| Author | Message | ||
     Mikej |
But if your goal was to acquire Buell and you got the whole of H-D in the process - imagine the possibilities. Might want to acquire PeptoBismal and Excederin at the same time though just as a cautionary measure. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
All this talk of "buyout" of HD got me thinking. I wonder how much HD stock is "in play". I wonder if there even is enough stock out there willing to be sold to allow for a takeover/buyout. If there was, it would be funny (to me at least) if HD was quietly bought out by a sovereign wealth fund from the middle east or the far east. | ||
| Oddball |
HD a division of the new Buell corporation.  Then they can come in asking about hd's and be pointed to the dusty chrome collection in the dark corner of the dealership. | ||
| Hex |
 Oddball, I like your perspective! | ||
| Crackhead |
I will gladly show up and "gently" remove the giant HD sign on the front of the dealer, free of charge. | ||
| 04xl1200c |
It would be real funny for about a week. Buell is a great bike but Buell sales will not keep a dealer open. | ||
| Chadhargis |
No, but putting them in a dealership with other sportbikes might. Getting butts in the seats is typically all it takes to sell a Buell. Once someone rides one, they typically like it. But getting a sport bike lover to go to a Harley shop is not a good marketing strategy. | ||
| Jaimec |
See, if Harley had any BRAINS, as soon as they bought MV Agusta, they should've allowed any existing MV Agusta dealer to also carry the Buell line. Unfortunately, nobody SMART seems to be in HD's marketing department. | ||
| Blake |
Mike, http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NYSE:HOG Over half the market cap, so probably $4B at least. | ||
| Madgaz |
I would like to know how many bikes were sold and where.(including Australia) Someone has to have this information. We have been debating it down under and no one really knows how many S1's, S2's, M2's all the way to the 1125's were sold here. Was Buell a success in some locations, were some locations miserable in Buell sales. MadGaz | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Getting butts in the seats is typically all it takes to sell a Buell. Once someone rides one, they typically like it. that's how I ended up buying my first Buell back in 1998. Just took a test ride and I was sold. I think the problem was that not enough motorcycle dealers would let potential customers take a test ride on the Buells in fear of them having an accident and getting sued in return. The Buell Demo truck would work wonders but dealers started cutting out that expense. just my $0.02 worth | ||
| Mikej |
$4Bil? (checking my falling apart wallet and rummaging around in my pockets ...) Hmmm, I came up with $3.74. Closer than $3.73 I guess. Looks like I've got some more saving to do if I'm going to pull this off by December when they'll least expect it. Thanks for the link Blake. ------- Edit: interesting, a Beta of 2.27, that could help a little. (Message edited by mikej on October 27, 2009) | ||
| Jammin_joules |
FYI there have been about 125,000 Buells sold since day one this year there were about 300 MV Agustas sold in the US | ||
| Oddball |
Oh man, I always like the unlikable it seems.(XR1200, Street Rod) Seen XR's move lately but with prices several K off msrp. Those two handle much better than the others. Still Street Rods at dealers all these years later. | ||
| Shag9499 |
i can attest to fact that once you ride one you will buy one. my first bike 4 years ago was a 78 kz1000. the price was right for me and it was a good looking bike. since i was young i always joined the rest of the gang in admireing harleys. after geting my kaw i never thought i wanted a vibrating sofa to ride. saw my m2 at a car dealership and asked a buddy salesman for a test ride. i fired it up in the garage of the dealership and shut it off after 20 seconds or that dumb v twin vibrating below me. told him i i dont want a v twin. he fired it back up before i got off of it and said i dont wanna see you back here before we close. the next day i told him that i wasnt bringing it back and gave him an offer. he didnt take it at first but after a few days and he ws i really wasnt bringing it back unless i was signing paperwork he took the offer and its been a great time ever since. cudos to eric and the elves and to the bright future ahead. | ||
| Eulysses |
Thanks Shag. New purchase technique! Take whatever for a ride...make a call the next day saying you ain't brining it back unless they deal! Drag it out. I like it... Your buddy did you a favor. I inspired a buddy to take a Uly ride once...he still thanks me. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Regarding a stand alone Buell dealership, this post covers my feelings on the matter. Read the two posts dated today. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/17/ 508549.html?1256827293 | ||
| Pso |
Interesting note about test rides. Couldn't get a test ride on a Buell anywhere until Hardley D. of Seford De. had one on the floor for close to a year. Asked the owner when is the last time he purchased a new car without a test drive. Finaly got to take out the Uly that I eventually purchased. Seems as if Hardley dealers are so accustomed to purchasers that only wanted the brand (buy into a lifestyle) that the dumb buyers would purchase a bike without a test ride. Goig through saem issue with a local yam/suz dealer right now. End of summer and got a call and they said that they have changed policy and now allow test rides. I told them that Wife had already purchased bike from competator months ago | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Interesting note about test rides. Couldn't get a test ride on a Buell anywhere until Hardley D. of Seford De. had one on the floor for close to a year. Asked the owner when is the last time he purchased a new car without a test drive. Pso, I once went to a large Chevy dealership in Chicago looking for a car. I told him what I was looking for and he went to his computer and looked it up. He told me he had one so I asked if I could see it, he said it was on a lot three blocks away. I said ok, go and get it. He couldn't do that so I walked and purchased elsewhere. He wouldn't even show me the dam car! I'm like you, I need to test ride before I purchase. | ||
| Madgaz |
I'm thinking we should invite Erik to make a new start down here in Australia. Get the government to throw a few grants and subsidies at him and we can have our own successful motor industry exporting to the world. Plenty of room here too Erik, and you can test in secret on a huge variety of public roads and no one will notice.} Give me the word and I'll start looking for a big empty shed for ya with a BBQ out the back. Black X1 aka madgaz | ||
| F_skinner |
Tomorrow is a BIG day . . . . I would say you nailed the title of this thread.  I have to admit when I first saw} the thread I was thinking something along the lines of Buell becoming independent of HD. Damn it!  | ||
| Chadhargis |
Maybe you could scare up some of Brittin's friends from over in NZ and bring them over too.  | ||
| Court |
>>> Brittin's friends Obviously didn't know John. Be sure to read Tim Hanna's book . . . not just the one that the Britten family hired Felicity to write after they saw Tim's. John was a visionary, not a "people person". He left a fairly wide wake of pissed off folks. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Court, you're right. I don't know much about him, but his level of brilliance and Erik's seem to be a good match. | ||
| Mndwgz |
If only my XB12R ran or even sounded like a Britten... | ||
| Chadhargis |
I think the Britten was one of the best looking bikes I've ever seen too. I'm a function over form guy, and I typically don't give a damn about what it looks like, but that bike was just captivating to look at. All the little details on it. I saw it at the Barber museum, and studied it for several minutes. | ||
| Court |
No doubt about it . . . the sound, the looks and the allure. I have a friend who has one and I was at Daytona when they raced a Britten. It's truly one of those bikes you can sit and stare at . . . . | ||
| Chadhargis |
I'm envious. I would have loved to see it run. I've never made the trek to Bike Week. Even have family that lives in New Smyrna Beach and can stay for free. | ||
| Cheddarheads4erik |
"Interesting note about test rides. Couldn't get a test ride on a Buell anywhere until Hardley D. of Seford De. had one on the floor for close to a year. Asked the owner when is the last time he purchased a new car without a test drive." Here's some of the misinformation out there; for the last 3 years we've pulled friends to the Buell Demo semis at AMA rounds at tracks in the USA. As long as you had a driver's license and some riding gear you could ride their whole fleet, every bike in the line up, for the entire 3 days fo any AMA round!!. And get the free schwag of water bladders, courier bags, and what not!! This " no test rides" BS is a bunch o' bunk!! | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
So after wading through all of this I have to ask. What does the title of this thread mean? Did the "Big Day" come and go without notice? Sorry to sound so jaded but I have never been a huge fan of the cloak and dagger type stuff. |
