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Buell Forum » Quick Board » Archive through March 05, 2014 » New Buell/Hero article. Long but really interesting look into Erik's head. « Previous Next »

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Koz5150
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 10:38 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

http://www.gizmag.com/hero-honda-battle-buell/3072 7/
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Elsinore74
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 11:04 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Wow. Great article; too many great thoughts and quotes from Erik to cite in one comment, so I advise everyone here to read it.
Thanks for posting, Koz!
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Crusty
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 11:43 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Interesting. A worthwhile read.
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Aaron_thomas
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 11:46 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

"The bad news for the competition is that Buell is far from a one-trick-pony and the Hero relationship seems certain to give his design genius many more blank canvasses upon which to paint many more masterpieces"... I love this line from the article
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Hootowl
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 11:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

"If we build a show bike, it will be a working bike, not a dummy made up to look like a working motorcycle."

13 of 19 bikes were designed by EBR. The Hastur may well be a real motorcycle.
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Wolfridgerider
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 11:58 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Last October (2013), Hero sold a record 625,000 motorcycles in India alone – that’s one every four seconds, including a single day on October 21, 2013 when it sold 110,000 motorcycles

DANG!! That is a lot-o-bikes!
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Hughlysses
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 12:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

My favorite quote from Erik regarding V-twins:

quote:

“There are also many other factors … in the world we’re talking about, sports motorcycles are a very emotional product and big v-twins sound cool. I don’t mean just Harley’s 45 degree twin, but a high revving racing v-twin is a spectacular sounding engine, and sound is a key part of the experience for the rider.

“We selected the 72 degree angle for our bike based on the fact that it’s a factor of the 360 degree or 720 degree four-stroke engine cycle. When we were trying to select the best angle for the engine we decided that 60 degrees was too narrow and we needed to open the cylinder angle up more to allow for the intake ports

“It could have been any angle and in trying to find the best angle, we set up a computer simulation so that it could simulate the sound that the engine would make at high revs for each of the various v-twin engine angles under consideration and we sat around and listened to them and … you know I’m a bit of a hack musician and the sound is important to me … and when we heard 72 degrees at high revs, it was a very sweet number, and it sounded really cool. Then we realized that 72 is a key factor of 720 degrees – ten times 72 is the full four-stroke-engine cycle.

“Does that matter to the guy in Africa who wants a super-fuel-efficient bike with high carrying capacity so he can get his stuff to market? No, not at all. Does it matter to a guy buying a superbike? You bet it does!"


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Sifo
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 02:35 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

That is a great article. Lots of stuff going on with Hero/EBR. Still not seeing what I want in a bike, but I'm a small market segment.
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Strokizator
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 03:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

What a great partnership. Whatever Hero paid EBR for their expertise it's paying off in spades. And while Erik is passionate about his high performance/low volume motorcycles, the opportunity to be involved in a market that sells over 13 million bikes annually must make him just a little giddy.

I'm excited for the near future. Give me a 600cc twin cylinder adventure bike that doesn't weigh 550 lbs.
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Aaron_thomas
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 03:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

@ strokizator. that is what I am hoping for. take the twin and light weight from the concept bike. Build a dual sport. My KLR is a tank
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Rocket_in_uk
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 06:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Hoot, if we are not being lied to, and I don't believe we are, then it looks like I was wrong (again) and the Hastur is very likely a running motorcycle.

I couldn't be happier though. In fact I'm chuffed to bits the Hastur has now been revealed as a Buell creation.

I haven't wanted another motorcycle since I bought my S1W new in 1998, with the exception of the MV 750 Brutale. I've ridden the 910 Brutale as well as the 750, and the 910 put me off every Brutale since. Simply because the 750 was a total f*****g screamer and I loved it. I'd still have one today but for too many other things going on petrolhead wise so to speak. But the Hastur has really got me I have to say.

When will the UK get to see it in the flesh? I'm not getting any younger, lol.


Rocket in England
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Hughlysses
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 09:06 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Interview with Erik followed by an article on Hero in this week's Cycle News:

http://cyclenews.uberflip.com/i/262687

MORE interesting stuff.
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Aaron_thomas
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 09:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

thanks Hughlysses.. VERY good read also. More is revealed.
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Chauly
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 10:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2014/Feb/140218pws. htm
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Hughlysses
Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 - 10:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Wow- imagine that. STILL nothing good to say about EBR.

Of course, if they're 25 MPH down on top speed and only 4-5 seconds off the pace of the fastest bikes, they must be accelerating brutally.

(Message edited by Hughlysses on February 18, 2014)
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Torquehd
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 01:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Great read, thanks for sharing! The more i learn about Erik, the more i'm glad to stand behind him, his team, and his products.
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Reepicheep
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 08:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Good point Hugh.
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Chauly
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 09:36 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

So the torque is there, but you would think the Hp would be up there with the Ducati, no?
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Reepicheep
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 09:55 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Actually I wouldn't... there is a classic "trade low RPM power and fuel efficiency in order to achieve the best possible peak RPM performance" factor in play.

The 2012 Panagali 1199 appears to get about 31 MPG.

Given the 1190 RX is an EPA 50 mpg bike out of the box, EBR is clearly going for the holy grail here of getting big top end power without selling the farm everywhere else.

Good for them.
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Chauly
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 10:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

That's great for the real world, and I applaud that.
I don't want to see EBR embarrassed on the WSBK stage, so hopefully he can crank up the fuel consumption and emissions and find the power!
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Hootowl
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 10:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

What in the hell is Erik wearing in the pictures in that article? Is that...a suit?
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Reepicheep
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 12:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Thats been done already.

I hope they *don't* crank up the fuel consumption or emissions, and can find the power.

I'm coaching a 3rd grade Lacrosse team. In third grade lacrosse (like pee-wee football), you can actually win pretty easily by finding a couple of really good athletes, giving them the ball, and telling them to just go bully their way to the goal and keep taking shots. Skills are poor in general, so this works pretty well to win a lot of games. But it is all you ever learn to do...

I told our kids (and more importantly our parents) that we will be a passing and motion team, and that it will probably mean we loose most of our games. We will win passing, or we will loose passing, but we will pass.

5 years from now these boys will be starters on their high school team, and the other teams with the really good athletes that never really had to develop fundamental team skills will be standing there frustrated and bewildered as their team looses by 10 points (and only that small a margin because when we hit 8 points we switched all our attack guys with our defensive guys just for a good laugh).
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Court
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 12:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

These are the types of things that, when I read them, change my day.

Thank you.

I'm spending the evening with 18 young minds and "we pass".
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Chauly
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 01:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Unless he has one-up on Sadie Carnot, he may not have a choice on the world stage of public opinion. Factories go racing for one or more of three basic reasons:
1. To sell bikes by brand identification.
2. To sell bikes by learning and developing the breed (research).
3. To sell those particular model of bikes because they won.

3.5. I'm rich, and it's great fun!

Are there any other reasons?
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Ratbuell
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 07:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I love the background, I love the man, and I have the highest hopes for the brand...but those radar numbers are scary. Hopefully they can continue to make up lap time in the turns and on exit speed...but end result is going to have to be more HP, one way or the other.

I'm sure the Elves can scare some up...let's get it sooner rather than later folks! : )
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Ratbuell
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 07:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

3.5. I'm rich, and it's great fun!

Are there any other reasons?


Reminds me of the old joke - "how do you make a small fortune in racing? Start with a large one..."

I will say - the articles above are timed perfectly. 'Tis the season I need all the inspiration I can get, to pull the ol' girls out of storage and pre-flight them for the upcoming season.

GO EBR!!
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Cityxslicker
Posted on Thursday, February 20, 2014 - 08:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

'Committees launder risk, but they also launder passion and genius and bold ideas in the process.'
tochna

Go EBR / HERO !
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Doz
Posted on Thursday, February 20, 2014 - 09:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

It would be interesting to compare past sales numbers with the new ebr inspired hero's sales. At current numbers I'd assume that hero will need to branch into other markets. Then again I have no idea what the population for India is.
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Court
Posted on Thursday, February 20, 2014 - 06:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

>>>It would be interesting to compare past sales numbers with the new ebr inspired hero's sales.

You are 3.5 years late.

The first quietly EBR designed product rolled out sometime again and resulted in a . . . uhhhhhh.. "impressive" spike.

(Message edited by court on February 20, 2014)
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Steveford
Posted on Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 05:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

"Erik Buell's passion for motorcycles is contagious. He evangelises finding a better way every time he speaks. His desire to make people smile via his motorcycles might well be the x-factor Hero needs to take on Honda"

That little blurb says it all.
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Doz
Posted on Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 08:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

That's not the only thing I'm late on Court, Remind me to tell you about it someday.
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