Look for Yamaha to be your savior.

[Blunder]

Mr Iwata has shown interest. It's only a rumor but this is the internet.

[pearsonm]

Post your source, dammit!

[Blunder]

Post your source, dammit!

Right now, it's an internet rumor.

[pearsonm]

A Big Bang motor in a Buell chassis. Now that could be fun! I'd be happy with just a reasonably-priced middleweight with a ready-to-go suspension and bolt-on track accessories.

[DogBoy]

I saw a reference to that on the WERA board but no source. Curious.

[pearsonm]

Here's the rumor post that's going around:

Yamaha is expressing interest in buying Buell.

October 16, 2009
AP
Iwata, Japan

In a statement released by Yamaha Motor Corporation, Hirofumi Osawa, President of Yamaha Corporation of America, stated that the company is looking into acquiring recently defunct Buell Motorcycles. “We are interested in the spirit of innovation that Buell has used as a foundation in their business. We feel their values align well with Yamaha’s culture”, stated Mr. Osawa.

According to Yamaha, discussions of a purchase are in the exploratory stage. Harley-Davidson Corp, owner of Buell since 2003, could not be reached for comment.  

I searched the Associated Press website but couldn't find the article.

[pearsonm]

OK, I think I found the source: facebook - Harley-Davidson Motor Company

[Rincewind]

Seems highly unlikely, especially if it's not a legit AP article

[UFO]

Interesting...

 

[Schneegz]

This is highly doubtful.  Besides, even if it was real, Harley wouldn't sell.  Closing Buell down while holding on to their assets allows Harley to write them off as a loss on their taxes, which is a bigger short-term benefit to Harley because Buell is so intertwined with Harley that the have few assets any other manufacturer would actually want to buy.  MV Agusta is different, since they're not intertwined with Harley at all.  Maybe Yamaha is interested in purchasing that brand, but I doubt that as well.  MV Agusta has been a financial basket case for decades.  I doubt anyone - even a giant like Yamaha - can fix it.

[jstark47]

Schneegz, I agree the Yamaha and Buell rumor is probably not true.  But if it were, I'm not sure I agree with your logic about H-D.  As I understand, H-D's problem is not profit, but short-term liquidity.  Closing Buell allows them to stop using cash to keep Buell running.  Getting even more cash by selling Buell, if they could do it quickly enough?  That might be attractive.....  I'm less sure why Yamaha would want Buell though.  

[Rincewind]

Yamaha already has a Buell-ish model, the MT-01

[ninegear]

Yamaha already has a Buell-ish model, the MT-03.

it looks nice. aside from the exhaust. dose it also do fuel in the frame.

to tell you the truth i would rather not have yamaha own buell. it wouldnt be near as american then.to me buell is suppose to be an all american company. but if buell wound up being ownd by yamaha i wouldn't be to miffed about it after awhile. so long as erik runs the whole thing.

but yeah probobly just a rumor. i have a grudge agaist harley for what they did.

[Schneegz]

Schneegz, I agree the Yamaha and Buell rumor is probably not true.  But if it were, I'm not sure I agree with your logic about H-D.  As I understand, H-D's problem is not profit, but short-term liquidity.  Closing Buell allows them to stop using cash to keep Buell running.  Getting even more cash by selling Buell, if they could do it quickly enough?  That might be attractive.....  I'm less sure why Yamaha would want Buell though.  

As I understand it - and I don't claim to know this for sure - the money Harley will save in taxes by writing Buell off as a loss is greater than the money they could make selling Buell's assets.  That's why they decided to close, rather than sell, Buell.

[Schneegz]

Yamaha already has a Buell-ish model, the MT-03.

That's the MT-01.  This is the MT-03, which I'd like to see here as well.

[2DFlyer]

Sorry guys.  I'm not an 1125 fan and an XB with anything other than a Thunderstorm motor is just another bike - albeit one with some pretty cool stuff going for it.  Do you think HD would sell motors to Yamaha, or more importantly does anyone think Yamaha would actually buy motors from HD?  

Has anyone actually seen an MT on the road?

[mxvet57]

was talking to a friend this morning that works for a HD dealer in the Milwaukee area and they are selling new 1125's for under $7000.00.

[Schneegz]

Sorry guys.  I'm not an 1125 fan and an XB with anything other than a Thunderstorm motor is just another bike - albeit one with some pretty cool stuff going for it.  Do you think HD would sell motors to Yamaha, or more importantly does anyone think Yamaha would actually buy motors from HD?  

Has anyone actually seen an MT on the road?

There's no way in hell Yamaha would buy engines from HD, especially considering that Yamaha is a highly respected engine builder and engineering consulting firm that many other corporations - including Toyota and Ford - hire to design and build engines for them.

I saw an MT-01 in Germany, but only once in two and a half years of actually living there (excluding time in Iraq and Afghanistan).

[Rincewind]

Has anyone actually seen an MT on the road?

No, it's not a US bike - overseas only.

Thanks for the correction, Schneegz.  I mistyped that.  Yeah, these MT bikes look like they'd do alright in the US, but I guess Yamaha thinks differently.

[bomber]

Funny to call Buell an American bike -- company, yes, bike, no (about the same overseas-sourced parts and componan ts as a Harley, that is, most of em). . . .

There is really very little to sell -- HD will not sell the ability to make XB series bikes, for obvious reasons, so we're left with the two 1125 models (and, very soon, no contract to purchase engines from the original source -- I can't see Yamaha buying engines from anyone else anyway).

A small Assembly plant in Southeast Wisconsin -- it's been used as a skunkworks for HD assembly plants, and is doing some very cool stuff, but I have a feeling the Yamaha could pull capacity equal to East Troy's out of their wee keneds, if necessary.

Lastly, a pretty darned good R&D department, and an good assembly staff.

Everything else was handled by the Iron Tower (marketing, HR, docs, PR, training, purchasing . . . . .) there's just not a great deal to buy . . . . .

[Jeff]

No, it's not a US bike - overseas only.

They're in Canada too, I believe. I especially like the MT03.

[Bueller]

I heard VW was the contender

[scramblerracer123]

Maybe we can all pitch in and send harley some money and STN can own buell then.  

[Lon]

Yeah, these MT bikes look like they'd do alright in the US, but I guess Yamaha thinks differently.

I think the MT-01 is great, but I don't think they'd do well at all here.

For example, I am not sure the MT-01 was competitive with the Buell XB12S (or even the BMW R1200R, for that matter).  It's a lot heavier than the Buell and with all that extra torque from the huge engine, the MT-01 only manages to match the Buell's torque-to-weight ratio.  It also has less top end, a longer wheelbase, and the joy of chain drive.  If I was performance-minded and prices were equal, I'd buy the Buell.

Prices are and were not equal, though.  I think pricing on the Yamaha would make it a very tough sell - it's like GBP10,000 - about $16,000.

The MT-01 makes the Buell XB12R and BMW R1200R look like absolute steals.  Heck, it's even expensive compared to the Ducati Streetfighter.

Now that Buell's gone, the MT-01 @ $12000~$13000 MT-01 would probably work.  

[Flightar]

I don't think Yamaha will actually buy Buell but I'd like to see it if they did. With Yamaha Erik could choose any of their current engines to power his bikes and would have access to technology and manufacturing he could only dream of with HD. He'd be able to build a range of bikes in multiple displacements and would, if Yamaha chose to allow it, be able to stay an American maunfacturer under their umbrella...something Yamaha could never do on their own. It would also allow Buell to have a proprietery power plant in a much shorter period of time...and maybe even keep the current Rotax mill. Yamaha could whip up a frame for him (to his specs) in short order and a healthy dose of parts bin engineering would keep initial costs down.

If done correctly it would be a win, win, for everyone.

[Brad1445]

Yamaha has a good reputation and a product a diverse list of product offerings for its large customer base and dealer network.



So why would they want Buell at a time the name is tarnished and product offerings are dated?

Serious, if they could have the brand for free, why would they want it?

After leaving HD with a 25 million dollar loss before closing cost,  Buell would have to pay someone to take them.

[Bueller]

Why did you buy Buells Brad?

Did the bottom line have anything to do with your decision?

[ninegear]

shit just when i thought he was gone

[Brad1445]

Why did you buy Buells Brad?

Did the bottom line have anything to do with your decision?

1. I really wanted an American sport bike.
2. I liked the styling.
3. I loves the belt drive and short wheelbase handling

The first two of those three reasons don't exist anymore.

[Squidbuzz]

the ignore button works real well

[Brad1445]

They do say ignorance is Bliss.

But why does Glen Beck cry all the time then?



But Palin always seems happy.

[falconati]

Nice lookin bike!  

[Kootenanny]

it looks nice. aside from the exhaust. dose it also do fuel in the frame.

I have ridden an MT-01, and I have seen a couple on the road (they are very rare, though).

The MT-01 is NOT a Buell.  It does not have fuel-in-frame, nor any of the other "trilogy of tech" tricks used by Buell (underslung muffler, ZYL brake, etc.)  The engine is a 1700cc mill lifted directly from their Star cruiser line--it makes the Thunderstorm look like an I4 by comparison, by both size and weight; it is also a longer stroke, slower revving engine.  It is a large, heavy bike; the engine has incredible torque, but otherwise the bike does not inspire me the way my Buell does.

Took  this pic at the Vancouver motorcycle show a couple of years ago: