| Author | Message | ||
     Bonjoxb12s |
I'm sure this will end up in the backfire board, and that is fine with me..... My beef is not with Buell, as they have overcome many hardships in their companies lifespan. They have continued to give unrivaled support, and have always stayed true to its roots no matter the cost. Many people have come to support Buell BECAUSE of these things. I've witnessed first hand over the last few years how hard a few work, and how little the majority does. I feel the worst move that Buell can make is to stay under the wing of Harley. The lack of communication, and the shear size of Harley has caused Buell to be thrown by the wayside while bikes like the Rocker and the Nightster take front stage. The majority of Buell dealerships only devote a small corner to Buell, and even fewer keep up with all the new jackets, gloves, t-shirts etc. that Buell produces. How many ads to you hear on the radio are for Buells? In fact, how many dealerships advertise on the radio that they are a dealer for Buells as well!? I'm tired of seeing all the the hard work thrown to the wayside because dealers only want to sell the "money making" H-D brand. If Harley was serious about Buell, they would REQUIRE someone on staff to be Buell certified, as well as go to yearly training. All those at dealerships, tell me how many courses are devoted to Buell on HD-Net.... It's time to see Buell break loose and watch them sky rocket to the top!!! Now, I'll throw my bit in on those dealerships that ARE doing everything they can. THANK YOU for everything you are doing, and know that your work does not go unnoticed. Thanks again!!! | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I deleted my fancy graph showing that Erik owns 2% and Harley owns 98% because it was completely wrong, and I spelled Erik's name wrong, which I NEVER do! Damn. I failed this time! (Message edited by Mikef5000 on February 24, 2008) | ||
| Djkaplan |
What difference does it make? Based on what I've seen, most dealerships suck anyway. Not just Harley dealerships, but all dealerships regardless of brand or even type of vehicle. The only thing I want my dealer to do is sell me a bike, honor the warranty, and stock the parts that I need to keep what they sold me running (forget service departments, I still despise the first Buell 'tech' I ever met). Almost every dealer I've had experience with (cars and motorcycles) can do the first part with their smooth talking salesmen, but they fall all over themselves with the more important aspects of supporting their products. | ||
| Court |
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| Ft_bstrd |
This topic comes up repeatedly with the same result. Buells HD affiliation provides BMC a framework that would otherwise be unavailable. Were there not an affiliation with HD, BMC wouldn't exist. Period. Instead of a handful of great SERVICING dealers with lots of SELLING dealers, we'd only have a handful of dealers period. It isn't a perfect system, but it is all that is available if we want BMC to have the opportunity to grow and thrive. Give it time. Remember Buell just celebrated the 100,000th bike. How many does Honda sell each year? How many does Yamaha? BMCs distribution is probably more like Ducati, Triumph, or Aprilia's distribution numbers. Would you rather have their dealer/service network? Not me. They would have to charge what Ducati, Triumph and Aprilia charges for their bikes in order to cover the overhead. Would you feel that Buell was worth what you would have to pay for a Ducati? We can whine, and complain about the problems and issues all we want, but it doesn't change the economic issues that have to be overcome. Pray that the 1125R (and it's naked variant) are huge sellers. Money, sales volumes, and public interest will solve 99.9% of the issues. Look how far Buell has come, though. I can't wait to see where it goes from here. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>No one wins based on the half time score<< In Basketball players can be given a technical foul during the half time break and disqualified. If they subsequently don't have enough players to re-take the 'Court' after the break - game is forfeit. But it's not based on the score - drats and coises. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Some called Buell a boutique bike and it fits. Hell, if it wasn't unique I would have bought a honda. Ya know, I get treated like crap at the Ford dealer, I get treated like crap at the Electronics store, I get treated like crap at Walmart, Been to McDonalds lately, you guessed it, AND I get treated like crap at the Harely Dealer. So what? | ||
| Ducxl |
Yes....but....we've got multiple years of defective XBr headlights.NOW....we've got a new model(1125r of course) with electrical gremlins.HOW MANY YEARS WILL GO BY WITH 1125R DEFECTS? As a machinist,MY defects are measured in PPM.I'm told to adhere to a "ZERO DEFECTS" policy.Yet,in our miniscule Badweb sample we've got almost 50% electrical defects in our new beloved 1125r! BTW,my local HD/Buell dealer is stellar in Buell advancement awwww,crap......i did it again with the negativity.Too bad my XB headlights are defective Erik Buell no longer owns an interest in BMC? So we ride Harleys? (Message edited by ducxl on February 24, 2008) | ||
| Oldog |
No one wins based on the half time score A reminder here that HD is in business to make MONEY! While I too think that The Rocker and the Nightster are a joke, They must sell them to some one, as HD is building them and selling them to the public. Make no mistake, the dealer will sell you a cool jacket with skulls or flames on it and a salad bowl helmet, glasses, cups, chromed farkles too, HD wants to finnance that new sled too, cause thats where the money is! Marginal success seems harsh for a company that has moved from a barn to a modern facility, and has accomplished what Buell has. and in time [ most of ] the issues will be ironed out, (Message edited by oldog on February 24, 2008) | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Well..........if H-D has such a strangle hold on what dealers can and can't do....why not require " this much space/inventory/personnel" for Buells? It would be all plus for H-D, regardless of the hardship for the dealers overhead that they failed to utilize with Buell enthusiasm. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
HD doesn't FORCE the dealers to do anything. The dealers drop the coin for the dealership franchise, land, building, fixtures, and product. If there was a dealership that decided to sell ONLY Sportsters, HD would probably allow them to. Buell doesn't have the ability to FORCE any dealer to do anything. I'm sure that there is some historical legacy giving control to the dealers that came as a result of the AMC days. | ||
| Bonjoxb12s |
Just..... well said. The fact remains that H-D can do so much for for Buell..... but they don't. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Well.....the local H-D dealer was forced to take the John Deere lawn and leisure products out of the building........ | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Yep, but they weren't forced to put Buell products in. | ||
| Bonjoxb12s |
What Buell Product!!!!!  Most have a few hats, maybe a t-shirt and some great looking 06's they'll sell you for a great price! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
What Buell Product!!!!! Most have a few hats, maybe a t-shirt and some great looking 06's they'll sell you for a great price! Zactly! | ||
| Guell |
What Buell Product!!!!! Most have a few hats, maybe a t-shirt and some great looking 06's they'll sell you for a great price! if they cant get rid of their 06's, then why would they order more 08 bikes, jackets, gloves, helmets ect... ? | ||
| Court |
>>>Yet,in our miniscule Badweb sample we've got almost 50% electrical defects in our new beloved 1125r! Think about that. Lots of folks are a little right and a little wrong. Buell is certainly, at over 10,000 units a year, a boutique bike. Unique yes, boutique no. >>>Were there not an affiliation with HD, BMC wouldn't exist. That's inaccurate. Buell. . . . with all of it's remaining challenges, many certainly as a result of the association with HD, is a successful company that makes a profit (huge deal there) designing and selling motorcycles. Folks like Britten, Excelsior-Henderson and Indian have come and gone in the same time frame. The "quick to snap" will whip out a smart ass answer about Britten. I encourage you to come to that discussion well armed on the history of the firm, it's founder, his father and it's successors. Buell has many HUGE challenges ahead of them. But in order to take them on with the limited resources available you have to truly understand the nature of the problems, challenges, environment and strategy. I'm not saying I'm right . . just that my opinion is aligned only vaguely with some of the prior posts. | ||
| Court |
>>>>Well..........if H-D has such a strangle hold on what dealers can and can't do Part, perhaps, of the problem is that there is no such "stranglehold". Dealers, we've heard till we are sick of it . . . are "independent" businesses. Wasn't the CA dealers who formed an association and sued HD for meddling in their affairs? (I DO NOT recall or know the facts, I could be wrong - someone here from a CA dealer can tell us perhaps about the dealer assn) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
OF the bikes sold and rolled this WEEkend, 2 blasts, 1 used Uly, deposit on the XT, and dep on the CityX awaiting custom parts.... Harleys 1 FLHTCU, 1 FLSTC, 2 FXD's, 1 Vrscdx, 1 XL1200C, 1 94 FXD, 1 99 FLSTF, .... Pity the Buells only perform "Marginally" | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
>>>Were there not an affiliation with HD, BMC wouldn't exist. That's inaccurate. Would we be at 100,000+ bikes and 10,000 units per year? Were there not an affiliation with HD, I doubt there would be a BW with 15,000 active members. Without another relationship similar to what HD provided, I'd bet that I wouldn't even know what a Buell motorcycle was. | ||
| Court |
INACCURATE: Were there not an affiliation with HD, I doubt there would be a BW with 15,000 active members. ACCURATE: Without another relationship similar to what HD provided, I'd bet that I wouldn't even know what a Buell motorcycle was. Just like I said . . . a little fact, a little fancy in each and every post. Let me riddle you this . . . . what do YOU, knowing what you now know about Erik Buell, think he would have done had HD told him to go cut bait? You don't need to answer quickly. I'm off to a busy week of meetings and classes. In fact. . beat the internet at it's own game, resolve to think about it for a day or so. Nothing is riding on your answer, it's a simple discussion. | ||
| Bonjoxb12s |
City, great to see the Buells moving where you are. I'd bet a nice cold beer anytime your in my neck of the woods that over 75% of dealerships can't say they had the same luck you had this past week.... | ||
| Ducxl |
THere are three active threads RIGHT NOW related to 1125r charging system defects.ONE thread related to "Fuel smells&"Cracked fuel rail" defects.Is BMC going to rectify THOSE the same way it is rectifying the XB headlight fiasco? think about that | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Let me riddle you this . . . . what do YOU, knowing what you now know about Erik Buell, think he would have done had HD told him to go cut bait? Why you jumpin' my ass? He would have worked to find another similar affiliation that would have provided the resources (and distribution floor space) needed. Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Triumph, Aprilia, Suzuki? Don't know. Were he unable to secure the "similar affiliation", I guess he would have had to do it the hard way. "Building the bike is the easy part. Getting it to market is hard." I couldn't see him sitting on his hands. | ||
| Neurorider |
It is frustrating at times trying to "deal with dealers". I called my nearest Buell dealer, 2 hours away, to ask about having my Uly worked on....He said to be sure to call ahead, so they can "try to find the Buell guy and make sure he's in the shop then". Hell at least they have one, right? I installed the heated grips myself! I'm just glad we're able to get such cool, unique bikes. Mine is a constant source of conversation and fun. Love it! | ||
| M2nc |
OF the bikes sold and rolled this WEEkend, 2 blasts, 1 used Uly, deposit on the XT, and dep on the CityX awaiting custom parts.... Harleys 1 FLHTCU, 1 FLSTC, 2 FXD's, 1 Vrscdx, 1 XL1200C, 1 94 FXD, 1 99 FLSTF, .... Pity the Buells only perform "Marginally" I have no doubt that you City can sell Buells. The problem I have is that many HD salesman are really just order takers. As long as they can sell water in the desert they are happy. It's the salesman with a passion for Buells that moves them. Good job City, too bad there are not more Salesmen like you. Buell makes a great bike with a lot of pluses for the street rider. Most dealerships do not understand the Buells. My last visit to my local dealership both salesman are very interested in the Buells and one use to own a XB9S. I was explaining to one salesman very interested in a Firebolt the difference between the Uly and the Firebolt. I stated that the Uly sacrificed some handling for comfort. That the Firebolt has better feedback but would never match the Uly on a long trip. A patron taking interest in our conversation asked, "how far have you ridden you bike?" I said, "In one day? 720 miles and I spent five hours in the mountains playing around for a total of 14 hours of riding." His eyes and mouth opened wide and he said, "I know I could not ride it that far." To which I said, "Its a lot more comfortable than it looks." By the end of the conversation I had two on the hook. Were I a salesman, all I had to do was reel them in. Buells are just like anything in the market place. It takes a salesman with product knowledge and the ability to point out the strong points of the product to sell. If you think its a red-headed step-child, you will never sell one. As for Buell's ability to back their product, I have not lived the Firebolt headlight problem, but have to say its the most recent black eye for Buell. That said, I did live through the first year of the Uly and have to say that Buell did an excellent job of investigating problems early and reacting. In the first year we had the swimming tires, engine ping, the BAS cutting out, the breaking bag latches, breaking kick stands mounts, tall seat height, brake dive and heat issues. The '08 Uly has answered just about all the issues that '06 Ulys have had to some degree. I personally had some of these issues and I could not be more happy with the way my dealer and Buell delt with them. I am a very happy '06 Uly owner and the bike is staying in the stable. I hope Buell does not have another Firebolt headlight issue. All early signs show that Buell is taking the same steps to deal with the first year 1125R issues as they did with the Uly. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
It was a very good weekend, the SUN finally showed up on Thursday and stayed all the way through closing time Sunday. I will admit, that before I rode one around around the track, the Buell was just another bike to me. After pushing it through its paces, I traded two Kawis to get it, (though I am regretting letting go of the KLR250) |
