The 1125R is proof that Buell is definitely stepping it up and coming to the market with a production American branded bike that can compete (at least on paper) with some of the more established boutique brands. Ok, see where I'm going with this? Since it's doubtful that there will be many chrome farkles available for the 1125, I don't see Harley salespeople being motivated to push the product - much less spend some time learning the differences between a true sportbike and a cruiser. In short, they're inadequately prepared to deal with the new audience this bike should hopefully attract. Again, I know there are exceptions to everything but I think the 1125 is going to bring the HD vs Buell dealership issue to a head. I hope I'm wrong. | ||
| Davefla |
I hope you're right, actually. | ||
| Teddagreek |
Only the strong survive.. Dealers that don't want to adapt will be left behind... I bought a Buell not a Harley. | ||
| Dbird29 |
I would bet there will be a tech school for the 1125R. Just make sure your dealer send the Buell guy to that class. Maybe we can get a "Certified by Court" seal of approval for qualified dealers. | ||
| Towjam |
Dealers that don't want to adapt will be left behind... No argument there. But I hope the 1125 doesn't get dragged down while we wait for the dealer to "adapt". | ||
| Xb9er |
With the 1125R buell just spoke their peace at the major sport bike table. With this buell will need to advertise like the other guys(kawi, honda, yamaha, suzuki). Once the advertisements hit the tv's people are going to bum rush the dealerships and the sales personal will have no choice but to adapt. chris | ||
| Court |
>>>Maybe we can get a "Certified by Court" seal of approval for qualified dealers. Wiretapping is illegal.  | ||
| Icon12r |
"Once the advertisements hit the tv's people are going to bum rush the dealerships" Props to Erik, I know this is a huge step for the company and they're going to do very well. But guys like us who knew Buell before this bike, the few of us... We're losing the individuality we had with our Buells. Pull into a parking lot and have everyone wonder what kind of bike it is. Leave them guessin in the twisties. That was half the fun... being different. | ||
| 07xb12scg |
Once the advertisements hit the tv's people are going to bum rush the dealerships and the sales personal will have no choice but to adapt. This bike will almost certainly increase Buell's sales numbers, but I don't think it will be the "bum rush" that you are imagining. Inline 4 sport bikes sell much more than V twin sportbikes. Just think of how many Honda CBR 1000RRs are on the road in comparison to Honda RC51s. I'd say the lack of sales is what killed the RC51. I also think Buell will always be hurt by being owned by Harley Davidson. One, sport bike riders tend to dislike Harleys and they discredit Buells for being Harleys. Another reason is that most Harley dealers want nothing to do with Buells and certainly they aren't as knowledgeable about Buells as they are Harleys. It seems they're not as good as repairing Buells either. Harley may have "saved" Buell and allowed them to make production bikes, but in the long run Buell would be better off if Harley sold them. | ||
| Curtyd |
"That was half the fun... being different...." And a V-Twin is a carbon copy of a I-4 because of what? Water-cooling? Gasoline capacity? Underslung mufflers (now that they are being adopted by the rest)? ...or is it the chain drive? I have to agree there, at least. | ||
| Vanvideo |
You'll still leave them guessing in the twisties, only now you can add the straights as well. It'll still be a V-twin sportbike. How many of those are out there, compared to I4s? From what I can gather from the video stills, it's lineage from the Firebolt line is obvious. At bike nights, I can always tell when a v-twin comes to life, and I always strain to get a look at it. There's something about that deep growl... | ||
| Icon12r |
Curt- I'm not saying that they're becoming a carbon copy of the I-4s. I'm saying that I have lost the privilege of owning one of only a couple Buells in Duluth MN. Yeah, I guess I'll still be different, but so will every other new Buell owner... I just don't want to turn my head every time I hear a v-twin and see a Buell. It's hard to be different when everyone has one. (Message edited by icon12r on July 08, 2007) | ||
| Icon12r |
But, regardless of my thoughts on that. I'm still very happy for Buell, and I can't wait to try the new bike. | ||
| Lightningrob |
I have mixed feelings on the new 1125R. Currently, there are only 4 Buell dealers in the state I live in, which is Indiana. When I bought my Buell in 2005, there were at least 8 or 9, possibly more. The dealers who dropped Buells never really tried to push sales, and neither do the remaining Buell dealers. There may be 3 or 4 models in each showroom and those models are usually last years models. I don't see H-D investing money for their techs to learn how to do repair and maintenance on a non-HD powertrain. The dealership where I bought my bike at won't touch it now, since they dropped the Buell line-up. They told me they can't buy Buell parts or have their technicians work on them. Although I think the new 1125R is a breakthrough for Buell, for the Average Joe, it might be a bad thing. If my thoughts are wrong, somebody please shed some light on this subject for me. In the meantime, I think I better order a service manual from American Sportbike and learn how to work on my own bike. | ||
| Lightningrob |
Although, I just watched the video for the new bike and I gotta say, that thing kicks butt! I think I may have to get one. I hope I can manage to keep my XB9 and get one of those things. I may have to build a new garage. | ||
| Woody1911a1 |
yup a a match made in hell but a very necessary one . if it weren't for H-D , you'd be reading about Erik Buell and his motorcycles in history books right now instead of awaiting the unveiling of the new 1125r ! | ||
| Bdabuell |
now that there's a non-Harley specific motor in it, I wonder if deals would be made with other non-Harley dealerships...theoretically, I would think a tech who knows the Rotax motor(s) could come up to speed on the new motor...so might we see Buells lined up on the floor next to Aprilias? | ||
| Curtyd |
"if it weren't for H-D , you'd be reading about Erik Buell and his motorcycles in history books right now instead of awaiting the unveiling of the new 1125r ! ..." Gotta say it, this is the one good thing I can even bring myself to say about HD. I rode 'rice' for 20 years and it was the midrange motor and the precise handling of the BUELL that won me over in my first test ride in 1999. A high tech motor would just be more 'icing' already on a quite delicious 'cake'! I have had my dealer problems with HD too, but considering all the techs here in Fla. come out of the MMI pipeline, theoretically they are supposed to be educated to work on any make of motorcycle. The problem with HD service probably starts with their market. Most of their customers are more worried about fingerprints on their chrome than anything else. One strategy I use is by telling them "I don't care so much about the detailing afterwards, I know how to wash and wax the thing if and when I care about that. Just make it work to the specifications in the service manual, OK?" (Message edited by CURTYD on July 08, 2007) | ||
| Towjam |
theoretically, I would think a tech who knows the Rotax motor(s) could come up to speed on the new motor... One thing that will be interesting to see is how quickly the HD/Buell techs can get up to speed with things like valve adjustments, etc. With a 10.5k redline, I'm assuming this is not going to have self-adjusting valves - and from some of the stories I've read on other forums, many Harley techs loath doing the adjustments on the V-Rods. As tempted as I might be to run out and buy one (once I read the initial reviews), my practical side says I should wait and let other buyers get the kinks worked out first - and at the same time, give the dealership techs a chance to practice. Frankly, I would feel more confident having a ricer tech work on this bike than a Harley tech - at least for the first year or so. | ||
| Starter |
Doesn't really change anything - I'd still service and fix it myself. Ricer service centres are just as bad. This is an industry problem, not H-D. | ||
| Xbullet |
I just don't want to turn my head every time I hear a v-twin and see a Buell. It's hard to be different when everyone has one. with all due respect, that is the most childish comment i've read on this board lately. it's like having long hair to be "different" and then realizing you hang out with a bunch of long haired dudes. (i know, i did it. my grandpa pointed this out to me when i was in high school) it's not about being "different," but merely about doing what suits you best. it's hard to be "different" when you are on a worldwide, online forum with tens of thousands of other guys who share the EXACT SAME INTEREST. there was a time when buell riders had to scrounge around to find another bueller to ride with. someone like minded and with a similar bike/riding style. this is all good for buell and for buell riders. it's nice to not be the only guy there on a buell sometimes. the same arguement was made by harley riders back in the day. not much has changed. it's just become more acceptable to hang out at the local "biker bar" on your hog. the more buell riders we have on the street, maybe the more acceptable it will be to run a little too fast through the mountains. i love my little fantasy worlds i live in sometimes.... (Message edited by xbullet on July 08, 2007) (Message edited by xbullet on July 08, 2007) | ||
| Icon12r |
I completely understand, I guess what I was trying to say was that I don't want Buell to be the new squid bike... I see too many GSXRs, CBRs, etc. rolling around with kids who don't know what they're doing. I don't want that to happen to Buell. I get a strong sense of pride when riding my Firebolt. I hope the new crowd this bike brings in will have the same sense of confidence and pride. | ||
| Rich |
After 16 years of Buell ownership, it doesn't bother me in the least, kinda used to it, really.. I buy, I fix. | ||
| Buellshyter |
With those two huge radiator cowls jutting out in the front of the bike no one will ever mistake a 1125 for a 1098 | ||
| Xbullet |
I guess what I was trying to say was that I don't want Buell to be the new squid bike... i feel ya on that. but i don't think it's gonna happen. takes too long for that to catch on, and squids are too caught up in the R1's and Busa's to try anything new. i believe the new Buell will, however, be perceived with more reverence from that crowd than previous Buells have, in time. Just don't know if the local squid is ready to walk into a HD dealership, either. there's that stigma that scares them some. (from what i can gather at local bike nights) | ||
| Madduck |
I think the Harley dealers will do just fine. they have after all been doing just fine for over 100 years now. There may be huge holes in this road but it does just keep going on. My two nephews are now interested in Buells, one is looking at the STT and the other is very interested in the new 1125. Twenty somethings do like to buy american now that so many businesses are trying to outsource them. The swing of the pendulum has begun to reverse and the future will change from Globalism back to nationalism. | ||
| Rd3501 |
All I can say is I hope for the love of god that people dont try and put those stupid HD stickers on the new 1125R to say that it is some harley. Damn I really hate those stickers or how someone tries to paint a Buell crapy harley colors...Its a Buell... And after 25 years..dealers are not going to change. They still suck...rather sell chrome than Buell. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Think of it this way guys. Right now there is not a single qualified mechanic for this particular engine (let alone the entire bike). Prior to the 1125R, this engine didn't exist. You can't pull it into your local Polaris/Can-Am/Bombardier dealer and expect them to know any more than your local Honda dealer. That said, those dealers who are serious about Buell will have to put their money where their mouth is and pay to have someone qualified. I doubt that the Elves pass out the certifications without giving each candidate more than just the once over. Erik and crew understand that this is the golden moment for Buell. Buell has been on the collective radar of just about every single magazine in the motorcycling world since 06. This is the crowning achievement to date for Buell. Erik WILL NOT allow BMC to stub it's toe on this bike and ruin the opportunity to bring heretofore uninitiated buyers into the Buell ranks. I believe that there will be dealer requirements to be met from here on out. Having some guy volunteer to be the "Buell" guy and looking over the manual a couple of times won't cut it now. You either SELL and SERVICE the bikes or you pull the blue and black sign off the building. This is a whole new ball game! | ||
| Towjam |
According to the press release, the 1125 will be available "late '07". So this gives the dealers just a few months to get their chit together. | ||
| Dbird29 |
Think about this. If the service network had no complaints would the new EFI module be designed to eliminate the need for TPS resets? Maybe the lower maintenance improvements are a response the bad dealers. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Where's Cityxslicker to chime in on all of this (come to think of it I haven't seen one comment from him yet) I am curious of those that are involved at the dealer level what is happening. Has a new training program been announced? New service equipment ready for purchase? Hopefully someone can comment on this without breaking an NDA. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
oooh I ve been selling bikes all day, havent had the time to sit in front of the puter and fully soak in the new model yet. I will be stealing deals away from the R1, RC's, Duc's, Busa's and Kawis with that bike. Come and get your squid on. I am down to 3 07 Buells left, we will be out of them by August 1 (my deal to the owner) I will be looking for some track time on that bike for sure. That being said, if they cant get a qualified tech at our shop to work on it... I will take a damn year off and go to MMI myself. Welcome to the New Buell, now where is my dirt bike ? |
