| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
My impression is that the Book of Buell is aimed not only towards new customers, but squarely between the eyes of HDI executives, the same ones who demanded Buell allocate a significant portion of their very limited resources to create and support a model of machine that didn't coincide with Erik's vision and priority for the company. I'm surprised no one else has picked up on this. Mortarman, sport The leap you made from the Book of Buell to your summation of it, that Buell's intent is to say to the world that 'if you're not a racer go @#$> yourself' remains a queer and bewildering one. The quotes you post sure don't support it. I think you have to want to read it that way to see it that way. "Sport bike" is not the same as "race bike". Riding a sport bike on the street is far removed from riding a racing machine in a race. (Message edited by blake on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Methed |
Very succinct, Blake. Interesting thought, communicated well. | ||
| Gregtonn |
Well said Blake. G | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>My impression is that the Book of Buell is aimed not only towards new customers, but squarely between the eyes of HDI executives,<< Public dirty laundry airing from H-D? It honestly would surprise me. Their governance is quite spotless. | ||
| Gregtonn |
...Public dirty laundry airing from H-D? It honestly would surprise me... I think that was really it. Make your point without going "public". G | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
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| Lemonchili_x1 |
EB used the word "athletic" in the Blast video, which helped confirm to me what they mean by "sportbike" is a much broader definition than just racebike with lights. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think few would confuse the Blast as "athletic". Agile? Sure. Efficient? Absolutely. Athletic? No. | ||
| Gregtonn |
 Notice the "feelers" to keep from dragging the rear belt pulley. It means your lean angle is severely limited. Not exactly a "Sport Bike". I'm sure it would have been engineered differently if there had been a Buell "sportbike". G | ||
| Ezblast |
Awww - you never lifted one, believe me it is athletic to do so - moving furniture is hard work! EZ | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Awww - you never lifted one,<< Betcha I could though. I can get both wheels of a new Bonneville off the ground. | ||
| Gregtonn |
EZ, Yes I actually did lift one. I also lifted a '75 Honda CB400F (not by choice). But one of my favorite things with the Blast was installing one of the first Blast Vance & Hines exhausts on it in DaveS's sales office (he used to be a Buell/HD salesman). He took it out for a test ride. When they heard every Harley employee and customer in the dealership was lined up for a test ride like kids waiting for a pony ride. G | ||
| Ezblast |
Yeah - they where fun, now furniture - lol EZ | ||
| Mortarmanmike120 |
Hey, YOUR profile is outdated, big guy. Congratulations if you really have those kind of miles on your bikes and you personally put them on. Fresno, Keep your congratulations. I really don't give a flying rat •••• what your opinion of my riding miles are. The only reason you would have to make mention of them is to try to marginalize me as a low mileage rider. That was your intent was it not? "MMM120 is a low mileage guy thus this opinion doesn't count?" Be honest. Otherwise the number of bike's I've owned or number of miles I've ridden have absolutely nothing to do with the BOB. Your shit is weak. Come back when you have something related to the conversation and not about how many miles or what mods I have. Blake, thanks for the definition. "Sport bike" is not the same as "race bike". Riding a sport bike on the street is far removed from riding a racing machine in a race. I agree whole-heartedly. However that is NOT the definition taken directly from page 3. We could argue the semantics of sportbike vs racebike vs streetbike till the cows come home. In the end it doesn't matter. That was the 'vibe' I got from the BOB whether it was their intent or not. Listen, I never intended this to be some kind of pissing contest. In the end, it really makes no difference to me. I own one buell and plan on adding at least one more to the stable. This thread wasn't about the blast or new models or future plans. I took it as a discussion on the BOB. In my opinion the BOB sucks and reflects the same kind of elitist bullshit I detest from other manufacturers. It's evident I'm in the minority. I've learned my lesson. The next time I'll just nod and say 'thats awesome!!!' I'll embrace the majority opinion so I can be accepted on a forum. No more dissention from me. Ya'll keep the shiny side up. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
For enthusiasts of a brand that is "Different in Every Sense" some of you seem to get really distraught when one of your ideas or opinions isn't accepted. You're offended by Erik Buell publicly crushing his company's entry model bike? That's cool, I can see where you're coming from. My first motorcycle was a brand new 2007 "Ottoman" and I loved it to death - that bike is what got me hooked on Buell. Were any of you planning on buying a new Blast this year though? I didn't think so. Maybe Buell as a company lost some future entry level customers by cutting the Blast from the lineup, but from the sounds of things they didn't lose much profit. How many of you complaining have watched the 2:20 length video about the Blast and listened to Erik's reasoning behind dropping it? Ok maybe crushing a perfectly good motorcycle was over the top, but I can't tell you how many times I've had people ask me how my single cylinder X1 can be so fast. A company like Buell wouldn't start this against the grain marketing campaign without doing some homework beforehand. My guess is that the small profit potential lost on the Blast will be more than compensated for by new Buell enthusiasts who today are spending their time sitting on a foreign competitor's bike. Don't see it my way? F%$# you. I like being different anyway  | ||
| Fresnobuell |
My guess is that the small profit potential lost on the Blast will be more than compensated for by new Buell enthusiasts who today are spending their time sitting on a foreign competitor's bike. I agree with you. There could also be an internal reason (ie production capacity/resources that could be shifted towards more a more profitable area). The one thing am I am SURE of, it that there was lots of thought put into discontinuing the Blast and the subsequent marketing direction. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>I think few would confuse the Blast as "athletic". << I always thought it was reasonably unique. If they made one for the other buttock I'd be interested! | ||
| Gregtonn |
Danger_Dave, Do you have three buttocks? You must be unique as well. G  Just a bit of midwest (USA) humor. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
BOB and I are still not getting on with each other. I can still find a few contradictions between what's written in the "Book of Buell" and the rest of the website, as well as what I already know of BMC and the Buell community. That wouldn't bother me so much if there wasn't a link to this "Book of Buell" on almost every page of the website. For example: From the website - "Buell® Lightning® models and the new 1125CR™ are at the core of what Buell is all about. Pure performance with broad, seamless power delivery in a stripped down, raw, aggressive package." But BOB says Buell is all about sportbikes, ruthless engineering and not sitting on the seat, right? "The Buell® Adventure motorcycles take intuitive handling to both paved and unpaved roads alike. Featuring premium styling and all-day comfort, the Ulysses® goes wherever you want." Comfort!? Passenger pegs? Doesn't sound ruthless and uncompromising to me. Note that these are my perceptions from what I've read. So I'd like to hear what kind of people do you think they are aiming at with the stuff that's written in BOB? It doesn't sound like it's someone like me - I don't own race leathers with sliders, I've never scraped my knee, I haven't been to a track day for 10 years. I'm not a fast rider, but I'm not slow either. Silly thing is I've been a Buell freak, an advocate, for years, happy to tell people about these unique, fantastic handling bikes with great character. This year they haven't released any new bikes, nothing has really changed, but they've left me questioning what Buell is really about. | ||
| Smoke |
marketing stuff(bs) is stil just marketing stuff(bs)! i'm sure that the BOB was tested on the appropriate test groups to ensure that the intended reaction was prompted. i would like better pics and more tech-spec but that's just me. ride what and where YOU want, i'm riding Buell!! (and today's a track day) later, tim | ||
| Gregtonn |
...happy to tell people about these unique, fantastic handling bikes with great character.,, That part hasn't changed and won't change as long as Erik Buell is CTO. Don't forget the contract says if HD sells Buell the man's name goes with it. G | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Just a bit of midwest (USA) humor.<< Here come Daryll with the two a-holes? Monty Python did a three buttocks sketch too. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Since humor has been severely lacking in this thread for the last day or so.... (Message edited by Hughlysses on July 26, 2009) | ||
| Gregtonn |
I guess I'd never considered the two aholes part. So. Do you laugh your arse and a half off and crap yourself twice blind? Sorry couldn't help meself. I'm going to bed now. G | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
As Pellis pointed out to me, Buell didn't crush a Blast and if they did they crushed more than one. There is no way a singular Blast would have formed a cube that large. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
It doesn't sound like it's someone like me - I don't own race leathers with sliders, I've never scraped my knee, I haven't been to a track day for 10 years. I'm not a fast rider, but I'm not slow either. From what I've seen of Buell riders in my local area, we are lucky our knees still work at our ages. | ||
| Alchemy |
Having just read the Book of Buell and owning a air cooled V-twin Uly I would have to say that I am a little uncomfortable that the Uly will be next to go down the road like the Blast. On the other hand, I know marketing spin when I hear it. Smart marketing will want to spin up the Buell line to the sport bike riders given the new Buell racing presence. There is a lot of the Nike "Just do it" theme coming through. It can come across as a bit juvenile but it gets the point across about riding and engineering. In that sense I hope they are successful. I seem to fit in best with BMW riders as they tend to be hard core riders putting on a lot of miles annually and respectful of engineering. To me Buell is about fresh, functional engineering. It is more "Restless" than "Ruthless". I think Buell is letting people ponder what the future might be like without the air cooled v-twin. That would be where the ruthless part comes in. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
P.S. You Harley inspired lump of a motor XB riders are next | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
My guess is that the small profit potential lost on the Blast will be more than compensated for by new Buell enthusiasts who today are spending their time sitting on a foreign competitor's bike. The profit potential of the Blast had virtually NOTHING to do with whether the general public bought one. Both Buell and a Dealer could make more money on a Blast buy buying it, using it in RE for a year or two and crushing it. We have 2010 Blasts "on the floor" that are neither Buell nor Harley. They are parentless Blasts. Orphans. To feed the RE program, I suspect we will continue to see orphans shipped to the dealership for RE. They will NEVER see the showroom floor as new retail bikes. We will see them sold only as used bikes. Or returned to the mother ship and turned into coffee tables. Just my $.02. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
"That part hasn't changed and won't change as long as Erik Buell is CTO. " True. "From what I've seen of Buell riders in my local area, we are lucky our knees still work at our ages."  |
