| Author | Message | ||
     Doctorneon |
I'm wearing my buell racing shirt the rest of the week out of respect for the dead. H-D once again has proven it can screw up just about anything, just look at their new on the showroom floor antiquated motorcycles.  | ||
| Nadz |
+1. Black Buell mechanic shirt all week. | ||
| Moonrunrs |
I posted this on another thread but feel so strongly about it, I wanted to post it here too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1pFLg3t5q4 Listen to what Erik Buell and the engineers say in this video regarding technological innovation, progress and affordability, calling it the American way. Then contrast that philosophy and work ethic with what Harley Davidson has been doing for the past decades. | ||
| Dirty_john |
I still cant believe it, the 2010 models are announced and now this - I will never buy another HD product ever now - I hope you get to read this Willie G | ||
| Court |
Man . . . .everybody really ought to take a moment to watch that video. . . . read the comment by the fellow from Mukwonago. Look at Kimmy and Henry's faces . . . .listen to Jack "we've all stuck it out". I'll tell you what . . . . if you watch that . . close your eyes and listen closely and ask your self . . . if Buell gone or just off on the next adventure? Try . . . try your damnedest to imagine one, just one, of those folks saying "an accountant from Milwaukee told us we weren't cutting it so we are giving up and going home". | ||
| Doctorneon |
Well i'm sure back in the shed where H-D started, there was probably some bean counter saying the same thing, but obviously H-D doesn't remember the past, and is concerned with the price of their stock. And yes I know about financing and production, perhaps a new marketing plan and network could help. Just very frustrating to see a really good product potentially being thrown away. Maybe H-D could donate the production setup to more capable people with vision. I think I may sell my 1977 xlcr that I've owned since 1982. | ||
| Junkyrddog780 |
If Erik has died once and can be brought back, then so can the company! | ||
| Shoei |
I don't see Eric fitting in with the Willie G thought mentality, designing dyna wide glides with a flame paint job. Sooo does that mean Harley might come out with a new model line more sport oriented or will Eric start over on his own or maybe Polaris will hire him to develop a sportier victory model line. Hmmm | ||
| Jaimec |
As someone already pointed out... Harley's idea of appealing to the "Under-35" crowd is less chrome, more black. Over the past decade plus of selling Buells out of Harley showrooms they've demonstrated time and time again that they have absolutely NO understanding of the sportbike market, or Buell, or the younger, sport-oriented generation. Maybe Erik should seek employment at Yamaha where his talents would be appreciated. | ||
| Rainman |
Can Am? Rotax engines, the Spyder ... could be a future.... | ||
| Amrra12 |
what gets me is how dumb HD is! i mean think about it, your company is a joke your bikes are a joke and the ONLY hope you had was trying to make Buell marketable and you fight and fight Erik's ideas because there not 1930 tech! he does finally get his way and Buell looses the BS push rod motor and {for what ever it's worth} wins a AMA title! HD seen the light thought it was technology and slammed the door in it's face! HD is making the long loop around the toilet and they think by shoving Buell and Aprila down it first it may clog! good luck | ||
| Vagelis46 |
H-D is STUPID !! | ||
| Doctorneon |
Stupid is as stupid does. Forest Gump said it, H-D does it. | ||
| Conchop |
IMHO HD has made 2 huge mistakes. MV Augusta should have never been purchased. HD had Buell and the Porsche motor. There was no need to spend that money so recklessly. It could have been better spent on some good homegrown engineering at Buell. But no. They had to go off thinking they were going to be some exotic Italian manufacturer. How much money and time has been wasted with this foolish effort? Time will tell, but it is obvious it was a blunder. I understand that the genius behind this is no longer there. I think the entire management team needs to be examined for this. HD is a business. If there is good, then there is a payoff. Otherwise, heads will roll. Apparently there is not enough heads on the floor. Sell MV. The next huge mistake is the complete closure of Buell. I know the dealers were not fond of them. They didn't come back for chrome and hop-ups. They didn't have the gross margin. The Buells did not need to be in HD shops that didn't want them. The Buells needed to be in the smaller shops with easy dealership development policies, proudly backed by Harley Davidson. Now the management team have exposed themselves as weak. Superior engineering has been hindered by accountants instead of being furthered by quality management engineers. It is now better to cut the future engineering excellence and to deny a new market and dealership segment so the HD brass can embrace a business model which relies on branding and cheap Chinese labor and relics of the past. While there is certainly a success story in HD and the heritage and the resurrection of the their brand in the 80's, they have just blundered their future by completely stopping production of Buells. This will cost the company dearly. This is a mistake of epic proportions. Future buyers will be aware of this foolish business move. They cannot be trusted to make the right business decisions ; ie purchasing MV, closing Buell, not to mention denying Buell the use of the Porsche motor. Why in the hell would I want to invest in the HD company much less buy a bike from them when they cannot handle their success much less handle hard times. They have left us Buell owners in a ditch. Their corporate words and explanations are bullshit. Their numbers suck. THEY ARE FAILING! IMHO, the entire HD management team and board of directors need to be replaced. Their lack of decision making abilities, lack of future vision, and recent financial and overall business performance are more than ample proof of their overall incompetence. With their credibility ruined by these two unwise decisions, it is now time to demand accountability. I can only hope that somehow, the Buell brand can come out of this, much the same as HD came out of its mess in the 80's. | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
conchop, not to be on HD's side, but if im not mistaken, the porshe engine WAS built FOR Buell, however it proved to be to heavy and not enought power, so they stuck in in an HD..ala Vrod.. Jake | ||
| Oldog |
the project was to be a buell engine if I have red between the lines in some of Courts posts. Why could Rotax do what porshe failed to do? HD infighting with buell caused this, we may watch HD circle the drain soon | ||
| Doctorneon |
roto-rooter anyone?  | ||
| Gearhead571 |
Why would a motorcycle company have a car company build and engine for them? Aren't they referred to as the "Motor Company". Shows the kind of vision their people have for the future. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I'm still trying to figure out why their board members seem to have no clue about motorcycles? | ||
| Gearhead571 |
Busy trying to figure out how to sell more t-shirts made in China. I'm sure they have a much higher profit margin and don't have the warranty and r & D costs of a complex machine. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Sounds a lot like the AMF years doesn't it gear? | ||
| Fast1075 |
The facts on the V-Rod engine.... In the beginning there was the VR1000. Originally began as a cooperative effort between Hog and Rousch Racing....taken over by Hog for final development...50 were built to pass minimum AMA numbers. Barely adequate in power and utterly unreliable...project shut down. Round 2: The call came out for a modern higher revving, more powerful Hog engine..they dusted off the VR1000, made changes for use as street application...Porsche called in to help with redevelopment and reengineering to figure out how to get it to live longer than a couple thousand miles...result...V Rod motor. Decent motor for trolling up and down the boulevard as long as you don't push it too hard. Next step...take a V Rod motor and put it in a dragbike chassis with the idea for a special olympics dragbike class....result...a trail of broken rod bolts, broken cases and transmission pieces... Thats how Hog does it...Erik went to Rotax because they can design and build cutting edge engines...who else would he go to? Briggs and Stratton? The big 4? ....one rumor has it that he once was going to use TL1000 motors... | ||
| Conchop |
superior engineering being choked by corporate geeks. chinese trinkets, garments, and boots sold at American made prices layoffs corporate speak = bullshit HD came out of certain death and beat the odds. Clever people built it. Times were hard at that time too. They pulled it off. They created an icon and a true American success story. And now they do this! HOW UN- AMERICAN! They lost their balls. LOSERS! | ||
| Usmoto |
I hope that Erik can get this thing going again. I'd like to see him do it without the backing of any other company. Then he wouldn't have to worry about this happening again. He should've broke off from HD a long time ago. Go Buell  | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I hope that cruiser guys can realize what a POS a HD motorcyle really is. I don't think that HD canning Buell will make them open their eyes, but maybe all the associated banter about the technological stagnancy of the motor company might get them thinking. I mean they don't have to look too far to see a cruiser that makes their HD look like the archaic lump of crap it is!!! | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Cruiser guys have their complaints and have not been happy with hd for alot of reasons. This kind of action by hd WILL NOT GO UNNOTICED by the most loyal hd ultra cruiser rider. What they are doing is Un American and disgraceful. Everyone has been sick of being treated like a stock tick on a chart. Oh where is the brotherhood now hd....see even the most drugged out cruiser guy can smell the rat in the factory walls. | ||
| Doctorneon |
washed my buell shirt today, it smells good, H-D still stinks. Probably never get the smell out. |
