| Author | Message | ||
     Buelliedan |
"Regardless of whether hero or Erik owns the company or nobody - who is going to trust this brand again to invest their money in and buy a bike?" That right there is why I think this is the death blow for Buell/EBR (Message edited by buelliedan on April 16, 2015) | ||
| Pwnzor |
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| Xb9er |
Buelliedan, you said it right there. Even if Erik gets EBR back up or under another name, no dealer will want to sell their products due to the risk and it will be hard for anyone to bite the bullet on opening an EBR (or whatever the new name) only dealer. This might just be the nail that keeps the door shut. Brand equity just went out the window. God, I hope I'm wrong. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Rubrecht, you just nailed it with your post! As far as funding a race team, who really cares about that? As far as I'm concerned, it's a genuine waste of money! I want a comfortable motorcycle I can ride from coast to coast not on a race track! I think a much better investment of money would have been entering the IMS this last year where thousands of motorcyclist would have seen your product, sit on them and strongly considered purchasing one! Even though I don't care for the crotch rocket or naked bikes myself! I think the company missed the mark by not bringing out the AX model! | ||
| Ourdee |
I still want a new bike. I'm just too tied up right now. Hoping for the best. Dave seams to be the only one that knows what is going on so far. | ||
| Twobuells |
This is sad. 2009 all over again. We were all rooting for EBR to take off and build us a lot of great bikes. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Too many fails to make it at this point if this requires another start from scratch like 09... | ||
| Ljm |
Nice to meet you today, Dan. Will take your advice if a fire sale comes. Hope some of the positive scenarios we discussed come out, and hoping for the best for you and the other dealers. | ||
| Tpoppa |
I feel badly for the workers, the dealers, and those who have purchased. Many of the EBR business decisions were questionable...much more so knowing they were operating with such a high degree of financial risk. | ||
| Gabby_duck |
To bad someone like Elon Musk couldn't step in and back this brand and make better business decisions. MAke ERIC A ENGINEER NOT A BUSINESS MAN. | ||
| Ljm |
I don't feel bad as an owner unless I can't get parts eventually. The RS is everything it was cracked up to be. Riding it is a riot. The wife loves her Rx, enough so that I will keep it an scavenge parts or make them to keep it alive. As for the employees, I hate to see this, and the racers, and dealers. They are good folks and deserved better. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Where's the Hastur? | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
BRP!! | ||
| Buewulf |
"To bad someone like Elon Musk couldn't step in and back this brand and make better business decisions. MAke ERIC A ENGINEER NOT A BUSINESS MAN." I suspect the brand is irreparably damaged now and would have little value to a buyer. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
They said that about GM and they are still in business | ||
| Budgolf |
This whole thing really sucks. and I know there are some people here with a lot of money invested and how this turns out will greatly affect them. But some of you are just jackasses. You dont own an EBR, you've got no skin in the game..and you have supported EBR with talk only, not your wallets. Well talk is cheap and now you want to sit here and judge the man like he owes you something. None of us knows what happened...or is going on....or will happen. But people with no real interest want to sit here and bash EBR business practices like you're Warren Buffet or something. Does it suck? Yep. For dealers...for Erik...for 126 employees. Me? It breaks my heart because I share the same dream a lot of otbers do. That the best motorcycles in the world ought to be made here. Only because we're freakin Americans. My purchase is two weeks old and I dont regret it a bit. And I think I will spend my time praying for those involved instead of bashing them. And this post in no way applies to everyone here but If the shoe fits...... | ||
| Ourdee |
Nathan, Update your profile. | ||
| Thumper1203 |
@Budgolf.. BRAVO, true that. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There is always a twinge of bitterness whenever a business fails, particularly one where the owner is admirable. I think what makes this even more so is the fact that not only are we fans of Buell motorcycles but are fans of Erik Buell. His success is our success. When he faces adversity, we all seem to feel it. It's what makes Buell unique. It's what makes Badweb unique. It's why we are still here. We choose to continue to believe. | ||
| Frankrizzo |
If only he had teamed up with Polaris instead of Hero, or maybe he still can? Can't blame me for dreaming! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Mr. Buell is a man with considerable talents. He ain't done yet. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
"But Wisconsin residents have had an obscure state bankruptcy alternative available to them for decades that provides much faster and easier and, often, more preferable debt relief than does federal bankruptcy." http://www.wisbar.org/newspublications/wisconsinla wyer/pages/article.aspx?Volume=81&Issue=5&ArticleI D=1441 | ||
| Mnrider |
Hopefully EBR can just be sold and the brand can be kept going. I don't think this will hurt the brand if they can make great bikes. I'm still riding the Uly to work tomorrow. | ||
| Ljm |
I find that very interesting. It was written to basically restructure debt with a clear eye to, and timelines for repayment, not to exceed 36 months. It specifically freezes the assessment of interest during the period of assessment and consolidation. Creditors are allowed to submit debts to the Trustee for inclusion in a payment plan. It also specifically bars the seizure of assets during this time. Several interesting factors to consider here: 1. EBR owes to vendors, presumably. They can't collect, and neither is EBR likely to be able to order from them. They are not obligated to do continue selling. 2. There is no workforce. By the same token, the debtor is not obligated to cease operations under Ch 128. Wonder why this was done? No cash to pay them or some other reason? 3. Debt owed by dealers for bikes it owed to G.E. Capital. I am not sure what debt EBR would owe them. Dealers stand to be in trouble, given my wild-assed assessment. 4. Selling the company is not mandated by Ch. 128. Presumably, that is the debt repayment strategy? As I read it, but am a lay person, the outstanding debt, reported to be 20 million is still owed. Creditors would have to accept less if less paid, or some other means to pay would have to be included. 5. If sold, what was purchased would be on the table for negotiation, e.g. patents, designs, engine design and rights, rights to manufacture the bikes. 6. Depending on how company is structured, i.e Motorcycles, Engineering, etc., as separate divisions, not all would necessarily be included. Someone from inside must know something, although I gather from a couple sources that few knew this was coming. Unless their non-disclosure agreements are airtight and they are still committed to them, someone is going to talk. My .02. Fire away. | ||
| Blackm2 |
Budgolf, well said. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
The time is here? I've hear this before and now I'm starting to believe! If you don't produce a product that people want to buy and are affordable to purchase, your doomed! The AX might have saved the company but their time and Resourses were spent on racing and that just doesn't pay the bills! Maybe, just maybe Harley Davidson knew what they were doing! My question is the Yahama has dominated the racing circuit the last couple of years, how many of you have went out and purchased a Yahama? | ||
| Henshao |
I'm curious how many EBR ads anyone has seen that they weren't kinda-sorta searching for. Terrible marketing effort. Producing a product people want to buy is one thing but at some point it would be wise to let those people know it exists. | ||
| Two_seasons |
I'm praying for all those affected by this huge heartbreak! There will be another chapter in USA made motorcycles  | ||
| Hughlysses |
We may have the first stages of another fire sale going. SX's and RX's for $12.5k at a dealer in Virginia: http://www.wherethepoweris.com/s/search/inventory/ brand/Erik%20Buell%20Racing/availability/In%20Stoc k/class/Motorcycles/type/Street%20Bikes?utm_source =EBR%20CLEARANCE&utm_campaign=EBR&utm_medium=email (cross-post from ADVrider) | ||
| Henshao |
There have been california dealers selling for 12.5k for about a week at least |
