| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
Is Buell going on its own? If not, how does Buell and MV Agusta fit together under Harley???? http://www.hemscott.com/news/static/tfn/item.do?ne wsId=64888365940985 http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagusta/index2.htm l | ||
| Johnboy777 |
What could possibly be the upside to this for HD? They must be making a sh*t load of money, to even consider it. Maybe it would establish a better Euro distribution network for their bikes. . | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Maybe the Italians have a better rapport with China and or India where Harley wants very badly to sell bikes without the super high tariffs and displacement restriction rules. If that has anything to do with it then I'm all for it. I've been a HOG shareholder since around 1987. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on June 05, 2008) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Weird. Maybe we'll be seeing inline-4 MV Agusta-engined Buells in a few years? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Buell going it alone might make some since if you consider that the 1125R doesn't house a Harley engine. Just my opinion here but I doubt that anyone is buying any air-cooled XB12R bikes with the 1125R out there. If all air-cooled Buells become water-cooled Rotax/Buell bikes then Buell will really be doing their own thing. If Buell divests off into a separate company would Harley dealers be able to have Buell bikes on premise? | ||
| Tipsymcstagger |
What could possibly be the upside to this for HD? They must be making a sh*t load of money, to even consider it. HD profits are down and layoffs are planned. Tipsy | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
One other thought. The Italians are famous for making scooters. I don't believe that MV Agusta currently makes them but maybe that is a line that Harley wants to explore without having to put Harley on the side of a scooter. All about what the market is buying and from what I read, scooter sales are going through the roof. Vespas are cool as shiite, well made and Italian. I rode my folk's neighbor's Vespa 250cc this past Sunday. Really fun, super quiet and he claimed 80 mpg and it will top out at about 80 mph. Weird and nervous to ride around without a clutch though because I kept grabbing for clutch and it was one of the brakes. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
" ...overseas, the company is faring much better. Sales in international markets alone increased 16.8% in the quarter." There ya go. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Harley is still very profitable and increased the dividend. Layoffs are planned but from what I hear at our two local dealers, bikes are selling better than ever because of fuel prices. Omaha Harley said they will run out of bikes to sell and wished that they could get bikes from the East Coast where the recession is worse. Economy has been Bushwacked. | ||
| Barker |
If it means I can buy a Mito 525 over here in the states. I'm all for it. | ||
| Chas1969 |
MV Agusta and HD is like oil and water, don't mix! Remember Aermacchi? Chas} | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Chas, Remember AMF. Bikes may have been missing pistons during those years but they did spend on fortune on retooling Harley and that is why the management bought Harley from AMF in 1983 and started making great motorcycles. If they take a mostly hands off approach then who know? | ||
| Cityxslicker |
"the daily Messaggero reported, without citing any sources" without citing sources, hell I might be buying MV  | ||
| Duck |
"Just my opinion here but I doubt that anyone is buying any air-cooled XB12R bikes with the 1125R out there." I've got more people on my waiting list for XB12R's than 1125's. Having said that, we are sold out of both. | ||
| Atoms |
Yeah, the 1125R does nothing for me. I want simple air cooling. But getting back to the point, when I saw this news my initial reaction was Cool! Italian! just thinking of Guzzi, Ducati, Aprilla and those guys I had this crazy assumption that all Italian bikes where at the very least beautiful. Then I peeped the MV Agusta website. Could those ugly water cooled inline four monstrosities actually even be Italian? No wonder the company is on the skids. | ||
| Jlnance |
There is a couple on a beautiful pair of MVs that show up at the local gathering place almost every Sunday. I can't wait to compliment on their nice Harleys.  | ||
| Slaughter |
How the HE!! are they going to have the HD culture work with MV Agusta? Maybe it's a good sign, maybe they can get Buell the HE!! out of HD shops so that people are willing to go LOOK at them without braving all the chrome, tassels and buttless chaps and indifferent sales staff. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FRIENDLY Separation of Buell from the Harley showroom. Buells (and if true, MV Agusta) need to be sold and serviced by enthusiasts and not Lifestyle Pimps. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
"Lifestyle Pimps." Now that's funny! . | ||
| Neurorider |
Lifestyle pimp...wow that is so accurate in a way. I have a good friend that is a motocrosser/enduro nut-I mentioned to him one day that a friend was going through a divorce and I could buy his harley, cheap. He innocently asked "are you going to buy the leathers and the whole costume to go with it?". Instant reality check!! I never bought the harley. Got a Buell instead. doc | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Plenty of us Buell owners happen to own a Harley or even two. Personally I get tired of the Harley bashing, especially from those that either have never owned one or from those that can't afford one. There was a good reason that Buell got bought by Harley and that was because Erik realized that he might not be able to continue without "Deep Pockets Harley"'s financial help. That said, Buells current XB line would not have been possible without Harley's help. So enough of the Harley is the root of all evil crap already. Even if Buell has separate dealerships, what makes you think that the mechanics will be any better. They are all mostly products of the same motorcycle mechanics schools. Guys that love bikes and think they want to be around bikes 24/7 but then find out that the pay pretty much sucks and that they really don't have a passion for working on anybody else's bike but their own. That is why they take short cuts and do shoddy work, not all them but enough that I do my own maintenance. | ||
| Neurorider |
'glider, sorry if that seemed like bashing. It isn't really (much?), except for bashing salesguys that convert yuppies into would-be bikers. And bashing sales and parts guys that make it clear they don't like Buells when you're there to shop for one. It's the "we-might-let-you-buy-a-bike" attitude from the sales guys, and the "why don't you just buy a Harley" attitude from people with made in China squeeky new leathers and boots. But, I'm in a cranky mood today and that's probably reflected. Flogging dutifully accepted, no offense meant. doc | ||
| Neurorider |
Bringing this back to the subject, has anyone heard/read confirmation of the HD/Agusta story? it could have fascinating consequences, wouldn't it? Right now I'm seeing more people on scooters, even here in Arkansas. Is a Harley scooter possible? | ||
| Johnboy777 |
"Lifestyle pimp...wow that is so accurate in a way. I have a good friend that is a motocrosser/enduro nut-I mentioned to him one day that a friend was going through a divorce and I could buy his harley, cheap. He innocently asked "are you going to buy the leathers and the whole costume to go with it?". Instant reality check!! I never bought the harley. Got a Buell instead. doc" At least here, 'bike nights' are dominated by HD's. It's comical, really, seeing all these baby boomers (which I am, as well) in costume ... puts me to mind of a costume party....or Halloween, maybe. The last event I attended I ran into our county prosecutor, looking like Dennis Hopper out of EZ Rider. Very funny! IMHO, it's not the bikes, HD's are okay, so are MV's - its whether or not you drink the Kool-Aid, then dress up like a a$$-clown on parade. . | ||
| Slaughter |
I want to go to a dealership and expect to be able to ask one of the RACERS on staff if it's worth the added money to go with high/low speed damping on my Penske. I want to be able to ask IF it's worth the cost of revalving the forks and IF the springs are single rate or dual rate. I want to be able to ask if the diablo corsa III are usable in the rain I want to be able to ask IF Sidi vertebra are better than Alpinestars SMX in a tumbling get-off. I'm not that unusual in wanting info on the machinery - not the image. I have a garage with 3 Buells and 4 Japanese bikes. I know what I went through in swallowing my pride before going into a "Harley" dealership to look at the Buells. I find this a lot in other bike riders who would consider a Buell but are so turned off by the whole skulls, flames, leather and chrome thing that they just never go near a dealer EVEN THOUGH they'd expressed interest in the Buells. Harley dealers have been too used to sitting on their asses and having their machinery and accessories just sell themselves. I hope we're in for a change. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Not to be too OT, but... One thing I'll admit about Harleys...they're virtually the only bikes I see out on the road. I generally avoid the local "racer road" (lotsa sportbikes there, of course) but everywhere else all I see are Harleys. Except off-pavement, that is. Although, come to think of it, I saw a group of four guys on Harleys on a local dirt two-track once. | ||
| Tipsymcstagger |
Personally I get tired of the Harley bashing, especially from those that either have never owned one or from those that can't afford one. I've owned a Harley and I love what they offer. That's one of the main reasons I bought the Uly...to have that vibration and to hear the great sound of the 45 degree air cooled V-twin...which sounds fantastic through the Drummer! Hey, that's why I blip at stoplights What I've grown tired of in general when it comes to Harley's are things like "too much chrome to list," the phrase "old school," the term "factory custom" and the ubiquitous pairing of skulls with this machine. What the hell do skulls have to do with motorcycles? I suppose people get frustrated with stereotypes (Electraglider)...hell, I'm sick and tired of getting asked "what's your route" when people find out I fly airplanes for a living...but that's the way it is and I've come to accept that it isn't going to change. I will build myself a bobber one day...when I'm not living on the 17th floor. It won't have any chrome, I won't call it "old school" and it won't have any skulls. And I'll be a happy Harley owner once again. Tipsy | ||
| Johnboy777 |
Tipsymcstagger: " I fly airplanes for a living..." What's your route? . | ||
| Tipsymcstagger |
What's your route? Funny guy! | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Tipsy, Remember, 8 hours from bottle to throttle. I got my VFR license back in the late 80's but decided that I felt safer on terra firma. It is exhilarating though but expensive. | ||
| Bearly |
No no, it's 50 feet, err oh yea that's smoking , I get the two confuseded. ha ha What's up with all these pilots? Do we all think that we are powered by little pieces of a radial? MV purchase is very interesting. Did we hear a while back that HD was talking with Ducati? Guess they couldn't come to terms, but it looks like HD was still shopping over there. Maybe they want a V-4? |
