Thought you might be interested in some comments from a non-Buell owning friend of mine. He currently owns a KTM Superduke, a YZF750R and a TZR250 track bike. Possibly he is the kind of person Buell are aiming for?
I asked his thoughts on the web site and BOB. The first bit is him having a laugh about the radiator pods being called "performance intakes".
"It's on the Book of Buell page providing the excuse for the hideous things- page also talking about split radiators ("performance intakes"). Fortunately they just sneak the term in. I think the hanging off stuff is a perhaps unfortunate way of trying to emphasise that Buells are about handling, hence it's the way of differentiating the Buell target market/image away from the 'my Fireblade is heavily modified- chromed wheels, anodised bolts, blue tinted screen and Yoshi end can' crowd. And they probably found every handling cliche has been used, so it was a way of trying to take a new angle on it. I wonder what the demographics of hanging off are?
For me the only 'problem' with Buell is that they're designs seem to overlap so much. I can see it's the nature of the beast, many options from limited basic components, but apart from the 1125/Lightning/Ulysses distinction, why have one and not the other? Still, this worked for Triumph 15 years ago.
In the end something I like about motorcycles is the fact that they're more-or-less above advertising... a sh*tbox can't be promoted into market domination in the way that Tom Cruise or Ipods can."
I like the last line
I suppose the other thing about the new marketing is it really steps Buell away from Harley. Is that what Blake was trying to say?
(Message edited by lemonchili_x1 on July 26, 2009)
Anonymous
Posted on Sunday, July 26, 2009 - 11:11 am:
I don't know anything much more athletic than an adventure sportbike!
"I don't know anything much more athletic than an adventure sportbike!" That's the sort of thing I thought EB was including when he spoke in the Blast video, but that message doesn't come through in BOB, IMHO.
From the Book of Buell: Strategic placement of this sticker on your car or truck ensures that other motorists know exactly what you think about whatever it is they think
I agree with Chili on that one. I think Erik is very clear about his message in the video, his focus and directions are explained. If you then go on to read BOB and the rest of the literature, those lines start losing their sharpness and obscuring into something that lacks concrete definition .
From the Book of Buell: Strategic placement of this sticker on your car or truck ensures that other motorists know exactly what you think about whatever it is they think
Thank you Ferris, with that post it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Thats what i don't like about the "BOB". i haven't been able to put it into words yet, so hear me out on this.
Buells advertising has always been about the bikes, everyone of them great in their own way. Sport, sport touring, hooligan, whatever you wanted they had, but it was always about the bikes! You either rode them and understood or you rode them and bought something else. Buell has never advertised an image, only their amazing machines. Now they are pushing an image! i just want to ride, i don't need an image to with it. When i pull out of a gas station do i care if the guy on his Honda sees me drag a knee at the first corner, like he saw in the Buell commercial? Give me an f'n break. I don't need an image, i just need my Buell. I have Buell stickers all over the back window of my truck, i am proud of my bike, BMC didn't need to tell me to do it!
I had so much to say, and i've lost a lot of it quickly. if comes back to me i'll edit.
I guess in the end i'll just say, i love my Buell, and love to ride. The experience on my Buell is my own and i don't need Buell telling me how.
Think you've got it in one Ustorque If you don't care what others think...why go to the trouble of advertising the fact?
I think I've said it previously somewhere, but I feel that the old slogans/logos were for the rider (own the corners, different in every sense), the new more corporate looking symbol is for the company.
We have a big banner hanging in our kitchen atm of the old Buell logo with "Own the corners" slogan underneath. It instills a sense of pride and ownership. I posed the question to Chili when he was trying to decide whether he liked the new stuff the other night..."Which would you rather have hanging on your wall at home, this one or the new one?" Our current artwork won hands down.
It could be a somewhat selfish reaction, but I think it feels like, rather than being empowering, they are trying to take something away from us.
"Ruthless Engineering" is cool, but it says so little (and I have a Diploma in Elec Engineering!). "Own the corners" said something about the bikes, the company and the owners. So did "Different in every sense". However, I could consider replacing "Own the corners" with a new slogan: "I don't need an image, I just need my Buell!" Thanks Ustorque!
It could be a somewhat selfish reaction, but I think it feels like, rather than being empowering, they are trying to take something away from us.
I understand the feeling we all get from being part of a small group of enthusiasts but Buell will grow and it will become less personal, especially after Mr. Buell retires, etc.
I understand the feeling we all get from being part of a small group of enthusiasts but Buell will grow and it will become less personal, especially after Mr. Buell retires, etc........We are going to see how that pans out BUT! true....I hope not.
I found BoB to be more negative than positive for me, as my Badweb name might suggest. Clearly I'm not in their demographic. It's a shame - my recent demo on an 1125R gave me the most enjoyment I've had riding a bike in a while...