| Author | Message | ||
     Er_rn |
Now don't have a fit, I know this is the XB board but this was........ DISTURBING!!! Has anyone been on Buell's web site and seen the carnage? Go to the site and it's somewhere under the heading 'New 2010 Blast'. Have tissue or a barf bag close at hand. I actually cried. Then my husband laughed at me. I ask you, what I saw was akin to to someone throwing puppies in a trash compactor. Would you laugh at puppies being crushed? The sick bastard (my husband and Erik Buell). Not to say the Blast is cute like a puppy, but what I saw was just plain disturbing. I handed my Blast down to my daughter and she just bought her first bike on her own -an XB9S - I called her and told her to not sell the Blast EVER. I love that little bike. If it weren't for that bike I would have never gotten back on a bike. Now I just have to get back to Ohio to pick it up. | ||
| Boltrider |
I must say - I thought it was funny | ||
| Jakecheez |
The casualty of an economic battle. | ||
| Rah7777777 |
It was a bold move. But it was there move to make. I personally think it was a bad decision, but who knows the real reason they did it?? I've rode one blast and hated it, but like Erik said it was nothing special. I think they should have re-designed it. And who knows they might be working on it?!?! | ||
| Badbueller |
I thought it was hilarious as well. I do see it as a somewhat rough slap in the face to blast owners but it also shows he means business. The blast has been a joke for years being even slower than a ninja 250. Buells' are all about standing out, the blast simply didn't in any way. No torque, no style, no presence, nothing that screamed "BUELL" | ||
| Iamarchangel |
It was a twisted humour piece. It shocked me a bit. I thought it had a good rep as a kind of starter bike. Thought that was a good market but based on the number of people who start with large bikes, maybe not. Wasn't it used in the Edge program? Maybe that wasn't enough to carry production. Honda sponsors schools in Canada with bikes that can't be bought in Canada. Anyway, the promo is brave. Don't know how wise but it's an interesting gamble. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I had a Blast and thought it was a fun little bike too- and Erik doesn't deny any of that. Did you bother to read the site or watch the videos? It makes a ton of sense and smacks of a company charging forward toward the future and boldly moving in the direction they are going. No tears need be shed, this is a good thing for Buell and it's riders. A very incredibly good thing. | ||
| Mrmoen |
maybe they are making way for an all new blast, it is a good little starter bike | ||
| Mrsinister |
Removing the bike from the line was likely the right move. Making a big production of it with all the chatter that makes buell sound too good for such bikes and crushing it was not the right move. Yeah right buell is too sport oriented to make such a bike. Well if that is the case why is he still using twins. Give it a year or two and the lightning line may join it as being his next line of glass top tables. The entire thing seemed elitist to me from someone who has no reason to think they are in some way elite. | ||
| Ramm |
Sure it is a good starter bike...but I think an Xb9 is an awesome starter bike too (it was/is my starter bike)  | ||
| Badbueller |
The XB9 is a great starter bike and there is a huge difference in the xb9 and blast. The xb9 isnt ridiculously fast and it makes nearly 3X the hp of the blast. I think it would be neat if they came out with a rotax 500 that makes 55hp or so with some more style. | ||
| Nik |
XB9 is a terrible starter bike, not so much because of the engine, but the brakes and suspension geometery aren't forgiving of mistakes. But that's been argued to death here... | ||
| Ramm |
Nik compared to hopping on some Jap 600, the xb9 is an amazing starter.  | ||
| Nik |
That's like saying its better to shoot yourself in the foot with a .22 than a .45. I mean yeah, it is, but wouldn't it be better to just not shoot yourself? | ||
| Fast1075 |
Due to the new Buell policy...Buellers are not supposed to start out small and work their way up....they are now required to spring forth from the womb in full leathers, worn knee pucks...with a steely stare..and immediately hang off a fully kitted 1125r. | ||
| Oldfz |
Gotta agree with Mr. Sinister. If I was a Blast owner and the maker of my bike was (literally) trashing it, that would be the last time Buell would see any of my money. | ||
| Nik |
With no help from friends, Buellers don't have friends. We ride alone. We're too good for friends. No one understands us! But we could care less.. Wow, we sure are an emo bunch... | ||
| B00stzx3 |
My first bike was an XB9R, bike still scares the hell outta me. And I've ridden R6's and GSXR750s. But true the Blast couldn't compete with 250s, maybe a resdesigned starter bike to compete with the 250 Ninjas. | ||
| Roysbuell |
Not sure about the straights but I can get down right wicked in a corner on my Blast and think I could out handle a Ninja 250. The Blast is very nimble. Talked to a Harley Davidson dealer (Non-Buell) and he said the 2010 'Blast' was coming in for their Riders Edge program but will no longer be associated with Buell. Guess the Blast will be the bastard child of HD and Buell which neither will admit to being a parent of. Its a shame cuz I have had much fun on mine and although I am in the market for a Lightning the Blast is a blast. Pun intended! | ||
| Jos51700 |
I'm not impressed with ANY of Buell's new marketing. It sucks. | ||
| Thruster |
As I posted in another thread on this subject, I sense a dark and cynical bitterness behind the Blast "jokes" and video in the "Book of Buell". I wonder if the serious side of this might have anything to do with Buell going independent again (or perhaps not being able or allowed to), though this is purely my own speculation; I've not seen or heard anything at all about it. Combined with the other dumb gags about not sitting, not waving, no friends, and no 2-up, it seems like all anti-HD jabs to me. This is a very stupid shift in marketing strategy, one that will hurt us more than help. Our bikes appeal to people who appreciate fine engineering. The new attitude-based marketing, touting some sort of vague notion of exclusivity, is troubling. Maybe somebody is sabotaging Buell from the inside. The whole thing is very bizarre and unexpected. | ||
| Jeffroj |
I'm kinda glad that Buell did this, but the new marketing is a joke. What a drastic change, I would guess the strategy came from an outside firm. The reason I kind of like this is that whenever I tell someone I ride a Buell, they will picture the awesome engineering, ingenuity, and innovation of the XB's and R's, rather than the tiny blast they rode in the MSF course. But I also would much rather them redo the blast and turn it into a bike that you could take straight onto the track, like the 250R, than quit making them. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
i really like the new marketing strategy buell is implementing. I think its long over due, and its time to establish a name and standard for themselves. With buell in AMA racing and with all the track publicity they are getting, its time to set one clear message. I am sick of people thinking buell sucks, or is slow, harley, or BLAST being the first thing they think of and make fun of. I think they are doing a great job! | ||
| Roysbuell |
Thruster- Really good points you got there and when I thought about it it really seams more jabs at HD then just poking fun at my little Blast Harley's Riders Edge bike. I think your on to something. | ||
| Buford |
Kinda weird IMO... Sorta wonder what Eric's reasoning behind it is. | ||
| Augustus74 |
What were Blast sales like? Book of Buell is jab at Harley's Dark Book or Black Book whatever it was. Was only supposed to be issued to certain kinds of people, had secret hand signs and silly junk in it. Maybe that video is just a joke to throw us off of some bigger plan? I actually considered getting a Blast to put in a Redneck Engineering frame and making a show bike. | ||
| Towjam |
Love it or hate it, the ad is having the desired effect. It's being talked to death on a lot of non-Buell discussion forums. Erik is crazy like a fox! | ||
| Drkside79 |
Wow i wasn't expecting that | ||
| Roysbuell |
Buell started pumping through my veins the day I first rode my Blast and a Lightning XB12scg was in the plans. However given the new Buell attitude I may be giving a swing past the local Ducati dealer. The fact that once while fueling up a Ducati rider pulled up and after finding out how much I had paid for my Blast stated "Wow! Great deal, thats a nice bike." I get more respect from a guy on a Ducati then the man that designed the bike and now thinks it is worth its weight in scrap metal. I don't think anyone has ever produced a product that upon discontinuing it basically stated it was a worthless design and not what their company wants their name on. Erik Buell, I like waving and like having friends. | ||
| Froggy |
Something like 9% of all Buell's, depending on what numbers you look at. |
