"What the heck gives?"

[Schneegz]

From Asphalt and Rubber:





In an obvious ploy to drum up some excitement for their eventual return to the street, Erik Buell Racing released the video above of an 1190RR fitted with a tail light, turn signals and radiator fans - equipment it'll obviously need for street use.  

I guess it just wouldn't be a Buell without the annoying, noisy cooling fans.  

[Capirex]

I've heard told that loud fans save lives.

[Rincewind]

I liked their redneck reporter.  I re-iterate his driving question, "What the heck gives?"

[Brad1445]

Aa a buy American 5 time Buell owner I have to say its going to take a lot more work to bring that bike up to competitiveness with other manufactures in quality and reliability.

Can you see if its leaking clutch fluid, or the speedometer works, is the stator working. This bike needs a complete re-do if they want people to pay over $5,000 for them. I still go to bad web everyday, its sad to see people with brand new bikes sitting in shops weeks after weeks and then go back again.

I would love to see Buell bikes selling again, but you cant wipe the stink off this 1125 series. I would pay $1,500 max for a new one just to use as a track bike.  It does handle, but Even Pontiac could not sell the formally problem prone  Fiero  even when they finally fixed everything, it was just to late the name was ruined.  And they had looks that people liked.

If you want to sell a Bike Erik, start over, lose anything recognizable with the 1125 and test it before you release it this time.  I'll be in line for a new one if you do that.  1199cc please.

[Rincewind]

Then there is the not-small issue of no dealer network anymore!  

[SalsaShark]

Then there is the not-small issue of no dealer network anymore!  

Was there ever a dealer network? Sorry, but being insulted and treated like crap because you don't want to buy a chromed out tractor is not my idea of a competent dealer network...

If Buell does rise from the ashes, I hope they come back and get in where they belong... In the dealerships that care more about performance than matching leather skull caps.

[Rincewind]

Was there ever a dealer network? Sorry, but being insulted and treated like crap because you don't want to buy a chromed out tractor is not my idea of a competent dealer network...

If Buell does rise from the ashes, I hope they come back and get in where they belong... In the dealerships that care more about performance than matching leather skull caps.

Granted what you said about service experiences, HD did provide critical things such as the distribution network and funding.  Erik is already at the stage of asking for donations because of thin sponsorship money in his race endeavors.

How can Buell start to even manufacturer production bikes again now that his factory is gone?  I can see them making hand-produced, high-priced, street-legal race replicas in small production numbers.  But I doubt that they will be able to make Buells again at the same price point and with the same level of availability unless they get the backing of another big manufacturer.

[xbud]

[How can Buell start to even manufacturer production bikes again now that his factory is gone?  I can see them making hand-produced, high-priced, street-legal race replicas in small production numbers.  But I doubt that they will be able to make Buells again at the same price point and with the same level of availability unless they get the backing of another big manufacturer.

I think your right, they will probably build niche market bikes for a while until maybe Can-Am desides it wants to get involved. Just a hunch....

[Mastros2]

How can Buell start to even manufacturer production bikes again now that his factory is gone?  I can see them making hand-produced, high-priced, street-legal race replicas in small production numbers.  But I doubt that they will be able to make Buells again at the same price point and with the same level of availability unless they get the backing of another big manufacturer.

He's been there before and has the experience.  

[Brad1445]

He's been there before and has the experience.  

And he failed.  Even with a huge distribution system and all the R&D  $$$$ to build the successful XB series.

If he had not screwed up the Rotax (dream engine) Buell it would have dominate the market.

We could of had a prince, but we got a frog.

[Oilhed]

And he failed.  Even with a huge distribution system and all the R&D  $$$$ to build the successful XB series.

If he had not screwed up the Rotax (dream engine) Buell it would have dominate the market.

We could of had a prince, but we got a frog.

He didn't fail, H-D failed him.  If the Buells were sold along with Triumphs and Ducatis they would have thrived.  If he were allowed to build and sell the rotax bikes he wanted to on his timetable they would have done well.  The beancounters killed Buell!  And I still want a Uy!!!

[Rogue]

The beancounters killed Buell!  And I still want a Uy!!!

It wasn't the Beancounters that killed Buell, it was H-D's new CEO and other VP's they had up there.  The H-D is a sportbike-hating corporation.  They loath anything that looks like a sportbike and that is why they prevented Buell from thriving.

Don't bother explaining this to Brad--he has made it a mission in life to trash-talk Buell.

[Mastros2]

It wasn't the Beancounters that killed Buell, it was H-D's new CEO and other VP's they had up there.  The H-D is a sportbike-hating corporation.  They loath anything that looks like a sportbike and that is why they prevented Buell from thriving.

Don't bother explaining this to Brad--he has made it a mission in life to trash-talk Buell.

  I agree.

[SalsaShark]

Don't bother explaining this to Brad--he has made it a mission in life to trash-talk Buell.

but it's been a while since Brad's had to drag that huge cross he bares...

[Brad1445]

If I hate Buell why did I buy 5 of them?  Why was the lightning still the best selling model at the end?

In the real world the 1125 is a joke in styling and reliability.  People apparently like those things.

Show a picture to ten people, vs a successful bike.

Basements full of these things leaking - no  starting machines.  It took $5,000 rebates to sell them.

[steve.m]

 And I still want a Uy!!!

I have one, I love it.  No, you can't have it  

i mean really though, how hard would it be for any one of us to screw some lights to a track bike and take it for a spin on the street?  not very.  if buell goes back to the street, he's building one off machines out of a comparably tiny shop with no major manufacturing capabilities.  buy factory direct, and SAVE!

[ScottB]

The H-D is a sportbike-hating corporation.  They loath anything that looks like a sportbike and that is why they prevented Buell from thriving.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a marketing/finance decision, rather then a personal vendetta against the rest of the motorcycling world.  I'm not saying it was a good decision (especially from the viewpoint of enthusiasts), I think they had assets that weren't paying off, found themselves in financial trouble, and sold out/cut off Buell and MV.

[whodom]

Wow- I haven't logged into the forum in months, and sure enough, the first thread I check, there's Brad going off on pods again.

The boy really knows how to flog a dead horse.

[Schneegz]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a marketing/finance decision, rather then a personal vendetta against the rest of the motorcycling world.  I'm not saying it was a good decision (especially from the viewpoint of enthusiasts), I think they had assets that weren't paying off, found themselves in financial trouble, and sold out/cut off Buell and MV.

It was.  Harley doesn't "hate" sport bikes (as previously stated), they simply don't understand them or their owners.  That doesn't change the fact that Harley never gave Buell the resources or the freedom to succeed, and forced Buell to do many things that set them up for failure.

Buell designed the original 1000cc, liquid cooled, narrow angle, compact, superbike v-twin, but Harley refused to fund a Buell-only project, so they took over the project and turned it into the V-Rod engine, which was too big and heavy to make a good sportbike engine.  Buell abandoned the project.

Buell then focussed on developing the Thunderstorm engine with several different bore and stroke ratios and displacements, and even turbo charging.  Harley forced Buell to keep the engine close enough to the Sportster engine that Harley could easily carry over the development Buell did on the Thunderstorm to the Sportster.  The change in direction cost Buell time and money and made the XB series more expensive and less powerful than it had to be.

Harley forced Buell to build the Blast, a bike Buell never wanted to build.  Buell at first planned to use an off-the-shelf, liquid cooled single cylinder engine, but Harley again forced Buell to use the Sportster engine, making the Blast more expensive and under-performing than it had to be.

Harley forced Buell to sell their bikes exclusively through Harley dealerships.  Harley dealers generally don't understand and often don't like sport bikes or their owners, and customer service suffered as a result.

When Buell finally got permission from Harley to develop the 1125R, Harley refused to provide any funding for the project.  In order to cut costs, Buell used some XB parts on the 1125R.  Many of the 1125R's teething problems can probably be attributed to a lack of funding for testing.  Despite providing no funding, Harley insisted the bike should not have a full fairing, again demonstrating their lack of understanding of the sportbike customer.  

In short, Harley set Buell up for failure.  It's debatable whether or not Buell would have gotten as far as it did without Harley - after all, others have done it, and some (see Motus) are doing it now.

What is clear is that Harley placed road block after road block in Buell's path.  

[Brad1445]

Thats a good post but you still need product that customers want at a price you can be profitable.