| Author | Message | ||
     Buellshyter |
I must say this news is very unexpected. Exciting but like a left hook to the head. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when these decisions are made. What is the motivation? Is it simply because Mr. Buell wants an American made dirt bike or is HD thinking, " hook em young" and build brand loyalty. Furthermore, hasn't HD tried this before? What is the market for dirt bikes? I know here in central Maryland, where there isn't much dirt left, the demand isn't high. Personally, I'd like to see a little more expansion of their street bike line. Can they do both at the same time? I sure hope so. If not, it's going to look like a company that can't stay focused - like a child with ADD. I mean, the racing effort at the pro level was less then spectacular and so this means, what?...we move on and try dirt bikes? Sport bikes and to a lesser degree dirt bikes, if you want to be competitive, require more of an investment then building cruisers. Without constant innovation you become irrelevant. | ||
| Liquorwhere |
My Favorite Blast...although not my favorite bike, the blast I mean, this one is cool. I wish there were a production of this.    Or even a larger version, engine wise, I love that XR750 look...love it. Hopefully this new bike will be as cool. | ||
| Daves |
it is not going to be a Blast motor. | ||
| Hughlysses |
it is not going to be a Blast motor. Oooo! Oooo! BIG hint!  | ||
| S1eric |
I can`t see Buell building anything I would consider a dirt bike. Not even close. The Uly is TOURING bike that you can take down a fire road. I already posted this on another thread. for those holding off buying a Buell. Sorry folks the dirt bike market is very competitive. Look at the engines that are being produced for dirt bikes. They are light weight techno wonders. Decades of refinement from racing R&D. Buell doesn`t have an engine that will even come close. Look at other companies putting those years of racing R&D towards chassis and suspension development. And it changes every year. Even for trail bikes. Buell won`t even field a road racing effort for the XBRR. Let alone dirt bike R&D. I don`t see them building anything that would compare with whats out there. Are they buying KTM ? Thats there only hope. But hey i`m a dirt bike nut. Have been my whole life. I love the competitive nature of it. Look how much those engines have evolved. Even in the last two years. I have been waiting for Buell to give me at least 100 hp at the rear wheel for ---- well i`m still waiting. I still like my Buells. For what they are and aren`t. But how about punching out those jugs on the XBR for me, At the factory. C`MON ALREADY ! S1Eric | ||
| Swampy |
What about a different v-twin layout? What about a horizontally opposed twin. The XB frame looks flat to me when it's stripped down and laying on the floor. Ooh!, Ooh!, everything looks different now... | ||
| Jlnance |
and so this means, what?...we move on and try dirt bikes? It means they made the Uly and people really liked it. | ||
| Regkittrelle |
I'd be very interested in seeing the business plan/justification for this. | ||
| Rocketman |
I wonder if it will compete against Ducatis Hypermotor and MV's Husqvarna 650. I doubt it, but no wonder the TT was launched by Mr Buell in Milan. A stupid thing to do in my book, but he needed an excuse to go view the competition without being spotted lurking around the Ducati and MV stands. Smart move as it turned out. Now I know why the TT got number boards. Disguise an XB as a dirt bike of sorts, making oneself the target of many negative comments from the Buell fanatics at the same time (and other watching manufacturers), then slip into the most important bike show in the world undercover of daylight for the real mission. Industrial espionage! I love the internet. It's a fools paradise  Rocket | ||
| Buellfighter |
Spoken like a true...well...you know. | ||
| S1eric |
 Could this be the new Buell Dirt bike ? Stirring the pot. S1Eric | ||
| Ezblast |
Could be - who owns patents to the motor and frame? GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Blake |
Eric, I'm guessing the Buell dirt bike will be aiming for the same market as the HP1 and 650 Dakar Beemers and the big KTooMs. But I don't know, just guessing. Jumping straight into the motocross market would be EXTREMELY bold. | ||
| S1eric |
Yea I`d have to agree. Bold is a good way to put it. This dirt bike thing just got me stirred up. I have a real passion for dirt bikes. Or maybe a sickness, Either way I can`t wait to see what unfolds next. S1Eric | ||
| Smokescreen |
The good ones are like $11,000.  Now imagine, what you could really buy with 11K. Alot more motorcycle than that a damn dirt bike! If that's Buell's future, Then I guess I'll be selling mine for a KTM after all.  | ||
| Rex |
Interesting. who knows. Maybe HD and Buell have been developing a couple of new motors for 2008. A new dirt bike motor that will be on the front pages of every mag. A new street motor that the whole USA will be talking about.... They will not be talking about Buell using a 50's designed motor anymore. could be cool. Buell may have been able to get a motor made by Rotax, etc. specifically for them... Will be neat to see. Usually they are very tight lipped about any new motors or bikes...this is interesting.. Wonder what honda and yamaha are thinking? | ||
| Dbird29 |
Can't find the article but there was an article in a local rag about how ATK was working closely with HD. That link has to be somewhere.... | ||
| Pushrodpete |
Rocket - Your conspiracy theory is interesting but wrong. The number plates are to get us ready for the new water-cooled engine! That's right: The number plates are to DISGUISE THE NEW SIDE-MOUNTED RADIATORS. Think about it -- if Buell simply came out with a bike with radiators hanging out on the sides, the faithful would be aghast. Now that the TT has debuted, the reaction to the radiators will be the more positive, "Well, they're ugly, but at least they serve a function...." Incremental marketing at its best... | ||
| Oldog |
Are they buying KTM ? Thats there only hope. ROFLAMO!!!!  Smokescreen that SD lists at just under 14k expected delivery mid march........ I sure want to ride one of those and see if the handling is any good. Buell dirt bike, Uly varients or they are reserecting americacci or what ever it was called ..} | ||
| Midknyte |
I can`t see Buell building anything I would consider a dirt bike. Like any of us saw the XB platform commin??? I'm not unprepared to be knocked on my ass again... | ||
| Metalstorm |
I for one wait with baited breath. Just the thought of Buell setting on in yet another direction while all of us here play catch up has me all in giggles. Cheers to Buell. I look forward to see the newest addition to the family. May it be a healthy child, a masculate child. One worthy of bearing the Buell badging. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Get on with the bendy and the dirty! I need another dirt hound in my garage, one that is lighter than the 396 lbs of my CityX. I know I could get really squirrely with less weight and boggy gearing. Theres a country song somewhere about going 60 miles an hour down a dirt road  | ||
| Rocketman |
Wonder what honda and yamaha are thinking? I expect now they're quaking in their boots. This surely must be the death of the Japanese motorcycle industry. Rocket | ||
| Elvis |
Wow! I'm not a dirtbike fan, but I like the idea of shared technology (of very lightweight components) between dirtbikes and streetbikes (works for KTM). Obviously they aren't talking about another Uly. Nobody at Buell has ever said the Uly was a "dirt-bike". They admit it's designed for fire-roads. Those ATK rumors are interesting. How'd you like to see the ATK 450 (or something similar) turned into a motard as a Blast replacement? | ||
| Spiderman |
here it is http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5295702&id= WMseAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=erik+buel l+off+road  | ||
| Mcgiver |
Can you envision the look of the service manager at the local Harley shop, while I push in my '09 Buell for service with mud dripping off it!  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Heh. I do that all the time with my poor X1. | ||
| Tenracing |
in probing the Buell Exec, I did find that they are NOT buying ATK Cannondale, and KTM is out of the picture too. or that is what they led me to believe. | ||
| Daves |
Hi Brett! | ||
| Anonymous |
I love the internet. It's a fools paradise --- Rocket Truer words have never been spoken. If you want to know what's happening at Buell, just read Rocket. Then understand that the opposite is more likely true. Not that anonymous . . . |
