View Full Version : Buell to go
the white rabbit
15-10-09, 01:04 PM
Shame :-|
http://www.buell.com/en_UK/
http://www.marke****ch.com/story/harley-davidson-net-income-falls-84-2009-10-15
Its the bloody filter again, put t.w.a.t where the *s are, doesn't say a lot though.
custard
15-10-09, 01:06 PM
awww bum. hadnt got round to owning one of those yet...
the white rabbit
15-10-09, 01:07 PM
Future curiosities, maybe?
You can hear the real sadness in his voice :( Proper shame :(
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 01:20 PM
Can't see the vid on the first link and the second link doesn't work because of the **** in it. But Squirrel's going to be Devo'd
Might be able to pick up a cheapish Ligtening next year for my possibly??? Or will they become collector items and go more expensive??
wyrdness
15-10-09, 01:20 PM
That's a real disaster for the bike industry. They're selling MV Agusta as well. It's only a very short time since they purchased MV.
Dave20046
15-10-09, 01:23 PM
Don't they also own benelli? Hope they don't go.
the white rabbit
15-10-09, 01:30 PM
second link
t.w.a.t problem :lol:
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 02:09 PM
I am that problem..
It's been going an hour now and I've managed to download 59% of the Buell video in the first link
plowsie
15-10-09, 02:25 PM
Sad.
the white rabbit
15-10-09, 02:27 PM
I am that problem..
It's been going an hour now and I've managed to download 59% of the Buell video in the first link
I know Yate is in the sticks, but that is ridiculous :lol:
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 02:31 PM
I know Yate is in the sticks, but that is ridiculous :lol:
I'm actually at work, in a building that has 2x 100mb links, 1 in and 1 out, so the techies say
startrek.steve
15-10-09, 02:59 PM
Damn shame, they seemed a really nice bike.....
Steve
Don't they also own benelli? Hope they don't go.
Nope, owned by....
http://www.benelli.co.uk/_qjGroup/qianjiang.php
Oh, this is a shame, the bike technology is simply awesome!!
Fuel and oil stored in frame/swinging arm, outside brake disc design...
Will those designed be incorperated in sports bikes now is the question if this does go ahead (as all patened to Buell).
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 03:14 PM
Nope, owned by....
http://www.benelli.co.uk/_qjGroup/qianjiang.php (http://www.benelli.co.uk/_qjGroup/qianjiang.php)
That sounds like one of them herbs that helps keep your... erm... ZING working
Chinese...
~
Watching the video now, man the guys swelling up you can see.
This is a shame I think :(
carelesschucca
15-10-09, 03:47 PM
its bad news but understandable. Eric was (still is) a major talent, wouldn't ever have bought one but its sad to see them go :(
video is heartbreaking poor guy!!!
TheRamJam
15-10-09, 04:31 PM
"Ride with Pride" I like it
Man I thought he was going to burst into tears at some point. Does mean the local West Coast Harley shops selling Buell's off on the cheap?
can they not apply to the gov for some money like every other car manafacture does when they are on the brink
That's a shame...I really do like Buells! Couldn't afford one now like, but then again that's probably why they went out of business...not enough sales!
bloody hell. Erik Buell seemed properly gutted.
I think they may get bought out at some point, I doubt they're laden with debt as a small firm, Harley will have supplied that. May be good in the long run as if they were to be purchased they may stop using archaic Harley engines and develop some pretty special kit!
wyrdness
15-10-09, 05:52 PM
bloody hell. Erik Buell seemed properly gutted.
Hardly surprising when he's just had accountants and businessmen close down the business that he's spend 26 years building up, and he's probably just had to make his team redundant too.
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 06:00 PM
May be good in the long run as if they were to be purchased they may stop using archaic Harley engines and develop some pretty special kit!
They have mate, the 1125's have a liquid cooled Buell engine in, not a Harley engine and it's a goodun
:smt080
squirrel_hunter
15-10-09, 07:31 PM
This is such a shame. Buell have made some really good machines and tried new ideas and technologies. I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to ride most of their final range. The 1125R, their Superbike is fantastic, I almost bought one and one day hope to have one in my garage.
The problem with Buell has aways been Harley-Davidson the parent company. They have never given Buell the support that it deserved and have been the engineers of its demise. Almost everybody I've spoken to about Buell slate it for having a Harley engine, but then almost everybody who I talked to who has ridden one has praised it. Then they developed the 1125, all of the technology and handling but with a non Harley engine. It is a bike that can take on the established Superbike offerings and hasn't done to badly in its first year in AMA. They built a contender and what did they do with it? Nothing.
Where was the 1125R in the usual Superbike reviews in magazines? Why did no one know about the bike? Where are the bikes in the shops? The problem is that Harley held the purse strings they refused to advertise the bike and publicize it. Bikes don't appear in magazines and reviews for free. And Harley didn't want to spend the money.
But it didn't just stop at magazine publicity. The race team for the AMA was a privateer team. Harley did not support them properly. And for a Superbike the best form of publicity is trophies and race wins, the idea is this is translated into sales. But then there is the problem of buying one, Harley ask all of their dealers to take Buell in, it is a condition of their franchise. But go in to a Harley dealer and if your lucky there may be one or two Buells tucked away in the corner. The Harley dealer would say its due to them not shifting, the Buell dealer will say its because its tucked away.
So why are they tucked away? Simple, money, profit. Harley makes roughly £3000 on each bike that they sale, before the extra chrome that most customers add. A Buell, even an 1125R will only contain around £700 profit for the dealer. So they are simply not as profitable and are tucked away. They do not sale and are unwanted by the Harley dealers, thus the cycle begins. If they publicized the bikes better I'd bet they'd sale more and thus economy of scale comes into play.
I really think that Buell has so much more possibilities and I hope that the man behind the bike, Erik Buell would leave Harley behind as they have only dragged him down. That way I hope that Buell can get back to making motorbikes and Harley can get back to making toys.
Wideboy
15-10-09, 07:40 PM
what a shame, was thinking of one aswell :(
_Stretchie_
15-10-09, 07:59 PM
I still want a Lightening
Wideboy
15-10-09, 08:07 PM
I still want a Lightening
buy me on and i'll tell you what they're like
dizzyblonde
15-10-09, 11:11 PM
Buells are great. Absolute cult classic.
Shame. Poor guy looks genuinely gutted. I know a couple of Buellers, had one or two parked on the drive. Lovely dinky little things with a lot of menace for the wrong hands.
metalangel
16-10-09, 06:29 AM
So basically they've killed this:
http://www.motorcycle.com/images/content/Event/tn_MotoST05.jpg
in favour of this:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/11/nyregion/11bikers.large1.jpg
Drew Carey
16-10-09, 09:45 AM
Thats really sad. Was really really interested in one of these for the future. Agree with Squirrel though, you go into the Harley / Buell dealer in Cheltenham and they have a huge stock of new and used Harleys. Then in one corner on the right as you walk in there is a selection of 5 Buells with no managers looking after it. In fact, stood there for ten minutes and couldn't even get a brochure etc whilst the Harley dealers were stood there just having a chat. Real shame.
I went into Black Bear Harley in Newmarket and had a much better experience - the Buell section was small but they had a dedicated manager for it and a decent selection of Buell clothes and accessories. I was sorely tempted but he didnt have a Lightning in the colour I wanted - all the new ones are those hideous translucent plastics - yuck
STRAMASHER
16-10-09, 10:50 AM
Punting MV too according to one of the rags today. 180 jobs lost.
andreis
16-10-09, 01:18 PM
You know, this really makes me angry, especially since I feel so powerless against this sort of thing... I'm not that much into Buell bikes, mainly because where I'm from (Romania) there is virtually no support for them, but to see such nice innovations just go to waste and someone as talented as Erik Buell have his dream torn apart by corporatocracy is just sad and heartbreaking.
He's really gotta dump Harley and seek support in other places.. I'm sure any of the big japs would be thrilled to have access to the patents. Why did he go HD in the first place? It was obvious that they're not into sportier types of bikes...
_Stretchie_
16-10-09, 01:24 PM
mainly because where I'm from (Romania) there is virtually no support for them
There wasn't here either
Why did he go HD in the first place? It was obvious that they're not into sportier types of bikes...
American. He mentions in his company the "Greta American company" or something to that effect.
Really is a shame. Have I said I'd REALLY love a Lightening?
:smt004
454697819
16-10-09, 01:32 PM
There wasn't here either
American. He mentions in his company the "Greta American company" or something to that effect.
Really is a shame. Have I said I'd REALLY love a Lightening?
:smt004
mate,
shes not listening
H-D bought Buell, he got his money already.
NAPA121
16-10-09, 07:38 PM
I went into Black Bear Harley in Newmarket and had a much better experience - the Buell section was small but they had a dedicated manager for it and a decent selection of Buell clothes and accessories. I was sorely tempted but he didnt have a Lightning in the colour I wanted - all the new ones are those hideous translucent plastics - yuck
Very gutted about all this as was hoping to upgrade at some point and feel really sorry for Erik and his employees with families.
My Lightning Long is sooo much fun and can't believe it's not going to be developed further.
Blackbear was a top Buell dealer.
Oh well I'll just keep riding her and enjoying those twisties.
F@c.k Harley D as they are a bunch of bean counters.
Bluefish
16-10-09, 08:07 PM
shame, seems like a decent bloke **** HD
squirrel_hunter
17-10-09, 06:04 PM
Reading some of the reaction from over the pond has been very interesting, it would seam that a lot of people are seeing this as the beginning of the end of Harley-Davidson. The thinking is they haven't changed their offering much since the 1940's and over the years they've done quite well, but their key market, the baby boomer's aren't buying as they used to. This is put down to two things, the economic market and the inevitable decline in numbers of the baby boomer's.
I think there will always be a market for H-D and the machines that they produce, but Buell would have been a way to attract the younger rider. A market that they have now closed themselves to.
However the most interesting news from my point of view is the roomers of a fire sale of Buell machines. I have been hearing of as much as 50% off, though this is all very much unconfirmed. I would hate to be described as a vulture as I am exceeding disappointed in the loss of Buell, but if this is true and travels to this little island then that little voice in my head that chants 1125R I fear will grow louder.
larigos
18-10-09, 07:39 PM
Should I go and buy one? Not sure it was the or the street tripple. Just worried about parts etc in 2 years time becoming expensive....or hard to get hold of. Any thoughts as a new bike is on the cards from tomorrow.
HD dealers have never been interested in older Harleys, they haven't got the parts or the knowledge. Although HD have been saying they're going to support Buell's servicing etc for the near future, I imagine that it's not their key priority and that you have to wait long for parts should you need some. Guess they will soon lose the interest and knowledge to service or know about your Buell a bike that they no longer sell. Most HD dealers are all into brand new bikes full stop.
Have a look at http://www.ukbeg.com/ and see what they say.
I would go for the street triple if I were you. :smt023
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