| Author | Message | ||
     Curtyd |
I guess that in other threads we got off track and I wanted to hone in on one idea for possible discussion. When it comes down to it are you "on the team" or rooting for some other team? I am all for dissent, constructive criticism and devil's advocacy BUT how many of us have their Buell as their primary transportation and like to stay there and are rooting for the HOME team. I rode japanese for 20 years with a brief excursion in the beginning in 1975 to a JAWA 350cc. It was the brand of choice of my Netherland riding mentors. When I test rode a M2 in 1999, I came back with a grin from ear to ear and I had been riding full time since 1982. I am pretty happy with the choice, but life is always changing, and who knows. If I wanted to go around the world, or to Central America or Alaska would I want to switch to a Honda or Beemer? Or would I find a way to rig up a passenger seat auxiliary fuel cell? It might be the latter, I waited 20 years for a USA legal 250cc GRand Prix dimensioned streetbike. The XB series is just that. Would I ever jump to a Ducati? I throw my legs over those and I just can't stand the butt perched up in the air feeling ( "new prisoner in the Co. jail syndrome"  ) And reliability, they have been making bikes for over 50 years right? I understand they didn't even look at their quality control and quality parts suppliers until post 1995. Honda or any other Japanese manuf.? Could be, because most of them you can ride until it's time to throw them away, but there is just something that looks so universal about them now. How about dealer service, one big complaint on this BBS? I kind of look at it another way, HD is kind of stuck with us now, plus with a service manual I can either do it myself or trot off to a local HD wrench and they'll usually jump into it and do what needs to be done. BMW, well they could be nice, but they are overpriced and I'll bet they kill you on the service and no one else will even touch the bikes out there. Do I wish Buell had a race program, heck yeah, attending races is a big part of this hobby. The sound of the Dukes were a great thing at their intro into Superbike. I always bitched about HD never making a bike I'd like all the while they had these GREAT dirttrackers that never saw the light of day on the crossover of technology to the street. Buell is our only hope of a lightweight, small HD based machine that you can just toss around. It also makes it a LOT easier to go around the traditional HD folks. They sort of look at you like "at least he's TRYING", and the talk of your BIKE into the bonfire usually doesn't come up as frequently as when riding the japanese brands. Those are my initial thoughts on this Sunday AM with wife and baby asleep upstairs. My wife is already a bit suspect of my time on this BBS, She is sort of thinking I must be talking to women here, but Honey, this is better than SEX, it's a BUELL...DIRTY SIDE DOWN.  | ||
| Dyna |
BMW, well they could be nice, but they are overpriced No matter where you go in the world you will find 2 brands of bikes...HD & BMW. And the BMW's arent any higher in price when you compare the list of what you get along with a record of reliability. Heated grips & seats, long distance touring, etc. the F650 lists for $8300, the Rockster is $11000..same price as the XB12 & the R1100S is at $12500...a bit higher but for that price you get Da uber bike.  Wait until this fall when they release the new K1200, 168hp combined with all the creature comforts. Going to be a kick ••• machine...course it will probably come attached with an Uber price tag. | ||
| Grndskpr |
When it comes down to it are you "on the team" or rooting for some other team? I am on no ones team, i do not feel the need to join a team, i have never really been part of a team, i do not feel it is my responsibility to sell bikes for anyone, nor will i take it upon myself to assist anybody in selling bikes, it is not my job, however I do enjoy my Buell, i enjoy my wifes Ducati, i have enjoyed kawasaki, honda and suzuki, i have not had the pleasure of enjoying a BMW yet, but given the right situation i am sure i would I enjoy riding a motorcycle, dont really care about the size, hp, torque, or anything else for that matter, i just enjoy riding, if a manufacturure decides to make a bike i like, that i can afford, that fits, i buy it, usually used a few years old, if it turns out i dont like it or there is some untold problem that is not repariable i sell it(only happened once and it was a Honda, thing over heated all the time) So am i on the team, i dont know, i am on the team that makes a great afordable bike that i like, i dont really care if you like it or not, or anybody for that matter, it only matters if i like it, thats the team i am on, right now i am on the Buell/kawi/Ducati team, just rotating throught the line up R | ||
| Kelly |
I'm all for the home team. As long as they build a bike for regular sized people, that uses a modern engine, and that is supported by a network of dealers that give a crap that you bought a premium priced bike. But hey, that's just me... | ||
| Kelly |
Dyna, it's rumored to be upwards of 20 grand} | ||
| Dyna |
Roger, you & the wife deserve a BMW. Get a K1200GT & never look back. We have test ridden one & its an awesome bike. Fantastic for cross town or cross country. And im with you 100% on the team deal. I buy what trips my trigger & what I can afford. I dont care who makes it. If all Buell continues to make is tiny bikes & avoids a huge market segment too bad for them. But if they were to build a bike that could compete with a bike such as the new BMW then I would give it a serious look. I dont understand this need to have this blind devotion to a particular brand of machinery. They are a commodity to be bought, enjoyed & sold. Anyone who is dismissing the rest of the bikes out there is doing themselves a huge disservice. | ||
| Dyna |
Kelly...ya $20 large is a heap of change but when you compare what you get with a bike such as an HD then its reasonable. Christ I paid $17K for my Dyna & realistically what the hell did I get for the money? 2 wheels, frame & a v-twin lump. No creature comforts, no big hp, no wind protection, etc. Wont even go into what I got for paying $10.5k for the X1. What I find interesting is that a lot of former Buell owners now own BMW's. Just what is up with that? | ||
| Boulderbiker |
I think in some ways I'm on the same page as Grndspkr. I love motorcycles, although I am rather particular in what I want, and what gets my attention. I like Buells, cause he's willing to take a fresh look at everything instead of refining the same idea over and over and over and over, instead why not just try something completely different that may leap frog over 20 revisions. I mean really, although the critics may bash all of Buell's idiosyncresies, its awefully hard to deny that Erik hit the nail he was aiming for, an out of the box street bike that will out handle almost anything else out there, and has just the right kinda power for those curvy backroads. Thats the kind of bike I was looking for, not something that will scare me everytime I wack the throttle. I also have an affinity for well thought out simple design i.e. Buell. A friend of mine put it best, "it looks like you could take it apart in an afternoon and put it back together". Yup, between the fuel economy and the beautiful simplicity of an air cooled engine, and everything mentioned above, I love my Buell. Am I rooting for the home team? As long as they keep thinking this creatively and for the real world, not the race-replicas, then I'm on the team. I have a feeling that will last as long as Erik is still CTO, which will hopefully be until I wear out this bike and get my next one. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Good comments by all. My XB is my first motorcycle and I bought it because it appealed to me most. I've had a love of Buells since I was little and saw my first RS 1200 at age 14. But, I wouldn't discount another manufacturer if they made a bike I would fall in love with. For now, like Bart, I'm a Buell slut. Hope it stays that way... I do wish a larger XB styled tourer was on the market from Buell... I'm 6'4" | ||
| Dasxb9s |
Love my Buell. Mission... solo riding and hooliganism. Love my BMW (R1100RA). Mission... two up riding, bad weather (because of ABS brakes), long distance riding & it will stay with the Buells when I don't Buell with a Buell bunch. A quote from Cycle World on the new BMW "An early-release 2005 model, the K1200S will debut at the Intermot Show in Munich in September, and it is expected to sell for $17-20,000 when it goes on sale in November." They are gunning to out Busa a Busa! | ||
| Southernmarine |
My first bike was an '83 or '82 Suzuki GS750, it's been a while, I forget, didn't have it long. When I saw the Buell's last year I flipped. I bought a Blast, for commuting back and forth to work, but it didn't take me too long and I was jonesin for an XB. I love my XB, and I don't think I'd really switch to any other brand. Right now my wife would kill me if I even made the slightest move to get another bike, she loves my XB also. She won't ride, but she loves the look and style, and the fact that it is American made. I told my wife that after I'm retired and have my truck then I want to get a second bike, something to cruise around on, tour. By then I'm hoping that Buell will be making a touring model. As for race teams, I'm behind the Buell's 100%. Sure would be nice if HD got off there rear ends, pulled the plug out of their a66hole and supported them. edited by Southernmarine on May 31, 2004 | ||
| Tripper |
The Uber-Busa. Really I doubt it will out speed a busa, same as the Kawi 1200 was going to exceed 200 mph. But good on BMW for developing such an out-of-the-box (transverse inline 4??) design, and the suspension is truly new for modern sportbikes. I wish I could afford one. Meanwhile I support and root for the Home Team. Truth be told if I HAD to sell the S1 and buy a bike today, I'd probably do a different brand just to experience a really good motor again. | ||
| Grndskpr |
Roger, you & the wife deserve a BMW. Get a K1200GT & never look back. Actually, i have been looking at the RT, little more sport, a little less tour, but i have to say, i am not sure if i am ready to make that leap, the one that takes away all of the sportbike i have left in me, because i know once i go there, i will never come back, have to wait and see what the insurance comp. says about the Ducati R | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I missed out this past weekend on an old BMW R75/6. Found out about it the day it was sold. Beautiful machine, fully faired, hard bags. Oh well will have to wait till the next one comes along. As for the Team - I am all for the Buell but I don't likes teams, mostly anyone that rides is welcome to ride with me. I don't care what you ride. | ||
| Dyna |
have to wait and see what the insurance comp. says about the Ducati ?? Something happen? | ||
| Curtyd |
Yep, the Cycle World spread on the the new BMW K1200 is nice. I hate to think what the insurance premiums may be, I'll bet they'll push 2K even with someone with all the discounts. I have only stayed with multiple models of similar bikes 3 other times. Four in the Yamaha RD/RZ series, 2 Kawie ZX-7s and 3 Honda Goldwings. Now I am in the Buell series and I seem to be voting my paycheck there, twice. I think that is what I am saying about "team" is are you voting your paycheck on Buell, either to keep an older model running and well, or buying new models and keeping them out there for the next few years? The mother ship could always "pull the plug", it's happened in lot of other industries. I just seem to like this one pretty well. | ||
| Curtyd |
This isn't meant to promote brand loyalty but to flush out the reasoning in people's heads that look intelligently, let's hope, at all the models and then spends their $$ on BUELL. | ||
| Dyna |
You wanna keep Buell around for awhile?? Buy a Harley & make sure your dealer & the factory knows you traded up. Seriously thats their goal with Buell, to get every single owner onto a HD eventually. If they see that tactic is working then Buell will be around for quite awhile. | ||
| Geoffg |
This isn't meant to promote brand loyalty but to flush out the reasoning in people's heads that look intelligently, let's hope, at all the models and then spends their $$ on BUELL. I've been looking, I hope intelligently, for a while now--and I've decided to spend my $$ on a Buell (now I just gotta get the $$...) Reasons? Nothing to do with where it's made. I like the size, the technical innovation as well as the simplicity,the way they've concentrated on handling rather than horsepower. But most of all I like the ride--I finally got to ride the Suzuki SV's recently, and while I was riding the SV1000S, I kept thinking, "This bike's kinda similar to the Firebolt, but somehow just not as much fun...". Maybe it had to do with the dealers, too--I had to wait (about 2 years!) until a Suzuki demo ride came around to try out the Suzi's, but the Harley dealer suggested to me that I demo the Buell--the one on their showroom floor! As far as "trading up" to a Harley, you gotta be kidding. Just not my cuppa tea.}} | ||
| Outrider |
As far as "trading up" to a Harley, you gotta be kidding. Just not my cuppa tea. Perhaps not yet, but you may someday find yourself in transition as a number of us have. That is we own both a Buell and a Harley. In my case, I have one for the rush in the twisties and the other for stylin' around with the Sig "O." Actually, she likes them both and loves both activities. Problem is if I hear "faster" one more time in the twisties, I am going to trade her in on a slower model. LOL | ||
| Xblue9r |
i guess i've got it all wrong. i had a harley and traded UP for a buell after a year off. i really don't see myself as part of the "team" so much but i like my buell and it's my primary mode of transportation. i also wish they'd consider the over 6' buyers a little more, which is a reason i recently picked up an r1 (bigger, not just the motor) since i hope it'll fit ME a little better being at 6'4". not giving up my buell at all, it'll still be my primary mode of transportation since it's a little easier to drive in town, but i will say this...if brand X comes out with exactly what i want, my future purchase will be that one...i hope it's a buell, but i'm not counting on it. so count me "on the team" until such time there is a better team (to me) i guess. | ||
| Josh_ |
Harley Sportster 883 -> 1200 conversion & T-Bag -> Buell S3T -> Nallin Stg1 -> Yamaha FJR1300. Keep trading up. Sure wish Buell had something to compare to the FJR. | ||
| Buellkowski |
Should I be a "Right Guarder" if I buy Right Guard deodorant? I guess I ought to be a "Grape Nutter" too, based on my choice of breakfast cereal. Yay team! Brand names are precarious things to hitch ourselves to. Cases in point: Martha Stewart Inc., Union Carbide, DeLorean, Exxon. If a future terrorist attack involves a Buell, would you still be proud to ride in front of the victims' families? We are not defined by our brands, though the ad men would love us to be. Don't let the advertisers use you to tell the world who they think you are, yell it to the world your own damn self. I have a friend who rides a thoroughly Frankensteined Moto Guzzi. No badges or emblems left anywhere on it. It is a Guzzi, but to my friend that's not the important issue; going fast and being loud on an unidentifiable bike is. If your bike's Buell labels mysteriously fell off one day, how many of you would bother to replace them immediately, if at all? | ||
| Outrider |
If your bike's Buell labels mysteriously fell off one day, how many of you would bother to replace them immediately, if at all? Interesting question. As I posted earlier on another thread, I feel they should compensate me for the advertising space. Concerning this matter, anytime I have had a car or bike painted, I always deleted the factory graphics in favor of a cleaner look. Heck, I even remove the labels from my helmets when I can. Weird, eh? Must be "Labelphobia." | ||
| Newfie_buell |
So Bill, The badges removed from the Miata too!!!!! HEHEHEHEHEHE I had another tank put on the S1 and your damm right I had the Buell put back on. I want people to see what I ride!!!!! | ||
| Outrider |
Not yet...didn't have that part of the car repainted. Cheap insurance company, eh? | ||
| Chainsaw |
If a future terrorist attack involves a Buell, would you still be proud to ride in front of the victims' families? Not like Ryder Truck Rentals went out of business after the OKC bombing, and not everyone driving a white Ford Bronco is an ex-football player accused of a double murder. If your bike's Buell labels mysteriously fell off one day, how many of you would bother to replace them immediately, if at all? I labeled the crap out of my 'Bolt back in June 2002 so as not to be confused with our rice burning brethren. Now that more of the general public know what a Buell is, I'm not quite as attached to the badging. | ||
| Outrider |
I like Misato's XB that is currently in the "Cool Buell Pics" thread. Simple, elegant, no need for advertising. The bike says it all. Now watch...He will hang a million decals on it just to wreck it when only a tiny amount of pinstriping (if any) would be appropo for accent. Heck, I even like the color. Looks the same as my old 1970 Buick GS. | ||
| Ezblast |
I really don't think your going to need a sticker to tell people its a Buell - the general population is getting pretty hip lately! As modified as my two bikes are - they still get recognized as Buells, and people in general are getting hipper to just what a Buell is! I don't know if this is good or bad, but it sure is different from just a few years ago where the question was - who makes that. Now the conversations start with - thats a Buell - right? And goes from there. I have found no simpler a bike to work on, and enjoy so much, so I guess I'm Definitely A Buell Fan! Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ  | ||
| Curtyd |
Dyna, I don't know what's in the water cooler up in theHD boardroom. Sell Buells so folks will move up to HDs? I think you have your answer for why Buellers move on to BMWs. I don't think I could start on a sport oriented bike and then move to a cruiser. I'm going to get old soon enough, I hate to hurry it along, you know. Maybe they could be right about the BLAST, because it's a beginners bike. If that's what HD is thinking, we could all be in trouble when their sales stats don't support their plans, and then they cut off the whole line but the Blast. Take the Buell design from the other bikes, homogonize it for mass consumption and rebadge it as an HD sportbike. OH NO, I guess I'll end up on another brand before too long after all. edited by CurtyD on May 31, 2004 |
