| Author | Message | ||
     Snackbar64 |
Of course this is only pure speculation for fun, but who do you all think will step up to the plate and fund Erik's latest venture? I am going to throw out a few companies who I think clearly have the capital to fund at least 10 mil or more. Victory Motorcycles is one major player who could really stick it to Harley by investing. GM and Ford being the other two. They know nothing about bikes, but Erik's know how makes them instant major players in AMA and other circuits. Frito-Lay is my dark horse company and probably in the best shape of them all financially. They would only need to fund the technology and get the hell out the way. What do you all think? Any ideas? | ||
| Dannybuell |
Government Motors, nobody would sit still for that. China has all the money. Industries that sponsor motor sports would be a better chance; tobacco, alcohol,oil,... | ||
| 1125rcya |
I hope Erik keeps on the path he is on...Screw these big companies with lots of money there's only greed! Erik will do right by his customers, but with other major players they always have some say so in it and we get screwed just like harley is doing us RIGHT NOW! Stator,Voltage Regulator, Steering Stem...What next! Erik would have come up with a solution rather than just act like it's not a problem. | ||
| Snackbar64 |
I see your point and well taken, but a major corporation's backing means slightly below mass production and affordability for us all just as before Buell was dropped. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Now if some one would pony up the 100 mill in lottery money they won. Do you remember what Fred Smith did with the last money FED EX had he went to Vegas and gambled it all! He won enogh to meet payroll etc and get them over a bad time. Simply amazing how things work out. Now Fed Ex is one of te biggest cash cows n the world | ||
| Macchiato |
Erik needs to work on smaller higher production items. Like Muzzy, Graves, Yoshimura, Moriwaki, ect, ect. If I'm wrong someone please explain their theory on the business plan of Erik Buell and while their at it Motoczysz. www.motoczysz.com/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MotoCzysz | ||
| Ratbuell |
Erik is a smart man, and he'll have a PILE of stuff he learned from his time with HD (and I'm not talking about motorcycles here). I suspect if he pairs with another large corporation, he will make sure to keep control for himself and keep things strictly on the "rich uncle" level. "Write me a check and let me build. And win races. With your name plastered all over my bikes." My suspicion? If anyone in the motorcycle industry, it'll be BRP. As nice as it might be to see him pair with the other cruiser manufacturer - Victory - I doubt Polaris would go for a company that's racing on its competitor's motor. Although, the idea of a backer from outside "the industry"....now, that could be cool, and a guaranteed way to avoid any "you should build it this way because market research says...." problems. I like the idea of a mass-produced(ish) bike again, but I hate the idea of Erik having to sell his soul in order to do it. And I doubt he'll do that, after what HD did to him and his bikes. I've got a nice garage right now...and I'm happy to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, he's a happier, healthier looking man than I've seen him be for years (and by all accounts from people who know him better than I do, he really *is* happier). If this - a small company, focused, with relatively low production - is what it takes for him to stay that way...keep it up, by all means. You've earned it, Erik! | ||
| Snackbar64 |
I agree about the outside industry company backing, which is why I like Frito. It could be better in the long run. Although, somehow I feel that GM, Ford and maybe even Chrysler would love to instantly be competitive with the Hondas', Kawisakis' and Yamahas' of the world. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Macchiato - Here in Portland a few years back my brother told me he was at a place where an engine was just sitting on a table, totally unsecured. They started it up and revved it. It just sat there with no vibration, it didn't move. I just got the rest of the story with your wiki link! THX | ||
| Luv2spd |
Well, whatever Erik does next he has more experience now that he went through all the bs., and he definitely knows the in and outs of building a bike and not just designing, but putting it into production and creating assembly lines and procedures. I think the next Buell bike will be a low number production bike with a bit higher price. On some other note, I had no idea that MotoCzysz were racing electric bikes now, the last time I read an article on them was a few years ago when they wanted to get into MotoGP. Their electric bike looks awesome. This video is pretty cool too: http://www.motoczysz.com/main.php?area=news_view&a rt_id=114&p_id=317&return_path=home | ||
| Marcodesade |
There's also a very cool TV special --- it was on Speed I think --- called "Birth of a Racer" that examines the development and testing of the MotoCzysz C1. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Luv2spd THX you as well for that link. I am having a fun rainy day in Portland with you all. | ||
| Stirz007 |
BRP needs a market for their motors. Erik Buell Racing is using BRP engines. If Erik Buell Racing continues to use BRP engines, then there is a good opportunity for a strategic partnership. BRP has an established dealer network - point of sale and maintenance capability. If funding means sponsorship of racing programs, I think the pie is pretty small as it is - The AMA market is limited, and with little or no TV, no Wonder Bread sponsorships. To go full blown motorcycle company, I think I saw numbers in the 9-digit range. Court had some good comments on this somewhere else on BW. I'm going with CW on this one: Unless some benevolent benefactor dumps a load of cash in EB's lap, the progress of Erik Buell Racing will be slow and (hopefully) steadily upward. Limited production runs for the first few years, try to extend success of racing program (for exposure) and introduce an affordable ($15K) bike in the next 2-3 years through some partnership with an established dealer network (BRP??).. In the mean time, stay the course - keep the company viable and look for opportunities. | ||
| Smit3833 |
Anyone else notice that the MotoCzysz electric super bike has a similar look to the buell 1125R? Regardless, I have a sneaky feeling my next bike will be an all electric super bike and hopefully I will still be able to keep the 1125R as well. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Smit3833 - I agree and hope I am alive to see an affordable electric Buell! | ||
| Cowboytutt |
Yikes, count me out on the electric stuff. I like the smell of burning gasoline and the vibration of pistons pumping away! -Tutt | ||
| Jdugger |
I'm excited about electric bikes, too. If the battery weight can come down, it will be a pretty awesome choice for racing. I like the idea of a whisper quiet bike whizzing through the air. | ||
| Trojan |
Regardless, I have a sneaky feeling my next bike will be an all electric super bike and hopefully I will still be able to keep the 1125R as well. That statement is exactly why electric vehicles will never take off worldwide in their current (sic) form. They have such a small range and performance envelope that you still need a 'proper' carbon fuelled vehicle in addition to your 'green' electric vehicle for whenyou want to go more than 100 miles in one hit. Buying into electric vehicles at the moment is not cost effective nor efficient at all (You still need cabron fuelled power station to charge them after all), so I think they (governments and maanufacturers)should stop all this BS about how great electric vehicles are and start some proper research into a viable alaternative to fossil fuels such as alcohol power. Lotus engineering have a viable alcohol powered car already but it is not politically fashionable so they are struggling for investment against much less efficient electric/hybrid technology  | ||
| Jdugger |
> alcohol power Outside of Brazil and Hawaii, this is a huge loser, too, BTW. Most ethanol plants in the US are gas or coal fired, and burn more energy than they create. Not to mention the demand on starchy stables like corn has done to world food prices. The reason it works in Brazil and Hawaii is they have huge sugar cane crops which provide enough energy to run the refinery and produce the ethanol. The solar panels aren't far (a few years?) from parity. In a place like Texas that gets 200+ days a year of good sun, they provide peak power at the exact moments of peak demand -- and we got plenty of rooftops. Right now, they aren't there... but it's getting closer all the time. I don't think anyone close to the electric vehicle movement expects an overnight switch. There will be lots of problems to solve with electric vehicles, and lots of infrastructure to build, just as there was 100 years ago with gas powered vehicles. | ||
| Court |
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| Dannybuell |
It's all happening. http://news.discovery.com/tech/spray-on-solar-cell s.html 1125 for the road and an electric version for the city. | ||
| Hootowl |
Somehow I don't think financial backing is one of Erik Buell Racing's issues right now. | ||
| Snackbar64 |
I don't know Hootowl, it seems that financial backing is the main reason you and I aren't out riding one of his latest streetable creations right now. A company like Frito is better at one thing than probably any company I named which Harley's lack of was a causative factor of Buell's demise and that's MARKETING. They know how to strategically place chips so that we buy them. Maybe they can use that same marketing prowess with motorcycles. | ||
| Pyrogen |
I am not saying it will happen exactly the same way, but how could anyone forget about when Harley was owned by AMF? I don't know the specifics about that deal either so it may not be relevant, but all I saw was a motorcycle company owned by a non motorcycle company and the motorcycles suffered whether it was quality or sales, I can't remember. | ||
| Buellerandy |
Hey Danny- How long do you figure that kind of technology will stay on the surface until one of the oil/energy companies buys it out so it never sees the light of day? | ||
| Hootowl |
BRP tried to buy Buell TWICE, and HD turned them down in favor of closing the doors. I don't know whether Erik Buell Racing is considering offers from BRP at this point, but it wouldn't surprise me. I do know that they wouldn't be doing a small production run of exotic-part-laden motorcycles unless they had the cash to do it. From what I read in the press, that's what the 1190RS is. If I were Erik Buell Racing, I would stay far away from existing manufacturers who might have their own ideas about what a motorcycle should be. They need money from people who will pony up and shut up. They're out there. If I had money, I'd be standing in line to hand it to them. (Misspelled E-B-R) (Message edited by hootowl on October 12, 2010) | ||
| Hootowl |
Nanosolar has been printing solar panels for a few years now. The ink is a self constructing nano somethingorother. They apply it to a conducting material in much the same way an ink jet printer squirts ink on paper. I wonder if this ink/paint is similar? | ||
| Ratgin |
If the venture is to succeed commercially he needs an existing product manufacture like BRP. If the goal is to sell very limited numbers to help fund racing then he doesn't need the marketing infrastructure. The cost involved in creating a marketing infrastructure will prevent most company's from taking the plunge. Why would Frito Lay pony up millions to start/support dealerships. They make sense as a racing sponsor but not as a commercial partner. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Buellerandy - Most oil company conspiracy theories are not technologically driven. They are politically driven.  | ||
| Buellerandy |
I was speaking financially but there's plenty of money in politics as well  |
