| Author | Message | ||
     Vasiliy_ru |
I hope they can be alive without HD's financing... It is one difficult step of Erik's live. I believe he can solve that problem... but now I do not know how. I bought my Buell 3 months ago  | ||
| Hobbes |
That's too bad, but you've gotta do all you can to survive in this horrid economy. | ||
| Greg_e |
Maybe if we all ask, Fischer will license some or most of the technologies and bring most of the bikes back. | ||
| Buell2001b |
I say set every H-D bike you see on the street on fire just kidding | ||
| Ulytide |
Well, many hear have theorized, boasted, or claimed Buell would be greater served if they were out from under the Harley influence, sold & serviced outside Harley dealerships. Be careful what you ask for. | ||
| Buell_bert |
What a poke in the posterior with a sharp object. But lets be reasonable also. We all know of family and friends that are out of a job or very close at this time. And so many other businesses are either gone or hanging on by a thread and I am sure this includes some of our sponsors. So lets try to be upbeat and hope that something will happen to get Eric, his workers, and the suppliers back up and standing and moving forward again. Lets not be the type to throw our hands in the air and run around in circles screaming the sky is falling. To dream is wonderful but to have a dream come true is (you can fill in the answer). Eric, I'm rooting for ya. | ||
| Buell2001b |
I guess we can say now our bikes are CLASSIC | ||
| Daveswan |
I work for a giant company that wastes, I mean spends millions of initiatives, reorganizations, shuffling the deck etc. people say somethings a done deal and they won't be doing it again doesn't mean someone else won't pick-up the ball and go with it. Especially when something was good and people are shaking their heads. Sure, Harley is done with them but I don't think what they've (Buell) accomplished could easily be adapted to farm equipment - it's apples and oranges. Someone or some group who has the same vision might end up picking them up down the road. In the meantime I'll just ride my Buell and see how events unfold. Probably get another Buell while I'm at it. | ||
| Tortoise |
This is sad. The bikes were really getting good. I don't see HD doing better anytime soon. Young people don't want to ride cruisers and don't have the money for them anyways. I rarely see anyone under 45 on a Harley. My prediction is that HD will sell less and less bikes every year. Gasoline prices will continue to go up and nobody will want to ride big displacement bikes that weigh 1/3 ton. They will continue to ignore the market for small displacement bikes because they never really change or innovate. They cubed the company that was continuously improving and had some real potential. Now I've been cubed twice. F*** you HD | ||
| Buellboiler |
"Be careful what you ask for." Read man! They won't be available outside of HD influence because they will be killed, period. I would love for them to be available away from HD but that doesn't look to be possible. Don't ask me what I'm asking for now. | ||
| Daveswan |
yep... I think if and or they come back they should add a smaller displacement twin in a full size frame like Ducati, Moto Guzzi, or Aprilia. And people who are older and are driving the big bikes don't really sell them so you have to market to the younger folk, commuter, european gas conscious types as well as throwing in higher displacement. Someone just starting may not have the best experience with a 1200 sport oriented, torque monster. But if it wasn't quite as terrifying but looked like the large one, a 650, or 800 size or both might fill that void. Some people just want to have fun driving a smaller displacement bike. Whomever is the president over there is in the dark ages and out of touch with the world moving forward. Sort-of like when Ford made silly Mustangs in the 70s and 80s. Anyone can make cuts in a way to justify the books for the short-term. But innovation, standing out, insight and innovation are beyond bean counters capacity. They aren't visionary and adaptable. I remember reading a quote from the head of IBM in the 50's. This genius said "There will never be a need for computers in the home". Is that classic! I think he's the president of HD now?? | ||
| Toecutter |
I am so sad to hear this, and watching Erik's video was extremely nauseating for me. It does seem as though Erik is staying on with H-D, and the Buell brand is dead for now. I bought my first Buell this past summer, and will try to keep my XB12Ss as long as I can. This news forces me to appreciate my Buell's uniqueness even more. Buell's are truly superb machines, and I hope that they can rise from the ashes someday, but for now it seems as though the future of Buell has been decided. Good luck Erik, and all of your coworkers at Buell. I hope that you have success in whatever path you choose from here. Also, Thank you to all of the Buell supporting guys at the HD dealerships, like Bud and Randy at Hal's. I know that you really enjoyed working with the Buell product line, and are probably very saddened like the rest of us. I wish all of you luck as well. One ray of hope is that I know the Buell community will stick together. Despite the latest ad campaign, a Buell can introduce you to people with common interests, that my become friends... even more so now. | ||
| Buellkowski |
I ride a Buell because it is unique, innovative, visceral, and a source of Wisconsin pride. The joy it provides me and the spirit it conveys cannot be reduced to sales figures. These bikes WILL LIVE ON because their owners love them for what they are and for who brought them to us. To Erik Buell: THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! The motorcycling world is a better place because of your dreams and efforts. To H-D: Buell was a partner, not a competitor. Good luck selling oldster-bikes with appropriated Buell technology.  | ||
| Schleppy |
This news makes me so sad, and the video from Erik was gut wrenching to watch. Though I don't own a Buell, I had plans to own one someday. Looks like that may not happen now. Shame on HD for killing off the one innovative and against-the-grain part of their company. | ||
| Sparky |
Wow, beware the Ides of October. Maybe what HD did today is just a result of the downturn in the economy that started last year, kinda like economic turbo lag. But there is good news. The local newspaper announced that the DOW hit 10,000. The last time the index was at that level was Oct. 2008. That's an indication that the economy is turning around. That kind of good news fosters hope that BMC can find a guardian angel investor, not H-D please, and hopefully become an independent manufacturer in the near future. Yes, with stand-alone stores! | ||
| Cash |
HD owns BMC and Erik is staying on as an engineer with the MOCO. I highly doubt that BMC will ever make a return as we know it. I do think that Erik could come up with something new but I do not believe it will carry the Buell name. | ||
| Vasiliy_ru |
Does anybody know the information like how many Buell bikes was sold in 2008—2009 years or other financial information about BMC? Just for my interesting… | ||
| Daveswan |
you can check out the HD annual reports http://investor.harley-davidson.com/annual.cfm?bmL ocale=es_ES they don't have that much market share and the numbers are pretty low. | ||
| Madduck |
Buell motorcycles as we know them are now gone. This does not mean that Harley Davidson has abandoned building sporting motorcycles, just that they won't be manufactured in East Troy and carry the Buell name. When the blast went but the riders edge program stayed, should have been a wake up call for all of us. My guess is that we will be a part of HD much like CVO motorcycles are today. I am hoping the best of Buell will be part of Harley family, lets see if more people will buy an 1125R with a Harley badge on tank. | ||
| Mikeyp |
Madduck...your dreaming. No offense dude, but HD could give a fcck about building a sportsbike. | ||
| Mikeyp |
And if HD did build a sportsbike, i wouldn't buy one just becasue of what they did to Buell. Efff em. | ||
| Buellrod |
Truly a sad day for America, Americans, and the American motorcycle industry. | ||
| Gun_for_hire |
My thoughts and prayers are for Erik and the super talented Family at Buell. May they all get thru this as best as possible and pick up the pieces. The cream will rise to the top once again. May the Phoenix arise from the ashes. Steve 07 Uly Barricade Orange | ||
| Daveswan |
the XR1200 is as sporty as I think they can handle. Even dealing with a Buell/HD dealership is painful enough. they just don't get it. God bless I found a decent one and good parts guy because the typical are from another time warp. HD can't even handle Buell, they're in the age of steam. Though I do like tinkering with that motor in a modern chassis - i like being in the one-percent. | ||
| Jpl9sx |
This is a sad day. I purchased my '09 Uly in August and that purchase was a cumulation of my long search for my perfect bike. It came down to either the Uly or the BMW 1200GS and I've owned both a smaller BMW F650GS and Buell CityX so I know the brands. Every time I ride my Uly it brings a smile to my face and the knowledge that I have found my perfect bike. I will continue to enjoy it and now have the knowledge that I belong to a small group of people that has the pleasure of experiencing these wonderful bikes called Buells. | ||
| Shupe |
I can only offer the opinion that HD would not have spent the money to develop the Rotax motor if they had planned this all along. Maybe if the 1125 had gotten off to a better sales start last year.... | ||
| Buell2001b |
Fisher would be bad for Buell in any way. Its british and it has a Korean engine. nothing American about that. | ||
| Greg_e |
Fischer says they are American Made, closest thing we have to saving some of this tech. | ||
| Buell2001b |
I got a feeling that HD will bring Buell as soon as this economy gets better and their assembly is built in China. | ||
| Blarg |
glad I got one when I got one. My decision was between an XB12Scg and a Ducati Monster. Now I have a truly unique machine. |
