Author |
Message |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 01:11 pm: |
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With all the drama surrounding EBR, I was musing on the thought of Erik building and selling "Retro" bikes. Unrealistic at best I know but I'm probably not the only one out here that has had the same pipe dream (tube dream?) So what would you pay for a 2016 X1 Lightning? |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 02:49 pm: |
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It would be very cool to see an updated tuber, something like the XB/tuber mashups that several guys have built. With the latest version (2010) XB engine, it could be pretty brutal. Of course, to hand-build a limited run of such a thing, I expect it'd cost as much as an 1190RS. |
Kc_zombie
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 03:40 pm: |
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What drama do you speak of? |
X1brett
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 03:43 pm: |
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Hey Vince, I just added you on linkedin! I think he is referring to EBR closing. Sad times. |
Kc_zombie
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 03:49 pm: |
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Yeah, I was just reading that. The EBR is likely the last factory fresh Buell we will see for a long time. I really dug the new EBR's, but it took him to damn long to get them to market. IMHO. |
Purpony
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 04:23 pm: |
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i was thinking the same thing about Erik making "new" tubers... the thing is, his passion is racing, so he is never going to be able to race a tuber against today's super bikes.... |
Lakes
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 06:37 pm: |
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that's Sad new's , i was just looking at the EBR SX they look to make good power & Torque but at high rev's. ( Good for racing ) don't think i would buy a retro as i like Carb on a MC . |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 07:38 pm: |
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I wonder how much of the 2002 X1 is Harley Intellectual Property. |
Mhlunsford
| Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 - 09:32 pm: |
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My opinion is that Erik is an engineer first and business man second. He will not go backwards. He wants to build competitive sports bike first and foremost - make money is secondary. Most successful businesses have one guy that does each. |
Jayvee
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 12:23 pm: |
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Anything hand made comparable, like Mule Motorcycles or Mert Lawwill's Tracker run from $20K to $35K. Remember how you could buy and make your own 'new' Harley completely from kit parts, like from JP Cycles? You could do the same with a Buell now. (Maybe use an existing frame.) How much would that cost? Count your time as $?? per hour (more if fast, less if slow...) |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 03:10 pm: |
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I wonder how much an engine from Jim's or S&S would be |
Lynrd
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 03:41 pm: |
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Interesting thought exercise. The tube frames, are all very labor intensive to build - and the smaller your runs, the more expensive it will be because of NRE like tooling. If you crank them out at HD scale, you can buy robots and such to reduce labor cost but that kind of senior capital is hard to come buy in the Motorcycle business. there are a few of boutique builders out there from the "Let's build something Jay Leno doesn't have yet" school. Marketed well, with low enough numbers, you can sell about anything for any price. I worked at Ness - I have sold a mostly stock FXR with a paint job for $25K, and a Ness frame rubbermoiunt sportster for the same in 1996 dollars. It can be done - there's an Ass for every seat. An X1 was not built for that target market - it is a refined hooligan bike, and you branded whatever new tuber as an "X1" my gut is that the name would not add any value - it's not particularly famous at all with Non-Buell enthusiasts, and a sure way to kill any company is to only sell to your current install/enthusiast base. If you called it a X1, and basically offered what was for sale in 2002 - I think it would struggle in the marketplace at anything over $12K MSRP. But, brand it as something new/exotic "The EBR Fury" or whatever - and market it like the 1190RS was - limited scale, limited production, and unapologetically expensive. Cram the Rotax motor into that chromemoly frame, give it some ZTL love and lots of that carbon fibre and some NSFW styling - I think you could move a total of maybe 50 units at whatever the traffic could bear - with Eriks name, reputation and intellectual property behind it, well marketed - I think a MSRP around 38K would work. You wouldn't even lose too much money in the process. (Message edited by Lynrd on April 21, 2015) |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 05:59 pm: |
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the 2002 X1 bit was a point of reference. Personally a new S3T would be awesome but the market for "Hooligan" bikes has stayed pretty constant - "Naked Sells" The hard bag, big fairing look, not so much I like the Fury name... NSFW styling? |
Lynrd
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 07:00 pm: |
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Nimble, Sexy Fun, Weird |
General_ulysses
| Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 07:12 pm: |
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I might be interested in a revamped S1 with a carbureted Indian motor, hopped up to ~100hp. And with all the annoying original bugs of the S1 fixed and better thought out. And with standard lay down (upright) shocks,or maybe upright monoshock. I think that'd be cool, fun as he'll to ride and very unique. I think the S1 is/was Buell's best looking bike. |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 01:33 am: |
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this guy makes a nice bike, if only I could talk him into doing a trellis frame https://www.facebook.com/Ludwigsenbobber/photos/pc b.1627753754127597/1627752990794340/?type=1 |
Jolly
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 09:03 am: |
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I would love to see and OWN a new take on the tube frame buells (especially the S1W), something with ohlins suspension, a metal gas tank!!! (please!!!) and lines equivalent to what Ducati has down in its continued development of the monster..both first released around the same year. However, this frame and geometry is not really conducive to his level of racing.... at 46 I don't race...Ive got too many other things going on in life, and I prefer a nice day ride through the scenic hills over a day spent prepping and racing and then returning home (did some drag racing years ago and found myself living every weekend at the track with the race bike).... and just not how I want to spend my time anymore.... but I do love a nice fun tight canyon carver and a new spin on the S1W as an updated tube frame would be awesome! |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 01:00 pm: |
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What exactly is the difference between a 2002 Buell motor and sportster motor? It seems like the only way to get a "new" motor would be to buy a Harley crate motor and adjust it to the Buell spec |
Hybridmomentspass
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 01:15 pm: |
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at the time - heads and cams, I think. Yes, an updated aircooled motor would just be a new sporty motor with more aggressive cams etc Speaking of HD - was at the dealership today and saw the 750 in person, good looking. WOuld love to see someone do something sporty with that motor |
Jayvee
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 01:33 pm: |
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S&S sportster engines, $9K on eBay. |
Lynrd
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 03:51 pm: |
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S&S builds a fine engine but they are reproducing that same ancient farm implement design. From what I understand, there are more companies than Harley Davidson building engines these days. I hear Rotax builds a nice one. 1190 Engine, tube frame, Erik's design approach and IP applied to it = yes please. HD can kiss my pucker. BTW, I recently saw a Spondon framed Victory... |
Natexlh1000
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 03:54 pm: |
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If I were to get any engine from S&S, it would have to be the X wedge. They cost stupid amounts and are too big though. |
Woodnbow
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 04:37 pm: |
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"Anything hand made comparable, like Mule Motorcycles or Mert Lawwill's Tracker run from $20K to $35K. Remember how you could buy and make your own 'new' Harley completely from kit parts, like from JP Cycles? You could do the same with a Buell now. (Maybe use an existing frame.) How much would that cost? Count your time as $?? per hour (more if fast, less if slow...)" Imagine a 100" S&S with a 6 speed in an S3T, maybe go away from the underslung shock to a side mounted monoshock like the Ducati's wear? |
Jolly
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 07:34 pm: |
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of course now you're almost designing this.... http://motusmotorcycles.com/ if I had the $$$ I would have one... I wonder how many bikes I would have to ...oh never mind, cant even think of one bike I would sell let alone how many and which ones... |
Figorvonbuellingham
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 08:11 pm: |
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Motus has a nice turbo engine too. |
Steveford
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 08:49 pm: |
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An engine which doesn't require rubber mounting and doesn't have desmodromic heads in a trellis frame would be a good thing. I would think 8-10 grand would be a reasonable amount for a new, updated one. I wouldn't buy one with a HarLee motor although I suspect Hero will make them look like choir boys once the dust settles. |
Johnod
| Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 09:53 pm: |
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of course now you're almost designing this.... http://motusmotorcycles.com/ if I had the $$$ I would have one... I wonder how many bikes I would have to ...oh never mind, cant even think of one bike I would sell let alone how many and which ones... You and I both, been following Motus since I first heard about it. Love the sound. Too much for me though. |
Mnscrounger
| Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2015 - 12:41 am: |
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Johnod " Love the sound." ME too! I play that download often, cuz it makes the hair on my neck standup like the Mrs. is nibbling my ear. but I waste a lot of time on the internet downloading engine sound&videos. Sort of a gear heads version of internet porn. http://motusmotorcycles.com/blog/category/audio/ |
Jayvee
| Posted on Friday, April 24, 2015 - 03:39 pm: |
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I want a frame like this: http://store.proitalia.com/ncr-ducati-sportclassic -titanium-frame Somebody once made one, but they moved to a southern state, and haven't heard anything like it for years. |
Roaldnelson
| Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2015 - 02:07 pm: |
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Maybe the new KTM could be a start... strip off the ugly-azz plastic and give it the X1 look http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/mcd/4989991075.h tml |
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