Buell on Cover of CycleWorld

[naustin]

Watch for the next issue.  You'll be blown away.  I've seen a sneak peak on the buell website...

[JamesG]

Sorry but the cats been let out of the internet bag.


Tis a shame.  Buell finally partakes of the liquid cooling cool-aid and the bike is going to sell like crap because its so fugly.

I wonder if this is a bit of self-sabotage for internal Buell/HD politics?
"See, we told you water cooled bikes don't work for "The Motor Company", here is your pink slip."

I only hope that their investment in that engine is such that it has to migrate into their other lines, the ones without such avant garde styling...

[Rogue]

Sorry but the cats been let out of the internet bag.


Tis a shame.  Buell finally partakes of the liquid cooling cool-aid and the bike is going to sell like crap because its so fugly.

Because it looks so different, yet it is functional, along with the power needed to keep up with the competition, Buell will sell tons of this bike.  Just like they do with the Ullysses.  And if the it wins one or two comparison tests, they will sell even more.  All they have to do now are two things:

1)  Avoid any quality issues with the bike and its new engine
2)  Educate their dealer network on how to sell this bike and how to sell Buells.  Period!

[UFO]

Watch for the next issue.  You'll be blown away.  I've seen a sneak peak on the buell website...

Cycle World is about a month late.  All of us have already seen the specs, boatloads of pictures, and watched videos of it in action.  I don't think CW can tell us anything that wasn't on the net 30 days ago.

[goodhawk]

yea the folks who are seriously into 'cycles have seen it, then there's the other 90%, who ride once in a while, might see the mag at a bookstore or grocery store . . .
I'm starting to modify my initial ' gawd that's cool' to 'well, we'll see. might be TOO odd in person,' hard to tell just from photos. I think I woulda preferred that Buell add 2" to w'base, put in conventional rad.- longer w'base also would be better fer touring, I think, even if actual riding position stayed same.? ( also would give even more tank range . . .)
Still, I think a VERY significant steip up for Eric.

[falcofred]

 the bike is going to sell like crap because its so fugly.

That's what they said about the Ducati Multistrada too, turned out to be one of their best sellers. Not arguing the bike has unconventional looks, but that doesn't always equate to a sales flop. Just look at how many V-Stroms are on the road, even the name is ugly and they still sell a bunch. Hyabusa is another love it or leave it style that has done well.

[JamesG]

Yeah I guess so.  

Just... day-amn!  that thing is ugly.

[Thor]

Oh no!  Kevin Cameron wrote it!  No topic sentence, unintelligible ramblings, and ultimately ending with no conclusion.

Buell is doomed!

[rauchman]

Tis a shame.  Buell finally partakes of the liquid cooling cool-aid and the bike is going to sell like crap because its so fugly.

I disagree.  While I'm not crazy about the looks, I think this is going to be their best seller.  I'm guessing price is more or less in line with the liter I-4 bikes and it's "different".  $12K is a bit much for me to spend on a bike, but it is REALLY tempting.  I've read a couple of things where the comfort level of the bike is more sport/tourerish ala VFR.  I think it's going to get enough press that there is going to be a lot of interest in the bike.  As for looks, like I said I'm not crazy about it, but I'm waiting to see one in the flesh before making any decisions on it.  It will be very interesting to see how the 1125 family evolves.

[cworley5150]

   I don't get it.  Everyone raved about the beauty of the Ducati 996 and still do.  This new Buell looks very much from the front like a 996 to me.  Actually it looks like a Buell Firebolt and a 996 made a little V-twin offspring getting none of the good looks from either parent.  

But, what do I know?  I am one of the rare few who thinks the Duc 999 was better looking than the 996 or 1098.  This Buell looks as weird to me as the 996 did.  At least from the very front.  The scoops for the radiator are a bit too much for me too. From the tank back it looks pretty much like most other Buells.  

[garry]

I need to see one in the flesh. Looks OK from some angles and kinda weird from others in the pics I've seen.

[JamesG]

Oh no!  Kevin Cameron wrote it!  No topic sentence, unintelligible ramblings, and ultimately ending with no conclusion.

But it will still be a really cool read.

This new Buell looks very much from the front like a 996 to me...

You need to get your eyes checked.

I am one of the rare few who thinks the Duc 999 was better looking than the 996 or 1098.

You REALLY need to get your eyes checked.  

[bizarro]

Yeah, I need to see it in person too. My initial reaction isn't all that positive. I remember seeing the superbike at Daytona and thinking to myself 'what the fuck is up with that fairing????'  

[cworley5150]

You need to get your eyes checked.

You REALLY need to get your eyes checked.  

It's true, I've always like the 999 Duc better.  When the 916 came out, I guess it was ahead of it's time with the undertail exhaust and the general shape of the fairings with dual headlights etc.  Now it looks like any other superbike.  The 999 was different looking though.  Now, I should admit that I am also not a huge fan of fully faired bikes in general.  I prefer nakeds.  Of the fully faired bikes out there i think the Duc Supersports look pretty nice.  Even better than the 999.

Look at the pics below and admit that from the very front they look similar.  My point is that many of the same people that say the 1125 is butt ugly also would say the Duc 996 is the epitome of motorcycle design.  I think they are both a little on the homely side, but I will admit that the looks of the 1125 are growing on me a little.

[cworley5150]

This is a good looking bike with a full fairing.

[bizarro]

This is a good looking bike with a full fairing.

  You've got to be kidding. The Turdblanche supersport is astoundingly ugly. As for the 1125 resembling the 916/98? Sure, from the front and after pumping it so full of collagen it's about to explode.

[Mookie]

While I actually prefer the turdblanch designs over the previous iterations (SS and the 999 -just barely- more so just because they didn't look as dated as their predecessors), I'm afraid cworley has less than zero credibility when it comes to evaluating motorcycle aesthetics after those last 2 posts  

[cworley5150]

  You've got to be kidding. The Turdblanche supersport is astoundingly ugly. As for the 1125 resembling the 916/98? Sure, from the front and after pumping it so full of collagen it's about to explode.

   I guess I like weird looking bikes!  I still think the headlights and upper front fairing on the 996 and 1125R look very similar.  Most of the full faired bikes just look the same to me.  I guess there is not much of a way to make them look that different from one another.  

I like the curves of the Duc supersports plastics.  It's different from every other SS bike on teh road.  I also think the new Yamaha R6 is a sharp looking bike for a Japanese sport bike.  Aren't you glad we don't all like the same thing?  It would suck if every bike you passed was the exact same model as your own.  

By the way Biz, I think your Goose is a gorgeous motorcycle.  That's more my style.  

[bizarro]

 It would suck if every bike you passed was the exact same model as your own.  
 

True that.

And thanks for the compliment on the Goose, I prefer naked bikes myself too. I hope to own another Speed Triple down the road, amongst other machines.  

[cworley5150]

OK.  I'll probably catch more flack for this one.  This is my opinion of a drop dead gorgeous, fully-faired bike.  Enjoy!  

[bizarro]

No flack from me, that's a nice looking bike.   Turdblanche got a couple of things right: the Multistrada (YMMV  ), and the new classics line-up.

[cworley5150]

I don't necessarily think the Multi is pretty, but it is not as bad as a few other bikes out there.  All of the adventure-touring bikes are a little odd looking, but not ugly.  I generally like them.  

And yes, the Ducati Sport Classic series are some of the best looking bikes ever.  I would love to have one.  Maybe in a couple years I can score a decent used one.  Either that or a Moto Guzzi V11 Lemans.  The other best looking bikes ever.   Best sounding too!

[JamesG]

Sorry Worley, I don't see it.  Other than the slightly similarly elongated headlights, there isn't a single datum of similarity. Not windscreens, not mirrors.  And from the side? Absolutely no way.

I'm sure Buell will sell some of them. God, if the homely V-Strom and Multistradas can find a home, then someone will buy these things too. But I think If Erik wanted to really build a mainstream, serious superbike, then he should have made it look like one.

[Mookie]

I think from the sounds of it this will be a great bike.  

I'll hold out for the naked version though, it's just a bit too ugly for me.  'Course I'm a big fan of giving up practicality in the name of looking cool  

[highside]

  You've got to be kidding. The Turdblanche supersport is astoundingly ugly. As for the 1125 resembling the 916/98? Sure, from the front and after pumping it so full of collagen it's about to explode.

+1

Here is nice looking fully faired bike if the same theme:



The Buel looks nothing like this bike.

[cworley5150]

Sorry Worley, I don't see it.  Other than the slightly similarly elongated headlights, there isn't a single datum of similarity. Not windscreens, not mirrors.  And from the side? Absolutely no way.

I'm sure Buell will sell some of them. God, if the homely V-Strom and Multistradas can find a home, then someone will buy these things too. But I think If Erik wanted to really build a mainstream, serious superbike, then he should have made it look like one.

I guess it is the headlights that I'm zoning in on.  I always thought the 916-996 Duc had a weird sorta "alien insect" look to the front.  The Buell looks that same way to me.  Gotta be those headlights.  The rest of the bikes are nothing alike, I agree.  I also agree that Buell will sell a ton of these.  Finally an American bike that will compete with anything out there in the sport bike segment.  Glad to see it.  

I think it looks more mainstream than any other Buell.  

[falcofred]

I think If Erik wanted to really build a mainstream, serious superbike, then he should have made it look like one.

I think your missing the point, Eric wants to build a great bike, Eric wants to sell you a great bike, but Eric definitely doesn't want to go mainstream. Eric sells bikes to people who want something different.

[SniglFritz]

Ah, Radiators, Heat Dissipation & their Impact on Style...
Coming from the perspective of an ex-VTR1000 owner who includes MV Agustas in the list of possible next bikes to buy, I'm really interested as much in function as form. I've been drooling over the MV Brutale 910R, and its rumored successor, a Brutale containing the F4's 1-liter engine. I think the MVs are the most beautiful bikes around, and was convinced that the Brutale was for me, that is, UNTIL I went to the mvagusta.net forum to see repeated, long threads about overheating. Granted, this occurs mainly on the F4 fully-faired bike, but some Brutales get hit with it as well. Riders have literally spent thousands of dollars in an effort to reduce engine overheating. Those that crow about their success admit that they now feel like spuds in an oven: all that heat that's shed by the bike mods now lands on them! Additionally, many owners indicate they've developed radiator leaks from FOD impacting the soft aluminum of the front-mounted rad. My thought is that, given the rad problems plaguing current MV owners, that a larger engine - without a comprehensive engine heat management rethink - will cause MV owners even more fits.

All this gets me thinking: would I rather have a bike that's not the prettiest (the 1125R), which - if Buell's press is to be believed - manages heat well, and has side-mounted rads out of the way of FOD, integrated airflow management so as to miss the rider's legs, and is thereby more comfortable & reliable, or would I prefer to have a nut-and-leg roaster that looks pretty while broke-down by the side of the road? At 50 years of age, perhaps my priorities are changing... I also note that in photos of the bike taken head-on and vertical, a tucked-in rider's legs can barely be seen. This, and the writeups, indicate to me that Buell has a lot of Rider Protection afforded by that fairing - something I prize, having had a shinbone broken by a 2-lb rock kicked up by a passing delivery truck's duals. The day may well come when an 1125 rider blesses those "fugly" rad cowlings for saving his leg from being mangled by FOD.

Time will tell, of course, if the 1125R is reliable and comfortable. Indeed, the "first ride" impressions that impugn the Buell for baking riders' feet seem to be derived from a single, mysteriously defective bike (again, time will tell) at Laguna Seca. I guess my point is this: if a bit of unusual aesthetic is required for better reliability and comfort, so be it. My guess is that as the 1125R evolves over the years, if engineers can make the lines sexier, they'll do it.

[falcofred]

radiator leaks from FOD impacting the soft aluminum of the front-mounted rad.  manages heat well, and has side-mounted rads out of the way of FOD,  The day may well come when an 1125 rider blesses those "fugly" rad cowlings for saving his leg from being mangled by FOD.

SniglFritz,
Obviously by your mention of FOD (Foreign Object Damage) you have an aviation back ground. I wonder how many others reading your post know what this acronym stands for?
Are you a pilot or mechanic?

[SniglFritz]

My apologies for the mis-impression. I thrive on acronyms, and picked that up from my dad, an aircraft mechanic. I've seen it used in other bike forums, so thought its use was universal. Thanks for the clarification to those unfamiliar with the term. I'm actually a Semiconductor Yield Enhancement engineer, about as far from aviation as one could get!

Moreover, it appears my post conflated the FOD from other sources (the shinbone breaker) with the radiator-destructive FOD kicked-up by the bike's own front wheel, so thanks for the opportunity to clarify that point as well. My old VTR1000 gathered a few ugly nicks to the frontmost part of the engine - doubtless from objects kicked up by the front wheel. I recall several such nicks that made me glad the rads were side-mounted. However, I was never able to convince myself that airflow through those rads was significant; at least I could discern no significant airflow pressure with my hand at speed, an admittedly poor test. Buell's design seems much more holistic for radiator airflow management. Again, time will tell.

Perhaps 1125R owners clamoring for other cowling shapes might spawn aftermarket solutions. Just Think - some day in the near future, you might get passed by something that looks for all the world like a headerless John Deere combine, doing 120mph!

Keep yer Shiny Side Up!

[bizarro]

 Just Think - some day in the near future, you might get passed by something that looks for all the world like a headerless John Deere combine, doing 120mph!

Keep yer Shiny Side Up!

 

[naustin]

People who complain about looks are, IMO no different than all Harley freaks all dressed in the same leathers.  If you want to blend in and look the same as your buddies, go buy a Yamasuzukawida cookie-cutter repli-racer live a happy life.  

Personally, I like the rads.  They have spring mounted covers so if you low-side or have a tip over, you can replace the covers very cheaply without having to replace the rad itself, or a $1,500 set of body work.  If they work the way Buell claims they work, then how they look will be irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.

The article was a good read btw.  I like how Cameron commented on how Buell has been putting the exhaust under the engine for years, and now so many bikes have under engine exhausts that side-mounted cans almost look antique.

`Course, those under engine exhausts were always criticized for being ugly too..

[bizarro]

People who complain about looks are, IMO no different than all Harley freaks all dressed in the same leathers.  If you want to blend in and look the same as your buddies, go buy a Yamasuzukawida cookie-cutter repli-racer live a happy life.  

Sounds to me like looks are still important to you. I think it's an ugly bike, doesn't mean I think you're an idiot for thinking it looks great (I'll reserve that judgement for Eric Clapton fans   ). As someone else mentioned it would kinda suck if we all rode the same bike and had the same taste.

[naustin]

I didn't say I think it looks "great".  What I did say is that anyone who doesn't think it looks "mainstream" enough should go buy a mainstream looking bike.

[bizarro]

I didn't say I think it looks "great".  What I did say is that anyone who doesn't think it looks "mainstream" enough should go buy a mainstream looking bike.

Well, I imagine that's exactly what they'll do. As for it being mainstream or not, I think it's pretty mainstream, actually. Just ugly.

[naustin]

   Ugly or not, I want one. And, no one will know its ugly as long as I don't slow down.

Its kinda like wives... Italian models make bad wives... You can bring home a Ducati and be miserable will all the maintenance and spend more time tinkering with her tryin to get it to run and when you do, you're too afraid of scratching it to ride it.

Or, you can buy a Buell and get a Wisconsin farm girl with Austrian heritage, ripped like a rock climber, a freak in bed, doesn't need any attention and just wants to ride all day...

[Busy Little Whiner]

Eric Buell is a natural in engineering but a disaster in style... he engineers a belt drive system to
handle 147hp but he can't hit upon what customers want in aesthetics...

Just as Ducati learned to fire the designer of the "ugly" 999... Eric should step down as chief
designer... or he should at least sponsor a design a Buell contest to get some fresh ideas...    

[naustin]

Eric Buell is a natural in engineering but a disaster in style... he engineers a belt drive system to
handle 147hp but he can't hit upon what customers want in aesthetics...

Just as Ducati learned to fire the designer of the "ugly" 999... Eric should step down as chief
designer... or he should at least sponsor a design a Buell contest to get some fresh ideas...    

You should read the technical articles that explain why the bike looks the way it looks.  Buell is about Function over Form.  Buell's customers get exactly what they want in terms of aesthetics; you just don't happen to be a Buell customer.  

[bizarro]

   Ugly or not, I want one. And, no one will know its ugly as long as I don't slow down.

Its kinda like wives... Italian models make bad wives... You can bring home a Ducati and be miserable will all the maintenance and spend more time tinkering with her tryin to get it to run and when you do, you're too afraid of scratching it to ride it.

Or, you can buy a Buell and get a Wisconsin farm girl with Austrian heritage, ripped like a rock climber, a freak in bed, doesn't need any attention and just wants to ride all day...

Um.... okay.   You're kinda silly, but you get down with your bad self and your Buells.

[naustin]

2008 Buell 1125R onboard Laguna Seca with Jeremy McWilliams!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2338365321302147765&q=1125r&total=26&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5

PS) that front fairing bracket is cast from magnesium- just to save a few ounces... That's just fricken cool...  

[Busy Little Whiner]

You should read the technical articles that explain why the bike looks the way it looks.  Buell is about Function over Form.  Buell's customers get exactly what they want in terms of aesthetics; you just don't happen to be a Buell customer.  

I'm spring loaded to function over form that's why I don't ride one of Eric's wonders but if you ever
get a chance to talked with Eric in person... like I have... you'd know there is the official company
speak and then there is the unofficial tinkerer / dreamer speak... and the two may not seem the
same...    

[Rogue]

So you spoke to Eric once and now you know exactly why he does what he does and says what he says right?

C'mon!  You're stuck on the RC45 and the V4 and we all know it.  No matter what Buell does, you will keep finding faults with it because it's NOT Honda, not an RC45, and not a V4.  You're closed minded.

[Busy Little Whiner]

So you spoke to Eric once and now you know exactly why he does what he does and says what he says right?

C'mon!  You're stuck on the RC45 and the V4 and we all know it.  No matter what Buell does, you will keep finding faults with it because it's NOT Honda, not an RC45, and not a V4.  You're closed minded.

I spoke with Eric many times during the course of the weekend when Mr.RC45 was on display
courtesy of Cycle World and their San Mateo Motorcycle Show... and I came away with a
distinct impression that he's trapped in official company speak and longs for the freer days of
speaking his mind out load...  I also believe he would enjoy riding my bike more than one of his
own bikes...  

[mtrider16]

I haven't had a chance to read much of the insider info and mags, so maybe I'm asking a dumb question here.  Does anyone wonder if Harley is dabbling with liquid cooling as a route to pass more stringent emmission tests in the future?

David

[naustin]

if you ever get a chance to talked with Eric in person... like I have...

Actually I have met Erik in person.  I have a picture somewhere with him in a little hole in the wall bar in Racine, WI where his band was playing, and I'm also in the background of one of the pictures in the latest Fuell Magazine if you need further evidence that I was at Homecoming this year along will about 400 other Buell owners.  I won't claim to be the guy's best friend, but I have met him, and I have been following his biography pretty closely.

If you really knew Erik Buell, you would know that since his time as a professional racer and his first race bike with the liquid cooled square four Barton 2 stroke, that he has been committed to V-Twins for various reasons.  So, I rather doubt that this man would rather ride your RC45 than a motorcycle he designed and built with his own hands and which is the culmination of 25 years of his career as a motorcycle builder.  

[naustin]

I haven't had a chance to read much of the insider info and mags, so maybe I'm asking a dumb question here.  Does anyone wonder if Harley is dabbling with liquid cooling as a route to pass more stringent emmission tests in the future?

David

I don't know for sure, but I don't think so.   Air Cooled engines actually have certain advantages when it comes to emissions.  That's how the current Buells can meet emissions with no Cat.  When push comes to shove, Harley will have to go to catalytic converters, but they'll still be air-cooled.

[Rogue]

If you really knew Erik Buell, you would know that since his time as a professional racer and his first race bike with the liquid cooled square four Barton 2 stroke, that he has been committed to V-Twins for various reasons.  So, I rather doubt that this man would rather ride your RC45 than a motorcycle he designed and built with his own hands and which is the culmination of 25 years of his career as a motorcycle builder.  

 

[Busy Little Whiner]

If you really knew Erik Buell, you would know that since his time as a professional racer and his first race bike with the liquid cooled square four Barton 2 stroke, that he has been committed to V-Twins for various reasons.  So, I rather doubt that this man would rather ride your RC45 than a motorcycle he designed and built with his own hands and which is the culmination of 25 years of his career as a motorcycle builder.  

I'm well aware that Eric bought the rights to the Barton square 4 and was planning on selling
his modified version dubbed the Road Warrior 750... Eric's heart was broken when Harley... his
employer... turned down his request for engineering and financial support to continue
developing the RW... Eric quit Harley but there was no hope for the RW due to a rules change
from 750cc to 500cc... Eric then committed to the V2 lump out of necessity... it was... after
all... the only American motorcycle engine he could get his hands on... he did wonders with it
because of his unwaning optimism that America can compete on the motorcycle world stage...
He got to love him for that...

Eric still has racing coursing through his veins and that's why he rather ride a true World
Class... WSBK Champion... V4 race bike like the RC45... after all HRC is every engineer's
technical reference point...

Eric the racer and his RW750 4 cylinder machine... a V2 can't keep up...

[naustin]

So why, when presented with a big sum of money to develop and engine, a blank slate, with the intention of designing an all new frame and everything - did he build a twin?

He could have found a supplier (Rotax was not the first or the only supplier that Buell interviewed) for an I4, a V4 or even a triple.  But, nope, a 72 degree V-Twin.  And forgive me if I'm wrong, but the RC45 is obsolete and it was replaced by the RC51, which was a Twin wasn't it?  That's obsolete too, having been replaced by the CBR1000RR.  I'm sure Erik would get a kick out of the 1000RR, and afterwards, he'd promptly list off all the reasons he didn't build a bike like that for the street and just why exactly the 1125r is so superior for real riders in the real world.

I find your assertion that Erik Buell would perfer your bike over the product of his life's ambition not only ridiculous, but distasteful, self aggrandising, and offensive.  And I think Erik Buell would feel the same way.

[Mookie]

So why, when presented with a big sum of money to develop and engine, a blank slate, with the
I find your assertion that Erik Buell would perfer your bike over the product of his life's ambition not only ridiculous, but distasteful, self aggrandising, and offensive.  And I think Erik Buell would feel the same way.

Believe it or not, there's a reason why he has 29 people ignoring him.

[Busy Little Whiner]

So why, when presented with a big sum of money to develop and engine, a blank slate, with the intention of designing an all new frame and everything - did he build a twin?

He could have found a supplier (Rotax was not the first or the only supplier that Buell interviewed) for an I4, a V4 or even a triple.  But, nope, a 72 degree V-Twin.  And forgive me if I'm wrong, but the RC45 is obsolete and it was replaced by the RC51, which was a Twin wasn't it?  That's obsolete too, having been replaced by the CBR1000RR.  I'm sure Erik would get a kick out of the 1000RR, and afterwards, he'd promptly list off all the reasons he didn't build a bike like that for the street and just why exactly the 1125r is so superior for real riders in the real world.

I find your assertion that Erik Buell would perfer your bike over the product of his life's ambition not only ridiculous, but distasteful, self aggrandising, and offensive.  And I think Erik Buell would feel the same way.

I wish Erik had the sum of money on par with the big 4 Japanese companies he's surely build a V4
because he loved the square 4 so much... he knows that a V2 will never equal a V4 in power... and you
may find pedestrian I4s I3s to fill a assemble line but the only way you're going to find a race bread V4
is in the MotoGp...

Yea funny RC45... not the bike but riders reaction to it... especially those who have never been lucky
enough to sit in the saddle let alone twist the grip... because the RC45 is the most sophisticated,
version of Honda's V-4 superbike platform... and represented the closest incarnation of Honda's
racing Gp technology ever offered to the street rider...  

Quote Superbikes:
"All parts of the RC45 gel into a totally user friendly package, the V4
motor has stacks of low and mid range power, perfect for bombing
out of corners at 6000rpm and lugging it all the way through the gear
and 140mph before you know it. Strong mid range gives way to a
strong top end and keep the RC45 above 10,000rpm for any length of
time in any gear and you'll be snapping at 1000cc bikes the whole
way. Speed comes quickly, but more telling is that speed comes in
places where you didn't think it was possible."



 

 

[Johnny Busa]

 

Good thread.  

[UFO]

Hey BLS, since you've met Erik and spoken with him face to face you'd think you'd have the courtesy to spell his first name correctly...at least once.

Maybe?

[atypical1]

Just as Ducati learned to fire the designer of the "ugly" 999... Eric should step down as chief
designer... or he should at least sponsor a design a Buell contest to get some fresh ideas...    

Hmmmm...he was not fired. His latest design is the Hypermotard.

Erik and Buell enjoy bucking the trend and like making bikes that are unique. His ideas are fresh. It is most other brands that don't have fresh ideas. I mean Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki pretty much all look the same from a distance. You can always tell a Buell from the crowd though. For that they have all of my respect.

james

[RedRocket]

Believe it or not, there's a reason why he has 29 people ignoring him.

31 Ouch!

[olderigetfasteriam]

I can't put him on ignore. When I need to get fired up and kick some ass with some of our employees I just do a quick and easy BLS search and read a few lines. When I am done heads roll around here!

I can't believe he didn't post a pic of his cheesy grin shaking hands with Buell. He has one of everyone else in the world.

[Busy Little Whiner]

I can't put him on ignore. When I need to get fired up and kick some ass with some of our employees I just do a quick and easy BLS search and read a few lines. When I am done heads roll around here!

I can't believe he didn't post a pic of his cheesy grin shaking hands with Buell. He has one of everyone else in the world.

STN gets me fired up... and if I had a camera you'd see pic...

[naustin]

The following was anonymously (traditionally a strong indicator that the author is a Buell employee) posted at BWB:

Actually the cover of Cycle World is incredible, especially for a pre-ride report. It only happened because there was enough excitement to get Kevin Cameron to actually come to Buell and see first hand the engineering. Kevin was really obviously smitten not just by the product, but by the engineers and the processes. He is not easily impressed, and the fact he spoke the way he did is a real measure of how Buell looks to a technical expert who gets to go inside (another one was Steve Anderson; he was so captured he decided to join!). Kevin has never given false praise, so we are very, very proud of what he wrote.

[olderigetfasteriam]

STN gets me fired up... and if I had a camera you'd see pic...

Thank God for small favors.

[DogBoy]

The following was anonymously (traditionally a strong indicator that the author is a Buell employee) posted at BWB:

Actually the cover of Cycle World is incredible, especially for a pre-ride report. It only happened because there was enough excitement to get Kevin Cameron to actually come to Buell and see first hand the engineering. Kevin was really obviously smitten not just by the product, but by the engineers and the processes. He is not easily impressed, and the fact he spoke the way he did is a real measure of how Buell looks to a technical expert who gets to go inside (another one was Steve Anderson; he was so captured he decided to join!). Kevin has never given false praise, so we are very, very proud of what he wrote.

Plenty of pre-production bikes, that MotoCzysz train wreck and several never-meant-to-ride custom choppers have also been on the cover of Cycle World so I don't get how the cover is that significant. I'm sure its very important to the OEM's but what other interesting bike is going to make the cover in the middle of summer?

[highside]

Plenty of pre-production bikes, that MotoCzysz train wreck and several never-meant-to-ride custom choppers have also been on the cover of Cycle World so I don't get how the cover is that significant. I'm sure its very important to the OEM's but what other interesting bike is going to make the cover in the middle of summer?

By "significant" I suspect that he means "expensive". I would be very surpised if the cover of CW wasn't at least party for sale.