| Author | Message | ||
     Conchop |
IMHO HD has made 2 huge mistakes. MV Augusta should have never been purchased. HD had Buell and the Porsche motor. There was no need to spend that money so recklessly. It could have been better spent on some good homegrown engineering at Buell. But no. They had to go off thinking they were going to be some exotic Italian manufacturer. How much money and time has been wasted with this foolish effort? Time will tell, but it is obvious it was a blunder. I understand that the genius behind this is no longer there. I think the entire management team needs to be examined for this. HD is a business. If there is good, then there is a payoff. Otherwise, heads will roll. Apparently there is not enough heads on the floor. Sell MV. The next huge mistake is the complete closure of Buell. I know the dealers were not fond of them. They didn't come back for chrome and hop-ups. They didn't have the gross margin. The Buells did not need to be in HD shops that didn't want them. The Buells needed to be in the smaller shops with easy dealership development policies, proudly backed by Harley Davidson. Now the management team have exposed themselves as weak. Superior engineering has been hindered by accountants instead of being furthered by quality management engineers. It is now better to cut the future engineering excellence and to deny a new market and dealership segment so the HD brass can embrace a business model which relies on branding and cheap Chinese labor and relics of the past. While there is certainly a success story in HD and the heritage and the resurrection of the their brand in the 80's, they have just blundered their future by completely stopping production of Buells. This will cost the company dearly. This is a mistake of epic proportions. Future buyers will be aware of this foolish business move. They cannot be trusted to make the right business decisions ; ie purchasing MV, closing Buell, not to mention denying Buell the use of the Porsche motor. Why in the hell would I want to invest in the HD company much less buy a bike from them when they cannot handle their success much less handle hard times. They have left us Buell owners in a ditch. Their corporate words and explanations are bullshit. Their numbers suck. THEY ARE FAILING! IMHO, the entire HD management team and board of directors need to be replaced. Their lack of decision making abilities, lack of future vision, and recent financial and overall business performance are more than ample proof of their overall incompetence. With their credibility ruined by these two unwise decisions, it is now time to demand accountability. I can only hope that somehow, the Buell brand can come out of this, much the same as HD came out of its mess in the 80's. | ||
| Ourdee |
Here's a little on me: Where have all the leaders gone? Why would Erik want to be and adviser? They don't seam to accept his advice. Yamaha dealerships would have been a better match for marketing. The first time I stepped into a HD dealership was in Plainfield, Indiana. I went to see the freak show. No, really that is what I was thinking five years ago. Then in 08 I went to look at a Buell because I had been looking at them on Craig's List. (I like 1952 Vincent Black Lightnings) I was searching for Lightnings and came across Buells. I felt uncomfortable looking in the HD dealership at Buells. I walked through the door with a thought in the back of my mind that I'm going to have too twist someones head. That view has changed with exposure to the people in the dealerships. I now find good people in there among the posers. And now it is not about "have to", it is that I want to twist someones head. I think I'll go out to the garage to look at my Buell and work on the Yamaha. I wonder if Rossi will sign my TW.  | ||
| Itileman |
Allow me to muddy the water a bit more, now that I'm in from the garage where I was working on my Yamaha (is there a trend here?). Long story short before I ramble on - I got a 1977 Yamaha DT400 to restore for mostly off-road riding and to keep the XT company on these cold winter nights. Harley, in closing Buell and MVA has pissed off about no one in the HOG fraternity. The brand is rock solid from a loyalty standpoint. Having owned 3 Harley's over a two year period, I had the fortune to meet and ride with some of the most serious "real bikers" you can imagine. Young and old - they loved their Hogs and rode the shit out of them. Unfortunately, there is a segment of owners who polish and pose and give the rest a bad name. Overall, about the only ones that really care about Buell are Buell owners and those who make them. The dealer here is one of the best in the country and has been an aggressive marketer of Buells. They will continue to get my business. I can't really hold this against the MoCo. They sunk a bunch of money into Buell to make a product that's not for everyone. It didn't work out. I thank them for that. For what I do and where I ride and where I plan to go as I head into retirement, I've yet to see a better bike. At 64 years old, 14 hours in the saddle is painless. See you out there. Ride safe. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Some dealers loved Buells, we race them, own them, and work aggressively at selling them. It is true, many owners would rather send away on the internet for a $5 savings on a part than buy from our parts department though. And a good portion of the owners would only come to our service department for warranty work or when they screwed things up from trying mods or repairs based on bad advice. This too challenges a dealership to maintain the Buell brand. But we figured it out and we have buyers ride past two or three other Buell shops to buy from us or get service, many at least 100 miles or more. So please don't assume that when you generalize that you are straight on. This is a complex issue and one that few people have all the information to draw over reaching conclusions. I have 6 motorcycles and one is a Buell Ulysses. If I had to get rid of them, it would be the Buell I would keep. That some HD riders don't get Buell is no different than the HD bashing too often expressed here. I ride them all, and enjoy each for its intended design purpose. I welcome all ran a large HOG chptr for three years, am involved in Norton riders group, and lead a Buell-centric riders group. Something tells me some of the people on this board would not fit in with any of theses because an unhealthy or self serving attitude, or a chip on ones shoulder, usually is the pink elephant in the room. Regardless, it is a sad episode for sure. The prospect of not having the Buells in our store to sell is a bummer. We will have the owners still coming around, and of course our own Buells to ride, race and enjoy. | ||
| Doylejj |
Interesting to hear a range of views, particularly from an enthusiastic dealer. I too have a number of different bikes and bought a used Ulysses out of curiousity. It's still a niche bike for me since I haven't finished ironing out some things (like how hard the seat is), but I have had a lot of fun on it already. I have developed a healthy respect for Eric and the Elves but I'm not a great candidate for keeping dealers prosperous. The generic motorcycle dealership model seems more suitable to cars than bikes, especially Harley and BMW. For many of us, bikes are hobbies not transportation, and tinkering is part of the hobby. I would be happier with a local all-brands bike repair shop independant of sales (so happens that's how I get my car serviced, too). The nearest Buell dealer is over an hour from home and the BMW dealers are even further. There are multiple Harley dealers nearby but none of their bikes really interest me, especially at the prices they ask. Of course I'd rather have several older bikes than a shiny one with payments. |
