Buell has closed its doors.
MagicRat
10-22-2009, 08:44 AM
Harley-Davidson has canceled the Buell product line, citing a decline in sales and profits.
I guess they can make better uses of resources building the cruisers.
I think they have planned this move for some time, since they bought MV Augusta recently, and it does not make much sense to have two sportbike brands.
From:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/auto/buell-bike-production-to-end-this-month/article1332785/
After posting awful third-quarter results – sales were off 21 per cent and profit dropped 84 per cent – Harley-Davidson said it will end production of its Buell line of sport bikes by the end of this month, and try to sell the MV Augusta European sport bike brand that it acquired just last summer.
While MV Augustas were never officially sold in Canada, Buells were available from Harley-Davidson dealers across the country; they will continue to be until the bikes and accessories are sold off. Buell owners will still be able to service their bikes under warranty at H-D dealers, and parts will be made available for the bikes for the foreseeable future as well.
The move marks the end of an increasingly respected American challenger to the dominance of the Japanese Big Four bike makers in the North American sport and naked bike markets.
An emotional Erik Buell addressed fans and owners of the firm's products in a video message on the Buell site (www.buell.com), clearly distraught at the decision to end the company that he formed after leaving Harley 26 years ago.
In 1993, Harley came to him and proposed an association that eventually ended in Harley taking full ownership of the Buell brand, expanding its product lineup and sales exponentially. Erik Buell was also able to persuade Harley to take Buell racing against the powerhouses of the bike world in the AMA Daytona SportBike series.
This culminated in Buell winning the series championship last month, the first time an American motorcycle company has won a major bike championship in almost four decades.
Erik Buell admitted just last month in an interview with Globe Auto's Michael Vaughan that his push to go racing caused considerable friction with Harley management. After Buell production was suspended for two months earlier this year due to dwindling sales, Harley's managers obviously thought the costs of running the racing effort and brand had grown untenable in the current economic climate.
“Buell has introduced many innovative advancements in motorcycle design and technology over the years and MV Agusta is known in Europe for its premium, high-performance sport motorcycles,” Keith Wandell, CEO of Harley-Davidson, said in a company statement. “However, our strategy to focus on the Harley-Davidson brand reflects the fact that we believe our investments in that brand are a better utilization of overall company resources.”
Buell has produced 135,000 motorcycles in its 23 years of existence, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Harley's in 1998. An FAQ section on the Buell website says that no Buell bikes are slated to become Harley-Davidsons – as if the heavy, pricey and fiercely traditional cruiser bike brand would even contemplate such heresy – although the section does state that some technology from the Buell brand may yet make it onto a Harley yet.
I guess they can make better uses of resources building the cruisers.
I think they have planned this move for some time, since they bought MV Augusta recently, and it does not make much sense to have two sportbike brands.
From:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/auto/buell-bike-production-to-end-this-month/article1332785/
After posting awful third-quarter results – sales were off 21 per cent and profit dropped 84 per cent – Harley-Davidson said it will end production of its Buell line of sport bikes by the end of this month, and try to sell the MV Augusta European sport bike brand that it acquired just last summer.
While MV Augustas were never officially sold in Canada, Buells were available from Harley-Davidson dealers across the country; they will continue to be until the bikes and accessories are sold off. Buell owners will still be able to service their bikes under warranty at H-D dealers, and parts will be made available for the bikes for the foreseeable future as well.
The move marks the end of an increasingly respected American challenger to the dominance of the Japanese Big Four bike makers in the North American sport and naked bike markets.
An emotional Erik Buell addressed fans and owners of the firm's products in a video message on the Buell site (www.buell.com), clearly distraught at the decision to end the company that he formed after leaving Harley 26 years ago.
In 1993, Harley came to him and proposed an association that eventually ended in Harley taking full ownership of the Buell brand, expanding its product lineup and sales exponentially. Erik Buell was also able to persuade Harley to take Buell racing against the powerhouses of the bike world in the AMA Daytona SportBike series.
This culminated in Buell winning the series championship last month, the first time an American motorcycle company has won a major bike championship in almost four decades.
Erik Buell admitted just last month in an interview with Globe Auto's Michael Vaughan that his push to go racing caused considerable friction with Harley management. After Buell production was suspended for two months earlier this year due to dwindling sales, Harley's managers obviously thought the costs of running the racing effort and brand had grown untenable in the current economic climate.
“Buell has introduced many innovative advancements in motorcycle design and technology over the years and MV Agusta is known in Europe for its premium, high-performance sport motorcycles,” Keith Wandell, CEO of Harley-Davidson, said in a company statement. “However, our strategy to focus on the Harley-Davidson brand reflects the fact that we believe our investments in that brand are a better utilization of overall company resources.”
Buell has produced 135,000 motorcycles in its 23 years of existence, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Harley's in 1998. An FAQ section on the Buell website says that no Buell bikes are slated to become Harley-Davidsons – as if the heavy, pricey and fiercely traditional cruiser bike brand would even contemplate such heresy – although the section does state that some technology from the Buell brand may yet make it onto a Harley yet.
richtazz
10-29-2009, 08:58 AM
Although I respect the thinking behind the Buell line and the perfromance they achieved, their decline was one of pure asthetics. Buells have always been ugly as a mud fence, and no one wants to ride an ugly bike.
jeffcoslacker
10-29-2009, 12:56 PM
Although I respect the thinking behind the Buell line and the perfromance they achieved, their decline was one of pure asthetics. Buells have always been ugly as a mud fence, and no one wants to ride an ugly bike.
May be true for some, but I disagree. I always liked Buell designs, I find it refreshing when the function dictates the form, not vice versa. They are starkly utilitarian looking machines. Verry little there that doesn't serve a purpose.
Personally I think the problem is that Buell has always been kind of an answer to questions nobody asked (aside from Erik Buell and some people like me)..."Why can't you have a sportbike you don't need to flog to astronomical revs to get the power out of it? Why does it need to top out at 185 mph if I'd get thrown in jail for going 100 mph on it? Why is nobody else doing this kind of brainy mass centralization and performance enhancements?" Etc...
No, most people, even ones who should know better, look at a Buell and compare it to other sportbikes. Problem is most Buells defy direct comparison, because they are not built to provide the same function.
The things they came up with were great...they always did things that made perfect sense, but nobody else ever did it. Things that did not readily seem that big a deal until you rode one. Like fuel in frame, oil in swingarm casting, perimeter brakes, under motor exhaust, etc, etc. They even developed a centrifugal mechanism that allows the Buell clutch to have a much lighter pull than it's Sportster cousin, while having something like 300% better engagement grip when fully released...and the automatic final drive belt tensioner...one of those things that would seem a no-brainer...but Harley won't use it simply because it would upset the aesthetics of the primal cruiser designs.
The Buell was the thinking man's sportbike....unfortunately the large majority of sportbike buyers are mouth-breathing cretins who just want bragging rights of top speed or redlines....
(yes, I know I'm gonna catch some flak for that comment...Blayne...:lol:)
May be true for some, but I disagree. I always liked Buell designs, I find it refreshing when the function dictates the form, not vice versa. They are starkly utilitarian looking machines. Verry little there that doesn't serve a purpose.
Personally I think the problem is that Buell has always been kind of an answer to questions nobody asked (aside from Erik Buell and some people like me)..."Why can't you have a sportbike you don't need to flog to astronomical revs to get the power out of it? Why does it need to top out at 185 mph if I'd get thrown in jail for going 100 mph on it? Why is nobody else doing this kind of brainy mass centralization and performance enhancements?" Etc...
No, most people, even ones who should know better, look at a Buell and compare it to other sportbikes. Problem is most Buells defy direct comparison, because they are not built to provide the same function.
The things they came up with were great...they always did things that made perfect sense, but nobody else ever did it. Things that did not readily seem that big a deal until you rode one. Like fuel in frame, oil in swingarm casting, perimeter brakes, under motor exhaust, etc, etc. They even developed a centrifugal mechanism that allows the Buell clutch to have a much lighter pull than it's Sportster cousin, while having something like 300% better engagement grip when fully released...and the automatic final drive belt tensioner...one of those things that would seem a no-brainer...but Harley won't use it simply because it would upset the aesthetics of the primal cruiser designs.
The Buell was the thinking man's sportbike....unfortunately the large majority of sportbike buyers are mouth-breathing cretins who just want bragging rights of top speed or redlines....
(yes, I know I'm gonna catch some flak for that comment...Blayne...:lol:)
richtazz
10-29-2009, 01:21 PM
The Buell was the thinking man's sportbike....unfortunately the large majority of sportbike buyers are mouth-breathing cretins who just want bragging rights of top speed or redlines....
(yes, I know I'm gonna catch some flak for that comment...Blayne...:lol:)
I actually laughed out loud on that one Larry, as Blayne used to be the mouth-breathing sportbike rider cretin's king... :lol: (love ya like a brother Blayne... a red-headed wicked step-brother... but a brother none the less) :evillol:
(yes, I know I'm gonna catch some flak for that comment...Blayne...:lol:)
I actually laughed out loud on that one Larry, as Blayne used to be the mouth-breathing sportbike rider cretin's king... :lol: (love ya like a brother Blayne... a red-headed wicked step-brother... but a brother none the less) :evillol:
aussieidiot
10-29-2009, 02:55 PM
:eek7:
:crying:
:biggrin2:
:chair:
Kick a man while he's down why don't you! I WANT MY BIKE BACK!!!!!!!
I have always loved the Buell's but the rumors of poor service and reliability made me stay clear.
Yes I ride (or used to) ride a liter sports bike but thats not to say I'm one for bragging rights on top speed and other penis compensating statistics. If I were to buy a sports bike today, it would be a GSXR750. I don't need the power of a thousand when the 750 will do the job for me and the size of the bike is the same. I would only buy a liter bike again if the physical size was more suited to me. I don't get these short arsed, 130lb squids in Gixer thou's! They may beat me in straight line (if they can keep the front wheel down) but bring on the corners pussy's!
So Rich, have I been promoted to King of the Idiots? :grinyes:
:aus:
:crying:
:biggrin2:
:chair:
Kick a man while he's down why don't you! I WANT MY BIKE BACK!!!!!!!
I have always loved the Buell's but the rumors of poor service and reliability made me stay clear.
Yes I ride (or used to) ride a liter sports bike but thats not to say I'm one for bragging rights on top speed and other penis compensating statistics. If I were to buy a sports bike today, it would be a GSXR750. I don't need the power of a thousand when the 750 will do the job for me and the size of the bike is the same. I would only buy a liter bike again if the physical size was more suited to me. I don't get these short arsed, 130lb squids in Gixer thou's! They may beat me in straight line (if they can keep the front wheel down) but bring on the corners pussy's!
So Rich, have I been promoted to King of the Idiots? :grinyes:
:aus:
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