| Author | Message | ||
     Jens |
From: http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/27/motorcycles-sport bikes-manufacturing-business-buell.html Made In America I'm Placing My Bet On American Manufacturing Erik Buell, 05.28.09, 06:00 PM EDT Motorcycle maker Erik Buell shares his vision on surviving and thriving against fierce competition. In 10 years, we will look back and say this was our moment in time when we turned it around. The re-trenching--or in the case of the American auto industry, re-wrenching--brings us back to our roots. It lets us scrap our production lines and stand empty-handed in the garage or backyard, and start again. From this time of crisis, American manufacturing will be reborn. Call me an optimist, but consider what's happening in my world, in the fast-paced world of sport bikes. In recent history, overseas competitors have dominated the industry. This is especially true in professional American motorcycle road racing, or it was until earlier this spring when a virtually unknown 22-year-old rider from Broken Arrow, Okla., raced his way to the top of the podium on the bike of a small, relatively unknown company. Have you heard of Buell Motorcycles? We're a 200-person motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S., founded 25 years ago. At a time when American manufacturing is taking hits, we are making history. It's been 37 years since any American manufacturer has won even a major event in the AMA Pro road racing circuit. But not even halfway through the season, and we have not just one, but three wins under our belt, near the top in the points standings and a bright, glaring spotlight upon us. With any spotlight comes whining, finger pointing, and what we can only interpret as self-doubt from all those that believe America can't do it. Those that told themselves the only way to win was with carbon copy clones of what the other guys were doing. We don't blame them for being upset. We only wanted to compete; and it was time, if you ask me, to cause such a stir. We didn't get here with sheer manpower. Honda ( HMC - news - people ) has nearly one-thousand times the staff we do. We didn't get here with a race shop powered by hundreds of engineers. Ducati's shop has resources off the charts compared to ours. And those familiar with Buell's history know that luck certainly wasn't a factor. The truth is we are dreamers, who dream of a positive, exciting future. And dreamers have the willingness to risk it all in pursuit of that dream. Buell was started in a tiny garage in the early 1980s, as the U.S. staggered under a recession and the loss of manufacturing jobs overseas. It was started with the sheer revolutionary spirit that said "We are not going to become defensive and hold onto old ways, we need to be aggressive and take on new challenges." We built our company to be different from the start. Following industry norms never interested us. Winning takes risks. And we want to win, not just on the racetrack but in sales, which for the sport bike industry are really one in the same. As I see it, the American way to win is to be driven by ideas and heart. Not a blind race to a product that doesn't resonate with customer or manufacturer. We assemble our bikes by hand on a single assembly line, which is uncommon in manufacturing these days. Each person knows how to do the job in front of them and behind them and rotate regularly to prevent boredom and build collaboration. Every part on a new bike is brought to life with a small team from within the company that sees the bike through from conception to production. It gives a sense of ownership as to the success or failure of a piece. This process is loved by our builders as much as it is by our customers. Riders appreciate the personal influence that brought forth their bike from start to finish. Of course this isn't the only way for American manufacturers to rebuild, but freeing yourself enough to imagine new ideas is easier if you aren't burdened by replication equations and trying to prescribe a product that you think the market will take. We're in the workshop bringing new ideas to life through ruthless engineering--like sculpting a chassis around an engine that many said was too big and unruly for a sport bike. We are trying out wild new technologies like putting fuel in the frame and developing a perimeter-mounted front brake that reduces wheel weight. Ideas that elevated the performance of the bike beyond what conventional wisdom dictated. Ideas that enhanced the connection between rider, bike and road. At the end of the day, if I had to put money on a team of sterile engineers with no emotional connection to the product they are producing, or a team that is creative, fearless, driven by the passion and soul of a thing, there is really no choice. Here's to building the best. Erik Buell is the founder, chairman and chief technical officer of Buell Motorcycles, an independent subsidiary of Harley-Davidson. | ||
| Ironweed |
Thanks to you, Jens, for an excellent post. I particularly like "stand empty-handed in the back yard or garage and start again". I am pleased to be able to say I ride and own a Buell. | ||
| 4cammer |
"I am pleased to be able to say I ride and own a Buell." +1 | ||
| Tim_w |
I love my bike, glad I took the chance, cant wait till my next day off!  | ||
| Tomzhog |
Couldn't put in better words Erik buell is the benjamin franklin or samuel adams of the 21st century |
