HD drops Buell, Buell closes!
- Thread starter FZ1inTX
- Start date
Crackerfz1
Well-Known Member
That is crazy, especially after all of their new advertising they have been doing lately in the magazines. 
va_rider
Wizard
I must say... I won't miss them.... granted, they were unique... but... they made the wrong decision getting with Harley in the first place.... the frame was good, the handling was good... a lot of truly innovative and great ideas.... then, they mate all of these great ideas with an outdated POS engine.... if they were to use a "more Japanese" twin... it would have been an awesome bike... but, when you're standing in line with $15k burning a hole in your pocket... are you going to buy the Buell with a 1200cc 86HP motor... or a TL1000, SV1000, RC51 etc pushing 130+HP?? The move to the rotax engine for the 1125 was a great idea... but too little, too late... I had a buddy back home with a first year XB12R Firebolt... I used to blow him away on my 600 Katana... straight line... curvy roads... whatever... very disappointing... he always talked about it's MASSIVE torque.... then I let him ride my TL1000R.... all of the sudden.. he wasn't impressed by the XB's torque...
This one has really been a long time coming... think about it... why would you try to sell a "sport" bike in Harley Dealerships? I'm not saying 100%... but your average person who would visit a Harley shop isn't looking for a sport bike...
This one has really been a long time coming... think about it... why would you try to sell a "sport" bike in Harley Dealerships? I'm not saying 100%... but your average person who would visit a Harley shop isn't looking for a sport bike...
NJFZ1
Moderator
Yea, this was coming. And lets see how Harley really comes out of this whole mess with their sales tanking like they are. Are we looking at another GM here???
Oldschool
Moderator
Bailouts
I seem to remember Harley getting help from Uncle Sam back in the Seventies that saw the institution of tariffs on any import bike 750cc or larger. Why, with recent government behavior would they not expect help this time. Harley is an important US brand that I can't imagine the US government allowing to go down. The tax payers already own a couple of car manufacturers, why not a bike maker.
I seem to remember Harley getting help from Uncle Sam back in the Seventies that saw the institution of tariffs on any import bike 750cc or larger. Why, with recent government behavior would they not expect help this time. Harley is an important US brand that I can't imagine the US government allowing to go down. The tax payers already own a couple of car manufacturers, why not a bike maker.
Hellgate
Wizard
In fairness back in the '80s they really didn't have a choice of powerplants. Erik worked as an HD engineer for years to the relationship was there. Really it was obvious.
Should they left HD, yes by all means, could they afford to, no.
OldDuffer
Well-Known Member
Owned a 2000 X-1 Lightning. Worst build quality of any bike I have owned in 25 years. That includes some pretty crappy japanese bikes. Buell stating that he took on the big factories this year is a pile of stinky too. That was not a level playing field. I wonder what the other manufacturers could have done with that extra displacement allowance? People still want value for their money. Buell came up with some darn good engineering ideas, but the execution and packaging were just not up to snuff. That being said I'm sorry to see a class act like Eric Buell have his brain child die this way.
CrazyBiker
Wizard
Wavex cries!
Osup
Well-Known Member
Personally, I loved that lump in my old Buell Ulysses. For a rider like myself, I could give a rats ass about straight line speeds in everyday riding. But it was a very smooth and very reliable motor for long trips. Not to mention an awesome handling motorcycle. I am saddened by this news.
bigB_EOD
Well-Known Member
I don't have any experience with Buells myself, so I can't comment on quality and such but I do know I hate to see another company going down as a result of the tough economic times. It's more people out of work and the loss of a unique American company.
drzsmrider
Member
i had a first year 2003 xb9s.i still regret gettin rid of that bike.super cool ride and i never eally had any issues in 16000 miles.sorry to see them go under but you could see it coming.
OntheRoadAgain
Member
Wow!
I was at a track day this summer and Buell had one serious demo rig, you could take their bikes out on the track and they hired pro racers to take track riders, their girl friends, wives, kids, anyone, for very high speed rides around the track on 1125Rs, I thought this was a good idea, your wife likes the ride, she let's you get another bike! Their pro riders gave track riding clinics. They were dropping some JACK! That was just a few months ago! Too bad to see an American niche bike company go away. The video on the Buell web site looks Like Erik Buell was about to cry. Harley has a history of major screw-ups this just adds to their collection! The only way Harley is making any performance advances and saving money (aka losing less money) is to slap higher quallity lower cost Japanese parts on their over priced, outdated, out of balance washing machines they call bikes, i.e. XR1200. Around here not many Harley dealers even sell them. So long Buell!
I was at a track day this summer and Buell had one serious demo rig, you could take their bikes out on the track and they hired pro racers to take track riders, their girl friends, wives, kids, anyone, for very high speed rides around the track on 1125Rs, I thought this was a good idea, your wife likes the ride, she let's you get another bike! Their pro riders gave track riding clinics. They were dropping some JACK! That was just a few months ago! Too bad to see an American niche bike company go away. The video on the Buell web site looks Like Erik Buell was about to cry. Harley has a history of major screw-ups this just adds to their collection! The only way Harley is making any performance advances and saving money (aka losing less money) is to slap higher quallity lower cost Japanese parts on their over priced, outdated, out of balance washing machines they call bikes, i.e. XR1200. Around here not many Harley dealers even sell them. So long Buell!
