| Author |
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Doughnut
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 09:19 pm: | 
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Does everyone else here wave at all other bikes, or am I the only geek?  |
M1combat
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 09:20 pm: |
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I do. I generally find that all sport bikers wave back and about 1/2 of the harley guys wave back. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 09:26 pm: |
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I knew when I bought it, nobody would know what it is, or what it could do. I laugh at squids in color matched helmets, tank tops, shorts, and sandals. Just like I did on my Yamaha. I laugh at boutique bikers, just like when I had my Suzuki. I could care less if they laugh at me. ( unless I lowside in the gravel parking lot, then I care, but not about laughter )
I wave if I see ya, & I match Mikej's demographic profile.
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Dyna
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 09:47 pm: |
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There hog chapters are all about who the leaders are and the rest of you ass munches follow us and don't deviate off the path. Kinda of one big contradiction of terms.
Truer words havent been printed here. Try & get a HOG chapter to do something different & you will have people asking for your head on a platter.
While we are piling on... The Harley problems might be equally annoying to Cruiser owners as well.
Yep, & thats why the huge number of independant shops are doing brisk business. Its why folks are wearing upside down HD emblems on their jackets, its why some folks proclaim "fuck the factory". They may love the bikes, but cant stand the company that produced them.
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Anonymous
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 10:03 pm: |
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It can be very trying to be the Buell guy at a Harley dealership as the two brands really don't have very much in common and consequently they appeal to polar opposites.
If you read the old interviews with Erik Buell, he fully expected his product to initially be sold at Harley dealerships and then to have the Buell franchise offered to non Harley dealerships.
Perhaps that will change and Buell will become a major player in the motorcycle marketplace. It could happen. They certainly have the talent and the product but need the correct retail environment.
Harley Davidson as the parent company and the dealership principals may have the best intentions in the world but it's just not happening.
I don't wish for these views to reflect upon the dealership I work for so if you can't post this as anonymous, please delete this post. |
Uncbuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 10:37 pm: |
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i believe buell would sell a lot more bikes if the motor company would let them franchise. i hate going into the big local hd stealership, it's just painful to see all that chrome filling up 80,000 sq feet and 3 buells stuffed in the corner behind the used hardleys.
as for cruisers, if i was going to get one, it would be graced with a union jack. |
Captainkirk
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 12:38 am: |
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Careful what you wish for....
You all own something extraordinary and unique. I know it and you all know it. Face it; the people who look down on Buells JUST DON'T GET IT! And would we, after all, really WANT them to? It's kind of like having a favorite band nobody else has heard of-you sort of want to keep it to yourself. When I'm screamin' down the road at 70 flickin' the yellow lines and some dude passes in the opposite direction on his Harley, I give the 2-finger wave only to be ignored, I laugh out loud and go back to flickin' the yellow lines 'cause THEY JUST DON'T GET IT! |
Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 10:46 am: |
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anon
right on and exactly what I am getting at. you just did it much quicker. Thanks for being a good speaker.
"the path to hell is paved with good intentions"
Judd
We think too much alike, union jack and all,I'm with ya on that cruiser thing, I mean heck I already have the dual purpose british thingy.
and you know where I am and heck I am right at the front door you don't have to wade thru the ol navy displays to get to the buells.
Captain
yes I do want alot more to get it, the bike can not lose its soul just because there are more of them. Kinda like that band you love that nobody knows, and then they get found. your scared they'll sell out and then they don't and the musical landscape is better because they got found and stayed true.
I don't believe Buell would lose its soul...Erik's pretty passionate about it. |
Glitch
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 10:55 am: |
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I like having a unique bike.
If they suddenly started selling like crazy my bike would still be unique.
All the guys that have the tube framed Buells still have a unique bike even though the XB has come out.
I don't believe Buell would lose its soul...Erik's pretty passionate about it.
I agree. |
Buellsnblondes
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 01:31 pm: |
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Interesting experiences and posts....
My two cents:
Having attended several AZ Bike Week functions this year, I'd have to say that the sportbike turn out, be it Japanese or American made was disappointing. On a charity run sponsored by Chandler Harley Davidson, I was the sole representative of sportbikers in the area and I was on an 03 XB9R. There were probably 400 bikes there, mostly Harley's, yet I was treated respectfully and was asked a lot of questions concerning the handling and performance of my bike. I spent the day with this group and enjoyed a scenic ride at reasonable speeds. Given this particular event occurred on a Monday I can understand some having to work... but one sportbike?
Off to Fontana I went... lots of sportbike's, Harley's and touring bikes. Nice mix with a handful of Buell's to make it interesting. Again, I was approached by several riders of both the touring and sportbike groups, asking questions about my experience with the Buell. All in a respectful manner, and more out of curiousity then contempt. The point is there is nothing wrong with being different and in being so, never be afraid or discouraged to intermingle with what is construed as mainstream.
Ed |
Captainkirk
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 11:38 pm: |
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Dammit, Bubba, you're right and I know it. I guess it's one of those things. I love all bikes. It just pisses me off when these yuppie snobs with a $25K Harley who probably rides twice a year won't give ya the common courtesy of a wave back. Incidently, I have yet to have a sportbike rider not return a wave. |
Doughnut
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 11:41 pm: |
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I passed five Harleys today. One waved. |
Unibear12r
| | Posted on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 01:49 am: |
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I usually wave first. The Harley types almost always wave back. Stoplight & parking lot conversations with them have been very positive. More of the sport bikers don't wave but most do. Conversation with them is mostly but not all positive.
My dealer relationship has been very good so far except that they are 100 miles away. They put the Buells center floor with the Harleys along each side. To bad the local HD shop here in town doesn't sell Buells.
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Brucelee
| | Posted on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 09:37 am: |
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I stopped doing it. Keep my eyes on the road and the SUVs who seem intent on killing us all!
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Impulse_101
| | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 12:51 am: |
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Dnut,
I passed you twice. Once today and another time yesterday. It's hard to wave from a conversion van though.
As far as other riders. The Harley guys on the road usually act like I'm not there. The sportbike guys are more curious but they seem to be annoyed by the fact that they can't hear their bikes when mine is close.
Hal's and Uke's both give Buell their due on the sales floor. Racine H-D has Buell's on their TV spots and the bikes are sitting right at the door when you walk in, so you know that they arn't hiding them. They even answer my questions without flinching, so that's three dealers in the my area who at least seem to be attempting to support the product.
I'm lovin' life with my bike. I have a running dialog in my head while I ride that goes from "When I get my next Buell I'm going to..." and ends with "If I replace the heads on my S3T maybe I can get 10 more horsepower..." I don't think about anything but my bike or the one I'm going to be riding next. I don't worry about what some other jackass is thinking, in fact I usually assume that they are jealous of me and leave it at that.
JT |
Dyna
| | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 05:53 am: |
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Impulse, there is a big difference between pitching the product in order to simply move it out the door, and standing behind the product & working with the consumer to ensure a happy & long relationship.
Plenty of dealers will sell you a bike & then screw you over.....thats the dealers everyone pisses & moans about. Its the after sale treatment that will garner a customer for life or drive them away to another dealer or a completely different brand of machine. |
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