| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Cycle World has a synopsis of Steve Anderson's article on the demise of Buell up on their website at http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=3 &article_id=2134. New pics:  Wish we could find a larger version of this one:  This bike just doesn't have a bad angle, does it? | ||
| No_rice |
grrrrr | ||
| Whatever |
Ouch  | ||
| Tq_freak |
Salt in the wound.... | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
FUHD!!! | ||
| Glitch |
FUWandell! | ||
| Two_buells |
that wheelie picture just makes me want to cry   KW | ||
| Nevrenuf |
and the horse he rode in on. including anyone that conspired against buell!!!! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
May their nutsacks be gnawed off by rabid weasels. | ||
| Gunut75 |
 | ||
| Gregtonn |
"May their nutsacks be gnawed off by rabid weasels." They may (or maybe they don't) have nutsacks but they certainly don't have anything in them. G | ||
| Blackm2 |
The truly ironic/idiotic thing is that HD wouldn't sell BMC for whatever stupid reason, even with an offer on the table. How many offers have they received for MV Agusta? How long will it take for the board to remove Wandell should be the next poll. | ||
| Ratyson |
I try to keep a positive outlook on these things. Even though it hurts to see the pictures of the Barracuda, because it is one dam good looking bike, I like to think that it is a glimpse to the future. A hint of what may come from Erik and his band of helpers. He designed a beautiful bike... And he can, and I would imagine will, do it again. Looking to the past, and allowing it to frustrate you keeps you from looking to the future, and seeing what may come. As well as being one helluva waste of energy and time. So here is the way I see it. HDMC no longer has any say-so/control over what Erik and his team can come up with (with the exception of copyright/patented designs). So, with that barrier out of the way, only good things can come. The only things they have to contend with now are time and money... both of which are manageable things. I know I was looking forward to a day when the great American sportbike would no longer be under the control of the great American Cruiser manufacturer. And now we have that. It just needs time to grow.. The seed has been planted. So, I say, lets stop wasting time and energy pissing and moaning about Wandell and HD Moco. Because Wandell no longer matters to the future of the bikes that Erik will most likely bring. Support the vendors here, and the shops that support our current Buells. They had no part in the dropping of Buell. Don't worry about HD Moco cause, well, it just doesn't matter any more. | ||
| M2statz |
Well said Ratyson!  | ||
| Macbuell |
They really should have released that bike before or instead of the 1125R. | ||
| Reepicheep |
That's a nice looking Can Am! (I hope!)  | ||
| Fahren |
+1 Ratyson. Plus, for those of us with older Buells in the stable, wishing ill for HD is counter-productive. We benefit from having those parts available. | ||
| 12x9sl |
+2 Ratyson!! | ||
| Mnrider |
Well said Ratyson But I still feel like this sometimes.  | ||
| Kenm123t |
Time to start sending Erik Money. He created the Monster the Buell Riders I like some of Harleys offerings and we have owned a few. Harleys problems started when they embraced the RUB and adopted their attitude. RUBS wanted Harleys when they be came better bikes and were relitively exclusive. In other words I can get one and you can't. They failed when they lost the exclusive cachet. Harley should have reduced production when the saw the American other start to drop off. The Euro cars the exclusive but fragile sports cars . A Corvette will do 90% of what any of them do at50% Or less cost. But as Courts friends say but its just a Chevy. Riders enjoy all bikes but choose them based on the mission and or what they can afford. Harley failed to contain costs to allow it to right size for the market. My age group grew up on two wheels pedal or motorized no group in the US has ever been in to two wheels as much. Asl Richard Schwinn if he thought the 10 speed bike craze would die after 1969 -71 Before you couldnt get enough multi speed bikes in dealers the next season you couldntg sell a bicycle except for the smaller kids bikes. The market was saturated and used bikes were all over. In Harleys case the days of flipping bikes for a profit were over. Dealers had to sell not just fill out forms. Dealers from the lean times knew better but hard to build monster show rooms in sight of the interstates as part of dealer development. Dealers needed help in training the sales force to be more than snotty order takers. Since 98 we have purchased 7 Buells and or Harleys. We have choice of 9 dealers in 225 miles we buy from the furthests not because they are what one would expect out of a dealer but because they are the least painful to deal with. Primary issue is they have piss poor attitude I have found that dealers that come from other real world business that involve the public are much better at customer service. and sales expertise. Bad web sponsors are a good example. Now think how you would like Erik to sell the new bikes though Bumpus or Gainsville or Dave from appleton and our own Jeremy and not to forget Al Lighton and his predessor Tat. An MBA grad student should reaserch the failure of Harley. When they smoke clears you find the reasons it was killed were many mostly attitude envy jealousy and ego. Those issues lead to the financial problems that killed Buell and will kill Harley. Envy of what Erik and the Elves accomplished with limited resources made too many with limited talent drive and vision look bad. If your short get rid of measurements then no one knows your short. As for Wandel's experience just look at JCI now there is company running on inertia. They bought York so the could sell thier controls. JCI was so bad every other hvac company started building thier own controls and providing them. JCI systems have the most bug infested soft ware in the BAS industry. We work on it when we have to but they have to have one of my techs go through all sequences of conrtol. We run it till we can change it JCI big on talk short on action. The day ahead will be interesting to say the least. Buyout is where i think its going. BRP hopefully with EB as a consultant making what he deserves. With new EB'S for our riding pleasure | ||
| B00stzx3 |
My big question...why did they send them to the crusher? Did Harley not wanting the Barracuda "getting out"? And everyone realizing how incompetent/arrogant/dumb they were? Why crush it? Put it in a museum, or save it for when Erik's free he can build it again. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Bike- and auto-makers *always* crush prototypes, especially if they're development mules. Liability, lack of certifications and testing, and the fact that development mules are usually beat within inches of their lives...repeatedly...makes them undesirable once they serve their purpose. They're either crushed, or crash-tested. The only main exception would be un-abused, un-driven show cars / concept cars. The death of the Barracuda wasn't a byproduct of the HD shutdown...it was a natural result for a development bike, and yes, it sucks. But...hopefully we haven't seen the last of it  | ||
| Two_buells |
Kenm, well said!  no wonder the York/JCI units on the top of the Softail plant can't keep the building cool  |
