| Author | Message | ||
     Whatever |
Aw Court. That is really too bad. Must be some people lurking on here from the competition! I am sure you will be able to tell all of us a great story someday. All we can do right now is hope it works out to Erik's and the Buell employees advantage.  | ||
| Hellgate |
Cooking the books and taking advantage of legal write downs etc are two totally different things. Being a publicly traded company HD has auditors reviewing their numbers. After Sarbanes Oxley there are pretty much no Fortune 1000 who is try to cook the books. The audit process is very tight and the executive are ultimately responsible (CEO and CFO who sign the books that they are correct) and if found to be lying they can go to jail. So is HD lying, no. HD stated that B operations are part of all of the other expenses and income so theres is no way to parse it out. Was Buell losing money? You tell me. How long did the same bikes sit in a showroom? | ||
| Skyclad |
I have no rumors, nor will I do any guessing about the reasons behind H-D's closing of Buell. I can however simply state my feeling on the matter. Back in 2001, I had to oppurtunity to borrow a friends X1 Lightning. Absolutely fell in love with the bike adn had a hard time giving it back at the end of the weekend. Pretty much decided that the next bike I bought would be a Buell. Cut to 2007 when I found out about the Ulysses while looking at big dual sports. It was pretty much a no brainer for me, and my wife decided that she needed her own Blast. Two more Buell riders and fans. Back in 1983, Erik started with naught but a few ideas and and a pocketful of dreams. Even if he lost everything else, Erik wold still have his ideas and dreams, now augmented by experience and, even more importantly, a hugely loyal group of riders that eagerly await the return of Erik and the Elves. You can put me down for an order of a new bike when the Buell Motorcycle Company returns. | ||
| Midknyte |
'prolly need a translator for this one... http://auto.utro.ru/news/2009/10/19/212747.shtml | ||
| Midknyte |
 http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=e n&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fauto.utro.ru%2Fnews%2F2009%2 F10%2F19%2F212747.shtml&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0 = | ||
| Rangeridn |
General comments re: impairment. Every year a company is forced to go through a valuation of it's intangibles. If during the valuation the fair value of the intangibles is determined to be less than the carrying value the company must expense the difference. Valuation of an intangible is an art not a science. How do you value something that exists only on paper? Ask 10 analysts and you will likely get 10 different answers. | ||
| Ulyranger |
Let's clean up this thread a bit.......keep the corporate speculation stuff in an appropriate thread. This is the "Tomorrow is a BIG day...." thread. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot. Keep up the good work Court, and the rest you guys working on the project. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Doerman's letter got posted on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's webpage: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/65160547.ht ml  | ||
| Rwven |
Doerman's letter got posted on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's webpage: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/65160547.ht ml Saweeet! | ||
| Doerman |
Good! It's only a start! | ||
| Brumbear |
I keep watching this the truth is out there http://quote.morningstar.com/Stock/s.aspx?t=HOG | ||
| Hughlysses |
The Kneeslider is covering the story too and even linked in the Journal-Sentinel blog: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2009/10/21/buell -supporters-trying-to-save-the-company | ||
| Chadhargis |
The Journal-Sentinel states Buell lost money for "years". Is this true? I keep hearing conflicting stories. If Buell was loosing money, then that makes it a good business decision to scrap them. If they were making money, then it makes no sense. Makes no sense that they didn't offer them for sale, no matter of they were making or losing money. | ||
| Leatherneck |
I think they moved the article but here it is. http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/harley.html Very well written article Doerman. Doc | ||
| Hippo888 |
It would be hard to sell Buell as a stand-alone company because it has too much shared technology with current HOG products (Sportsters). GM and Ford are running into the same problems offloading their brands. The main reason they say they won't sell Opel and Volvo to the Chinese is that too much GM and Ford tech is locked up in the new Opel and Volvo models. Imagine a Chinese company buying Buell and chucking out Sportster-engined motorcycles for US$3000 new. HOG has an interest in not seeing that happen. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Was HD loosing money on Buell? -Probably, consider how many people complained about their dealer and how little they seemed to care about the line. Can Buell be a money making, self funding company? -In my mind that is a better question, sorry to speculate on the "Big Day" thread, but if someone with passion about the bikes is allowed to sell them, or at the least someone who is excited about sport bikes and not going to wait for the bike to to sell itself by accident can start selling them (free of the constraints that were in place previously)... well then tomorrow will definitely be a big day. Hopefully we are not wrecking Court's efforts here. There are too many people working hard and doing good things for the community. Be careful guys. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Another article on the Walworth County officials trying to save Buell: http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id /27281/group/Business/publisher_ID/13/ This one has a couple of extra tidbits of info. | ||
| A10tankkill |
Part of the business game is never playing your full hand. So, both sides are going to use slight of hand and tongue to work for their own endgame. Harley saying they won't do this or that, is by no means a definite, it may mean they just want a big pay day to make it happen, or just vying to get more than they hope. The internet adds a whole new baloney factor for rumor mongering and ill will, which can be used by both sides to their advantage, or can cause problems to a deal potentially. Some people without knowing can make rough estimates of what a side is planning as an approach to a deal and if it gets enough play, it may give their opponent a heads up and cause a change, or cancellation of a deal. In the old days it was a reporter that could screw things up while digging around for insight into a deal. It would take quite awhile for pieces to come together so rarely did they mess up a deal. Nowadays someone who knows someone can post an insight they were supposed to keep to themselves, or accidentally overheard and flash, it's around the world. Be careful what you post of what you think you know, or don't know for the benefit of Court and others working on a deal. It would be great if something comes through if it didn't cost an arm and leg or with some nasty restrictions. | ||
| Mndwgz |
Another good read with a lot of Buell references... http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/tradition-bus iness-model-motoczysz/#more-5710 | ||
| Hughlysses |
Very nice commentary on Buell's closure at Road Racing World by Reg Kittrelle: http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=3 8515 | ||
| Court |
 | ||
| Doerman |
Have you been out riding again, Court? | ||
| Bombardier |
Lost me on that one Court. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
the question:Was HD loosing money on Buell? I think Harley Davidson was loosing money by their advertising campaign and how they were trying to sell the Buell sport bikes in their Harley dealerships. According to Court, Buell was only making motorcycles, all other aspects of their marketing and distribution was being handled by Harley Davidson. That's what was costing Harley money. Shame on the Harley mother-ship, they totally screwed-up a great motorcycle company! | ||
| Madduck |
Court, The leaves say that you have been North, is that supposed to mean something??? Share what you can but don't worry about us we are all doing fine. | ||
| Oddball |
I believe he was trying to indicate that our speculating is broadcast to anyone listening, hence his silence while he's at it behind the scenes. | ||
| Vtwinbuell |
He didn't take the picture it is marked. It would appear he is saying something with it though, looking up a that tower. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I think I agree with Oddball.  (Message edited by Hughlysses on October 23, 2009) | ||
| Xbmacon |
+1 oddball Lets get back to doing what we do best...support buell bikes and each other. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Another good article on Buell- "Michael Vaughan: Harley-Davidson gets it wrong" http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNew s/20091021/AUTOS_harley_Vaughan_091022/20091022?s_ name=Autos&no_ads= |
