| Author | Message | ||
     Bonesbuell |
I recieved a letter from Buell on Tuesday stating that All American HD/Buell would no longer be selling/servicing Buells. Something about a Nation-wide reduction and that where there are two/three Harley shops in close proximity, reduction would take place. Luckily HD/Buell of Washington is closer to home and I've had good service and maintenance thus far. Anyone have more details on Harley's reduction in Buell service? | ||
| Dschley |
There were 2 service/selling HD/Buell in my area of Arlington, TX, but they both stopped also. Longhorn HD of Arlington and Ft Worth HD. I now have to ride 70 miles to get my lightning serviced. I called Longhorn HD and spoke to a mechanic about this problem and he could not give me an answer. Only thing he said was "I would not buy a Buell right now, you just don't know what is going to happen with them(Buell in general)." It kind of pisses me off. I just bought the thing at a dealer 5 miles from me, now it takes me a whole day just to get serviced. dschley | ||
| Chellem |
A DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEE said not to buy a Buell?? Man, is that bad advice. | ||
| Bake |
"I would not buy a Buell right now, you just don't know what is going to happen with them(Buell in general)." Poor advise but wouldn't stop me from buying one, as }long as parts are available! | ||
| Glitch |
This isn't new news. The "reduction" has been going on now for the better part of a year. Just clearing the dead wood. You wouldn't want someone to service you bike or sell you a bike that didn't want to would you? What will be the end result will be fewer and fewer stories of dealerships that "just don't get it." I have to ride thirty or fourtyfive minutes (according to traffic) to get to my nearest dealership. I would gladly ride further to get the great service I get at Stone Mountain HD & Buell. | ||
| Blake |
"now it takes me a whole day just to get serviced." Hey now, this is not the place to air such personal issues.  | ||
| Buellman39 |
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| Norrisperformance |
I couldn’t help but voice my opinion on this. Those are the dealers where the Buells are stuck in a back corner somewhere. They feel it’s not worth their time to sell them, when they can mark up some Harleys and make a bigger profit. They just don’t get the Buell or what it stands for or what it’s about. I think it’s good and good for the Buell. I wish there were Buell only Dealers. Or sportbike dealers that carried the Buell like they did in the old days. | ||
| Light_keeper |
This maybe a dumb question and it has most likely been hashed out before, but why arn't there stand alone / Multi brand with no harley, Buell stores? | ||
| Bomber |
stand alone, likely very few markets that, today, could support a Buell-only shop -- non-HD/multi-brand Buell shops -- dunno for sure, but I DO know that many manufacturers (bikes, cars, office furniture, runs the gamut of products) discourage their dealers from carrying "competative" brands -- whether or not this makes sense to the buying public, it seems to make sense to the manufacturers | ||
| Light_keeper |
I happen to believe that in some market areas Buell could / should be sold away from HD. Placed with a dealer who maybe also sold other types of motorworld fun products. | ||
| Makenzie71 |
I like it. I found out the other day that the local Harley dealership that used to carry Buells had stopped carrying the line. The closest buell dealership is in albequerque, New Mexico. That's 340 miles away. The Next is in Dallas...420 miles. It's actually just another thing that appeals to me about the bike. | ||
| Light_keeper |
You like fewer dealers or stand alone? | ||
| Makenzie71 |
Fewer dealers means that the kids getting bikes are more likely to hit up the local dealerships than travel 400 miles for a Buell. Fewer dealerships means it's going to be a rare-er bike. It's the reason I bought my TLS. It's going to be the reasoning for my next purchase. | ||
| Light_keeper |
Although gaining in popularity it is still a rare bike in any form around here. It is a rare day that I see more than 1 other any style Buell on the road. | ||
| Jersey_l |
"They feel it’s not worth their time to sell them, when they can mark up some Harleys and make a bigger profit." It seems as though over the years Harley has become so expensive it's turned into a rich mans bike. Nowadays Buell seems to appeal to the rider who cares more about the feeling and ride VS. just being seen and heard. I think Harleys Centers are aware of this and chooses to go where the profits are. Hey, that’s the name of the sales game, too bad! I still love both bikes though! | ||
| Chellem |
Certainly some dealers are staying where they perceive the profits are, i.e. Harley. But also, and I've said this before, they were Harley dealers first. Some of them have been Harley dealers for DECADES. It's just not easy to bring people out of their comfort zone to a completely different bike. Different technology, different marketing strategy, different target customers. Different in every sense, as it were. And, as I'm experiencing now, even if the Dealer Principal wants to support Buell, it's hard for front line employees to learn an ENTIRE new line, new culture, new everything. Most people, by their nature, resist change. But try putting an ad in the want ads for "Buell Technician" and see how many hits you get. The techs have to almost be trained and certified from scratch, or at least from a Harley basis. I'm not excusing it, it's a hurdle that we're trying to overcome. I'm just offering another perspective - it's not necesarilly that dealers don't WANT to sell Buells - they're just SUCH a different animal, and, in relation to how long Harleys have been around, fairly new. So by asking dealers to either step up or step down as Buell dealers, you should see the emergence of a much better (if a little smaller) dealer network overall. Hopefully all the horror stories will start to become a thing of the past. P.S. come to our open house.  Sept. 24, see Erik Buell and the Thunderbolts at Liberty Buell in Rahway, NJ. See our Sponsor Board for details. Thank you. (Message edited by ChelleM on August 11, 2005) | ||
| Mike748 |
Sometimes I wonder if Buells being sold in Harley shops is a detriment. If the brand was sold at different types of dealerships it would spark more interest. (Message edited by mike748 on August 11, 2005) | ||
| Sleeper_777 |
Pat Rogers Speedway in Charlotte/Concord, NC is dropping the Buell line. From an overlap of dealer networks they say. In case anyone is interested, they have 6 or so XB9s/CityX models to sell, don't know any prices as I became disinterested in them when they stated the above information. | ||
| Scitz |
I say good riddens to the dealers that want to drop the line. I hate checking Buell's site of listed dealers and then going there and they have no bikes or give you a hard time about getting parts. I went to a local HD/Buell shop in my area my area that other day to ask about ordering gaskets and they said that won't have anything for the Buell until the move to their now location in Feb. 2006. I'm going back then and if they don't have anything I'm going to tell the manager to please have his shop removed from the Buell website. | ||
| Light_keeper |
Call DaveS He'll fix you right up in almost no time. | ||
| Tripper |
The policy was posted on this site in late 2004. Nothing new. Lost some enthusiastic dealers to those that wrote in the right numbers of expected sales. | ||
| Ratyson |
Lets say that someone were to purchase the pre-paid maintenance with their buell, and lets say that their local shop discontinued the model and service for buell. And that the next closest shop for buell was say, in another state? What could said person do in this case? Since maintenance was paid for, but can no longer be realistically obtained under the contract that was signed? Ok.. yes, I regret buying the pre-paid maint. contract. | ||
| Glitch |
Makenzie71, ya may wanna stay away from the Greater Atlanta Metro Area, we got Buells everywhere it seems. Our numbers are growing all the time. We've not out numbered the big four at bike night yet. But we're well known at Bike Night. Each new model that comes out adds to fold. | ||
| Court |
>>>>as }long as parts are available! Buell parts delivery is among the BEST in ALL OF MOTORCYCLING. Feel free to ask me any specifics or drop me a line and let me know when you'll be in East Troy and I'll show you something that will ABSOLUTLEY AMAZE you. Truth is. . Buell struggled at one time, listened, learned and now excels. Court Canfield | ||
| Glitch |
If not on back order (usually when new bikes are due to come out) I've never waited more than four days for a part. | ||
| Ratyson |
My dealer must be a geographical oddity.. they seem to be 2 weeks from everywhere. I needed foot pegs... 2 weeks (just ordered them from sporttwin.com, took 4 days) I needed a new front rotor... 2 weeks. I wanted to order frame sliders... 2 weeks. Waiting for the guy at the counter to acknowledge my presence... 2 weeks. | ||
| Light_keeper |
DaveS gets it to me with in 7 days here in Maine from Wisc, even if it has to be ordered in for him. I'm not even in a major shipping area. in fact if it goes much beyond me then the Canadian maritime guys get it. | ||
| Bomber |
the parts arrive PDQ, but first, they've gotta be ordered -- when YOU order the part (especially if you pay up front) aske when the order will be placed -- some retailers wait til they have a minimum number (part count or $$) before placing an order, for the obvious reasons (saves em money, with which we can all relate) -- going to a retailer that moves a lot of parts means two things 1 -- the chances of their having it in stock is higher 2 -- the chances of their ordering needed parts soon is higher there are a number of places that'll getya parts PDQ, though -- give em your business, and you'll gecher parts, yes? as for the 2 weeks -- I'm often quoted the same time period, along with the name of the guy who actually HAS my part . . . "Wayne got it -- couple a weeks." I want to meet Wayne. | ||
| Skyguy |
I never see a part in less than eight or ten days here in the Los Angeles area. Bummer cause I just broke a drive belt on the first hard ride after having to replace two bent wheels (three weeks down on that one). Good thing we have a nice long Santa Ana season here all through October/November. |
