| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
The XBRR was legal in CCS Thunderbike last year. The suggestion came from Buell to CCS that CCS shouldn't let the XBRR into local Thunderbike, because we wanted the guys who have invested in XBR's to still be able to race for wins. It's not banned from ASRA Thunderbike (detune kit needed), or from ASRA Supertwins or Superbike, or from many other classes around the world. There are many, many classes the bike can race in, and sadly many of them will get more press and do more good than AMA FX. And there will be plenty of races won, just not AMA FX. Hey, the facts have been stated, the costs are even higher than Slaughter posted, and that's the name of the game. Few sponsors have any interest in the AMA, and scores were contacted by professional fund raisers in the hopes of finding sponsors for Buell teams. Yes Buell would like to see XBRR's racing in AMA, but it appears it's not going to happen with any significance. So for those of you who wish that we were there, well so do we. And those of you with constructive ideas, thanks, unfortunately we have tried everything we could. Those of you with nothing but rude and nasty comments, or with the desire to spew ignorance as fact, or with the need to post selected items out of context, well I'm glad I don't have to work with you. | ||
| Rocketman |
Can I have some credit for removing my 'rude' comment please? I'm back on me med's. Honestly  Rocket | ||
| Slaughter |
Anony: I didn't mean to understate the costs for a season. I just finished a workup on costs to field a MotoST team - and that's only 6 or 8 races. It looked pretty much in the neighborhood of $180K and that was with assumptions the racers were covering much of their own costs out of their pockets. Anybody wanna guess what GOOD medical coverage for motor racing costs each month - with a $10K deductible? Anybody wanna guess the TRUE costs of moving 2 bikes from: CA to Daytona and back? CA to VIR and back? CA to Barber and back? CA to Daytona (again) and back? CA to (maybe) Barber (Maybe) Miller (Maybe) Vegas/Sears/?? The costs are HUGE before you even count the direct race costs - tires, fuel, bike, repairs, fees... probably "only" about $5-10K in direct costs for a low-budget race weekend. When I started doing my homework, I got kinda disappointed in the REAL costs (and started looking like it was going to be regional Club racing next season instead) Yep, that $180K was a REAL cost, 4 racers working for FREE, travelling cheap, Motel-6 or equivalent, camping at the track. NO extra time. Minimal money for setup and re-work. No testing to speak of. The $250K number I pulled out of my "nether regions" for a marginal-effort FX season really DOES seem light. Gotta run before proof-reading... Christmas party, live classic Rock-and-Roll! Food! Heavy beer (not heavy drinking, just no fizzy yellow "lite" stuff) | ||
| Jscott |
Read caption: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/2006/mgp/jere z-test-nov/blackhawk/6rsaws.htm | ||
| M1combat |
I haven't "come around" Jimidan. My post was intended to convey my disapointment in the fact that Buell won't be racing. I'm very glad that there will be Buells being raced, but FX is the domain of Buell. I could care less what any press releases say yet I do know what they said. I read them to. The facts are that a dealer can't support an FX team. They don't make enough money. There isn't much point in a dealer running CCS IMO because it's not on TV. It really doesn't do much good for Buell or the dealer. If anyone runs FX with a Buell it needs to be BMC or it will be seen as a failure due to the fact that a dealer won't be on the podium... That's just the way it is. You'll notice that the end of my post was encouraging Erik and Co. to keep on keeping on. They're obviously doing the right things to build a real company. If they were to do what I want them to do (dump every bit of loose change in the company into FX racing) then they'd turn out like Ducati, but HD would never sell them so they would just disappear... That's no good I think. In any case... I AM disappointed in the fact that they aren't racing, but I totally understand that it's just not in the cards right now. Trojan... You're right in that the general public needs to see a competitive effort by BMC in FX. They won't yet (ever?) and that's a real shame because they'll see it as a failure of BMC. I don't, You don't, but yes, the general public who just watches racing and doesn't know the details certainly does. That's not good for BMC, but spending development money that would be used for street bikes on FX isn't good for BMC either. Sooo.... Which is the lesser of two evils? Option one keeps producing great streetbikes and those of us who understand streetbikes and what they need to be legendary will keep buying them. Option two puts Buell in the face of the rest of the world and takes money (initially)from development of the great streetbikes. It then gets Buell to a position where the people who buy bikes based on their numbers will actually give them some credit. Problem with that is that I ride my bike on the street and it works well there... That's why I bought it. If it was a race bike... I probably wouldn't have. In any case... Thanks for the GREAT bike Erik and Co. It truly is legendary (or will be) and if your numbers truly tell you that the way to pave the racetrack is to do whatever you've chosen to do then keep on doing it but it better damn well lead to the racetrack. I hope you've taken into acct the ramifications of the current decisions and how they will affect the buying publics opinion. If too many people turn against Buell then it will be too great of a hole to climb out of, even with a great race bike. Even with wins... I want to see it happen as much as anyone else (more than most I'm sure). It needs to happen sometime soon I think. The general public will not take the absence of Buell (or Buells, it's the same thing to most) in FX well. They won't understand. They only say... "Buell is HD... HD has lots of money... They must just not be able to win." That's the truth BMC. That's the way it is. 90% of the people who ride motorcycles choose their bike based off of what they percieve to be capable. They need to be shown that the XB chassis and Buells engineers are capable. They haven't so far. The dealers need to pull together and run a three bike team. That's the solution here. They need to just lay it on the line, choose who does what and stick with it. BMC needs to support it, and someone needs to make some sponsorship moneyas well. I'm sure you know that, but it NEEDS to happen. If it doesn't, then I'm afraid a lot of people will have their ideas about Buells incompetence cemented and it's over. Buells need to be at the front of the pack pretty soon. | ||
| Anonymous |
Jscott, Thanks for the advice on sponsorship 101, but you really have no idea how hard we looked, and the level of professional assistance brought in to help. Yes, pros who have raised tens and tens of millions for race teams in the past. Quite frankly, it was a huge shock to these folks. No one was willing to put in more than a tiny amount. All of the effort to do this over more than a year didn't raise as much money as Slaughter has figutred out he would need to run his MotoST team with volunteer help. It got split up among the first few teams, and it was gone. That's why there were so few appearances last year, and why there are likely to be less this year. M1, it cost Buell a lot of money to design, test and build the 50 bikes plus spares; trust me the sales of the bikes didn't come close to paying for it. Our mistake was thinking sponsors could be found to run them at the highest pro level once we built them. We were wrong. There is no money to field a top level effort in 2007, and no amount of distress will solve that problem. I understand that there are folks who will make fun of Buell if the bikes don't run in FX. Buell is not H-D and Buell does not have a lot of money. However, ignorance is plentiful, far more so than sponsorship money! No matter what the negative folks say, the XBRR's will continue to win races, and over time, Buells will win more and more customers. And one day there will be Buell bikes winning at the AMA level and at the top world level. If any of you come across a $1M sponsor, it will happen sooner, though!!! | ||
| Bud |
If any of you come across a $1M sponsor, it will happen sooner, though!!! i have no ware near that kinda money, but you might be surpriced if you put up a little paypal button on a RR racing website for buellers to donate a little, perhaps only small change, who can tell | ||
| Court |
>>>one day there will be Buell bikes winning at the AMA level and at the top world level. I'd agree with that. I met with one organization from Denver who does professional "high level" fund raising and I don't think all is lost. I do think the racing will, by necessity, be subrogated to profitably running Buell in the next 24 months. Sometimes standing under the HD tree puts you in the shade, not the sun. I'm thinking $1.5M minimum to field anything. By the way, I'm not done trying if anyone has ideas. | ||
| Rocketman |
Ok this is not meant to be rude in any way. Please explain why HD won't stump up several, never mind one or two million to fund a Buell race effort? Am I to believe HD can't afford to spend the money to support its own subsidiary company in a race effort? Put it another way. If Buell approached me for a sponsorship deal and I was, financially speaking, in the ball park to do so, why would I want to sponsor a company that is what, 98% owned by a Forbes 100 company? If HD won't sponsor their own company, why would I want to? What am I missing? It makes no sense to me. If Buell could benefit from a serious race effort in FX, not asking anymore, why would HD not stump up to make that happen. Isn't it in HD's interests for the marque and the long term profit, or am I missing some fundamental business relationship not party to the public? Rocket | ||
| Jscott |
Right on Rocket. Hows about someone in the know "leaking" some of the Harley Big Wigs' email addresses? Perhaps we can persuade them. | ||
| Jlnance |
Please explain why HD won't stump up several, never mind one or two million to fund a Buell race effort? When I left home, I wanted to be treated like an adult. One thing this meant to me is that I needed to pay my own bills. I pretty much paid my own way through college, I bought my own car. When I flunked a class it was my own fault, and when I got a speeding ticket, I hired my own lawyer. I didn't need to consult with my parents about any of this because I wasn't using their money. I had friends in college who would get pissed because their parents didn't like it when their boyfriends slept over at their apartment. I always figured if your parents are paying the rent, it's their business who is sleeping there. Sure it would be nice for HD to kick Buell some cash. But that also makes it legitimate for HD to start messing around in the inner workings of Buell. I won't pretend to know how HD and Buell's relationship works. From the outside it appears that HD leaves Buell alone to do what Buell wants to do. I think thats a good thing for everyone involved. That only happens if Buell doesn't dip into HD coffers. | ||
| Brucelee |
Isn't it in HD's interests for the marque and the long term profit, or am I missing some fundamental business relationship not party to the public? HD has proven to be very good indeed at being profitable and growing. Most companies would die for such a track record. I think that they DO NOT believe that investing a lot of cash in the Buell racing effort will pay off in the long run. And, they may be right, I certainly don't know. Some of the other MC companies obviously do think racing equals selling bikes. They of course go racing. Personally, I am fine if Buell does not succeed at racing. It has been fun to watch the XBRR so far but I don't think it would influence my decision to buy a Buell. One man's opinion. | ||
| M2nc |
My two cents and mind you I am far from an insider. HD did not become the worlds largest producer of street motorcycles over 600cc by racing. As a matter of fact they did by thumbing their noses at technology and sticking to traditional air cooled v-twins. Honda stated in 1980 that the air cooled v-twin was dead. These geniuses of motorcycling have spend huge amounts of money on the latest technology to stay ahead of their competition while Harley just sold the image, life style and reinventing classic motorcycles. Last I read, Harley made more money since 1980, than Honda. So, who are the geniuses here. My point is that Harley walked away from performance motorcycles probably when they reversed the controls of the sportsters back in the sixties. Yes there were the flat trackers that were great, but if you look at all racing efforts Harley has done over the years, it amounts to Harley customers racing each other not real world challenges. They put together some drag racing efforts to promote the V-Rod, maybe because they are trying to improve the appeal of that line of bikes here in the US, but for the most part Harley has made their fortune on classics and lifestyle, not masters of technology. It would be out of character, and against what they proved against all critics like Honda, for them to jump into FX or any other type of road racing. It is disappointing to hear that Buell will not be improving its efforts at FX. I was really hoping that the race effort was going to turn out for them. The XBRR has proven to be a very capable race bike. It did not win FX, but I would suspect that a top FX bike could be competitive in World GP. Last year the top FX bikes were turning times that would give them top ten positions in AMA Superbike and with the reduction in engine size in GP, the top FX bikes would also have top ten finishes in GP even with the 200cc disadvantage. That says something about the level of competition that FX is at. I would have loved for Buell to have climbed that mountain, but its not in the cards for 2007. The XBRR has proven to be very competitive in Super-Twin racing. Most other racing organizations are asking for Detuning for entry. That means the XBRR is a top notch racing bike for any other class, so a great effort from Buell, but as a customer of Buell, if I have to choose from new and improved street bikes or an FX championship, I say bring in the 2008 models! | ||
| Elvis |
"i have no ware near that kinda money, but you might be surpriced if you put up a little paypal button on a RR racing website for buellers to donate a little, perhaps only small change, who can tell" I think that's a cool idea, Bud . . . but when you stop to really think about it, you realize: 1. How small Buell is 2. How big $1,000,000 is Consider: Buell has just made their 100,000th bike. That was over more than 20 years, so it's safe to guess more than half of those aren't on the road anymore. Assuming there are still about 50,000 bikes actually running, you have to remember half of those are overseas (and probably not particularly interested in AMA racing). That leaves roughly 25,000 bikes actually on the road in the US. Most of those 25,000 Buellers probably don't have any interest in AMA racing and those that do will likely never hear of the opportunity to support an effort. Ones that are interested and have heard about the effort still may not have enough money to invest, or not have pay-pal or simply think the effort isn't worth their money. I think it would be very optimistic to think that even 10% of those 25,000 Buellers would support any effort, so that leaves maybe 2500 supporters at most. So those 2500 enthusiasts would have to contribute $400 each - a pretty serious chunk of change - to get to $1,000,000. Realistically, I'd say that maybe 800 of those 2500 could be talked into paying $100 toward a serious effort (and maybe get their name on a sticker that will go on the bike) and the other 1700 people might toss $10 toward such an effort. That's just about $100,000 . . . far short of $1,000,000, and even that is probably a very optimistic model. I think for something like that to even begin to get off the ground, we would need: 1. A serious dealer with some experience racing at this level to set up a pay-pal account and put together a plan that would include: a. Two talented riders (this may be the toughest part since the best riders are already connected with other efforts) b. Publicity for the effort on the internet and in motorcycle periodicals to let interested people know what they're trying to do. c. Help from HARLEY riders. . . There simply aren't enough Buellers out there. For something like that to really work Harley people will also have to contribute. I think there would be a lot of interest in a grass-roots effort, but I'm afraid it would take more commitment, effort and organization than any dealers are likely to offer at this point . . . 3 months before Daytona. . . and the effort would likely fall short of what would be required to really be competitive at theis level. | ||
| Bud |
i know elvis, i know, but i'm a optimist but what if a big bucks sponsor sees the a big group off people ( world wide ) who are suporting there beloved compagnie to race, it could tip the balance perhaps ps.i thought the us was the land to be for sponsordeals concerning motorsports.. looking at the prostock G2 teams ? very big bucks going one there gr,bud crew chief off a little dragrace team, who only have a free oil sponsor deal, and stock parts for net pricing | ||
| Rocketman |
When I left home, I wanted to be treated like an adult. One thing this meant to me is that I needed to pay my own bills. Ahahahaha, lmfaorotf!!!! Don't please try and sell me this is about pride. Just to be clear. We aren't talking about HD's interest, or lack of it, in racing. We are talking Buell here. Most of my American cousins would tell of a nation that has for the most not heard of Buell motorcycles. How could HD's input affect their well being in the motorcycle world, win or lose, if they were to stump up a suitable racing budget for their little known subsidiary, Buell? Rocket | ||
| Jlnance |
Don't please try and sell me this is about pride. The relationship between Buell & HD involves a lot more than this single issue. From comments I've seen about efforts to raise funds, I have to conclude that HD was asked for money and HD said no. Thats part and parcel of being independent. HD must feel that sponsoring the bike will not be benificial for the HD brand. That it might be benificial for the Buell brand does not figure into the equation because the companies are not tied that closely together. You could of course argue that they should be tied that closely together, but you will not get that with out Buell loosing a lot of their autonomy. I certainly do not know the answer to this question, but do you think Buell asked for HD's approval to build the XBRR? I don't, I think they just did it. If Buell was a less autonomous company, and they had to get HD approval for such things, HD would very likely have said no. | ||
| José_quiñones |
You know, there's a medical term for the condition Buell puts their race fans in, I found it on wikipedia. Buell balls From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Buell balls is a slang term for a temporary fluid congestion in the testicles and prostate region caused by prolonged sexual arousal in the human male. It is most commonly associated with adolescents but can occur in any sexually mature male. It is often accompanied by a cramp-like ache of prostatic congestion and pain/tenderness of the testes. Cause The main cause of Buell balls is prolonged anticipation of a factory AMA race effort, either by direct or indirect contact with the Buell PR machine, that does not result in bikes on the track or on an AMA Formula Extreme podium. It is exacerbated by watching parent company HD pump millions into their NHRA and AMA flat track factory racing efforts and wishing for a 'slice'. Treatment The easiest way to relieve the symptoms of Buell balls is through an orgasm either by playing with your XB at a track day or attending an ASRA/WERA race, cause you won't see them on TV. Or buy just buy a Ducati and watch them on SpeedChannel while you wait for them to return to the AMA in 08. (Message edited by josé_quiñones on December 03, 2006) | ||
| Rocketman |
I fail to see how HD cannot be a 'silent' or not financier of a Buell race effort. It matters not that Buell win or lose in racing, but that said, for years we are told, and I believe it, that if Buell had the financing in place they could build and race a world beater in any discipline. If such were ever to happen maybe Buell couldn't build enough street bikes to keep up with demand, even if they wanted to, so maybe it wouldn't give them a return in profit from racing, though I suspect with marketing (clothes, trinkets, etc, etc)it would, but it would certainly raise their profile for the better and would increase sales to whatever Buell felt comfortable with. That in turn can only benefit HD if they were to ride the crest of the wave with Buell. Nothing says HD have to be anything but the banker and why can't they be satisfied with basking in Buells glory if that's all it is? Buell winning in racing can only benefit both Buell and HD after all. Rocket | ||
| Vonsliek |
from reading this: 1) h-d is a public company, majority owned by private citizens & represented by a board of directors & other sundry corporate staffers intent on keeping the shareholding (read share-buying) owners in profitable position. same shareholders are likely people w/ share & investment (retirement funds) portfolios that are geared to creating wealth & not wasting it on racing efforts that will be supported by a piddling minority of unhinged enthusiasts w/ questionable fiscal prudence!  personally i LOVE circuit road-racing & own a buell, so i am one of the unhinged, piddling minority. however, i would most certainly not expect nor think it wise to have h-d shareholders hear my petitions to go racing. certainly the big jap & italian factories see racing in its historical & symbolic contexts. their market is likewise aware of these romantic notions & live for them. h-d knows its market & keeps same market in its fold. what mystifies me - well, not really - is why h-d was 'allowed' to force buell to sell majority. i guess it could be a deeper notion such as loyalty to the supplier of motors & the historical attachment to hd-racing in the american psych?! i am guessing buell had the potential to choose to put - say suzuki twins - in their chassis (like bimota, for example)? doesn't matter now, its history & irreversible, i expect. so, new american bike maker - fischer (price?!  ) - now has hyosung 650cc aircooled (?) vtwin in its chassis (which is itself a korean suzuki 650 - right?!) .. will we see a factory supported hyosung/fischer superbike team in next 4 years to raise brand awareness & sales figures? perhaps buell should really consider this scenario .. which we all KNOW they do .. $400 each for support of a factory racing effort is not that much for the few that wld pony up .. but, what will we GET for our donations? ---> a plastic keyfob & pride of ownership? we already have both. this kind of discussion is a kind of moebius loop .. or, good for keeping warm in winter! paul.  (Message edited by vonsliek on December 03, 2006) | ||
| Elvis |
You know who we need? We need Jay Leno. He's the obvious choice, because he has an interest in things like this, but there are 1000 other celebrities out there who have $1,000,000 in their couch cushions and could benefit from owning a racing team. It's a lot less expensive than a football team. Not only would it be something REALLY cool to do in their spare time, but it could actually pay off ten-fold in their career. Think about someone like Bruce Willis or Brad Pitt, or Will Smith. These guys realize that image is everything. They show up at a premier on a Harley and all of the sudden their box office receipts go up $10 million. Imagine the next time Will Smith is promoting his latest action film on Dave Letterman: Dave: I hear you're doing something with motorcycle racing? Will: Yeah Dave. See I've got this Buell racing team. We race these big, nasty American V-Twins against those Japanese hyper bikes in the most wild, diverse racing class in the world called "Formula X-Treme" . . . He could increase his "cool factor" in the exact opposite way that Tom Cruise didn't when he jumped on Oprah's couch. Anyone have any friends of friends of friends who know a celebrity like that? Drop them an e-mail, see if you can get them thinking about it. I'll bet that Willie G. has some interesting names on his PDA. Does anyone reading this work in the same building as him? Maybe you could put a bee in his ear. | ||
| Madduck |
Really appreciate the effort that went into the XBRR, but AMA roadracing will never grow the costomer base for the Buell motorcycle. To grow the customer base Buell needs to really back the stunters, Buell could dominate that type of riding for years to come. Want to attract the teens and early twenty somethings, stunting and extreme motocross are the future sports. Foolishly let one of nephews friends ride the ULY with the 9 primary in it. She was in 2nd gear on the rear wheel on my 200 ft vacant lot having a ball. Intimidated the hell out of a couple of the crowd. The rolling stoppie on grass was scary. She loved it and was talking of getting the new ST when they come out. None of this group had heard of Daytona much less cared about road racing. At 56 I've come to realize that I am not in anyones future except H-D. | ||
| Trojan |
It did not win FX, but I would suspect that a top FX bike could be competitive in World GP. Last year the top FX bikes were turning times that would give them top ten positions in AMA Superbike and with the reduction in engine size in GP, the top FX bikes would also have top ten finishes in GP even with the 200cc disadvantage. You obviously don't watch GP racing or understand the rules my friend. GP bikes have to be 'prototypes' and not based on existing road going models like Superbikes are. Ironically, the XBRR could almost qualify on that point. The very top FX bikes lap times are close to Superbikes, but not close enough to win, and that is with the very best riders on board such as DiSalvo and Bostrom. To suggest that an FX bike could run with MotoGP bikes (whoever the pilot would be) is a non starter. testing has already shown that GP lap times will be even faster in 2007 then in 2006, even with the reduction in engine size. I'm sure someone will drag out the very best FX Laguna lap time and suggest that it is only 1.something seconds slower than Rossi was at the GP, but that would be missing the point. Even one second per lap is a country mile in GP or Superbike terms, and over 28 laps....... If anyone thinks that racing at top level doesn't sell bikes, maybe they should speak to Mr Honda/Kawasaki etc. Why do you think they justify model changes every year in an effort to extract the last 0.05 bhp and save the last ounce from their latest Superbike? It certainly isn't because the average road rider needs more performance. It is because the factories want to win, and winning translates into sales. Customers PERCEIVE the bike to be better because it is faster (on paper at least), lighter and they can see what looks like their bike winning on the TV every weekend. Racing makes huge headlines around the world and viewing figures for MotoGP and Superbike have gone through the roof in the last few years, attracting audiences that have never seen or been interested in bike racing before. It is certainly no coincidence that one of Hondas biggest selling models in the UK is the CB125R in Repsol colours. This is being bought by 17 year olds, some of whom will eventually trade up to a CBR600/1000 and probably remain loyal to Honda for a long time. The average age of a H-D customer is 50+ and growing older all the time. To encourage younger riders into the fold H-D has already admitted that it needs to makes it's image sportier, hence the V-Rod and new Sportster. Racing on a world stage would do that for them in one swoop , all they need is the money (they have that), the bike (they could build that) and the commitment (Oh dear). You only need to take a look at the people running Harley Davidson to realise that road racing isn't in their blood , but profit is. (Message edited by trojan on December 04, 2006) | ||
| Vonsliek |
matt my brother .. i am in total accord. if only i cld fund a 2007 ducati 1098 .. omg! the writing is on the wall, but buell/hd are dyslexic .. shame. no offense, but if not racing, what - precisely - is the point of buell xb12r & derivatives?? | ||
| Rocketman |
You only need to take a look at the people running Harley Davidson to realise that road racing isn't in their blood , but profit is. I was expecting this response from Anony, but as usual he / they come here, complain about the negative then disappear when the real questions come out. Matt, as usual you have exposed the weakness in Buells side when it comes to racing. Buell needs you kicking in the corporate door at HD HQ. Rocket | ||
| Jimidan |
M1combat sez: "I haven't "come around" Jimidan." Well, you have made some very good points that would constitute a change of 'tune'...and it sounds a little like the one Jscott and I were humming back in the summer. But dont' worry, that is OK, as it doesn't mean you have turned gay or anything  ! It is amazing how clear one can see things once they get the pompoms out of their eyes. jimidan} | ||
| Court |
>>>.complain about the negative then disappear There is just so much negative that, like it or not, it simply doesn't justify to the time to try to debate each and every sole with a differing opinion. There, simply, are better and more important things to do with time. I recently got a lesson when the internet ( a terribly small sample of Buell customers as luck would have it) declared the new Buell TT stillborn before the bike had been unveiled. Before one person could mutter "hey, where'd that suspension come from, I've never seen that on a Buell before" the bike was given the internet death sentence for having a non-functional part (the number plates). I have opinions and like to express them. I just don't have the time, given recent developments, to argue with every person who's ever decried an under-inflated tire as a "engineering design defect". There are some insightful opinions here, some very valid and good ones on this topic. I'm sitting on my opinions and simply listening. It seems there is no shortage of folks self proclaimed as clairvoyant. By the way, I think you and Matt have brought a good deal to this conversation. I'm not parting with my Buell Racing shirt. | ||
| Blake |
The repeated one star voters are starting to irritate me. Stop it. | ||
| Trojan |
I'm not parting with my Buell Racing shirt. Me neither, although we won't be racing in 2007 with our bike The eternal optimist in me hopes that we will see Buell racing at the top level again very soon! In the meantime, build the clubmans edition XB race bike: XBRR rolling chassis with cheaper glassfibre bodywork. 'Thunderbike tune' XB12 engine (Spares will be easy to buy at a local dealer, making it a real option for club racers wherever they are situated). Make it eligible for production class racing worldwide, Price it for around GBP10,000 (US$19000) and they will sell by the boat load. Maybe even organise a one make series to support national Superbike series, such as KTM have done in the UK and Germany next year with their 'Superduke Battle' series. Competitors buy the bike at the start of the season for GBP6500 (US$12350 approx), plus compulsory race kit at GBP1800 (US$3420) plus spare wheels if wanted. Tyres (Continental) are bought at a discounted price through the organisers and the series will run as a support race at every BSB round and the British GP in 2007. It is a cheap, very competitive and extremely high profile series that has actually cost KTM very little, as the riders buy the bikes before the season even starts. KTM will be providing a marquee in the paddock for all riders so that the series looks professional. There are quite a few one make series being run in the UK next year (Triumph 675, GSXR600, R6 Cup) but none have caught the imagination or attracted the public interest that this one has. KTM must be jumping for joy! Contrast this to Buell UK and their attitude to racing. I approached them in 2005 as the headline sponsor of the UK Thunderbike series to the tune of GBP10,000 for the whole series, (not our team). Initially I was told that they were interested, then at the last minute, and after much time wasting, was told that they did not have the money to do it. This would have put the Buell name on every programme, every timesheet, every press article and a large 'Buell UK Thunderbike' sticker on every bike in the series, regardless of make. It would have put the Buell name in front of sportsbike riders and made people who attend or are interested in racing sit up and take notice of the Buell name. for the first time in the UK. Instead we get massively expensive 'arty' full page adverts in the magazines that actually say nothing, and we get a pretty meaningless world stoppie record whilst carrying a passenger on the front wheel spindle! A trick sure to entice more people into the showrooms I'm sure. (Message edited by trojan on December 04, 2006) | ||
| Jimidan |
We have been kicking around the numbers it would take to sponsor an FX team, and there has even been a proposal that we personally cough up $400 of our hard earned money to do it. Any racing ran understands that private sponsorship dollars have been dwindling over the past several years, with the decreasing number of full factory sponsored teams at an all time low. We have discussed the fact that deep pockets are hard to come by. However, there is one very deep pocket that nobody has mentioned just yet...that would be the US military recruitment budget. The military spends between $3 and $4 Billion (with a "B") a year on recruiting, with much of it going to sponsoring NASCAR, drag racing, rodeos, football games, etc. That is serious money being spent on recruiting our youth into the Army of One, that would make even the mighty Motor Company quake. I wonder if the military would sponsor a Buell XBRR...what could be more God, country and Mom's Apple Pie than that? I can think of nothing I would rather see my tax dollars being spent on than an ARMY Buell FX racing team. The resources available in that $3-$4 Billion pool far surpasses any private corporation's capabilities. In addition, the bike racing fan is a unique niche that has yet to be tapped. I think we all can agree that we really need more squids and stunters on the streets of Iraq. The advantages are many. First of all, they are naturals. Plus, it gets these guys off of the public roads, it helps the recruiting deficit and it gives Darwinism a leg up on cleaning up the gene pool. But seriously, did anybody approach the Army concerning possible sponsorship of a team? jimidan |
