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46champ
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 12:49 am: | 
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Or is this just about the coolest after market Buell fairing and seat ever.
Eweaver the dirt bike was canceled before the converted 450's to roadracer deal really got going. At that time there was also a proposal by the FIM to cut the MX class the 450's race in back to 350's making all the 450's obsolete. This was proposed right after the MotoGP class was reduced to 800cc, and we all know who ramed that change thru don't we.
(Message edited by 46champ on November 14, 2009) |
Eweaver
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 01:11 am: |
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I wasn't alluding to a dirt bike turned roadracer. The AMA had moved away from the original intent of the Super Singles class of converted dirt bikes, and were looking to produce a single make arrive and race series. Who would have been better than Buell to service this market? It would make the Blast ottoman pill a bit easier to swallow.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/550/3952/Motorcycle- Article/AMA-Racing-Plans-Future-450-Singles-Class. aspx |
Ridenusa4l
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 01:30 am: |
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THAT IS FREAKING SEXY!!!! I dont know wether to cry or "explode" or both at the same time, that would've been THE SAVING GRACE of buell and the USA sportbike!!!
Jake |
Poppinsexz
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 06:45 am: |
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Would a proto really be out there sporting a Buell badge?
I'd suspect that someone found/made some cool bodywork.
But I've been wrong enough to know I could be wrong. |
Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 07:02 am: |
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It looks pretty cool to me, VERY cool actually.
Check the chain adjusters on the swingarm, and is that a different front wheel? |
2kx1
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 07:10 am: |
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I'm sure someone here couldtell us if that is indeed the next iteration of the 1125.
As far as Buell sales cannibalizing Fag sales.
Yes, that would be possible.
It could easily have started with the po-po spec Uly's.
It may have been here that I read that Cali were ready to ditch the Fag bikes for BMW's but weren't happy about the service end of the deal(dealer only).
Had Buell been able to capitalize on it
(which with their demo policy )they would have.
Uly's would be an excellent po-po bike.
I think California has over a thousand bikes in service.
That is one state.
So yes I believe that some competition from within was becoming apparent.
What could have been will never be known now however, and that is what really sucks.
As far as bikes sitting unsold, I'm sorry , they are excellent bikes, the largest problem was always the non-stop promotion of the alternative lifestyle.
A friend of mine recently purchased an 1125r, almost walked out twice from the onslaught of rainbow-promotion.
Next day, at his friends Duc dealership ,was told more about the bike than the where he bought it.
Ther has always been a complete lack of knowledge about what is sold at a fag dealer, however tons of knowledge on alternative lifestyle is spewed. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 08:00 am: |
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>>>So yes I believe that some competition from within was becoming apparent.
And personal. |
2kx1
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 08:40 am: |
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Yes Court, it would have been very personal.
Could you imagine that slap in the face, no more fag-o-gliders in the presidential motorcade?
I know a Uly would be a better choice than an RT or whatever Kaw they are looking at now.
Marketing just never capitalized on it.
Tomorrow will be a month , and I am still pissed. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 08:57 am: |
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>>>Marketing just never capitalized on it.
Someone asked me the other day in a meeting . . . "How, after 15 years of being marketed by one of the world's most sophisticated marketing organizations, did Buell only manage to sell 12,00 bikes a year?"
The feeling was that it was a colossal failure on the part of the marketing folks.
I have to confess, in my personal opinion, that the marketing of the BLAST, the TT, having no printed catalogs (you know how many Harleys I decided to buy while in the can?) and some of the glaring marketing glitches were a major turn off to me.
I am amazed that they could not sell 500 BLASTs a year in NYC. Every time I see the one parked with the Maybach on Park Avenue I am reminded that the BLAST, costing less than a VESPA . . but having brakes and handling . . is nearly the perfect city bike. |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 08:58 am: |
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Evidently the LAPD hasn't been too happy with their HD police bikes:
http://www.bmwmc.net/uploads/tm7/LAPD%20Fleet%20Re port.pdf
(found on ADVrider) |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 09:26 am: |
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That's powerful.
The part that caught my eye was that the Harley-Davidson were OUT OF SERVICE at 3X the rate of the Kawasaki and that Harley-Davidson had simply chosen not to respond when contacted about the myriad of problems.
Interesting reading . . . I always think of Harley-Davidson as THE Police bike . . obviously that's as valid, in this day, as thinking of the Sportster as a "performance" bike.
Read that letter . . . then go read the plan that Harley-Davidson is setting forth to turn the company around and the "cautionary notes" about the fact that all elements of the plan need to work.
It's going to be an interesting couple of years . . . anyone speak Indian? |
Phillyblast
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 10:23 am: |
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Court,
I read that a bit ago, and was struck by the comments about how none of the brake lines seemed to be run the same way, etc. Sounds just the opposite of what I've heard about Buell's assembly process. Or the accepted wisdom of "repeatable documented processes" I learned while an IT consultant.
The problem with outsourcing production is HD doesn't seem to have the process documented or repeatable. 
Riding to work the other day I was passed by a Connie rider (hey, I was 3 blocks from the house, tires were cold) who then hit the brakes so he would miss the light ahead. Yes, he hit the brakes while the light was _green_, stopped on yellow, and waved me up. He looked at the bike and asked "Is that the new Buell?"
WTF? Kawasaki Concours, Sport Touring Bike, Buell Marketing doesn't target this guy and the first he sees the "new Buell" - an 08! - is at a redlight in Philly at 6:30 AM on a Wednesday morning in November of 2009?
Oh, and two of my neighbors are Philadelphia Highway Patrol motorcycle cops, and neither knew about the XP. |
Skully
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 10:36 am: |
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it started with a B and that's all I'm saying. But you all would have shit your pants.
Would that be the Barracuda pictured above? |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 10:50 am: |
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>>>>Sounds just the opposite of what I've heard about Buell's assembly process.
It is inconsistent with ELVIS.
If they were Buells I'd be able to tell you the sequence that every nut and bolt went on the bike in. The time between any two operations. The number of degrees of rotation a fastener went through prior to reaching torque and what the final torque was.
Buell, regardless of what you think of ISO, was one of the first motorcycle manufacturers to get the certification.
I am aware that ISO has weaknesses but Buell went light years beyond that. It's why folks from foreign countries, you've not heard about, visited Buell to witness the process.
Nearly FLAT management with amazing lines of communication and information flow.
It's been years in the works and thanks to folks up the road who subscribed and were imbued in "that's not the way we've always done it" thinking it was like climbing a greased mirror.
Someday I'm going to tell you a story about the Buell you ALMOST saw. The bike was amazing, the story even more so. |
Thesmaz
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 11:18 am: |
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I tell you what, all of the rumor's and what if's are aggravating! Some people know what was coming and dangle that fact in front of our faces (please don't think that I'm attacking anyone, that is not and never will be my intent); most of us don't and never will because of HD and I'm sure that all former employee's of BMC had to sign non-disclosure statements. It just sucks! I love my Buell and I'll keep it on the road as long as I can (I don't like hearing that parts are already scarce) but within in a couple of years there will be another moto sitting beside it in the garage. That new MS 1200 sure looks good! I can only dream that Buell was going to head that direction as well, but I'll never know.... |
Jaimec
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 12:13 pm: |
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What I don't get is that even if Harley lost sales to Buell... in the end, all the money files back into the mothership ANYWAY!!
No, this was NOT a sound, economical business decision. This was POLITICS pure and simple. |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 12:56 pm: |
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All I know is that in time the truth will come out. It almost always does. I'm a patient man. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 02:00 pm: |
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>>>This was POLITICS pure and simple.
That's an accurate statement . . . the operative work being "PURE".
It's not like there is nothing you can do . . . |
T_man
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 02:02 pm: |
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Seeing that picture makes me extremely disgusted with HD. That bike had the potential to turn the 'big 4' into the 'big 5' - with Buell taking its rightful place.
I had little respect for HD before this and now my respect for the so called 'bar & shield' brand has fallen clean through the floorboards.
Somehow, some way - that yellow bike has GOT to reach the market... Erik Buell's 'Pheonix' |
Boltrider
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 03:13 pm: |
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That BMW link sure is eye opening. Those Harley EG's are pieces of shit. Inconsistently assembled pieces of shit with engineering deficiencies. And you can have yours for $25,000!!!
It's funny that in their defense, Harley lists the agencies that use their bike for police duty. But then BMW destroys that total with a list of their own.
It's hard to not be extremely angry about how this all went down. Maybe that yellow bike was someone's custom take on today's 1125R. Or maybe that's a real prototype. Maybe that yellow bike was to be Buell's pot of gold.
(Message edited by boltrider on November 14, 2009) |
Bmonty72
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 05:11 pm: |
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I still think Buell will be back. I think the reason the H-D dealers are having the fire sale on all Buells now is so they can sell the Buell name and factory. H-D will get some cash in-flow, Buell riders can then buy their bikes without wading through 18 rows of leather chaps. They can buy parts without seeing the "Buell Stare". But I think I may be too optimistic... |
Shoredairy
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 07:06 pm: |
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I'd love to throw a few back with one of those guys in the know....i'm buyin'!!! |
Bobbuell1961
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 08:07 pm: |
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so Court,>>>it's not like there's nothing you can do...?
So teach me master! i am your willing student!
grasshopper |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 09:25 pm: |
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>>>>Those Harley EG's are pieces of shit. Inconsistently assembled pieces of shit with engineering deficiencies. And you can have yours for $25,000!!!
Sounds like they need to focus on their "core market". Folks who tolerate that crap. |
2kx1
| | Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 10:48 pm: |
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Yes,
That was indeed the article.
Funny , I guess marketing was more in line
with the bikurious crowd.
"SOFT-TAIL"
"FAT-BOY"
"NIGHT-ROD"
And with lube "DUECE"
Its the queers, they're in it with the aliens, they're building landing strips for gay martians.
I know no-one here knows where that line came from but it may be true this time.
I hope I haven't offended anyone in the alternative lifestyle community. |
Tommy_2stroke
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 11:33 am: |
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I was always impressed with what seemed to be the large amount of independence granted to Buell by H-D management. He had enough freedom to design and build an entirely new motorcycle, and he was even allowed to go outside to obtain state-of-the-art engines from one of the world's best engine builders. And it now appears that he was about to expand the product line even further. What a great opportunity for H-D to grow into new markets and capture new buyers. This is precisely what the company needed to revitalize its sagging business model. They didn't need to go outside to find something new... they already owned it.
And now its dead.
How can this possibly make any sense from a business perspective? The statements about H-D returning to core values, that Buell was a "distraction"-- it does not compute. Was Buell operating at a net loss? Perhaps, but it couldn't have been very much. A loss now, compared to the potential for future growth? Talk about shortsighted. This looks like a classic case of mismanagement. It'll end up in a textbook someday.
And if it becomes known that the decision was based less on financial considerations than on some personal animus or simmering vendetta against Buell within the company, then it goes beyond simple shortsightedness. Now we are getting into a breach of trust with the company's stockholders. The corporation has an obligation to its stockholders to make sound business decisions, not carry out personal agendas.
I am an H-D stockholder, and I want some answers, goddammit. |
Ridenusa4l
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 02:05 pm: |
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poppinsexz,
if you notice the bike has no badges, only the rider has buell on his jacket  ...
but in all seriousness, court can you allude to what it is seriously, there's not much use in holdin back anymore...PLEASE
THANX
Jake |
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