| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
Choptop: I've got good news.....years BEFORE Modesto arrived at the "Rock", Topeka HD/Buell was anchored there. Ergo, I....like you....am spoiled. I am used to EXCEPTIONAL service. A company's website is NOT the company, agreed. And a lame company with talent like yours could be what, in "Courtese" I shall term a "Vaporation". I do beleive that a website (among other things) communicates a great deal of a company's attitude about their view of and committment to, their own corporate culture. My heightened level of frustation surrounds several things including:
In short, Erik Buell is one of the most committed individuals I have ever met with regards to insuring, by whatever means it takes, that the folks riding his motorcycles are now just satisfied (in his own words) but are "DELIGHTED". He HURTS when told of a problem with a Buell. During the time I have spent with Erik I have seen him cringe at NOT being able to jump from his desk and go correct a problem with his own paws. He has (ala' Henrik) over the years empowered me to do some commercially insane things just to make sure his customers were happy. And, all that on the side for the minute, Erik is a wonderful person. No one who has ever met him has the slightest doubt about that. He is a gifted genius who also has the gift of gregariousity. I know the leaders of Ducati, I don't know the folks at Aprilia. Nice though they may be they'd die to be able to duplicate an "Erik" to shuttle around and hang with their owners. Erik, let's be candid, is THE reason many folks have "hung in there" during tough times at Buell. Blake: I'd give Joe Hice a jingle. Great guy, thoroughly knowledgable, forward thinker. He'll not break any rules or violate any confidence but you'll get straight honest answers. Don't infer from any of the above that I am less of a Buell fan. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am frustrated by the way the HD corporate folks have handled Buell communication and attempted to "manage" Erik's interaction with owners. I'm a big fan of Erik's Dream. Court | ||
| Jasonl |
First off thanks for the candidness Court. I think a lot of people are on the ropes about what has been going on for a year plus. What I'm referring to is the HD/Buell marriage. There was great rejoicing when this happened but I'm not sure it was such a good idea. At this point I am positive that the HD dealer network can work for Buell but that the majority of HD Dealerships don't want to work for Buell. Screw-em. f*ck those bastards. I'll watch'em starve when people are sick of the trend. Buell does need a shot in the arm and Now. | ||
| Court |
Jason: There continues to be, in my opinion, tremendous reason to rejoice. Harley-Davidson has some of the best people in the world and, hidden among their ranks, are some folks who MANAGED (if you think luck had ANYTHING to do with it, read "Well Made in America" by Rich Teerlink)the greatest turn around in motorcycling, and perhaps manufacturing, history. These guys are street smart. As evidence that real change is afoot, I'd refer you to MOST the recent discussions regarding Customer Service. Over the past 24 months, and I'd suspect my pal Bill Bailey gets the credit, customer service at Buell has gone from a haphazard fire fighting ordeal to a well managed and responsive team effort. I'm not sure who John is but I want to hug him when I meet him. Customer service is showing signs of improvement. Buell parts, long the source of sore feelings, is getting better. No, really..it is and I can prove it. Great? Nope, not yet. But, the good news is that the folks who will decide what "good enough" is, know that and are not done. The HD marriage will be a HUGE benefit here to us Buell owners. Like it or not, boys and girls, absent HD (or some other mega $$$ source) Buell'd have had a darn tough time. Trying as things are at times..at least BUELL IS ALIVE. the next HUGE sign of change taking place is the thinly veiled "Launch When Ready" post. Buell, we all seem is agreement, is betting the entire pile of chips on the next hand dealt. They launch that bike in the next 2 weeks, I'll kiss your....well, yoiur cousin. I say again...I pray whatever is coming from Buell comes from ERIK BUELL when he says it's pie....I eat. Not a moment before and any one trying to hustle him should have sand put in their transmission. My bet.......well, I'd like to offer a prediction but the phone just rang and I am not longer an "impartial observer". Make your own choices. I totally dig the Mille R....I have a huge love affair with the new ST4S..that a "Court Style" bike or what? But....I am a HUGE optimist about the future of Buell and I'm not spending a bit of money till Erik sends up the ballon. That's my PERSONAL opinion......like I said....you got me started. Court | ||
| José_Quiñones |
" What you see is what you get, " Yamaha had told us before we rode the bikes. But that’s not true. Because you’re seeing a Ducati Monster or a Buell and the Bulldog just isn’t doing the same thing as that at all. I'm surprised Yamaha missed the boat on that one.... | ||
| Jima4media |
Here is my Modesto Buell story of the week. I walk in Saturday without an appointment and ask if I can buy a Forcewinder and have it installed, thinking it is going to be sometime in the next week that I would have to bring the bike back - 200 mile round trip. THEY INSTALLED IT RIGHT THEN AND THERE! - Not only did they have a specialized part in stock to fit my X-1, they installed it while I waited. I was told a film crew was there filming for the upcoming Dealer Show in L.A. Don was asked what it takes to be a Buell only store. He mentioned a couple of things and then said you can't take HD techs and make them work on Buells. That would be like taking a fishing pole to the golf course. I can't wait to hear the reaction to the crowd at the dealer show to that statement. It is so true. I laughed my butt off. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Reepicheep |
Court said... "customer service at Buell has gone from a haphazard fire fighting ordeal to a well managed and responsive team effort. I'm not sure who John is but I want to hug him when I meet him. Customer service is showing signs of improvement. " Amen to that. After being terribly abused by the inability of my local dealer to follow through on even the most simple requests, I called Buell customer service... and I think I talked to John. He patiently listened to my polite rant, but a rant nonetheless. When I finished, all he said was "When a dealer tells you that... thats a cry for help. Can I reach you at xxx-xxx-xxxx?" 30 minutes later, I get the call back, and John tells me everything is worked out, the shock is on the way, and to call him back if it looks like there are any more problems. 10 minutes after that, the service guy from my local dealer calls and says "I called up Buell and chewed some ass for you, and got you the new shock free". Yeah right. This is the same service department that manged to keep that shock from even getting ordered for over 4 months due to a comedic series of screwups. I have had a LOT more problems then I should have had with a 2000 bike with 3000 miles. HOWEVER, the actual problems with the bike (bad front muffler mount causing several problems, and the blown shock) were addressed well by Buell before I even knew I had a problem. The only issue Buell seems in denial about is the speedo sensor problem, which is annoying but hardly catastrophic. Finally, this months cycle world has an interesting story about big twins and the problems both domestic AND foreign makers have making them reliable, powerfull and legal all at once (and it's a good article, though it is conspicously missing any mention of Buell... somebody must have missed this month's payola). It's not just Buell, it's a tricky problem. So anyway... I have to agree with Court. Buell has given me one of the best customer service relationships I have ever had with a company. The bike itself is on the cusp of being a pretty solid machine... almost everything I did on my 2000 cyclone to solve the problems I had were pre-solved by the factory for the '01 model year. Just another datapoint from a very recent Buell owner (never heard of the company before '99). Bill | ||
| Stoef |
It's coming, it's coming, it's coming... | ||
| Stoef |
Allright then Here it is...  110 rwhp, 95 ft/lb (no turbo) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Goodness Stoef! Wonderfully integrated package.... but I am confused. The extra carb I sort of understand (though not sure how it manages to get gas in the rear cylinder from where it is currently mounted) but the second set of headers? What do they do? Is this a Buell or a V-Max  Nice work on the headers whatever they do.... and the overall level of integration on the bike is amazing... | ||
| Travis |
phototshop is cool. Nice work. | ||
| Eeeeek |
Reep: Look a little closer; he's made it a 4 banger! Vik | ||
| Reepicheep |
Wow... somebody is pretty good with some sort of graphical tool (gimp? photoshop?).... looks pretty darn convincing (though mechanically impossible) until you study in pretty good detail... Or maybe I'm just a sucker Buells answer to the V-Max! Bill | ||
| Aikigecko |
Someone has been busy with the clone/rubberstamp tool I see. I teach this to people in the Navy but usually just as a gag. This case has me fooled until I looked at the shadows | ||
| Choptop |
Tick tik tick.... only a few days left. Cant wait to see it. | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Cryogenics to the Rescue Hmm, you think we might hear more about this next week? |
