| Author | Message | ||
     Wbrisett |
So, I'm a bit confused... There is a Blast for 2010, it simply doesn't have Buell on it and Buell isn't marketing it. Am I to understand that this simply means that the Rider's Edge program is about all we'll see of the Blast now? I find it quite odd. I understand Erik's point about it not being a sportbike, and maybe that people saw the bike as their first Buell. But, I'm not sure I agree that is all bad. It's a dream bike from a repair standpoint, it really is nearly bulletproof. It's the ideal first bike for a lot of people and even a better run around town on errands bike. Crazy trying to divorce yourself from it in my opinion. Wayne | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
well think of it this way do you want to be known for creating the buell blast or the 1125r? sadly there is alot of people that only know buell as the people who make the blast. I in no way hate the blast but i do not think it is what He wants buell motorcycles to be known for | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
A Blast is not a manufacturer. You can't get tags and registration for a Blast. Someone has to claim they made it, as a manufacturer, or you are not riding it, legally, in my state. Again, I ask the question, who the @&^$ is making the 2010 Blast??? | ||
| Lonewolfnavet |
My beef with Erik is not that he discontinued the Blast, but rather, how he discontinued it. All that crashing it and basically sending a message that it was not what Buell was all about and then looking back at how they tried to market it in the past really pissed me off. You do not de-commission a member of your flagship in such humiliation....all this talk about how passionate he/they were about motorcycles..blah blah blah...yeah, way to treat a bike! I would have felt better if the last shot of the Blast was him donating it to some poor individual who would love to ride but does not have the money to buy one; rather than crashing it to oblivion and mocking the very same thing he created. I know many who have met Erik say he is a great and good guy; I just think that in this case, he used poor judgment. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
PS: 'Family' is what kept HD alive when anybody who wanted a reliable motorcycle wouldnt buy one. Its what Harley sells. Its what Buell (used to) sell and its now what countless other mc companies have copied. Yes, its a sales tool. All companies aspire to build brand loyalty - at least, the smart ones | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I would have felt better if the last shot of the Blast was him donating it to some poor individual who would love to ride but does not have the money to buy one OMG, what kind of a biker are you? That sounds like something those clowns over at OCC would do on an episode of American Chopper. HTFU !!! We are RUTHLESS J/K  | ||
| Moxnix |
Low insurance rates. | ||
| Ratbuell |
To go back a couple of pages...I don't think Erik slammed the Blast at all, nor do I think he would. He says it was a GOOD BIKE. It just doesn't fit anymore. Was the cubing extreme? Yep. Has Buell Motorcycle Company ever been known for restraint? Not that I remember. The ONLY difference I see here is, like I mentioned before, his/their ability to speak their minds for a change. I don't see that a single thing has changed...other than the vocalization. Deep breath, folks. It doesn't mark the coming of the apocalypse. Is it a shame? Yes, it was a fun little bike to ride. Do ya *think* all this hoopla could...possibly...be a buildup to something new? Ya think? I do. I gotta go with Court on this one. Patience. And no, I'm not at the dealer show. I don't have inside information. I just have this annoying habit of *thinking* when stuff like this happens (comes from learning to play chess - and play it well - when I was four years old). Why draw this much attention to an exit...unless there's going to be an entrance soon? Just my hunch. | ||
| Patches |
Are you sure Ashton Kutcher (Punk'd) wasn't the producer of the 2010 Blast video. | ||
| Macdiver |
Hey I figured it out. All non Buell fans know that the DMG folks and Buell are in cahoots. Didn't the AMA just announce a new 450 cc singles racing class for next year.  | ||
| Fast1075 |
Here we go again. After a good night's sleep and some thinking...If anyone has read my many postings, they know I am one of the many that bring up the C3 Cube's shortcomings. I ran into the wall in two weeks..after which I began the modifications to overcome some of the shortcomings...the suspension sucks, and the chassis has an unsettled quality when pushed hard...I am stuck with "scooter" tires...blah, blah, blah. I was hoping for a REPLACEMENT Buell that they are certainly capable of building...Mid displacement, cutting edge handling and decent performance. Who gets to sell me my next bike? I slated 2010 to move up...I'll give you a hint...it won't be an XB...It's a GREAT bike, certainly the best handling American street bike I have ridden...but when I spend my money, it won't be for a bike with an anachronism for an engine...sorry, that is my new "Ruthless Purchasing" philosophy. So unless Buell has a mid displacement modern motorcycle hidden under the carpet, it won't be a Buell. If they do...BRAVO!! I will go checkbook in hand and buy one...along with all the farkles and doodads to make it even better. I am over the shock ad. I understand why it was done...the Blast does not truly reflect Erik's vision...I understand that the mothership most likely pressured him into building it...against his desires (other than the fact that the Blast engine was the first development for the XB engine)..shame the Blast ended up half baked. Shame the mothership owns Rider's Edge...it's funny that Buell made no money on the Blast...but the Harley dealerships made a TON from each bike they used in Rider's Edge...(quoting FB's figures)then sold the bikes to the public... Where do I go from here?? I'm waiting. Meanwhile, I will put on my "Erik and the 200 against the World" T-shirt...gear up and go scuff my tires some more. (Message edited by fast1075 on July 26, 2009) (Message edited by fast1075 on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Lonewolfnavet |
Feeris, if you knew me, you would definitely know I am not an OCC-type Biker...before you accuse me to HTFU I'd suggest you touch bases with me face to face and I'll show you what HTFU really means....okay? | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Lone, did you NOT notice the "J/K" at the bottom of my post? In case you're not familiar with the abbreviation, it means I'm JOKING I was actually agreeing with you. (Message edited by Ferris_von_bueller on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Fast1075 |
Lone...you misunderstood Ferris...he was joking. (Message edited by fast1075 on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Lonewolfnavet |
My bad guys! My apologies Ferris and All! I think I'll just chill from here on guys....beer is on me dude! | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Ferris_von_bueller Posted on Sunday, July 26, 2009 - 07:58 am: -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ A Blast is not a manufacturer. You can't get tags and registration for a Blast. Someone has to claim they made it, as a manufacturer, or you are not riding it, legally, in my state. Again, I ask the question, who the @&^$ is making the 2010 Blast??? I'd bet HD is listed as the mfg. Why not contact a dealer in your state and let us know? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Fast, I sincerely hope there is a super single in the works. I have been asking, pleading, BEGGING for one for the last 3 years. I DO think there is a market for beginner bikes. I do NOT think the Blast successfully filled that niche. If you look at the numbers from just our dealership, only 1/3 of the bikes sold were new to customer. The remaining were sold used after the RE program. So if you go from that number, the "largest volume bike" has had only 1/3 the impact in actuality. Were there no RE program, the Blast would have shuffled off to cubism years ago. It's not to say that a significant number of people didn't buy the blast as a beginner bike, but how many would have paid the full $4,995 price tag to do so? How many bought one for $2,800-3,200 after it had been run through a year or two of RE? If Buell/HD could have charged less for it, they would have. OR The Blast was priced at a level that would control the demand for the product to keep it sitting on the dealer floor and available for RE. The question of price of the Blast has come up as long as I have been affiliated with this board. MANY people have felt that the cost for the tooling had long been paid off and that the price of the Blast should have been decreased. What if, and this is just the ramblings of someone who knows jack squat about anything, the price expected for the bike was closer to $3,000, but the $2,000 spread was enough of a price for dealers to be willing bear to put the bike in the RE program. They couldn't GIVE them to the dealers, because the dealership wouldn't have any skin in the game and the RE program could be neglected. Given the $2000 spread between what they could sell a used Blast for and what it cost them, the dealership would want to recover its costs. Could the primary consumer of the Blast have been dealerships with the secondary target being beginner riders? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
See. Lonewolf is already taking the BOB, "we ain't friends", thing to heart!  | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'd bet HD is listed as the mfg. Why not contact a dealer in your state and let us know? No need. The MSO I just had in my hand said Buell. (Message edited by ratbuell on July 26, 2009) (Message edited by ratbuell on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I'd bet HD is listed as the mfg. Why not contact a dealer in your state and let us know? Pellis was attempting to contact Ratbuell about checking the VIN | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Thanks for clearing that up Rat. I knew someone at a dealer would be able to set the record strait. | ||
| Swampy |
I think that the Blast was a design exercise for the RE program, it was a way for Erik Buell to get all the "New" engineering processes, and manufacturing processes inplace for the XB line that he wanted to build but couldn't because of the Motorcompanies reluctance to change. Then after the build was succesful, they were able to say "Look, it is possible to do this, lets implement this process to this new Ideas we have been working on" Now that the Blast was "Purpose Built Bike" It is time to move onto something new. The Blast will still be there, but for a very strict purpose, some will come out of the RE program for public purchase, and show up on the street as curious little motorcycles like the Royal Enfield and bikes like that. | ||
| Ezblast |
Still it is poor form to insult someone's bike, and for Erik to do that to his own bike makes people question him, as you can see in this topic. Like Fast, I am in the market for a new bike this year, and like many Blast owners I was thinking XB - the new black 9 to be exact, it was what I was looking for, however, that lack of loyalty displayed by Erik and this whole Ruthless concept is just so much hogwash, and a turn off. HTFU must be the new band wagon slogan, yet I don't think 3/4 of you girls where raised that way, unlike I and a few others who where. It too much reminds me of the neighborhood toy dogs barking at my Shepherd as if they could do anything, just so much hot air. Maybe the Blast wasn't what Erik wanted to be remembered for, but by that same token, it is the bike that introduced a lot of people to his name, and a good portion of his other bikes where sold because of introduction to the Blast. So as far as I'm concerned - he shot his foot in a bad piece of marketing, automatically loosing a percentage of his customer base, I sure hope he can HTFU the loss of sales generated by this prank marketing, because he didn't do anyone any favors with it. EZ | ||
| Wbrisett |
So here's a question about the blast.. erm, cube. Can you actually buy one, or is this a publicity stunt? Wonder what the cost is... Wayne | ||
| Glitch |
You seriously think Erik had a hand in the marketing campaign? Other than someone saying, "Here Erik, sign this cube, it's gonna be great!" Seriously? | ||
| Jaimec |
Blast innovations: 1) First modern motorcycle with molded-in-color plastics, now used throughout the Buell line. 2) First modern Buell to use a traditional "push shock" freeing up the ENTIRE bottom of the engine space for a giant, mass-centralized muffler. This is also used throughout the entire Buell line. 3) First "oversquare" engine produced by Harley Davidson, architecture carried over to the XB9 engines. 4) First Buell WITHOUT rear axle adjusters, making the belt a fixed length. No modern Buell has read axle adjusters. Can anyone think of any more? | ||
| Hootowl |
The rear brake rotor is stamped out of the piece of metal that is stamped out of the center of the front rotor. This was one of the ways they kept manufacturing costs down. So while it doesn't make the bike unique, it was a unique manufacturing method. | ||
| Bott |
2010 Blast has "Buell, A Harley Davidson Company" on the speedo face, and a Pegasus on the right side of the motor,sorry if they all had this, I admit to never looking closely at the Blast before.. | ||
| Dbird29 |
Maybe it is Buell positioning inside the H-D mothership against MV Agusta. They wouldn't want the new acquisition, MV Agusta, to be seen as "The Sportbike" branch of the company. | ||
| Ezblast |
Now there is a funny thought - Buell vs MV Agusta - only thing the Buell would have would be price point - something they don't want to be known for - lol - that would be dumb on their part, better to ignore them; MV on the other hand could clean their clock just by introducing a bike in Buell's price range. Thanks for the chuckle. EZ (Message edited by ezblast on July 26, 2009) |
