| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Even if Polaris isn't interested, it would seem to be a good thing that their sales are up. The fact that Polaris is successfully selling high dollar motorcycles might make potential investors more inclined to invest in EBR. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"The fact that Polaris is successfully selling high dollar motorcycles might make potential investors more inclined to invest in EBR." interesting. Why? | ||
| Hughlysses |
^ I'm just thinking that since Polaris is being successful selling high dollar motorcycles, potential investors might be more inclined to see production of high dollar motorcycles as a viable business. | ||
| Sifo |
Cruisers tend to be the market for the older crowd. Race replica bikes tend to be the market for the younger crowd. Which crowd has the disposable income to drop that sort of cash on a luxury item? I know this isn't completely on topic, and a Motus thread has also just been started, but I really wonder how they will do. Their bikes start at a bit over twice the price of the house my folks bought in 1968. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Just posted on the German Speedweek website: "Motorcycle Giant Hero Could Easily Save EBR" http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=de&u=http://www.speedweek.com/sbk/news/73529/Motorrad-Gigant-Hero-koennte-Buell-(EBR)-leicht-retten.html&usg=ALkJrhjM1JvAFzfrdji0UWqTxXyJQLCGBA (Google translation to English- I notice "EBR" is always translated to "EWC") (Message edited by Hughlysses on April 26, 2015) | ||
| Hughlysses |
A bit OT except for the comments included near the bottom of the post, this is from EBR's Facebook page. SOMEBODY there is doing something, closure or not!
 | ||
| Steveford |
I was speaking with a fellow yesterday about Buell and he said that he expects Hero to enter us US market in 2017 with plenty of Buell ideas on the bikes - presumably with EBR just a memory. Idle speculation but after reading about their German bicycle venture, I have to wonder if he wasn't spot on about how this will play out. | ||
| Court |
>>>I have to wonder if he wasn't spot on about how this will play out. He could also be in for a HUGE surprise. | ||
| Mrakz83 |
I sure hope so. | ||
| Thumper1203 |
..sure hope so, X2 | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I tell you what, if EBR comes back from the dead those people that bought bikes at the sub 10k prices are going to look like geniuses. | ||
| M1combat |
Even if EBR doesn't come back they'll look like geniuses... | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
^ I'm just thinking that since Polaris is being successful selling high dollar motorcycles, potential investors might be more inclined to see production of high dollar motorcycles as a viable business." interesting. | ||
| Henshao |
35 million dollar paint system? That can't be right. That would have bought them majority ownership of EBR, lol. | ||
| Daddio |
"35 million dollar paint system?" Yep, just down the road from their main assembly plant, in Spirit Lake, IA, is a brand-new building whose main function is paint for Victorys, Indians, and Slingshots. A big complaint about prior-year Victorys was paint quality. | ||
| Noone1569 |
"Are you aware . . this is s serious question . . . of anyone who has experienced trouble getting a part?" I've been waiting on a tail section for just over a year now . . . | ||
| D_adams |
Same for the rear shock and subframe. Known problem with shock getting scratched from rubbing. Showed that to many (6+) of the engineers there in June last year. 3 bikes there at the time, all were scratched the same way. Now my tail plastics are cracked as well. Front rotor is pulsating badly, already had that replaced once. Black lower plastics are damaged from the exhaust, several chunks have chipped or broken away on both sides. For those of you that haven't looked, you might want to do so. The bodywork is very close to the catalytic converter section and it gets VERY hot there. | ||
| Classax |
"The bodywork is very close to the catalytic converter section and it gets VERY hot there." Mine is melted on the inside now, with the bike having created its own "cooling vent" just behind where the kickstand head sits. I have been watching it for a while. All I can say is, this is not the bike to sit a REV to REV line in the parking lot, The heat from the exhaust and cat will cook your tire and destroy your lower plastics which the owners manual requires to be removed before any use on a dyno (the lower plastics, not the tire) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Not exactly about the closure but a nice historical overview of what EB has done so far: http://www.motorcycle.com/top10/top-ten-erik-buell -ups-downs-far.html | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Motorcycle.com is the best. They've been my go to since before getting serious into riding in 06. They helped me decide the CityX was the right choice for me at the time. | ||
| Court |
This is good to know and the problems, if I am understanding them, were pre-existing (like more than a year ago) and unrelated to the current happenings. It sounds like a very important thing, when the clouds clear, is to focus more on the "owner experience" and have a system and staff to quickly address these things. This is some of the most useful information I've come across and my compliments to you guys for sharing it in a factual manner. To do list would include some major changes in the way the dealer network and customer interface is handled. | ||
| Classax |
Court I can not reiterate enough that in order to compete with Ducati EBR or whatever it may be in the future must not only deliver great machines, the owner experience must be one that causes owners to feel there is value not just in the technology but in the EBR brand/ life style as a whole. Its one thing to ask buyers to accept a different way of ridding, wrenching and braking, but the company needs to at least foster the idea that the difference/fierce independence is worth the price of admission. Quite candidly the owner/dealer interface was often too slow and too dated for a company selling product in the 21 century. Heck of a bike though. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
For a six figure salary, a company car, cell phone, gas and expense credit card I would be more than happy to be the customer liasion for EBR....lol | ||
| Court |
>>>>For a six figure salary, a company car, cell phone, gas and expense credit card I would be more than happy to be the customer liasion for EBR....lol That comp package wouldn't be out of line in most companies. What . . for the sake of discussion . . would you envision that you would be doing? Various companies retain such folks . . . . and, predictably, many more are asked to. I used to have a 5 page proposal that a fellow had sent to BMW Motorcycles. Porsche does something similar, anointing a de facto factory/owner liaison, within the various elements of the range . . .i.e. they are separate for the Cayman/Boxter, 911, Panamera, Cayenne/Macan. But it becomes more difficult as you move from joking about it to putting it in action. Few here are old enough to remember but, while running a construction business, I would fly out of Kansas on Thursday niight and attend all the IMS shows, host rides and social gatherings and generally stir interest. It was fun but it was a hell of a lot of work as well. Ideas ? | ||
| Hughlysses |
What Cory West was doing prior to the closure sure seemed like a move in the right direction. Even the guy that went around with Cory in the van (a former Aprilia employee who's name I've already forgotten), who showed up at March Badness in the EBR van last month at Rider's Hill, an EBR dealer in Dahlonega, Georgia, was doing a lot of good for the brand, just being there and talking to folks.  The three of us enjoyed talking with him. | ||
| Midknyte |
https://youtu.be/7Ac6_ckGUB4 Dammit we need a hail mary. Theses things deserve to exist. | ||
| Ljm |
Court, we have talked about this some already, but never really got concrete about the aspects of it although we touched on all of them. Per my old and faulty memory: 1. online presence that is active and engaged by collecting information and soliciting (officially) buyers and potential buyers input. 2. Active website with up-to-date information on the bikes, service, strategic plan, racing, including contingencies. 3. Owner portal to interface with the company. 4. Dealer portal. 5. Cory West and Transporter at every gathering of bikes anywhere. Given that that is more of an expensive proposition, informal means through clubs and owner's groups. For example, I offered to take the RS to bike nights and shows with some merchandise and hand outs. At the time, I had the only RS in street trim west of the Mississippi (I may still). I never heard back. 6. RX's should be in the hands of a club racer at every track. That would be accomplished through contingencies and discounts/sponsorships. That's how I would try it, and I would do it for expenses and a couple bikes a year. I am essentially retired and hate consulting. I am old and can't go fast, but I can talk about motorcycles with the best of them. | ||
| Malott442 |
>>>>>>>>What . . for the sake of discussion . . would you envision that you would be doing? I would like to chime in. Coordinating with the entire EBR network, road race, x games, and events of interest; Contact the spokesperson to coordinate a van with the current lineup, a few umbrella tables, some diced up frames and wheels, and multimedia/physical propaganda, then quite un simply -be there. Be gregarious. Be approachable. Approach passing foot traffic. Build rapport. Listen to and take note of population commentary, from the different target groups, dividing the information accordingly. Counting foot traffic. Counting interest. Collecting newsletter email addresses. Taking pictures for people on the bikes. I feel populating and recording data tracking certain calometric info would help evolve the effort into higher fruitition. Ride the bike around the events, but in a way to not be too eccentric about it. Find out about bike nights, other events, and show up on the bike with backpacks full of literature and doo dads. I am just rolling one possible loosely rattled idea off the top of my head. Ive wanted to build an attack plan based off previous wins/fails I've witnessed, as well as those I've read/heard about. I think about this more than I should, haha I felt it would be a good idea to employ a few dozen Brand Ambassadors. Guys who will take out 40 hours a month to put the bike out there, various places, and be available to answer build questions and hype the bike. These people would of course need to be screened for personality and ethic. Their pay would be discounted bikes, parts, and tickets to functions. More of a perk than actual pay. And I know a few guys on this forum would fit this bill. I would love to be a brand ambassador. If there's something I love nearly as much as my family, it is the Buell way and the Buell bikes. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Buell has a culture. An ambassador is a cultural spokesman conveying the uniqueness, the qualities, the customs of that culture. The efforts of the ambassador should have the affect of causing those who hear of this culture seek to visit it, to appreciate it, to become part of it. People may own a Buell, but until they have experienced the culture, they aren't truly "Buell people". Ordinary bikes come and go. Buells are something altogether different. Something even Buell slogans simply can't express. | ||
| Ljm |
I think that is where they missed the boat initially, Jeremy: in not appealing to the culture and the community that already existed. Granted some of us are getting a little long in the tooth, but the older bikes are too and getting this group that is committed to them would have been a substantial market. In some ways, no matter who your target market is, if there are none out there you can't reach them. If someone is riding them, even if they are not the intended target at least others get to see them and ooh and ahhh over them. Funny idea, but a badweb pre-production discount would have probably sold as many bikes as they have sold already. |
