Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 06:17 pm:
This IS exciting! The EBR/Hero thing is good news. Reepicheep posed the question that is always at the front in my thoughts. I LOVE small displacement bikes. So far only Katoom builds a serious small sport bike. And it is verboten in the USA.
Bring on the "small" bikes!!! If EBR releases a "small" bike before I'm too old and stove up to ride, I will buy serial number 001. And wring it's neck
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 07:11 pm:
Japan 1955 != Japan 2012. China 1995 != China 2012. so you are saying India 2000 = India 2012?
The world is changing whether one agrees or not. Keep an open mind. I can't wait to see some Indian hooligan do a stoppie in front of the Taj Mahal on a Hero-EBR or some other bone headed move from wherever the Hero-EBR relationship is going.
My bahai sahabs are pretty excited at work today about this news.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 07:19 pm:
This collaberation should bring a lot of capital in for EBR and help EBR make a bike for the masses...and Hero will benefit from the r/d and innovative thinking from the group of elves in east troy...truly a win win situation not only for Erik and Hero, but for us American sport bike riders! great news!
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 09:42 pm:
>>>>it would be SO cool if... all of a sudden there was more E.B.R. bikes being produced and sold than H-D's
I made that bet with two Buell owners at Daytona last year. Many here have heard me repeat it. . . along with my timetable.
I do hope that some of the folks . . . particularly long time Buell enthusiasts . . . will wait to hear, understand and consider the ACTUAL deal . . not what may appear based on what you recall the Buell / HD relationship.
HERO will own none of Buell and the contract is partnership (like others Buell has done over the years, starting in the late 80's) for engineering services. Face it, the stuff that Buell has developed, in terms of engineering and an ability to bring product to market that even eclipses Toyota, Buell's engineer and R&D capability has become the envy of firms around the world that are far bigger than Buell.
It makes sense to leverage the talent and innovation to develop relationships and partnership that will evolve and grow the company.
I pretty much expect my next American Sportbike to be designed, built and support in the United States of America. The good news is that that is possible because the company has such valuable intellectual firepower to make it happen.
An open mind . . at this point . . . is everyone's friend.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:00 pm:
I think its neat that their engineering is being sought out, but I can't say I'm that excited about it.
Don't they have enough going on without helping out another company, especially with their small staff. I'm trying to keep an open mind on the deal, but if ebr bikes are eventually produced by hero then I'm done with buell
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:19 pm:
Don't they have enough going on without helping out another company, especially with their small staff
Why do think they are hiring?
You all have to relax, the list of awful things that have happened in 30 years are endless; Erik fought thru everyone and emerged making cooler bikes every time. finally some serious good news and some folks see disaster. You guys are a trifle wacky
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:32 pm:
I think I creamed myself a little....
On top of that, the 1190RS has been a hit at international motorcycle shows, and Buell has secured one- and three-year sponsorship agreements for two riders to race in the American Superbike Championships. By the end of this year, EBR plans to up its production level to 900 bikes and will be close to coming out with a mass-market offering in the range of $10,000 to $20,000.
NO.... I creamed myself a LOT!!
Expect a good showing when EBR heads to Daytona for the 2012 Superbike Championship in early March. "We found an additional 10 mph in the post season, and the bike can reach 213 mph in race trim," Buell says, beaming. If true, this would officially make the 1190RS the fastest thing on two wheels manufactured in the U.S.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:33 pm:
We'll see what happens. I don't understand alot and yes it brings questions to mind. I guess will see where this goes. I don't buy gas locally from them..... not trust worthy.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:37 pm:
I don't get the negativity.
Buell needs money. They need money to produce motorcycles in quantities that allow "normal" riders to afford them.
THEY have designed motorcycles (I'm sure the AX, SX, and RX are just waiting to be made real...if there aren't already prototypes already buzzing around ET).
THEY have brought motorcycles to market - 1190RS.
THEY have brought motorcycles to recognition in AMA Superbike - 1190RS.
Do I need to mention the timeframe they did this in? Or...maybe...the fact that pretty much the whole company can get in the van and go to lunch, but they still pulled all this off in that timeframe?
THEY have (re-)signed monster talent (Eslick) to ride alongside last year's amazing rider (May).
NOWHERE am I seeing that Hero is going to try and "control" any of this. What I see is a partnership - Hero has money, and market share, and production capability, and supplier contacts. EBR has design capability, EXTREME talent in-house, and boatloads of potential.
Not to mention perseverance.
Hero gets EBR's talent for THEIR bikes.
EBR gets Hero's money and resources (as payment for their talent) for THEIRS.
Win-win, the way I look at it. But maybe I'm just biased because I've met Erik, and have the tiniest idea of what makes the man tick. Don't forget, folks...he's a *guy who loves motorcycles*. Now I don't presume to know the man like he's family, I'll freely admit I've met him for minutes at a time...but I believe in his principles, and reasoning, and talent, and loyalties.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:42 pm:
finally some serious good news and some folks see disaster. You guys are a trifle wacky
Is it really some seriously good news? From what I'm seeing it sure seems like smoke and mirrors. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" Maybe it's because so many other things in my life have gone screwy, lately, but maybe it's like Claudio C. selling MV to Harley for megabux then getting it back for free with all the back taxes and debts paid. I'll be watching, but my enthusiasm is at a very low level. I will say that I'll be damned before I buy a bike that was made in India.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 10:46 pm:
EBR will change the face on two wheeled transportation. Some of you dont get it when the largest M/c on the Planet wants your engineering help and your competition Was HONDA! and you grumble about it GEE. Build a better mouse trap and the world beats a path to your door. Design better a motorcycle and the design center of the world becomes East Troy WIS.
EBR gets cash flow access to vendors that now will Deal with him and build what he wants and on better terms. We get new better bikes no longer orphans for many years to come. Erik and his family Get rich beyond his dreams Some Elves get a place in the new hollow tree Magazine bozos that talked down to Erik are swallowing hard that his ad budget will exceed the value of the moto mag industry Wandell will be remembered as the man that loosed the Monster EBR on the world. Wandell will soon realize how bad he messed up by trying to kill Buell.
Court - "They make more motorcycles in a day than Harley-Davidson does in a year. "
Lets not get too crazy with our stats here.....
XL1200R - I agree with you, it does feel a bit off having one manufacturer sponsor another like this. Just feels odd. But it doesnt matter, Danny/Erik has the funding needed to get him on track for a full season, hopefully getting plenty of test sessions in, and he'll be burning it up this season! I am very excited about seeing him on track this year on a Buell motorcycle again, if its anything SIMILAR to his previous year racing Buells we'll see Buells finally at the front of the pack again
>>>>Harley hired Porsche engineering to help design the VRod motor.
Largely based on the wonderful relationship that Buell had with Porsche from doing "Design and R&D" work years before HD and Buell found each other..
I think folks are confusing "contract for design services" with "design, build and sell" motorcycles.
This is precisely, on a much larger scale, what happened when a friend who needed work and income to fund his company did the entire design for a foreign company for a bike that would later become an icon.
Design and engineering happens.
I have to confess . . . this is the most exciting development I could have dreamed of.
Next you'll be asking me about the Rolls-Royces . . . .
court - could you say which bike it was that was the popular one from abroad?
I understand that HD has a Porsche designed/built motor (whatever it is, dont know the details) And yes, my 1125 has a motor built in Austria But, to me, this feels different because, again, its one motorcycle company sponsoring another.
I fully see how EB pushes the envelope, always thinking outside of the box and how that makes him so valuable to others who are sort of on a one track mind. And a relationship to get cheaper parts possibly (if they are making over 5M bikes a year, I am sure they can help EB with some parts manufacturing to help bring costs down) would be good for EB to bring more bikes to market, to get more on the street. But how many of you will slam the man/company over foreign parts like you have HD for outsourcing some parts from overseas/Mexico?
PS - Zig wheels? My friend showed me a post from facebook (dontknow if it was EBRs or what) but it mentioned Zig Wheels and I've not read anything more about that. Could someone fill me in on that please?