| Author | Message | ||
     Tpoppa |
Anyone notice all the anti-HD backlash that is happening on non-Buell sportbike forums? I have been reading quite a few of them. The anti-HD sentiment seems to be through the roof. Lots of comments about HD turning their back on sportbikes. Seems like closing Buell is increasing the rift between HD and sportbike riders. That can't be good for HD trying to attract younger buyers. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Good, I love it when an ill conceived plan backfires in the face of ignorant people that think they know what they're doing. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There was no love lost between the groups. I doubt that there was any real animosity created that wasn't there already. It's just now being revealed openly. | ||
| Swordsman |
Huh. So even though a lot of those guys poked fun at Buell, I guess deep down they still felt more connected to it than not. ~SM | ||
| Tpoppa |
Although, I'm not a fan of HD's bikes. I'm not rooting against an American company. I am curious if HD and the new CEO, have considered this type of ramification. As has already been stated about 100 times, this decision seems very short sighted. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Not to mention that we are less than 100,000 riders....and HD sells that many bikes in 5 months...even in a bad economy. They don't care about us. | ||
| Xbrad9r |
I think I and a lot of Buellers were very pro-Harley up until 10/15... we have spent lots and lots of dollars at Harley dealerships on our Buells and a lot of us had other bikes as well (i had a old iron head sporty and an 04 fatboy that i bought new) guys like me have no intention of buying any more Hogs or any related Hog items in the future. | ||
| Patches |
"Anyone notice all the anti-HD backlash that is happening on non-Buell sportbike forums?" They ben 'Bitchin' about Harley Davidson for years, F-them! Why do you think Buell never was a good fit with Harley Davidson? | ||
| Jimidan |
I think I and a lot of Buellers were very pro-Harley up until 10/15... I have never had or even thought of having a HD, and that goes double for in the future, but I sure love my Buells. I still have 2 of them...an S2 and S1. It seems from the comments that some Buellers still are pro-Harley. It will be interesting to see how many folks who liked Buells only because they were part of Harley, or had a Harley engine, will still like Buells when there is NO affiliation at all. I will like Buells even BETTER in that eventuality, and will surely buy a new one if and when Erik produces another. Very early on, I grew tired of the red-headed step child feeling that I got every time I went in to the HD store...which was a lot. Yeah, I will never sell my Buells so that means that I will still have to visit occasionally for parts. | ||
| Josh_ |
Going from a Sportster to a Buell with a Harley engine made it a pretty easy and "safe" transition. But I'm weaned now  My next Harley (if I ever get another) would be a 92 Hugger 883 (ie last of the chain bikes) bone stock just like my first bike. I periodically attend HD open houses and ride every model. I doubt HD will make anything I'd buy in the forseeable future. But Erik will. | ||
| Patches |
When the first Blasts started showing up at my local H-D shop I thought they had started selling Mopeds. I ask the salesman about them and he told that it was a 500 single cylinder. He said the Top End and most of the Internals were off the shelf Sportster parts. A new American Single, I had to have one. Three Month after I bought the Blast I bought a M2L Cyclone. If the Buells never had the Harley Davidson Engine on them I would have never bought one. | ||
| Tpoppa |
I'm sure Buellers bought them for many different reasons. I wanted a naked bike with fully adjustable suspension. I was deciding between a 03 Speed Triple and an 03 XB9S. I preferred Triumph motor & the riding position on the XB. I bought the XB DESPITE the HD connection. After I bought it, the air cooled motor grew on me. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
The main reason I bought the Uly is because of the HD connection.... it was on the showroom floor and its American made I test rode it and that was it, I was hooked! It got me out of the HD frame of mind and maybe that is one of the reason the want it gone. I was waiting for the 1125R S3T or 1125R Uly... Now I want to try a FJR, a Speed Triple, ST1300. Before the Uly... I was a H-D ONLY person My eyes have been opened! More people go from H-D to Buell than from Buell to H-D I would love to have a older Harley... I just have a real problem with the mindset of the current crop of H-D buyers. | ||
| Jaimec |
Every time Harley makes a model I'm REMOTELY interested in, they discontinue it. First was the FXRS Sport way back in the early 80's. Then it was the Tour Glide. Finally, it was the Street Rod. All of them gone (though the Tour Glide kinda/sorta lives on as the Road Glide). If I were into motorcycles in the 70's I'm sure I would've wanted an XLCR too. I guess I'm definitely NOT Harley's demographic because they discontinue EVERYTHING they've ever made that I liked (and that now includes Buell). | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think we can expect HD to live in perpetual "New colors and bold new graphics" mode from now on. | ||
| Swordsman |
Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the Vrod or the XR1200 was next on the chopping block... too unlike the other models to spend "resources" on. ~SM | ||
| Jammin_joules |
My first street bike was one Erik worked on, the H-D FXRT Sport Touring bike with the new Evo motor. A couple H-Ds later, I took a Uly for a ride. Now one is in the stable too. No doubt the Buell influence & philosophy was mostly felt but purchasing was not likely if they were not at the H-D shops. But making statements like "current HD buyer mindset" is terribly stereo-typical at best, or inaccurate. I sell and ride with more style of riders and owners than I can count. Countless HD owners have sport bikes, dirt bikes, dual sports, v-rods. I know show queens, trailer queens, and guys who ride 20,000 miles a year two-people. They are no less bikers than Buell owners. I am frustrated as any one here, but lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. What is decided in the board room should not drive differences between us who are on two wheels on the road. ~jammer; biker philosopher, life participant (Message edited by Jammin_Joules on October 19, 2009) | ||
| Buellboiler |
I stopped in at my local H-D/Buell dealership to thank them for supporting the brand and learned that they signed up for 7 additional years of service. While waiting I endured some extremely overweight H-D customer talk trash about Buells falling apart and being boat anchors. It was all could do to hold my tongue (since I was outside the owner's office). The best part of this fiasco is not having to put up with lard filled idiots who know nothing about mechanics, economics or how to push their face away from the food troth. I have followed Erik Buell for years going back to the early years and enjoyed the articles in the engineering journals best. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
boat anchor?.... wtf | ||
| Danger_dave |
General open subject forums are not the best place for intelligent opinion. At least with dedicated brand groups like here there is a common ground to start from. I still like Harleys and agree entirely with JJ. Hate the player not the game. >>Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the Vrod or the XR1200 was next on the chopping block... too unlike the other models to spend "resources" on. << Eventually air cooled engines won't meet EPA standards. And maybe (pure speculation) it's partly because they can now build the XR1200X themselves that 'the decision' was made. Some of the the reason they bought the Buell company in the first place - job done? | ||
| Nevrenuf |
jammin, i have my fxrt that was stripped when i bought it back in 92 i think. and little by little have been collecting parts so that maybe one day i can get it restored. while waiting for erik to play up at hals during homecoming i asked him about the fxrt and i think he said he was the lead engineer on that project. could have misheard him. but i'm pretty sure that's what he said. mine is an 83. | ||
| Sparky |
Jammin & Nevrenuf, my first (and only) H-D was an '87 FXRT, an excellent full size motorcycle that fit me like a glove. Loved everything about it except its lack of grunt. Took care of that with some Branch heads, Supertrapp exhaust and Quicksilver carb. Sorry, getting off track. For one thing I'm pretty sure Erik designed the rising rate air suspension with accumulator and solenoid for the FXRT and FL touring bikes at the time. I don't know, but my friend says the radiator placement and air ducting through the fairing on the Nova V4 Project bike which had air ducts similar to those on the FXRT was Erik's design. But didn't the Nova Project precede Erik's employment with H-D? Anybody know what other improvements in other H-D products can be attributable to Erik's engineering skills? | ||
| 46champ |
Jaimec the same thing happened to me every model I really liked was pulled from production before i could afford one. XLCR, XR1000, Street Rod did manage to buy the first year of what became the FXR SP. I think if they ever build something that really seams out of the ordinary for them you have to buy now because it will be gone tomorrow. | ||
| Blake |
Count me among the formerly pro-Harley-Davidson. Had my eye on a new Street Glide or Road King. If they don't turn this around and saved Buell, I'll never own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle of any kind, ever. And I'll not say a good word about them, ever. Quite the contrary. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
I finally bought a couple of nice H-D shirts about three weeks ago, first time I've bought any H-D merchandise except for a scale model V-Rod. One is a cool T-Shirt with XR1200 style "Harley-Davidson" script on it, and I really don't feel like wearing it since last week... (Yep, I'm an FXRS Sport, XL1200 Sport, XL883R, XLCR, Street Rod fan too...) | ||
| Hex |
Chili, Make a "Free Erik!" stencil, and spray pant over the front and back in big red letters! Then you can wear your HD shirts with pride! +1 Blake, sad to harbor these feelings though. I WAS so proud of HD, now I am disgusted. I'd even accept a rebranding of Buell as HD, keeping the Elves at East Troy, over this decision. Hex | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Public Relations Mess? I think you need Public Relations in order for there to be a PR Mess. All HD does is preach and tell. There's zero relating. | ||
| Ezblast |
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| Buellerandy |
Oh, my bad, I thought we were abreviating(sp?) Public Restroom... | ||
| Spatten1 |
I feel just as alienated now as every time I've walked into a Harley dealer. Buell was the bridge Harley helped build to standard and sport riders. They burned the bridge. I don't hate Harley, I just feel a bigger separation, they don't make anything that competes with Japanese and European standards and sportbikes. They can milk their dying demographic for all it's worth. Sales will keep declining unless we have another economic bubble where people can spend money they don't even have. Good luck HD. I'll keep my XB, but don't see anything I'd pay for at the Harley dealer for my next bike. |
