| Author | Message | ||
     Wolfridgerider |
I have been in a $HIT mood since HD closed Buell. My spirit began to lift a little when EBR opened. When HERO came aboard I was thinking/hoping EBR was set to go full bore I was just waiting for that sport touring bike to come out.... and the hammer drops again.... I feel $hitty I can't imagine how the folks in East Troy are feeling. I have met some good people riding motorcycles. I met some GREAT people riding Buells | ||
| Stevel |
There is a story here that is not being told. I'm pretty sure it was Hero that has triggered this. You would think that Erik would have learned his lesson after being f@#$%ed by HD, but no, it appears not. Indians and Chinese are merciless business men. Hero looked way to good to be true and guess what, it was. Perhaps the story will come out in the wash. At the end of the day, I feel very sorry for Court's Elves. | ||
| Hughlysses |
A minor piece of good news, cross-posted from the WSBK thread: http://m.crash.net/wsbk/news/217661/1/ebr-racing-a t-assen-despite-manufacturer-bankruptcy.html | ||
| Reepicheep |
Cory West had a thoughtful post on Instagram also...
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| Stevel |
I think Erik did this to prevent Hero from taking over EBR. I would guess that Hero made Erik an offer he couldn't refuse. Essentially sell or we pull all your funding. My guess is that Erik has called Hero's bluff. I think Erik's history is yet to be written.............'jus saying! | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
I'm very disappointed for Erik and for the team. My God, they have covered some hard ground and achieved things we can barely imagine or relate to. I wish my circumstances were different. I wanted one of these so bad. After riding one on the track in St. Louis last year, the ache only intensified. Thank you Elves. Thank you for dreaming big and gambling big. Thank you for daring to accomplish big things. The world and this country need more of that. I am sorry I did not support your efforts with money. Thank you again and good luck as you navigate the aftermath. Hang in there. Best wishes, Charles | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"I think Erik did this to prevent Hero from taking over EBR. I would guess that Hero made Erik an offer he couldn't refuse. Essentially sell or we pull all your funding. My guess is that Erik has called Hero's bluff." You make Erik sound like a jerk - by 'calling Hero's bluff' a bunch of people are out of work. Does that really seem like him to you? Nothing Ive ever seen or read has given me the idea that he would risk his employees lives like that. Im curious what went down, but I doubt it is this | ||
| B25urgandy |
I wonder if we can expect an official announcement sometime this week, like with what HD did with Buell. Give some closure and some idea what if anything they can do for support still. They did a great job supporting the pre-EBR Buell bikes, and it would be nice if a slice still continued to operate. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Maybe, HD is going to buy a stake in EBR....lol | ||
| Hughlysses |
^ Wandell is out right? Maybe the new CEO is more open-minded?  | ||
| Rick_a |
That sucks. The bikes are not quite my cup o' tea, but I sure wanted them to succeed. It's a dream shot down just before fruition. | ||
| Red93stang |
Did any 15's make it out the door? I thought I read where some guys had taken delivery of 15's. | ||
| Jaimec |
The good news is that this doesn't affect the Hero/EBR team in WSBK (yet). Just saw that announcement anyway. | ||
| Phelan |
Jeff, we took delivery of the first 2015 SX in the country. Not many were delivered though, and all of them were SXs. | ||
| Noone1569 |
I still have (had) 1 year on my warranty =( and open warranty claims | ||
| Tpoppa |
Cash flow is far more likely than conspiracy. How many motorcycle do you need to sell to pay the salaries of 120 people? More than EBR was able to sell. | ||
| Cravacor |
Wandell was a glum c&nt. Glad to see him "retire" from H-D. Good riddance. Most unfortunate for Erik and crew. Their business plan seemed a little doomed from the get-go though. Offering bikes that were essentially hopped up versions of the original 2008 1125 series at Ducati prices. As fast as technology marches in the superbike realm, 7 year old stuff just is not going to be competitive, "trinity of tech" or not... EBR's business plan may have succeeded back in the "good old days" before the credit crunch, but as has been mentioned previously, there isn't much room in the super-competitive discretionary money toy market for boutique bikes, especially if they don't have the cachet/legacy of a Ducati or M/V Augusta. | ||
| Cravacor |
BTW, we still need a supplier of drilled stators... | ||
| Hughlysses |
How many motorcycle do you need to sell to pay the salaries of 120 people? More than EBR was able to sell. Court has indicated on several occasions that salaries (at least for design team) were being payed by doing outside consulting work. Still, it's possible that work dried up. Interesting tidbit: Hero says they aren't worried about EBR closure, for what that's worth: http://zeenews.india.com/business/news/companies/h ero-invested-company-files-for-bankruptcy-in-us_12 3623.html | ||
| Hughlysses |
BTW, we still need a supplier of drilled stators... Here you go: http://www.twinmotorcycles.nl/webshop/artikel.asp? guid=YXHFSC&aid=5318&cid=0&s=rotor&a=&aname=Buell_ 1125RCR_Rotor_upgrade_with_oil_jet_ | ||
| Buelliedan |
Hero is not the bad guy in this. Poor business management is to blame here and Hero got tired of paying for it. EBR dealers were not told anything about the closure and we have been totally shut out from communications with the company. I have invested a lot of money and so much time I cannot even count to start the dealership only to have this happen 3 months later. (Message edited by buelliedan on April 16, 2015) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Some more details: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2015/04/ 15/erik-buell-racing-shutters-east-troy-plant-file s.html
(Message edited by Hughlysses on April 16, 2015) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Haven't seen this posted; from Facebook:
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| Gobadgers |
It is hard for me to understand Hero letting it go to this. 1. Surely their financial people understood EBR's position--great bikes but starting from a ground zero position--when they made a $25 million investment 2 years ago. It is almost as if they have no business understanding. Continuing investment should have been recognized. 2. The huge design talent coming from EBR is not a "one and done" mentality. For a manufacturer wanting further acceptance in the world market they just lost major talent and years of development time; assuming they can even come close to the innovation coming out of East Troy, which they cannot. They--Hero--will look back at this as a major strategic mistake changing the course of Hero. 3. What is Hero now going to have to do to gain entry into the US market? Supply and distribution and warranty networks are not cheap. Marketing without EBR Acceptance on their brand name alone. 4. What is Hero going to field now on the major racing circuit? They are right on the cusp of having their name splashed across the winners circle. When if ever will they get back into this position. I predict never. They are willing to throw this all away. When I read this is all for $20 million EBR has in liabilities, that really confounds me. That amount is nothing in the scheme of things. Each of the points above is worth more than $20 million in itself. i.e. Just try to field a contending racing team for $20 million (a year) on your own. Hero will never be in this position again. Ask yourself how much each point above will cost to do on their own (if even possible with things like design talent)? My guess, for a lack of $20 million Hero just lost $200+ million. They are confirming their future as a 3rd world brand that one time looked like it had a shot at it. (Message edited by GoBadgers on April 16, 2015) | ||
| Ljm |
Here is something I haven't seen posted yet : what are the timelines for bids for the company and what did they tell the employees? | ||
| Buelliedan |
GoBadgers, I do not understand why you are wanting to blame hero for this? You seem convinced that they did something wrong yet I see no proof of anything. | ||
| Gobadgers |
Buelliedan, I am not understanding Hero's reasoning might better reflect my thinking and post. Two years ago, Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said, “The equity partnership with EBR is reflective of our long-term vision of transforming Hero MotoCorp to a truly global two-wheeler major with footprints spread across continents, offering a wide range of technologically-advanced two-wheelers. Indeed, this equity partnership is a natural extension of our existing relationship with EBR, which is going to further strengthen our strategic alliance. As we go on spreading our footprint in new international markets, we will look at having extended centers of our own R&D at multiple locations around the world, developing two-wheelers for our global customers. Our evolving relationship with EBR is an initiative in that direction." How does what is happening in any way reflect the vision statement he (Hero) put forth? So now how do they get there from here? And at what cost? | ||
| Buelliedan |
Unfortunately partnerships require both sides to work together. When one side does not hold up their end of the bargain the other side is forced to do things to protect themselves. I am not going to say too much but let's just say Hero decided this was not a good partnership and cut their losses before it got too out of hand. EBR really screwed the pooch on this one and I think this will be the death blow as nobody is going to want to deal with them anymore, myself included. Can you tell I am quite pissed at EBR right now? | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Don't you folks recall there was an aspect to HERO's financing that allowed American citizenship in return for investment? | ||
| Buewulf |
"I think Erik did this to prevent Hero from taking over EBR." That isn't the case as it is now easier than ever for Hero to take over the company. Hero just has to have the winning bid, and I suspect they would be the only serious bidder. If Hero ever wanted full control of EBR but couldn't get it... Well, now they can. |
