| Author | Message | ||
     Luckydevil |
Just curious, about what some other badwebbers will think about this. In the past i have seen postings here talking about the "me too" nature of sportbike riders of other brands, and their "spec sheet" opinions of buell bikes in general. Do you think that the 1125R will bring a lot of "Me Too" riders into the Buell ranks? Or will the HD association keep the "flavor of the month" crowd away? I think that the 1125r will certainly change the perception of Buells in general, but that Buells will remain more of a a niche. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I think the association with HD and the fact that the spec sheet is still not record breaking will keep most of the "flavor of the month" crowd away. Which I consider a good thing. I think that the 1125r will certainly change the perception of Buells in general, but that Buells will remain more of a a niche. I agree! If nothing else, it will spread the Buell word, and attract riders who've never considered (or heard of) Buell before. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I think some of the "me too" talk is just people being defensive because the XB's do not make power like the bikes that they are denegrating. Sure, there are some people that are insecure and need to ride what they think is cool, but who cares. That mindset certainly goes beyond Japanese bikes..... It will be great to see Buell sell tens of thousands of bikes to people that want modern engine performance. I don't understand why people have to try so hard to be different. Just do what you enjoy, sometimes it will be mainstream, sometimes not. That will make you a true individual. I still like the XB, and would like it just as much if everyone on the block had one. Maybe I'm the one with the issue, I just don't care what everyone else is riding, if I like my bike. I don't want to be different or fit in, I just want to enjoy the ride. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Rob, just checked your profile, didn't realize it was you. Hope to get to ride with you guys again before the weather turns, bike is waiting for parts at the moment. BTW everyone check out the skins on Rob's (lucky) bike, they look bitchin' in person. Hope all is well! | ||
| Spike |
Ditto what Mike said. The numbers alone keep it a good distance from the latest and greatest. Even though this one will likely run with the best that the rest of the world has to offer, I think the overall package will appeal to more serious riders. | ||
| Ratbuell |
They touched on a couple of good points in class too. The press is talking this way and that about the styling and whether it will appeal to the "flavor of the month" folks. The (extremely valid) point they make is this: Ducatis and Hondas are designed by stylists and artists. This bike (the 1125r)was designed by an engineer. The fairing looks bigger because it had to be **so it would work**. I really believe the mass appeal of the 1125 will be folks who appreciate the way a bike works, and the capabilities of it, over the style. I know we've lost a couple Buellers to other brands just because of the performance package; they loved their tubers or XBs but just wanted more performance than the XL lump could give, so they grudgingly bought 999s or RC51s. Now, I think we'll get those folks back. I also plan on taking our first one to the local sportbike night as often as I can. This is for Buell what the Viper is to Dodge - a flagship that everyone can enjoy, but only the truly talented can fully exploit. For the rest of us...the XB is still a very potent platform for about 2k less money. My Magnum R/T isn't a Viper...but it's still a Dodge, and I love Mopar. A 12R or X or even 9SX isn't an 1125R...but it's still got the Buell name on it, and I think that little detail is going to start meaning a LOT to riders of all stripes. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I know we've lost a couple Buellers to other brands just because of the performance package; they loved their tubers or XBs but just wanted more performance than the XL lump could give, so they grudgingly bought 999s or RC51s. Now, I think we'll get those folks back. Absolutely! | ||
| Crashbuell |
Ducatis and Hondas are designed by stylists and artists. This bike (the 1125r)was designed by an engineer Well, I like to think that us tuber pilots also contributed to the genes of this new bike. It has a great many things that us "test pilots" have been asking for and require in a good bike. Mr. Buell would ask us folks what we like in his bikes and also what we'd like to see in future bikes. There is no question that the 1125 is a beautiful bike, but it's also the materialization of our wants/desires in a bike. People can say what they want about the Japanese/Italian bikes as far as how fast they are, how pretty, whatever. It's marketed like, "here it is, buy it or not. We built it the way we want. If you don't buy it, someone else will." With our bikes, it's backwards. We told them what we wanted, they built it, now we get to buy it. THAT, my friends, is how it should be. A motorcycle is not merely transportation. A motorcycle has a soul. Riding them stirs something inside us. We are passionate about them. If we weren't, we wouldn't talk about them like we do. But I digress, All I'm trying to say, is we are blessed because our particular brand of bike has included us in the mix as "Field Engineers" of a sort and we were allowed to participate in the engineering and design of the new bike. | ||
| Crashm1 |
I really believe the mass appeal of the 1125 will be folks who appreciate the way a bike works, and the capabilities of it, over the style. I know we've lost a couple Buellers to other brands just because of the performance package; they loved their tubers or XBs but just wanted more performance than the XL lump could give, so they grudgingly bought 999s or RC51s. Now, I think we'll get those folks back. }I'm coming back. I bought a RC51 this spring and after reading about the 1125 I'm planning to sell the RC and get back to grinning while I ride. | ||
| Brad1445 |
Most of the guys I ride with are the "me too" UJM bike owners. Where they have expressed interest in some of my Buells not one of them showed interest in the new design claiming the looks were too weird. | ||
| Buellshyter |
Ducatis and Hondas are designed by stylists and artists Ah ha, sure they are. Andy Warhol I'm bettin - from his grave no less | ||
| Xb984r |
Ducatis and Hondas are designed by stylists and artists. This bike (the 1125r)was designed by an engineer Really,seems to be an awful lot of racing wins for two brands with bikes designed by stylists and artists.Maybe Buell should bring in an artist or two. | ||
| Bonjoxb12s |
I think it's fair to say that the "other" brands may have had their "skin" designed by stylists and artists, but if you look at the punch they are packing you'd think twice about who designed their guts. No way some stylist put several wins on the board for these brands.... | ||
| Xb984r |
I don't understand the aversion to an aesthetically pleasing bike here. | ||
| Bob_thompson |
Everything that Crashbuell said++++++. Erik has always been "form FOLLOWS function" and I believe as Crash said he was truly listening to us AND HIS own desire to build a motorcycle mostly for the street but one which we will just like to ride and ride and ride. Like the man said "from the rider down". I will enjoy mine better than anything I have every ridden. Field engineer Bob here waiting patiently for delivery. | ||
| Dave_bogue |
If you are worried about us Japanese performance riders infiltrating the ranks of the Buellistas, forget about it; it's going to happen. Like the 1098, the 1125R is filling a void in the V twin high performance market. Unlike the $16,000 1098, the 1125 will be affordable to me, plus it's got much better ergonomics for mature riders and a better dealer network. The 1125R's $12,000 price tag (plus dealer greed) will keep the riff-raff and younger (600 Jap bike) buyers away. The 1125R will eclipse the performance of the VTR, TLS, TLR, RC, and SV Japanese bikes; a new upgrade of the V2 sportbike. Thank you Mr Erik Buell from those of us that prefer the V2 over the Inline 4. Dave Bradenton Florida SV1000 ZX-10R | ||
| Rich |
Oh, you guys are getting Buells? Me, too. | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
yes u meet a lot of younger people that ride other bikes than buells....some ive found are very savvy about bikes and are performance minded buell didnt have the best reputation when it came to laying the hammer down....ive also met a lot of older folks that ride ducatis,hondas,yamahas,kawasakis,suzukis, ect. just cause u dont ride a buell dosent mean ur missing some big part of motorcycling...i am glad i owned a buell and im sure il own another one...but the buell isnt the be all end all of two wheeled machines....this isnt some exclusive club made up of people that found the shangri la of biking...im sorry but ive ridden the buell and ive ridden many other bikes they all have something to offer and the people that ride other bikes...well guess what...most of them just dig bikes...and a lot of them are damn good riders and know their machines just as well as u know ur buell...maybe more so...just cause my bike has more plastic than urs dosent make me a mee 2...just means i like a different bike than u...i do think everybody should give a buell a whirl to see how they like it....the 1125 should bring more into the fold...then guess what...ur a mee 2 , too  . (Message edited by molly_hatchet on September 30, 2007) | ||
| Crusty |
just cause u dont ride a buell dosent mean ur missing some big part of motorcycling Yes it does. | ||
| Brad1445 |
Xb984r Posted on Saturday, September 29, 2007 - 10:42 am: I don't understand the aversion to an aesthetically pleasing bike here. _____________ Yeah! whats up wit dat? You can have both function and form.}} | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
i would love to be able to afford an air cooled lump and my CBR just aint in the cards right now...i miss the buell everytime i start my new bike....sorry but i loved that vtwin rumble...wonder if i could fit a buell race pipe under the CBR....hmmmm!!!! | ||
| Strato9r |
A couple of weeks back I rode down into northwestern Montana with a group of riders whose rides included: a 750 and 1000 GSXR, R1 and R6 Yamahas and a pair of Honda VFRs. They were all pretty decent riders, and quite knowlegable about Japanese machines, but not one of them had actually ever checked out an XB up close. Well, when things like the front disc brake, the fuel tank/frame, under-engine exhaust, etc., etc., started to sink in, the scrutiny deepened, and every one of these cats was impressed, not only by the minimalism of the Firebolt, but by the clean slate take on every aspect of the bike. One comment said it best; "There is NOTHING 'Harley' about these things at ALL!" Now that these riders, none of whom would ever entered a Harley dealership, had actually checked one out, and had a chance to ride the same twisty stretches of pavement with one, the interest was definitely fired in these guys. It was pretty obvious to all of them that a similar machine, but with nearly 150 horsepower on tap, was going to be something to seriously consider as "The Next Bike". They had all seen the ads, but to these guys, "Buell" was still an unknown quantity, and that may be an awkward consequence of Buell machines being sold at Harley dealerships, where few sportbike riders go, for whatever reason. One thing is certain, these guys were going to be checking out the 1125r, if for no other reason that if a 90 hp Buell had no problem whatsoever hanging with some seriously fast machines in all but the longest, fastest sections, (and that had as much to do with my mid life realization that I no longer bounce well), an extra gear and sixty ponies added to a similar, improved machine would seriously kick ass. Buell builds great machines, that have been brutally honest about delivering REAL WORLD bikes to riders who can appreciate them. Now, they have a machine that can extend that philosophy into the realm of imports that, because of racing success, can claim to be the standard by which "performance" is judged. I think that Buell is doing a good job of capturing the public's imagination with the 1125r. Hopefully, it will be the thing that really shows the world that a machine SHOULD be built from the rider down....... | ||
| Luckydevil |
I think that some folks will come over to Buell. Hooray for them. And some will leave for other brands, Hooray for them too. I guess i was just testing the wind. i have always found the folk i ride with, and Buellers in general to be a welcoming group. I think that for whatever reason people choose their new bike, that's ok. You know all the tuber riders had to welcome a bunch of new folks when the XB's came out. that includes Me Too. I had good experience when i stopped by a gas station one late saturday afternoon, the local sportbikes were gathering, and while i gassed up, a couple of guys came over and started looking. the complements were quick and plentiful. So were the questions. Most had never seen a Buell up close. They had a lot of misconceptions about the HD-ness of the buells in general. So after dragging my knees in the parking lot for them and doing a short burnout, they had smiles from ear to ear. I figure if i'm wearing track pants, i have to be willing to prove the knee pucks got that way on purpose. | ||
| Rex |
hopefully the dealers will be able to welcome these folks in and take care of them. rex | ||
| Rainman |
That's the problem, Rex. | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
im still wondering how a harley dealership can take care of kneedraggers...ive been to every harley shop in western washington and il tell ya what...im allways the only guy in the place with real leather on that has actual armor a full face helmet and boots with sliders...they look at me like ive lost my mind....now if u go to a place like RMC they sell a lot of cruisers and invite many clubs to hangout there...the cruiser people blend ok with the kneedraggers and all is well...but a harley dealer welcoming sportbikers....it will be the death of them if they cant and i dont see it happening...buell will allways be a niche brand until they get away from harley dealers... | ||
| Ceejay |
I'm pretty sure that's the whole point of putting on the track days. Buell/HD/HDI/PTT/etc. aren't going to be making money putting on an even like this. If there were 100 folks there today, I'd be surprised-It made it awesome, but I'd be surprised. 150 X 100=15000. That's 3 grand over the cost of a new 1125r that was brought in. They had at least 20 of em. One looked like it got totalled. Sorry folks, they aren't doing this for us-the guys that already have buells, thier doing it for the guys that won't walk into a HD shop unless they need some chrome tassels for the stripper pole. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, That bike is far stronger than the 05 CBR1000rr I rode with better brakes, not sure if it had the lungs, I wussed out about 100 ft. after the flag tower on the back straight, but I'm pretty sure I was pulling close to 150... Do I really care if Buell gets more mainstream-No. Sure it will help in dealing with the folks that think brand X is better because more people buy it, but hell, I've never gotten into that too much anyhow. I'd still like to see Buell sell a ton of em, mostly because it is a cool machine, and hopefully the will continue to come to Mid-Ohio and let me flog the hell out of thier bikes(as much as I can anyway) | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
i think buell is a great ,progressive,owner positive,forward minded,innovative ,ect. company. get them the f%#k out of harley dealerships. hopefuly buell will sell an arseload of the 1125's and harley will finaly have to take notice and listen...might be a kneedraggers section at the local chrome cow shop sooner than l8r. | ||
| Reepicheep |
You made it further then I did when I chickened out Ceejay. By the time you got to that flag tower, that bike was *really* moving. I talked to the factory guy... he didn't think the 1125r was totaled. It needed basically new plastic... everywhere (it highsided then tumbled and smaked a curb) and new controls / guage clusters / bars (they were pretty much gone) and he thought one of the engine side covers might have to be replaced (where it tagged the curb), but thought the bike was fairly recoverable. Wish we hadn't been gridded to run novice when it came in, I would have been all over it with the camera. Looks like a fairly crash worthy bike. Were you in the grandstand when the GSXR tucked the front on the front straight (no idea how that happened... he was fine one minute and sliding the next)? The bike continued without him, and went up to the concrete wall with a sickening "crunchy" noise. A fairly minor looking and expensive sounding hit. |
