| Author | Message | ||
     Dynarider |
There are already more V-Rods out there than all S1/S1W/X1's combined. | ||
| Bads1 |
The V-rod is to what I understand HD's #1 seller in Europe. | ||
| Americanrice |
It is also Harley's way of appealing to younger riders such as myself. If I were going to buy a new Harley, it would probably be a V-Rod. | ||
| Court |
I'm searching for stats on sales of Kenworth road tractors and the 40th Anniversary Porshce 911. I think if we can dig that out we'll be on to something that will shed light on the XB vs. VROD sales numbers. What I wouldn't give to have the torque of that 16 cylinder Detroit Diesel with it's intercoolers, aftercoolers and homeschoolers, tucked into that nimble Porshce. My bet is that someone around Stutgart has seen a diesel 911 slipping through the Black Forrest... | ||
| Rocketman |
Seems anything is possible these days Court. We have a diesel Cat now (Jaguar not earth mover) and I see Porsche have recently introduced a sporty 911 (at last) with only a pair of front seats and no creature comforts what so ever. So that's how they got the 16 cylinder Detroit Diesel to fit. You know I live in Europe all be it only a tiny part of it and I do from time to time see and hear a Harley rumbling down the street but oddly given the alleged sales figures those Harleys are never Vrods. I dunno maybe folks just collect 'em. Rocket  | ||
| Jrh |
Last summer i rode my Buell to an HD-Buell dealership to get some cable lube.When i got there,unknown to me, was an HD 100th aniversery party happening.The paved parking lot was blocked off and since i was coming off of a major hiway there was no way to make a u-turn and backtrack,so i was herded through about a 4 foot wide path surrounded by people.After putting along for about 2-300 feet the mass of people thinned out and i came to a huge grass field full of parked bikes.About 1500 i was told.I stuck around a couple hours because all these bikes were gonna form a line,2 abreast and ride in a parade at the local dragstrip,and i wanted to hear them all start up at the same time.It was funny as heck. Anyway for my neck of the woods(northern Ohio) here's what i saw there.ALL Harley big twins,except maybe 1/5 of them sportsters,1) Honda 954,2)R1s,1)Blast,1)X1,1)XB9R and 2 V-rods.Oh,and 1 gentleman who had always ridden Harleys,who turned 100 years old that day getting an HD clock,and a ride in a sidecar as his birthday gift.  | ||
| M1combat |
He just turned 100 and they gave him a clock and ride in a sidecar... I wonder what he was thinking during the ride. | ||
| Dynarider |
I'm searching for stats on sales of Kenworth road tractors and the 40th Anniversary Porshce 911. I think if we can dig that out we'll be on to something that will shed light on the XB vs. VROD sales numbers. Thanks so much for the thoughful insight. I find the numbers interesting because we have folks bemoaning the V-Rod & claiming it to be a sales disaster, yet in just over a year and a half they have sold more of those models than all the S1's & following models. Yet I never hear anyone mentioning that S1's or X1's were sales disasters. I guess its all based on your perspective & just what you want to hear & or believe in. | ||
| Ferris |
...I guess its all based on your perspective & just what you want to hear & or believe in. bingo. | ||
| Jrh |
I,m pretty sure he was thinkin';"that was one sweet red Buell i just saw back there,maybe i'll have to show that young punk how to ride it" | ||
| Court |
If you could only have heard the dialouge that went along with this picture. Words to the effect..."Buells are one bad ass bike..gotta have one"  | ||
| Lake_bueller |
No doubt that the XB12 line of bikes are poetry in motion. It's really to bad that these two guys probably went out an bought a GSXR or Busa instead  | ||
| Dynarider |
No doubt Dennis. At last years Cycle show in Chicago you couldnt get near the Kawasaki or Suzuki booth. Something about all the bright loud colors....and I will leave it at that. | ||
| Court |
Uh....the memo apparently didn't reach the Javitt's Show (largest in the US). This was shot within 2 minutes of the doors opening this morning. Business, dare I say, is brisk.  | ||
| Dynarider |
Ok, now show us the shot of the Honda booth & the Suzuki booth. And dont do any of those "4am before the public is allowed in" pics either. | ||
| Dynarider |
I will be going to the show in Chicago next month. I will physically run from booth to booth & take pics of the crowds. I want to try to get all the pics within a couple minutes. They will be posted here & we can count heads. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Court....Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Buells!! S3T & S1W If I could afford another bike at this point in my life, it would most likely be a XB12S. My second choice would be a Triumph Daytona 955i. As for the bike shows....here's a little story about the ineptness of most Buell dealers: I was attending the 2002 IMS show in Chicago. During the course of the day, I spent some time "hanging around" the Buell booth. I answered more questions than any of the "salesman" working. They could answer simple questions about HP & torque. It was even worse when they were asked about the perimeter braking, wheelbase, rake, etc, etc, etc. It's sad that it has to be that way. And Mr. Buell should personally be thanking people like Dave & Brain. Because without guys like that, where would we buy our Buells? From inept dealers, I guess } | ||
| Rex |
Odd that you left out the M-2's and the Blast in your numbers of comparisons! Better go back and check the m-2 numbers.......I think it is the best bike ever made, right Court...REX | ||
| Dynarider |
 Within 2 minutes of the doors opening? That dude already has a big ass Kawasaki bag full of brochures & who knows what else. He musta been damn fast to get the bag, fill it & run on over for the photo-op with Court  | ||
| Court |
Doors opened at Noon, I was gone by 12:10PM. In all fairness, my pals at Honda took me through their display (I wanted to see a Road Thing SuperMotard so badly it hurt) prior to the show opening. My trip through the Yamaha display was to find a replacement for the spare TW200 in the basement and I think I like the TT225. A used BLAST may render that a meaningless exercise. To be perfectly honest with you, I spent little time in any of the "other" areas except Apilia and Ducati, where I had "reasons" to be (hey, I have to make a buck at this every now and then, eh?) Fact is, Buell is doing some wonderful things, showing the world some unparalleled technology and redefining the standards for reliability (yes, Honda's woes with the new Wing were a pointed topic of discussion today) in motorcycling. I have, personally, only passing interest in most the other brands and my tour of the floor was due in part to my fascination with anything mechanical. Buells weak spot was the staffing of it's booth. I stood and watched for a bit. Two folks and poorly prepared. I, in my Maxwell Smart trenchcoat stood and watched. A person would approach and no movement from either of the two...I "worked" several prospects out of habit and frustration as the "Buell" gal (when asked who she worked for she replied HD and said they'd bought Buell "in the 80's) kept sipping her bottled water and twirling her wedding ring nervously. She eventuall sought refuge at the adjadcent HD spectacular. The other "Buell" person (unfortunately the one who asked who she worked for) was a guy who when asked "what's it cost", had to look. The Buell display was awesome..one of everything. The staffing reflected the general malaise in the dealer network and did little or nothing to convey the wonderment that draws folks to the marque. Buell KNOWS there is a strong collection of avid enthusiasts in the NYC area and to disregard resources (they used to give me 25 comp tickets to make sure we got the faithful in that booth first) is distressing. I loved the show but wanted to scream and was reminded of 1998 when the broken mirror on the S3 in Chicago was still broken in NYC and the HD staff, the moment they hit town, set out to party. I was left alone and livid when I called to have a mirror overnighted. Sorry....venting. | ||
| Dynarider |
Nice to read the candid remarks Court. It was the same way at the Buell display last year in Chicago. 2 people who didnt know the front from the rear of a bike were manning the booth. Where in Gods name do they pick up these fools? Compared to my experience at the BMW booth where an extremely attractive yet knowledgable women was on hand & could answer nearly any question asked without resorting to a pamphlet. Myself & the wife quizzed her on the K1200GT at length & she was able to answer ever damn question with not 1 sign of bs. | ||
| Ferris |
Court, can you imagine how many Buells Harley-Davidson would sell if they had YOU manning the display? hmmmm... edited by Ferris on January 02, 2004 | ||
| Buckinfubba |
right theres the problem...owned by HD staffed by HD.....you said a mouthful ina few words... why why why why...its the same thing all the time."whats it cost....good god theres 2 prices to keep in your head.... must had college educations them 2 ok I am done again | ||
| Court |
>>>.Where in Gods name do they pick up these fools? That's a patently unfair statement. These are fine folks who, I'd bet, work their tails off at Harley-Davidson and put their names in the "traveling pot" to go to shows. They are NOT "fools", they are ill assigned. It's a marketing and human resources allocation flaw that these folks had NOTHING to do with but try to do some extra work for Harley-Davidson. Blaming them is the short sighted and small minded approach to seek false comfort that you've "solved" the problem. It's the same reason we don't have Grizzly ride the Team Elves bike...he's not a "bad" person, just not the right assignment for the task. This, to rise above Internet brawl banter, needs a bit more thought than you want to give it. I like solving.... arguing is easy, solutions take work. >>>Court, can you imagine how many Buells Harley-Davidson would sell if they had YOU manning the display? No, I can't. But, I can guess having sold 67 Buell S-2 Thunderbolts to folks who had NEVER HEARD OF BUELL on my run of the IMS circuit and 37 states in 1995. It's not *me*, it's my strange ability to find folks like you, Jeremy Ricker, Josef Boyd, Mike Palladino and Todd Williams. The system would be (and yes, I have a myriad of charts and graphs...the ones that Mike Hilman laughed out of Buell) to contact one of the Buell aficionados in the NYC area (not unlike when Laughlin-Constable called me for the Pocono Buell get together in 1997) Ever been part of a Kindergarten or Little League call tree? Next we schedule a pre-show get together in the Buell Basement or a similar Buell type shine and "spread around a bit of enthusiasm and food" and PLAN. We hand out assignments...I want the BUELL TEAM to know their shit INSIDE AND OUT. Long past is when Scott Miller (a man before his time) handed out the "competitive products info" brochures. I want the BUELL TEAM to know EXACTLY what to say when someone says "how does this compare against a Ducati or Yamaha?" If you can't cite models, how many years they have been in the line up and how they evolved for other mfgs, please leave my team...you are dead weight. Many of you recalled that in 1996-1998 I did Buell rides are many of the IMS shows. They garnered fairly good press coverage, lots of enthusiasm and spawned things like the Porterville Rally. Buell, in my personal opinion, needs to leverage that it possesses which no other manufacturer has. Take Yamaha or Honda on, on speed or horsepower, and you've invited yourself to your own ass-kicking. I know I sound wound up, but I have a LOT invested in this and it absolutely KILLS me to see the product I dreamt of represented by someone who wants to slip out early to go to B.B. Kings. Sorry...I'm a little ruffled. Court | ||
| Court |
>>>right theres the problem...owned by HD staffed by HD.....you said a mouthful ina few words... I don't buy that for a moment. In the middle management ranks MAYBE, but if Jim McCaslin knew about this he'd shit. edited by court on January 02, 2004 | ||
| Oconnor |
Sorry court, but from a consumer's point of view, buckinfubba has it right with the owned by HD staffed by HD. If your job is to represent a product, you have no excuse to fall short, learn it or get out. There may be a huge problem at the middle management level too, but upper levels of management aren't blind or deaf (lazy Maybe) either, they can get to fixing a huge problem if they wanted. Not trying to argue, just make a point really quick before I run out the door. Thanks for your enthusiasm though! | ||
| Ebear |
COURT......"Buell, in my personal opinion, needs to leverage that it possesses which no other manufacturer has"}...Could you extrapolate on this comment?I'm very interested in this discussion and would like to fully understand your opinions. thanx! | ||
| Ezblast |
Hell I've sold more Blasts than any grouping of HD dealerships - and all I do is talk about them honestly at other motorcycle forums - am I looking for a paycheck? - hell no - I just wish they were as enthusiastic and knowledgeable of their product as half the people here! It should not be too much to ask! (- stepping off box) Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ  | ||
| Bradj |
Arrrgh!  | ||
| Henrik |
I went to the NYC IMS show today as well. I arrived around 4 pm and there were quite a few visitors at the Buell booth - quite a few of them a "younger generation" of riders (as per our Buell demographics thread ). There were also 5-6 reps there - I'd guess half of the badges read Buell, half read HD. I was looking at the black XB12R (I really like the look of it  ) and was quickly approached by one of the HD employees asking if I had any questions. We started chatting and he rides both an HD of sorts (??) and an XB9 - and he'd probably have been able to give me all the details. He wasn't quite sure what to say when I mentioned my S2 We parted ways and I went to sit on the XB and a Buell employee walked up to chat. So at that time there were both customers and qualified staff there - and the big Buell catalog looks very nice. Don't care for the overly flowery wording, but that's a taste thing. What seemed to be missing at the booth at the time was some enthusiasm - some "I just have to tell you about this fantastic motorcycle" type enthusiasm. Don't know how else to put it. But I liked the XB12R - very well finished, sweet looking bike. Tiny, but probably excellent for a track bike If I were to point to one detail, it'd be the speedo and tach faces - a bit too frilly a design for my taste. Especially when the rest of the bike (when seen in person) is pretty darn cool and in-your-face. And as for uninformed staff at booths: - I went through the Suzuki booth and saw Matt Mladin's bike on display - to make sure that was indeed the bike I asked on of the sales staff. He just completely glazed over and pointed me to someone else. You'd think that if you had an AMA Superbike Champion on Suzuki staff you know about it - no ?? - Similarly at the Honda booth where Duhamel's bike was on display. - And lastly the "visual attraction girl" at the Aprilia Booth, who wanted to know if the much higher price for the new Mille Factory R was because it had ammenities such as automatic transmission ... no really. Anyway - it was a good show, but more interesting (to me ) how I find my tastes in bikes and gear changing. Henrik (who saw a black Interceptor and realized that I wouldn't mind owning one - with bags) |
