Buell is done, finished, gone - Page 12

Dave · 10-18-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeslice

I've never been a fan of the short, jacked-up tails that seem to be popular these days, but that bike looks tits. I especially like the header pipes on Buells.

did you read it? he claims it helped "suck the front tire down"

yeah i was thinking about the earlier part with the NSRs, sounds like when they first did it it was for looks but they engineered it into some sort of functionality in later models. i would assume that were that to be true they found more effective means of aerodynamic control later on

found a link that says the same stuff. aerodynamics derived from their F1 program.

http://www.quatrebras.com/motor/cbr900rrn.htm

on a side note that black red and purple looks TITS

Rangerscott · 10-18-2009, 05:19 PM

Just read on a local forum that Buells are 50% off. If this has already been posted, well its been post again for your convenience.

pdog · 10-18-2009, 11:57 PM

Probably the biggest issue with Buell for me personally was their terrible lineup. You had a 500cc crapcycle at the bottom end and then 900/1200cc monsters for everything else. How about a decent middleweight for the SV650 and Monster market?

FT BSTRD · 10-19-2009, 12:41 AM

I've SOLD both the sportbikes and the Chrome Couches. Completely different cultures with completely different needs.

HD isn't that different than the Big Four in the way that they progress. When was the last evolutionary leap you've seen in sport bikes?

Even the crossplane crankshaft has been met with resistence.

I remember the hue and cry when the new Ninjas came out and how "ugly" they were. Really? It was hard to even tell them apart.

Harley is the same way. Rarely do they come out with anything "new". The last two "new" things were the V-Rod and the Rocker. Both have been unmitigated failures in the eyes of HD. Are they bad bikes? No. They are just outside the small box of what the typical HD buyer wants.

From the outside, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 1987 Sportster and a 2010 Sportster, between a 1995 Electra Glide and a 2010 Electra Glide. Mechanically, they are vastly different. Visually, they are virtually identical.

Is there really THAT much difference between SV650 model years? You'd have to go pretty far back to have an R1 look THAT different than the current model.

The difference is in what you find "interesting". It didn't matter what Buell did, your average HD rider wasn't going to find it "interesting" (or at least interesting enough to plunk down the green to buy one).

Buell didn't "fail". It was closed by HD because it wasn't part of the core business. You will probably also see some HD models "die" because they are not part of the core business. The core is Big V-Twins. Period.

That is not a bad thing for HD. They do that very well. The question is whether there are enough people to last to keep them afloat. Yes the Baby Boomers are dying, but that dynamic is in effect for EVERY business model.

There were only 135,000 Buells manufactured since 1987. Buell was never going to stem the tide of Baby Boomer death. HD made a decision to begin to prune its branches last week. More cuts are to come. York, PA is about to be closed.

HD has $1B in debt that will need to be refinanced. The $30M Buell could generate wasn't enough to matter. MV was a black hole.

FT BSTRD · 10-19-2009, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdog

Probably the biggest issue with Buell for me personally was their terrible lineup. You had a 500cc crapcycle at the bottom end and then 900/1200cc monsters for everything else. How about a decent middleweight for the SV650 and Monster market?

Did you ever test ride the 900cc version?

It was Buell's middle weight. I really doubt 94HP and 74lbft of torque is anything threatening.

The 1200cc at best did 103HP.

I think the SV, stock, does 70HP.

Unfortunately, many can't see past the basics of displacement.

Kerry_129 · 10-19-2009, 11:01 AM

I try to stay away from the Harley (and Buell) 'bashing', because it's bad form & at the end of the day it's all about what the individual rider enjoys swinging a leg over.

However, having spent a little time on an '02 Thunderbolt, I have to honestly say it was the worst bike I have ridden, from a 'sporting' perspective. Lousy wooden-feeling brakes, very clunky transmission, harsh suspension (mushy front & very 'bouncy' rear - not a good combo!), and ran out of power about the time it felt like it should be getting into the mid-range - and don't even get me started on the vibration. Now, I know they came a long way since then and I think the 1125s are far better bikes than the prior generations. I recently got a chance to ride a 1125CR recently and while I didn't find it anything to gush over, it seemed a good, capable bike with nice handling & power-delivery (the vac-assisted/delayed clutch felt good & was a nice unique feature, I thought). I believe part of the improvement was fit/finish/refinement, but the biggest factor was simply the far superior Rotax motor (again, speaking from 'sportbike' perspective). I think it was just too little, too late & it would have taken a few years to overcome the (well-deserved, IMO) negative image that most people in the 'sportbike' market hold of the earlier bikes.

It's sad that the only production sport-bike America had to offer is now dead, right after it took a huge step forward (can't help but wonder how much the adoption of the Rotax motor might have influenced the decision). I hope he gets another shot, with a mfg. that gives him much more free-reign!

Trip · 10-19-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerry_129

It's sad that the only production sport-bike America had to offer is now dead, right after it took a huge step forward. I hope he gets another shot, with a mfg. that gives him much more free-reign!

Or hell, at least one that gives him a supportive dealer network.

HokieDNA01 · 10-19-2009, 11:12 AM

Just saw this....

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-...-bid/8513.html

CasterTroy · 10-19-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HokieDNA01

Just saw this....

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-...-bid/8513.html

NO NO NO damnit!!! not until I get a new 1125 for $4000 and a new XB12 for $3000

Amber Lamps · 10-19-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CasterTroy

NO NO NO damnit!!! not until I get a new 1125 for $4000 and a new XB12 for $3000

I'm saying! I'm seriously considering it! Hell, I can get a Credit Union loan with about a $80/month payment!

10-19-2009, 12:41 AM	#4
FT BSTRD Tractor Driver Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Franklin, TN Moto: Buell XB12X Ulysses Posts: 1,007	I've SOLD both the sportbikes and the Chrome Couches. Completely different cultures with completely different needs. HD isn't that different than the Big Four in the way that they progress. When was the last evolutionary leap you've seen in sport bikes? Even the crossplane crankshaft has been met with resistence. I remember the hue and cry when the new Ninjas came out and how "ugly" they were. Really? It was hard to even tell them apart. Harley is the same way. Rarely do they come out with anything "new". The last two "new" things were the V-Rod and the Rocker. Both have been unmitigated failures in the eyes of HD. Are they bad bikes? No. They are just outside the small box of what the typical HD buyer wants. From the outside, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 1987 Sportster and a 2010 Sportster, between a 1995 Electra Glide and a 2010 Electra Glide. Mechanically, they are vastly different. Visually, they are virtually identical. Is there really THAT much difference between SV650 model years? You'd have to go pretty far back to have an R1 look THAT different than the current model. The difference is in what you find "interesting". It didn't matter what Buell did, your average HD rider wasn't going to find it "interesting" (or at least interesting enough to plunk down the green to buy one). Buell didn't "fail". It was closed by HD because it wasn't part of the core business. You will probably also see some HD models "die" because they are not part of the core business. The core is Big V-Twins. Period. That is not a bad thing for HD. They do that very well. The question is whether there are enough people to last to keep them afloat. Yes the Baby Boomers are dying, but that dynamic is in effect for EVERY business model. There were only 135,000 Buells manufactured since 1987. Buell was never going to stem the tide of Baby Boomer death. HD made a decision to begin to prune its branches last week. More cuts are to come. York, PA is about to be closed. HD has $1B in debt that will need to be refinanced. The $30M Buell could generate wasn't enough to matter. MV was a black hole. __________________ "I do get tired of reading,'my buddy is a racer and says the Buell will never work' I always want to say 'Who the FCK is your buddy and is he faster than Shawn Higbee?" --Erik Buell*

10-19-2009, 11:01 AM	#6
Kerry_129 Semi-reformed Squid Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 531	I try to stay away from the Harley (and Buell) 'bashing', because it's bad form & at the end of the day it's all about what the individual rider enjoys swinging a leg over. However, having spent a little time on an '02 Thunderbolt, I have to honestly say it was the worst bike I have ridden, from a 'sporting' perspective. Lousy wooden-feeling brakes, very clunky transmission, harsh suspension (mushy front & very 'bouncy' rear - not a good combo!), and ran out of power about the time it felt like it should be getting into the mid-range - and don't even get me started on the vibration. Now, I know they came a long way since then and I think the 1125s are far better bikes than the prior generations. I recently got a chance to ride a 1125CR recently and while I didn't find it anything to gush over, it seemed a good, capable bike with nice handling & power-delivery (the vac-assisted/delayed clutch felt good & was a nice unique feature, I thought). I believe part of the improvement was fit/finish/refinement, but the biggest factor was simply the far superior Rotax motor (again, speaking from 'sportbike' perspective). I think it was just too little, too late & it would have taken a few years to overcome the (well-deserved, IMO) negative image that most people in the 'sportbike' market hold of the earlier bikes. It's sad that the only production sport-bike America had to offer is now dead, right after it took a huge step forward (can't help but wonder how much the adoption of the Rotax motor might have influenced the decision). I hope he gets another shot, with a mfg. that gives him much more free-reign! Last edited by Kerry_129; 10-19-2009 at 11:03 AM..

10-19-2009, 11:12 AM	#8
HokieDNA01 WERA White Plate Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Moto: 2007 Suzuki GSX-r 750 Posts: 1,404	Just saw this.... http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-...-bid/8513.html __________________ XX>XY 2014 Honda NC700X 2007 Suzuki GSX-r 750 2000 Yamaha XT225 2004 Kawasaki EX250 (sold)

10-18-2009, 05:19 PM	#2
Rangerscott Viff6N Mutated Warrior Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Moto: '01 Honda VFR 800 & '09 ER-6N Posts: 8,704	Just read on a local forum that Buells are 50% off. If this has already been posted, well its been post again for your convenience.

10-18-2009, 11:57 PM	#3
pdog Refugee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Moto: Pimped 2005 SV650 Posts: 332	Probably the biggest issue with Buell for me personally was their terrible lineup. You had a 500cc crapcycle at the bottom end and then 900/1200cc monsters for everything else. How about a decent middleweight for the SV650 and Monster market?