| Author | Message | ||
     Tommy_2stroke |
Funny how one little anonymous post can brighten up my whole day! | ||
| Jon |
I think that in all of these posts, mine are clearly beyond a shadow of a doubt the best. You know it's true. You people should 5 star my posts...all of 'em. If you don't it's because you're all jealous. Blake! Blake! Service!! Seeeeervice!!! Hey Blake think about Death Valley for 3/31-4/1. You cold hook up with Rex on the way in. It will be Righteous. | ||
| Regkittrelle |
Anonymous... I know two of the individuals that post under this Anon de plume; possibly you're a third one. Regardless, it appears that you too are getting exercise by jumping to the wrong conclusions. Never have I said you couldn't... just that you haven't. You shouldn't find this hard to believe, but I'll be leading the cheers if, indeed, you're about to embark on a "great, great couple of years." I and everyone else here desperately wants you to succeed... and we've wanted this for ten years. Don't make the huge mistake of taking a "We'll show them!" position; you have zero room for hubris. I'm on your side, but I'm neither an idiot nor a sycophant. The Buell motorcycle has etched reams worth of good times and positive memories on the minds of owners. It has also sorely disappointed many, many riders, and cost them thousands of dollars in repairs to problems that should not have happened. Frankly, you owe us a world-class motorcycle. Your it, you're the one who has chosen to fight the good fight; now's the time to show us what you got. If it's good, we're there with you. If not, your clock just ran out of time. Put up or shut up. | ||
| M1combat |
If you build it I'll buy it... I'm in the market again and it'll probably be a 1098 or whatever Buell has up there sleeve... I'll wait patiently until I know what's up  . | ||
| Ezblast |
LOL - the sound of high noon waxes gently in the back round - Actually I'm quite sure the bikes will be a step up again in the quality department that Buell already has taken strides in and being impressed is something I will take for granted, you expect the exceptional from the exceptional. I am sure that these new products will also well carry the Buell banner. And well increase company profits all around. I never wanted record setting bike anything, just a great handling mid powered bike would be fine - they are now disco-ing the 9xbr - the next logical choice - the 12 insurance is not justifiable at nearly double - just what am I left with to buy from Buell - Japan had 600 to our 9 - now a whole segment of the market is lost - my question is - how will Buell answer this now? With 9 tenths the bikes in this city not superbikes - the 9's, Uly and Blast have numbers in this city - the rest are very rare indeed - now 2 out of 3 are to be discoed and not everyone wants a big ole dual-sport tourer - what the Uly is used for around here - leaving what to fill a niche once so well filled - now empty. That is my question, however, some may ask -how is that pertinent to this topic - this topic is all about a future line of Buell, all I'm asking is what about the future of another established line? GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Firemanjim |
I agree with Reg, I haven't felt compelled to buy a new Buell since my S-2, so give me something to drool over, I am in the market.And I have been waiting for far too long. Now I gotta go back to building a 250+HP Buell---- | ||
| Elvis |
For those who doubt Buell can make a competent dirt-bike, here's something to think about. I'm not trying to prove anything or start a debate (though everything seems to turn into that on the internet) - just giving people something to think about: Imagine for a moment that it is 2001. You have not yet laid eyes on an XB9R and I told you the following: "Buell is going to start with the air-cooled 45 degree, push-rod Harley lump that we all know and build a bike around it that will be competiive with Japanese 600 cc sport-bikes. In a "Performance Bike" article, the Buell will be compared to a Ducati 749, Suzuki GSX R600, Husqvarna SM450R, Kawasaki ZX-10R and Kawasaki ZXR400 in an attempt to objectively measure some of the best handling bikes out there. When they measure corner speed around a tight corner they find: 'All three of our intrepid riders set their fastest time through here on the Firebolt, so it's no contest. In fact, each of them were about half a second second quicker on it than on anything else.' and in the conclusion: 'So here's the deal: if you want the scientifically measured quickest bike through corners take the Firebolt' And when "Bike" magazine uses a more subjective evaluation to pick their "Top 50 cornering bikes" of all time, the Buell will top the list." Now if I went on to tell you: "This bike will be competive enough with the 600 cc Japanese bikes to run against them in an AMA race series that allows highly modified bikes, and Mike Ciccotto and Mike Barnes - riding for dealer teams on limited budgets - will be able to consistently finish in the top 10 against Japanese factory teams running tricked-out, race-tuned 600s with highly exotic components and top riders. Not only that, but riders will enter the DAYTONA 200 with this air-cooled pushrod Harley lump." Now honestly, if I had told you all of that in 2001, would you have believed a word of it? Which is more far-fetched, the above scenerio as proposed in 2001, or the idea of Buell - with some seed money from Harley, phone numbers of suppliers all over the world, hundreds of competitive models to evaluate, cut apart, analyze and who knows how much development time (remember, for all we know, this may have been in the works for the past 5 years) - building a dirt-bike from a clean sheet? Does that mean it will be a success? Certainly not, but I think Buell has earned the right to have us not pass judgement on what they are or are not capable of until we've - at the very least - actually seen one of the bikes. | ||
| Court |
>>>It's going to be a great, great couple of years. I predict that in that period of time we'll see the bike that will have folks like Reg, Aaron, FMJH, Paul, Grizzly and I lusting for Buells again. Times are tough . . . but good. Buell is having to leap hurdles no one ever dreamed would be there. Reg pretty much nailed it. . . on a personal note, I'd beg for the first step to be to fire the idiots in marketing, the group that brought us axle covers and t-shirts from Gap for Kids. Based on the personalities of the hard-headed hurdlers . . . . I'm both confident and enthusiastic. Court | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Ah well. I have about three years left before I'm going to be seriously looking for a new bike anyway. I can be patient. | ||
| Ezblast |
Thats what I thought - heck of an answer - I think Buell has lost focus if he is willing to lose that whole segment of the market. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Anonymous |
You lost your lust for Buells? When did this happen?  | ||
| Buellfighter |
I'm with Firemanjim, show a Buell better looking than the tuber S1's and I'll consider! | ||
| Naustin |
Anony - Court owns an S2. He says its the only Buell he's ever paid his own money for. So, I'd say he's talking about a Sport/Touring bike. | ||
| Court |
>>>He says its the only Buell he's ever paid his own money for. Pardon me? I think you misunderstood me or I misspoke. I've owned quite a few on my own, including 2 S-2's a white one and a red (california) one. And let me clarify the above statement. . . I have not lost my lust for Buells. But I am eagerly awaiting the NEXT iteration that does to me what the S-2 did. The moment I walked in the showroom, with absolutely no intention of buying a motorcycle, I could not leave without that bike. Spin ahead 12 years and offer me $25,000 for the S-2. No way . . . the bike stays. The Ulysses is close and likely the best bike that's ever come from Buell. By every metric it is world class and one of the most reliable bikes ever built by any manufacturer. If I had more time to ride and had room to keep 9 bikes at a time, like I used to, that'd be the one I'd buy. I'll likely buy one anyway but still want to see that "Buell Tractor Beam" bike. By the way. . . the comments about the marketing folks stand. . . these folks (and I have no idea who is driving the marketing boat) are lost and wandering.  (Message edited by court on February 03, 2007) (Message edited by court on February 03, 2007) | ||
| Glitch |
Marketing folks make me laugh sometimes, but at the same time, I can offer no constructive criticism, because I could probably do no better. Like just the other day I saw a huge banner at work. It had a picture of two cans of Cherry Coke, with the slogan "Get your cherry on" WTF? Court, I had the same feeling as you when I saw the XB9S. 50,000 miles later, I have no interest in letting it go. | ||
| Blake |
Reg, It doesn't sound like you've worked with many good engineers. One trait of a good engineer is that he/she fulfills the requirement within budget and schedule constraints. Those who often fail to do that for whatever reason aren't likely to progress well in their professional career. Young inexperienced enthusiastic engineers often suffer from the "but we can do it better" syndrome. Hey, been there, done that. When I invest much of my own heart and soul into creating something, and someone who I respect basically calls it "useless folly", it's difficult to not take offense. Am I different than most folks in that? I don't think so. I know some, even most people view the folks behind the scenes at Buell as a nameless faceless corporate populace. They aren't. I cannot think of another group of engineers whom I respect professionally more than the group at Buell. I understand very well what they have achieved, and it is nothing short of amazing, truly exceptional. Trust me on this. I know well of what I speak. I'm no sycophant. I'm knowledgeable in the field. I think some folks may try a bit too hard to avoid a sycophantic label. I'm sure you'd agree that the folks who succeed in bringing product to market in these extremely competitive times/markets are not the ones who don't make mistakes/mis-steps--everyone makes mistakes, everyone--they are the ones who after making mistakes/mis-steps become even more determined to succeed and redouble their efforts to do so. And they don't much listen to the naysayers. Yes? Aside from our friend Daryl (Sparky) Solomon, who with his wonderful bride makes two-up touring on an XB9R look like all the fun in the world, I doubt sincerely that many folks purchasing the XB lightnings or even the firebolts were looking at pillion capacity as a major deciding factor for their purchase. Surely you don't dispute that the 52" wheelbase works very well for what it was "engineered" to do, advance the state of the art for turning and cornering in street-going sport bikes. I agree, for other models, and for other customers other factors were emphasized, thus the new models with the longer wheelbase. No one single attribute is going to help sell every motorcycle, only those for which that attribute makes sense, yes? I don't understand what seems like arrogance in proclaiming marketing doctrine to the folks at Buell. I do very much understand impatience for more good things to come. Don't quit on me Reg. Except for the "engineering for engineering's sake" comment, I fully respect your views. Let's take this back up again in maybe six months? Maybe someday in the semi-distant future we'll be in Beijing watching Buell battle for the MotoGP world championship. Would you bet against that? (Message edited by blake on February 03, 2007) | ||
| Naustin |
My apologies, Court. I must have read that WAY back in the archives....  | ||
| Regkittrelle |
"When I invest much of my own heart and soul into creating something, and someone who I respect basically calls it "useless folly", it's difficult to not take offense. Am I different than most folks in that? I don't think so." Boy, I'm getting old, but I can't remember using the term "useless folly," but I'm sure someone will direct me to it. Blake... and this too will offend... but your pandering to the corporate Buell interests gets to be a bit much. HDI is a global corporation that is mandated to make money. It does that by providing products that are deemed to be worth a specific value. In fact, it is the responsibility of the company to provide well-engineered, well built products. When it fails to do so... particulalrly after taking someone's money... it has failed to meet it's responsibility, as Buell has in the past. Should they be excused from this because they're nice people? Should we ignore this because of possible hurt feelings? No. Should we give them a chance to prove their product's worth? Yes, but not blindly so. Buell is quite obviously using (in the pejorative sense)this board via the odious "Anonomous" label. In my world, this is not honest discourse; this is verbal pinball. Posters inadvertantly set themselves up, and "Anonomous" comes along and either blesses the post, or knocks it over, sprinkly hopeful fairy dust in the wake. I can believe that I'm the only one that believes this to be manipulation of the highest order. And you're aiding and abetting this by shielding the Anon. poster. Every word that I direct towards "Anonomous" is under the assumption that I am speaking to either Erik or Steve Anderson. And if it's NOT them, then this bit of trickery is even more deceitful as the poster broadly implies that they have access to the ear of the oracle. "I don't understand what seems like arrogance in proclaiming marketing doctrine to the folks at Buell. I do very much understand impatience for more good things to come. " For that statement to have any validity it presupposes that Buell marketing knows what it's doing. I don't beieve there has ever been a truley coherent Buell marketing plan. Arrogant? Probably, but I've been called worse. "Maybe someday in the semi-distant future we'll be in Beijing watching Buell battle for the MotoGP world championship. Would you bet against that?" Every thing I own. | ||
| Rocketman |
Buell is quite obviously using (in the pejorative sense)this board via the odious "Anonomous" label. In my world, this is not honest discourse; this is verbal pinball. Posters inadvertantly set themselves up, and "Anonomous" comes along and either blesses the post, or knocks it over, sprinkly hopeful fairy dust in the wake. I can believe that I'm the only one that believes this to be manipulation of the highest order. And you're aiding and abetting this by shielding the Anon. poster. Well there must be two of us Reg, as I've thought likewise for years. Rocket | ||
| Regkittrelle |
Frankly, Rocket, I don't see how anyone could think otherwise. But, I'm open to having my mind changed. Board? | ||
| Blake |
In my view, "engineering for engineering's sake" equates to "useless folly", but I may be oversensitive to the term, being an engineering professional type and all. I don't pander to anyone. I speak my mind honestly according to my sincerely held views. You disagree and so it is "pandering"? Uncool. So now you are a crusader for the disappointed Buell consumer? Come on Reg. The VAST majority of Buell owners have been and are satisfied with their purchase. Even way back in the early DDFI tube frame days, we did a fairly extensive survey here and though not scientifically rigorous, found that most Buell owners were satisfied with their purchase. One may dwell on the past or one may look to the future. Is there really compelling evidence that warrants such harsh words especially considering the record of the XBikes, which is pretty darn good. I'm sorry you don't like our policy of allowing some folks to post anonymously. It has a valid purpose that I'd think you would be able to understand and accept. I don't see how anonymity has a darn thing to do with a debate/discussion of the issues. It certainly isn't "trickery", it's just anonymity. Do you know who "SkoobeedooBueller" is if he posts here? Does that fact change the meaning of the content of his/her comments? Your assumptions may be off base. It's probably best not to make such assumptions. It's a shame that I won't be seeing you in Beijing for the big race. Will send you a post card. | ||
| Cochise |
Is SkoobeedooBueller Erik's username?   | ||
| Ezblast |
no | ||
| Imonabuss |
Reg, You really should stop. You are really dropping in my opinion of you at a rate I couldn't have imagined. I used to read your H-D newspaper regularly before you sold it and it was pretty good. Your Buell bashing wouldn't be surprising coming from a journalist who makes his or her living on the Japanese brands advertising, but it's bizarre coming from a person who made money of the H-D boom. Your Blake and Badweb bashing is without any justification. You say Buell has no plan and no quality, yet Buell has made 100,000 bikes, and has made a lot of people happy. Of course some were disappointed along the way, as some have been with many brands of products. The good thing is that Buell has buckled down and made their quality better and better, to the point where even Motorradd out of Germany has published that they now highly recommend Buell for quality. Buell has the widest range of sizes and uses of products ever, and now has announced they will do dirt bikes. I doubt they will make tubers again, and that's OK with all but a few fanatics. Sounds like they are seriously on the right track to me. Anyone who comes to Badweb regularly knows there are many anonymous posters, quite a few who have said they aren't with Buell. Blake evaluates their reasons and if their jobs, etc. are at risk for wherever they may be from, and their postings are reasonable, he supports this. The result is that this is one of the very best if not the best forum I ever attend. Lots of information, ideas, stories, and personalities, only a few of whom are not worth much. Reg, take a ride, get some fresh air and think about changing jobs or something. You don't sound like the same person who used to write for Thunder Press. | ||
| Jscott |
bussbreath you gotta a little brown on your nose. teachers pet! teachers pet! (Message edited by Jscott on February 03, 2007) | ||
| Ezblast |
I just wish that Buell would keep the regular folks in mind as well - easy maint., great handling, reliable and affordable for day in and day out riding - and fun! Thats why I bought Buell and American - meeting all my criteria - With the loss of the 9's and Blasts - will that gap be filled else wise? GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Regkittrelle |
Imonabus, Then you didn't read T-Press too closely. The problem is not that I'm disappointing you now, but that I failed to make you understand me in the past. I have never kissed the collective butts of Harley & Buell. That I made money from H-D is only half the equation; they also made money from me. It was (and is) a quid pro quo deal. I owe them... or anyone... nothing but fairness. That I speak my mind does not make me unfair, just rude in this forum. You have read into my posts what you want. For example, where did I say, "...Buell has no plan and no quality?" I didn't write that and, in fact, if you'll reread you'll find that I cite the current Buells as being the best ever. My primary issues have been the marketing, the lack of P&A support, and the dealer structure. Furthermore, I think you'll find in rereading that the target of my complaints is Harley corporate, not Buell. Have I challenged Buell to do better? You bet! Do they give a crap what I say? Not in the least. This board is an informative, cozy site, but its credibility... to my mind...takes a hit when Buell employees are allowed to hide behind Anonymous. If you can't see where that's being manipulated, well, I've once again failed to communicate. On the other hand, given that Blake did not challenge me re my assertion that Erik & Steve are the posters, we now know that Anonymous speaks for the company. 'Course if there are other Anon posters... just who do we believe? And as far as jobs are concerned, I'm quite happy doing what I'm doing. In fact, quite happy all around. Blake: Yes, anonymous posts DO change my opinion of the content. Why would anyone want to believe something coming from an unknown source? This,btw, is why my screen name is always my real name. You may not like what you read from me, but you'll know it's from me. | ||
| Court |
>>>Those who often fail to do that for whatever reason aren't likely to progress well in their professional career. And pissed off engineers can be nasty . . .  | ||
| Buckinfubba |
Well I've been gone for months so my op. means nuthin as usual tho. But as reg has said in very terms ....but of course I am not politically correct so here goes. HD has made and ruined buell motorcycles, not erik himself but the company. Yes there money was so much needed but there friggin mind was not , ie marketing dealer network( and I very well know of what I speak of more than most because I was stuck in their BS). I have always wondered what buell could be and would have been if they were independent with money and not hooked in with the mothership , which I will kindly call the motherdumpload. Like many great american institutions, hd has faultered to a degree that probably can't be measured. Major acceptance doe not mean a good product. look no farther than the bs over priced crap they sell that falls apart and is not even manufactured in our country. Its a load of crap and most with half a spine will admit. I think Buell could have been so much more than it is with out hd's over protective motherhood involved to the limit of incest with a bike that is sporting which has nothing to do with hd. and it is no coincidence that I don't capitalize hd but I do Buell. I like and believe In the mind of Erik and his cronnies, just not harley (how can we sell the same crap over and over)davidson. i have said enuff | ||
| Ducxl |
Your Blake and Badweb bashing is without any justification I thought this guy "Reg" was a breath of unbiased fresh air.And now the typical "Buell hater" crap is being slung at him.I read very intellectual posts from him.And now he's being goaded into the typical banter here.It's too bad.I hope he keeps posting.A good read if he doesn't give in to the trolling for hateful commentary. Rock on .Reg..Thunderpress?? "Who are you"? Here's to hoping Buell will serve up some delicious humblepie............................ . . . . someday... |
