Statment From Triumph regarding Buell

[ibppjr]

   Nice move Triumph.  Gotta love the Brits...not afraid of a fight and always gonna show some class.  

[atadaskew]

During a time when a company should be investing in the upturn that is coming, H-D chooses to contract and hide inside its shell.

Please mention other companies, outside BMW and maybe Ducati, that are expanding the concept of their product line.

Sure as hell don't see Honda doing that...

[Orson]

thank gawd them Buell ruffians won't taking up parking space and vomiting in the porta-potty at Guzzi gatherings  

[JTM]

That is a very classy guesture on Triumph part, granted I still want to replace my 636 with a Daytona.

[highside]

There is defiantly some crossover in their customer base (the whole NOT Japanese thing, along with some of the design themes on their bikes). Giving a thumbs up to a company that no longer makes bikes doesn't really do any harm to the bottom line. I think this is a sound business decision and a great way to expose an orphaned riding population to their next bike.

[naustin]

Whatever Triumph's motivation, they just did more for Buell Owners than HD ever did - they invited them!

[Brad1445]

I bet Harley would disagree as the number widely reported is from start to end they lost 25 million during the Buell years.

The XB Bikes were good bikes, that was the dealers fault for not cashing on on that R&D.  The 1125 is not the dealers fault.  As good as the bike is it continues to get bashed for its design, that = sales, marketability.

When writes that like the bikes power and handling say and I quote "it looks best with a blindfold" - "It will not win any beauty pageants"


ow

[Rogue]

Whatever Triumph's motivation, they just did more for Buell Owners than HD ever did - they invited them!

You hit the nail right in the head.

[delta one]

be it for marketing, genuine praise, good sportsmanship, or just trying to snag back the buisness they may have lost to Buell in the past. whatever their motivation it worked on me!

Whatever Triumph's motivation, they just did more for Buell Owners than HD ever did - they invited them!

how beautifully eloquent in brevity.  you really did sum it all up in that one line.

[2DFlyer]

Whatever Triumph's motivation, they just did more for Buell Owners than HD ever did - they invited them!

Yep.  Well said.

[JTM]

Whatever Triumph's motivation, they just did more for Buell Owners than HD ever did - they invited them!

You are dead on, the sales manager at HD was an ass even though I was buying a bike.

[Kootenanny]

Yes, a classy move by Triumph.  Sure, there might be some "marketing" in there, but I doubt it's gonna improve their sales by much, if at all--however, it does make their corporate "personality" seem more warm and fuzzy.

Back when I was shopping for a bike, my short list included a Triumph Speed Four as well as the Buell.  However, as I was not allowed to demo the Triumph, I had to cross it off the list.

There is a new dealer, much closer to me now (4 hours away rather than 8 hours), who understands the importance of demo rides--I recently attended a demo day there, and rode a Street Triple R--preferred it to the Speed Triple--as well as a Bonneville T100 (the surprise of the demo day, for me).  My next bike might well be a Triumph (although I do like those Guzzis--take that, Orson ).

[chornbe]

Yes, a classy move by Triumph.  Sure, there might be some "marketing" in there, but I doubt it's gonna improve their sales by much, if at all--however, it does make their corporate "personality" seem more warm and fuzzy.

Which may pay huge dividends in years to come as Buell owners look to move on...

Back when I was shopping for a bike, my short list included a Triumph Speed Four as well as the Buell.  However, as I was not allowed to demo the Triumph, I had to cross it off the list.

There is a new dealer, much closer to me now (4 hours away rather than 8 hours), who understands the importance of demo rides--I recently attended a demo day there, and rode a Street Triple R--preferred it to the Speed Triple--as well as a Bonneville T100 (the surprise of the demo day, for me).  My next bike might well be a Triumph (although I do like those Guzzis--take that, Orson ).

Test rides go a long, long way to getting my $$$.

At least offer me a used version of what I'm looking at to test out.

I've *never* been denied a test of *any* model I asked about at a BMW, Harley or Buell dealer.  

I've been denied almost *every* test ride I've asked about at Japanese-4 dealers. Occasionally used bikes are let out for test.

I've had mixed results at other marquees.

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the attitude you project, too. I can't see myself ever just letting some 18 year old kid take *any* bike out for a joy ride. I'm 43 (mostly look it) and dress the part of a serious rider when I go test riding.

[falconati]

^^^

I would never buy from a dealer I couldn't test ride at.  I'm not just buying a product, I'm buying a product and service.  I've had great service at European-brand and US-brand (HD/Buell/Victory), never once at a Japanese dealer.

Entirely coincidentally, I've never purchased a Japanese bike, even though the dealers have always been closer.  HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Mastros2]

^^^

I would never buy from a dealer I couldn't test ride at.  I'm not just buying a product, I'm buying a product and service.  I've had great service at European-brand and US-brand (HD/Buell/Victory), never once at a Japanese dealer.

Entirely coincidentally, I've never purchased a Japanese bike, even though the dealers have always been closer.  HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Customer service wins, period.  I would go out of the way to get great customer service than deal with a local crappy shop.  

[Kootenanny]

Test rides go a long, long way to getting my $$$.

At least offer me a used version of what I'm looking at to test out.

I've *never* been denied a test of *any* model I asked about at a BMW, Harley or Buell dealer.  

I've been denied almost *every* test ride I've asked about at Japanese-4 dealers. Occasionally used bikes are let out for test.

I've had mixed results at other marquees.

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the attitude you project, too. I can't see myself ever just letting some 18 year old kid take *any* bike out for a joy ride. I'm 43 (mostly look it) and dress the part of a serious rider when I go test riding.

I've had mixed results wrt demo rides at dealers of all brands.  I'm not a teenager (late 40s... ), I'm ATGATT, and I have had a motorcycle license since 1978, but I've been denied demos at Euro brand dealers, while some Big Four dealers have been quite accommodating (there was one Yamaha dealer who almost forced me to take several demo rides on various bikes one day, even after I told him straight up that I wasn't gonna buy one...I got to demo an FJR and a Road Star that day, as well as the YZF600R I had initially been looking at).

So yeah, I believe it is the individual dealer's call.  I've heard complaints from some about insurance hassles, but...well, other dealers seem to be able to do it, so...?  I would have definitely have given that Yamaha dealer my business, had I been buying a Yamaha...but I really wanted the Buell at that point.  BTW, the H-D shop I dealt with was OK prior to the sale--they allowed me to demo bikes on more than one occasion--but I did know FAR more about the Buell I was considering than they did, and there was a bit of pressure to install a "race kit" with a loud pipe (I declined).  And after the sale, there were a few little niggles, and that's why, if I need to take the bike in for service, I will travel 8 hours to a different dealer (rather than 6 hours to the place I purchased).

And I would definitely consider purchasing from the Triumph dealer who hosted the demo day I mentioned above...they've told me on several occasions that I would be welcome to take out one of their bikes for a private demo, I just don't feel right about doing that when I'm not in the market at all (demo days are different ).  Like some of you, I simply will not purchase a bike I've never ridden.  Sitting on it in the shop is not the same.  I'm a responsible adult, if a dealer cannot treat me as such, well I'll go give my business to someone who will.

[2DFlyer]

I've had mixed results wrt demo rides at dealers of all brands.  I'm not a teenager (late 40s... )... Like some of you, I simply will not purchase a bike I've never ridden.  Sitting on it in the shop is not the same.  

I've gotten demos at Big 4 dealers but found HD/Buell and the Euro brands to be much more accommodating.  But this whole topic is all the more reason to shop used when you can - demos are much easier to come by.