| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/2013/07/ erik-buell-racing-fighting-history.html?page=all | ||
| Sir_wadsalot |
Hoyer pointed out that the former Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Co., based in Belle Plaine, Minn., raised $100 million from investors in the 1990s...... plagued by production, marketing and distribution issues — never really took off and the company filed its first Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan in December 1999 What Hoyer fails to point out is the fact that harlee leveraged Excelsior's suppliers to create the production and distribution issues. Thanks harlee. | ||
| Davegess |
EH didn't need any help screwing it up. They burned a ton a money before the even had bike; parties with playboy bunnies and giant media events. They had no idea how tough it is to design and build a bike. If they had spent all that cash on bike development they might have had a chance. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
harley messed with the distributors? any proof of this or just heresay? | ||
| Elvis |
While it's almost an understatement to say history is against them, it's interesting to see how many ways they've defied history already. History would tell us it's impossible for a start-up with limited resources to put a bike on a podium in the top displacement class of production racing in a major series within a year of that bike's start of production. History would tell us that a small motorcycle manufacturer needs to focus on style rather than performance. History would tell us that an American bike can't match the performance of the top bikes from Japan and Europe. History would tell us that the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world wouldn't pay any attention to one of the smallest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. So it seems that history may not be the best prism through which to view this particular effort. . . . except maybe the history that says: "Don't count Erik Buell out when the odds seem stacked against him." | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
""Don't count Erik Buell out when the odds seem stacked against him."" BINGO! EB is one of those few great minds, like Britten, that think outside the box and CAN beat the big 4 at their game | ||
| Sir_wadsalot |
At this point? Heresay. I used to have subscriptions to all the motorcycle mags, and I think there was an article about it somewhere. Looking for proof when asked? I can't find a thing about it on Google. It's possible I've twisted something up in my tiny little brain. Objection sustained. I have a friend who works for KTM, he formerly worked for HD, and then Polaris/Victory. Been in the moto business over 20 years. I asked him about it, and he said there was something to it, but had no details...more heresay. He also said Polaris was just as bad, and would buy up or destroy a potential competitor in a heartbeat, if anything they were worse than HD, as a corporate entity. He said he straight hated working for Polaris. Slightly more on topic, one of the articles I Googled while looking said when the investors pulled the EH funding, they kept comparing them and their massive facility to Erik Buell working out of his barn. There was even a crack about the EH guy saying "No one will invest in a barn." Guess he was wrong. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Several EBR patents that appear to be filed on the 4th of July. Most look derived from the Hero Hybrid project, one may be for street bike (another fuel in frame related patent). Haven't looked at them in detail yet... | ||
| Hughlysses |
^ Bill- I had no luck in finding any EBR patents or applications. Can you post a link? Thanks! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Found 'em: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=P TO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch- adv.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&d=PG01&Query=AANM%2Fbuell The first 3 are for Erik Buell patent applications; the 4th is unrelated. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Cool. Looks like all 3 patents are for the hybrid. | ||
| Blake |
Darn, phone won't show the drawings. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Blake, yea I had that problem too with a couple of different browsers. Finally got it to work with one. The patents are clearly based on the Hero hybrid scooter, but one of the patents shows a very XB-R-ish hybrid motorcycle drawing. | ||
| Davegess |
There was even a crack about the EH guy saying "No one will invest in a barn." Well Erik's comment on walking through the lobby of the hotel in Daytona Beach the year EH unveiled the grand plan complete with playboy bunnies, media give aways and other over the top BS funded by all the cash they snookered out of people before even a running proto existed "I built a dam motorcycle first" | ||
| Sir_wadsalot |
I built a damn motorcycle first. Indeed. Hybrid scooter? Makes sense, the Buell electric bike expertise should carry over to that arena. I'm thinking something like a Bergman scooter with fuel in frame, the honda clone Hero scooter motor and EBR engineered generator/motor with battery cell underslung with a bash plate. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Jason- the EBR-designed hybrid scooter is already built; it's the Hero "Leap":  | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
barf | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
let me add - few scooters appeal to me though - the aprillia ones are quite nice, but most look like ass. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Well, this one is intended for India, and apparently more for practical transportation rather than sex appeal. | ||
| Britchri10 |
Sex appeal in a scooter? Move to or visit Italy! Definitely a "horses for courses" design. Not to my taste but scooters are very practical and popular all over the world. Chris C | ||
| Zenbiker |
"Hoyer pointed out that the former Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Co., based in Belle Plaine, Minn., raised $100 million from investors in the 1990s." I remember when this hit the news years back, and Jeff, the HD CEO said "It doesn't take millions to run a motorcycle company, it takes hundreds of millions" I also remember when they had the sale of the facility and the reports told of marble floors and lots of excess that did not translate to motorcycle production. Although it is a shame, they made their own bed. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Neil, Dead on. I almost went to work for them. They got LOTS of money from the state in loans and TIF deals. They spent very extravagantly on their facilities and promotion but not near enough on the engineering and manufacture. It was a state of the art facility at the time. Not a good outcome though. Last week while heading down 694, I saw a bike with a nice side car. It was a EH! First one Ive seen in years. | ||
| Xb1125r |
I like it, it actually has a identity. i like the double headlight (more visible to cars)and the windscreen like the uly. it makes it look nicer then your typical scooter. I think I would actually get one to ride around the city, your quick ride to the 7-eleven or even the supper. greta for single people | ||
| Mnscrounger |
I'm no expert on EH, but I had a chance to look one over that was still in the crate last summer. It looks like the build quality was there, and from the owners group chat, they don't appear to have any more troubles than any other newly introduced model from a major brand. I get the impression they overspent on manufacturing before they had the distribution worked out. When the creditors called, failed to get an extension on their loans. It seems to me impractical management, not bad product, is what killed them. I actually wouldn't mind having one for those 4 sunny sunday rides a year when the Mrs. wants to play biker dress up. It would be a lot less crowded than 2 up on the S3, would satisfy my desire for a bike that not everyone has, and hers for the fat hog look. I could justify an unusual bike like that sitting under a cover 45 weeks a year. |
