| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
http://www.biztimes.com/article/20120720/ENEWSLETT ERS02/120729990 http://fox6now.com/2012/07/19/erik-buell-jump-star ting-new-company-line-of-bikes/ http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/2012/07/ erik-buell-is-back---and-ready-to-race.html | ||
| Fordhotline |
This is freakin awesome! I can not wait to see where Erik takes this company now that he is free from HD! Maybe we will see this AX model soon? Build it and i will be in line for one! | ||
| Orangeulius |
Go,go gadget! | ||
| Billy_bee |
I'd like to think I could buy one, too. But after reading the Cycle World write-up of the exotic sport bike comparison, which included the Buell, I wonder about pricing. It was the most expensive bike in the corral...more that the Panigale. And I bet EBR is losing money on each unit (but that is just a guess). I am sure he had to develop a detailed business plan to get that kind of infusion. I hope he has a plan to bring manufacturing costs/purchase prices down, increase the dealer/service network, stop any current hemorrhaging, and make some money. That's a lot to think about. Suddenly, $20 mil doesn't seem like a lot of money. We are all pulling for you, Erik. (Like he's gonna read this thread.) bb | ||
| Fung |
Nice! | ||
| Crusty |
We are all pulling for you, Erik. (Like he's gonna read this thread.) Erik has been known to peruse this forum from time to time. I'm sure he has a plan and all will become clear if we just exercise a bit of patience. A question to think about: If you were going to start a motorcycle manufacturing company, how would you do it? | ||
| Cyclonedon |
If you were going to start a motorcycle manufacturing company, how would you do it? I would hire Erik Buell because I don't know the first thing about it myself. If you want to be the best, your hire the best! | ||
| Tootal |
I wish Erik all the best but I'm afraid he's going to make only a cheaper sport bike as that is his specialty. However, having the best sport bike is great but only so many people can afford that and there are many out there, like myself, that have no desire to ride a sport bike. I really believe he needs to build a dual sport, like the Uly, to sell to the masses and make some money. You have to have your "bread and butter" in order to follow your dreams. Take Anheuser Busch. They make Bud and Bud Light. They make up around 40 percent of the market. A real beer geek will tell you how crappy a beer it is but they are there to make a profit and they do that because Bud Light is their bread and butter. They make specialty beers once in a while to see what might stick. They have six beers competing right now to be part of a three beer specialty pack due out this Holiday season. They can do that because of profits made from the more popular brands. I just don't feel that selling only sport bikes will keep them afloat. I would love to see the AX and hope they include it in their new lineup. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
The man is a racer at heart. He likes sport bikes, true. He is not blind to the market trends, however and big D/S bikes are selling like hotcakes. I'm absolutely certain he is hard at work right this minute building my next bike and it aint no ninja.  | ||
| Crusty |
They've already released three designations for the product line; an RX, an AX and an SX. I really doubt that all 3 are going to go head to head with GSXRs and Panigales. I'd bet good money (what other kind of money is there?) that one will be an Adventure or D/S bike. Personally, I hope he builds a Sport - Tourer; but I ain't holding my breath. (Message edited by Crusty on July 21, 2012) | ||
| Conchop |
Excellent news - now we'll see results. | ||
| Kenm123t |
It cant be too long Court is pretty quiet He is locked in Eriks basement till the formal announcements so he cant spill the beans. Any ULY LIKE PICS YOU CARE TO UP LOAD COURT? lolol  | ||
| Motorfish |
It`s great to see Erik has some backing and hopefully not like Harley. I agree with the points made by Crusty, Tootal, and Dan. He has to make money, big D/S bikes are hot now, and I would love to see a Sport Touring bike produced. | ||
| Uly_man |
Nice going and good luck EBR. "Erik has been known to peruse this forum from time to time." If he does maybe this will help. The first problem, for new buyers, is to be able to get over Buell bikes bad reliability issues. No point at all in making a bike that even the dealer can not fix half the time. Backup is key with any product. Second you are not going to be able to build a full dealer network any time soon so try a differnt/new way of doing it? Maybe sell through a few "hand picked" bike showrooms/dealers. A factory online showroom with real time salesman/engineers. "Try and Buy" days at the factory and track days so people will know how good the bikes are with a setup that is right for them. Warranty/service work done by hand picked/EBR trained engineers at small independent bike shops. Maybe even a few mobile engineers to fix the bad problems. A "return to factory" insurance option. The logistics will not be easy but it also may not cost any more, in the long run, than using someone like HD and lets face it half of the problems came from HD anyway. Sell spare, service and custom parts direct from the factory. They will have a production stock there so why not have a little more and make more money for the company. Earn money for the company with R&D for other bike builders. Develop/test the bikes in "real world" situations like road racing (race bike), sending someone around the world on his/her own (touring bike) or "coast to coast" across Australia (adventure bike). And do it with the three people who like these sort of bikes the best, HATE Buells with a passion and promise to publish the results in the best of the worlds bike mags. What all of this boils down to is maximum control of your product, development, profit, reputation and customer satisfaction. The problem, as always is money. The way of the "money world" for fast profit does not work and MUST change. A small growing company with steady profits, a sound customer base and a good/valued product is the way to go and something I think Buell can still do. It is only my opinion but even with its faults the XBs are still a quality product. The new ones will need to be perfect though. Develop them better this time and use more QC as well. On a side line you may (in a small way) wish owners to invest in your company. Again this would make the ownership of the bike more solid. It could be called BEOIP. The Buell Enthusiast Owners Investment Program. Better than a Bud Lite anyway. | ||
| Tootal |
That's Bud Light Uly_Man!! Lite is a registered trademark of Miller Brewing Co. which is now Miller-Coors, which is owned by SAB (South African Brewery's).  And yes I know Anheuser Busch is owned by Inbred, I mean Inbev.  | ||
| Uly_man |
"That's Bud Light Uly_Man!!" Sorry my mistake. I am more Wild Turkey bourbon myself. I can swap you some warm English muddy mild beer with a "flat top" for stockings and SPAM if you have any? | ||
| Tootal |
DEAL!! England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man are on my bucket list. I'll put a note on the list to bring stockings and SPAM!  Hopefully I can send over a new EBR AX to ride around the countryside!!  | ||
| Uly_man |
The Isle of Man TT. Now that is a mad ride. The last of the true "road races" and scares even the best of the track racers. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Hopefully I can send over a new EBR AX to ride around the countryside!!" Now that would be cool. RX, AX and SX. How about RoX, AxE and SeX? | ||
| Tootal |
RX, AX and SX. How about RoX, AxE and SeX? I'm liking it!!  | ||
| Crusty |
That's Bud Light Uly_Man!! My Gastro-Enterologist used a Butt Light when I got my colonoscopy... | ||
| Uly_man |
EB can find me? | ||
| Court |
 | ||
| Kenm123t |
Court the bbq extorsionista ! | ||
| Towpro |
Was the Uly line the best selling Buell the last time? if yes, I would think it would make sense to build what will sell the most. | ||
| Froggy |
That honor would go to the Blast. The Uly didn't do that great, the 1125R spanked it, and the 1125CR did great for just over a year of production. | ||
| Uly_man |
The Uly is well liked here in the UK and the one that holds its price the best. Why? Well it depends on what you like I guess. For me it was a bike for my size. Simple mechanicals, easy and cheap DIY service. A quality and fully (you still only get this on top line bikes) adjustable suspension system. Good brakes with the right pads. A quality built machine. Comfy ride and a great pillion seat. You can do traffic, touring and it will out handle most sports bikes on the road. Ok it is only good for 120 mph but "if people are honest" how many times do you need to get to 150 mph plus. Good MPG, cheap to insure and cheap to buy. A older, lower spec GS would have cost me 50% more than my 2010 bike. And I just love V-Twins. I still want a R but I am not going to get the best use from it. I know the Rotax engine from my RSV-R and it is superb. It is the engine they should have used from day one in the XBs. (Message edited by Uly_man on July 25, 2012) | ||
| Cyclonedon |
The Uly didn't do that great, the 1125R spanked it, and the 1125CR did great for just over a year of production. in this area, far more Uly's sold that all the rest of the Buells put together! You must have forgotten about the lang waiting list of customers waiting to get a Uly! The 1125CR didn't sell ANY until the Buell fire sale took place. Ukes only sold the one and Hal's HD hadn't sold any of the 1125CR until the fire sale. Based on the sales of that bike, I doubt if they will ever make that model again. There were a few 1125's sold before the fire sale but not nearly as many as the Ulysses sold. Every year at the Buell homecomings, the majority of motorcycles there were the Ulysses. There were even far more tubers than the 1125CR's. | ||
| Buewulf |
I wish him the best, but it is hard for me to get excited about $20,000 bikes. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
A $20K AX would have to be very exotic to get me to drop that kind of money. Certainly a stainless steel muffler would be a must. It would already have to have spot lights and an air horn. And I wouldn't really want to have to invent a windshield like on the ULY. I really like my ULY but I only paid $11.5K for it new. I'd think a $20K bike would need to be something absolutely spectacular. It had better deliver on the mpg for sure. It wouldn't need to do 160 mph either but I'd expect it to rocket to 120. AND the gearing had better be right for low speed and high speed maneuvers and 6 speed a must. The really annoying thing about buying a 20K bike is that the taxes and insurance get downright ridiculous. Don't forget, full hard bags and tourpak included. It should be fully kitted for 20K dinero. | ||
| Uly_man |
"It should be fully kitted for 20K dinero." I am not sure on that EG. As I said before "why not do it another way". Build a base bike, fit it out with the customers spec and charge a little less than aftermarket prices on top if that is what they want. If I were selling a product that could have aftermarket part upgrades I would make sure I could supply them and they would be cheaper and better as well. Just look at the can on a Buell? It should have been a gold mine for Buell. For the love of "Him" does no one know how to build a company and make honest money anymore. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Romney would claim he does. | ||
| Afsoc_commando |
Lets not turn this into a POLITICAL thing man... I hear it all day. I ride and come here for peace of mind and to get away from all that Shite! | ||
| Buellerxt |
+1 Afsoc. |
