| Author | Message | ||
     4cammer |
Let's NOT bash HD, OK? Are you kidding me? Why not? HD had to know what was going on in their chrome emporiums in regards to Buell sales and service. We have three (3) local dealers that also happen to carry Buell in the area that I live (Aurora IL) and all but 1 in my opinion is not worth a crap, and the one that is not too bad still sucks. That has to have some negative effect on sales, no? HD and their dealers dropped the ball by not having designated people selling and servicing the Buell line. I truly despised taking my bike into my selling dealer in Villa Park as they had no idea how to take care of the Buell customer. Condescension and incompetence must be part of their training... I am sure that there are some good Buell dealers/sales people and techs. I have met one. That is an issue. | ||
| Hangontight |
4cammer, I bought my Uly from the same dealer (in Villa Park) and had the same experience. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
If, and only if, Harley Davidson salvages Buell as some type of salable form that is still recognizably Buell ands finds them a new supportive home, preferably in America... only then will my hostile feelings and resentment fade. If they simply crush Buell and bury the company, forcing Erik Buell to either give up or start completely from scratch... I will never forgive that...my disgust with HD will make the Harley-hating Japaneses fan-boys look like card carrying HOG members. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
The only solace I find in this whole thing is that they brought back the Camero, the Challenger, and the Mustang finally has legs again. Performance minded enthusiasts will always hold BUELL as the benchmark. I hope it comes back. I hope I dont have to tell my nephew, 'back in the good old days...' | ||
| Ted |
that sucks. i see another T-shirt thread coming, with rude H-D graphics. | ||
| 4cammer |
Yeah, but the Camaro and Challenger are made in Canada. And the Italians own the Challenger. Strange, strange world we live in. | ||
| Paw |
Let's NOT bash HD, OK? Freedom of speach...F**K H-D...They could sell Buell and put in writing that the air cooled motor is to be dicontinued...I think that is where Erik was heading anyway...The dealer network is no longer availiable...Erik's bikes need to be next to other spotbikes...I know of several dealers that sell more than one Jap brand. Hell I know of one in PA that sells all of the big fours brand. How in the hell can Harley an American company, just kill off another and the only true successful AMERICAN sportbike company? I said it yesterday, I was thinking of getting a Fatbob for my wife and I for 2up riding but now the Victory Hammer is looking so much more appealing. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Harley never liked Buell, we're just crotchrockets to them. The only American-made crotchrockets, using their engines. | ||
| Drkside79 |
Hangon Same dealer for my XBS same crap. Try Illinois Harley on Harlem. They were nice hoping they still are | ||
| P_squared |
HD made a decision, same as any other business. There were two basic decisions available to them in light of their current financial situation. Decision 1 = Cut non-core business off. Decision 2 = Focus more on expanding lines/business. They obviously chose Decision 1. This is a “tried & true” short term strategy for making a company viable, in the short term. What’s “curious” is how they decided to implement their decision. By keeping the Buell line, they are now faced with another two options: Option 1 = Keep the line and re-launch after the core company has recovered, thereby keeping a possible “growth” line available to them after they weather this financial storm. Option 2 = Sell the brand & intellectual property in order to bolster their bottom line. If they choose Option 1, we could possibly see Buell revived at some future date. If so, I hope Erik is allowed to run wild at that time & not constrained by the HD redtape of the past. Those Dealers who chose to stand by the brand during this difficult time (Liberty, Bumpus, etc.) will prove to be the dealers who can help stage a successful re-launch and the “bad dealers” will have already been weeded out. If they choose option 2, then it’s a whole new ballgame, including how the royalties work in regards to the BMC patents in use within HD, e.g. the XR1200. I’m choosing for now to ignore an “Option 3” which is HD chooses to keep the brand & intellectual property & never re-launch/sell it. Disclaimer: The above is all pure speculation upon my part and is only meant as a look at the issues after having some sleep and able to think some of this over. I’m obviously hopeful & optimistic that there WILL be come a time when new motorcycles with BUELL on their tanks are rolling off an assembly line sometime after 10/30/09. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Screw HD. How's that for not bashing. I have some advice for HD. After conversation with many Harley riders today, don't even think about shipping York production offshore or to Mexico. You WILL lose customers. | ||
| Socoken |
I have a couple of questions. 1) Is the MoFoCo able to keep/get/make more money through folding Buell, tax-wise? 2) Is Victory in a position to make an offer on Buell, and if so, would mofoco make that sale to a competitor? I think Victory would be a great match for Buell, with the younger, "off the beaten path" crowd. If that happened, I would be in the market for a Victory very soon! (Message edited by socoken on October 16, 2009) | ||
| Brumbear |
The H-D decision may be short term mine is long term niether I or any of my family will own another H-D product as long as there is no Buell F##k em in the arse | ||
| Unibear12r |
It appears HD will not turn loose of Buell. By closing it out this way they keep Buell's major assets which are mainly intellectual. BMC was an assembly, design and research plant that subbed out all it's parts. Proven ability in a part of the market that HD needs to be a part of for it's future. Am I correct in that HD is keeping Erik and about half the Elves? Buell buyers/owners have predominately been pro HD or at least neutral enough to step into a HD dealer. Assembly can be moved to most any building. I wonder if the MoCo is keeping the majority of the Buell design team? If so do you think that the 2012 Harley Davidson XB12R will come in Orange and Black? | ||
| Tim_w |
What happened to my Lets Get Pro-active thread? we were actually storming some good positive possibilities to make this thing work. Did someone (administrator)not like what could have been? WTF? | ||
| Hughlysses |
Check the Q&A at buell.com. HD will NOT be producing re-badged Buells. | ||
| Steveford |
One good thing is that I can finally just come out and say I have always hated Harley Davidsons and have gone out of my way to blow them off since I was a kid on a Norton Commando. Buell was the only part of their company that was interesting. Today feels like a favorite relative has suddenly died. If Erik doesn't emerge from this as a new manufacturer, it's back to the Eyetralians for my next purchase. Moto Guzzi, going out of business since 1923... | ||
| Paw |
Yeah if Erik is finished building sportbike my next one might be a 675. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Let's NOT bash HD, OK? I agree 100% Harley-Davidson is an American Motorcycle Company which employs Americans to build their motorcycles! All so there are lots of good dealers that not only sell Harley-Davidson motorcycles but also Buells. Too many good people to go bashing that didn't have any part in the decision making to drop the Buell motorcycle line. It all comes down to the Upper management, CEO and the bean counters that made the bad decision to close the Buell line, so I don't think all the other good folks at Harley-Davidson should get thrown under the buss. I'm as upset as anyone to see Buell being dropped but I'm NOT going to try an destroy another fine American Motorcycle company such as Harley-Davidson. I'm a proud owner of a XB12X Buell Ulysses and I plan on keeping it forever!  | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I am still good ripe and miffed about them killing the Rooster. And its been two years. Its a real good thing i dont deliver mail, this is just the kind of thing to make a guy go postal. (sorry its a meme, I know radical muslim terrorists are more likely to go on a shooting spree) | ||
| Paint_shaker |
harley (an American company, with all it's widgets, gadgets and t-shirts made in Taiwan, Bangledesh and where-ever else), kills another American company. How un-American.... Screw Harley! | ||
| Chellem |
i personally will never give $1 of my money for any Harley Davidson purchase...i hope their downfall continues more rapidly than ever before... I TRULY HOPE THEY'RE NEXT OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. If I could ensure it they wouldn't hit 106. HD is an overpriced money grubbing example of American Greed I hope their sales continue to slide. Ya know, I've been reading this thread, and keeping quiet because I know everyone is pissed at Harley. I just want to throw something out there. Any Buell Dealer who is a sponsor of this site is also a Harley dealer. So essentially, what you folks who are hoping H-D goes out of business are saying is, I hope EVERY DEALER WHO SPONSORS THE BADWEB ALSO GOES OUT OF BUSINESS. The owner of Liberty, for everyone's information, is, I suppose, one of those old geezers who likes chrome and fancy paint and cruising. He's also put more miles on his bikes in his lifetime than I'd say probably 90% of the people on this board. He's been riding since WAAAY before I was born. He used to ride dirt bikes. He used to race dirt bikes. He's had a Harley since he bought the '84 Softail - that he STILL HAS, although it's heavily modified and probably unrecognizable to anyone who saw it back then. He builds those ugly, chrome, poser cruisers from the frame up. And generally, while he's in there, he maxes the performance. He beat a guy off a light with only one gas tank attached to a bike he was building, and the seat bungee-corded to the frame, which he was riding because he needed to go somewhere and the bike wasn't done being built yet. He used to write a biker magazine - for years - that he put together in his basement with my mom. Circulation all up and down the eastern seaboard. He rides to almost every dealer show, with my mom, who also probably has more miles under her belt than the bulk of the folks on this board. When I was 11, he put a sidecar together and we ALL took a 3-week camping-riding tour of America, including a stop-off at Sturgis, mecca to graybeard, greasy, chrome-loving bikers. And you know what? I had a freakin' awesome time. I've been around these geezers my entire life, and as in any crew there are a few clunkers, but for the most part they were a great bunch of guys who took care of each other. And RODE. He bought this dealership not as a business investment, but because he LOVES Harleys, he LOVES to ride, and it was his dream to be around what he loved for his job. Why should you care? I'm sure you don't. And why should you? Just another old geezer riding a POS Harley, right? He's also the same guy that sponsored a Buell race team - at significant expense, with no real return - at our dealership, because he likes to race and loves the brand. He's the one who took on the Buell line, not because Harley asked him to, but because HE ASKED HARLEY for it. He's the one who sponsors the BadWeB, and promotes the Buell brand at every opportunity. He's the one that customized a Buell and rode it to bike shows - naming it the American Muscle Bike. He's the one who flew Erik and his Thunderbolts in for our open houses on more than one occasion, and he also is the one who got the Buell Demo Truck here a bunch of times. As is the case, probably, with the bulk of the HARLEY-DAVIDSON/BUELL dealers who sponsor this site. Who now have to sit here and watch as you guys eagerly anticipate the closure of their businesses. Any chance we're being a little broad with our generalizations here? I understand the usual sport-bike-vs-chrome-cruiser crap that goes on. Wishing an entire company out of business because you disagree with a management decision is, I think, taking it a little far. Trying to effect change - I'm all for that. I don't agree with their decision. But hoping for hundreds of businesses to close? Hoping that hundreds of American workers should be laid off? I think that takes it a bit too far. Just my $.02. Flame away. I can take it. I come from tough Biker blood. :P | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
+1 emotions get the best of ALL of us from time to time. This too shall pass | ||
| Brinnutz |
Chelle, that was a damn good post. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Chellem, I agree with you 100% very nicely written! | ||
| Doerman |
Talking about bashing HD... I called my Buell sales guy while he was at work yesterday. He's a Buell guy all the way through. His office is in the open showroom area and I could hear other customers in the background. I just called to commiserate really, to make sure he was ok. He has a colorful language by nature and once we got into the conversation about HD wisdom in doing this, not only did he raise his voice but he uttered a liturgy of words that I can not repeat here - all aimed at HD. It is not in my nature to bash, but listening to him was refreshing. | ||
| Anonymous |
Unibear, Unfortunately virtually none of the "elves" will be kept, and Erik is in discussions about how he can be an "advisor". Not sure what that means, but without a doubt he won't be able to do what he did with the team at Buell. Erik would be the first to agree with that, I guarantee. It is sad, but H-D leadership really apparently wants/needs to go in a completely different direction. So the corporation is losing the best of Buell. Hopefully we "elves" will wind up with jobs somewhere. That is the worst loss. The really great dealerships will stand behind the motorcycles and so for the Buell owners, their ownership experience should continue pretty seamlessly as long as H-D is around to supply parts, so you probably shouldn't hope they go away! But if they do, I'm betting that there will be some sort of underground Buell dealer network show up, fed by companies like American Sportbike. | ||
| Socoken |
Chelle is right. HD made a radical move and cut the little guy. People proposing that HD should go under are doing essentially the same thing, looking past the little guy. There are a lot of great people, men and women, whose livelihoods depend on that monstrous company. | ||
| 46champ |
Thank you Chelle for the reality check 2 days ago I said I would never own another Harley again, I bought my first one in 1972 at age 17. The hurt is still their this too shall pass. | ||
| 4cammer |
I for one do not want to see HD go under. That being said, when I buy my new battery today it will not be from a HD dealership. I used them as much as I could to help assist in their cash flow, now that HD has decided there is no reason to keep me as a customer I have to feel the same. I see the reasoning to keep the HD doors open as it will (may) provide a place for replacement parts for my well loved and hard ridden XB9R. BUT, the dealers around here were piss-poor at best in regards to sales and service and I see no reason to think that will get any better. I expect all but 1 in the area to take the Buell signage down as quickly as they are allowed to. It is too bad. |
