Buell will be back? County officials throwing axed HD brand a life line
Could Buell be saved from the brink of disaster by officials from Walworth County in Wisconsin? It seems awfully unlikely, but stranger things have happened, right? Apparently, the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance sent a letter last Friday to Erik Buell in an attempt to put together a business plan for Buell to continue manufacturing motorcycles.
Should Erik Buell be interested in Walworth's proposal, the group will reportedly begin seeking potential investors. For its part, Harley's director of corporate communications said the motorcycle manufacturer is "discontinuing the Buell product line rather than selling the business because of how deeply integrated Buell is into our business systems and distribution network."
Indeed, every Buell made uses running gear from parent company Harley-Davidson, and the offbeat sportbikes are only available in select Harley dealerships. It would be awfully difficult to extract the Buell operation at this point, let alone securing funding for the venture. That said, automakers have sold intricately entwined brands before using agreements that ensure parts are produced by the original owner until the new owner can source its own. In any case, we'll keep our eyes and ears open for more.
[Source: JSOnline.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Allen 2:03PM (10/20/2009)
One word solution to the engine problem: Rotax
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Redline 4:54PM (10/20/2009)
Agree 100% They need to dump those crappy Harley motors. The 1125 already has the Rotax mill.
cjr006 11:33AM (10/29/2009)
EXACTLY!!! i have heard rumors of somebody picking up the buell line... total respect for the thunderstorm motors but thats old technology... i say aprilia should look into picking something up since they already have there technology in with the 1125 series with the new slipper clutch and such. buells from europe sounds like a great idea to me
Level 2:12PM (10/20/2009)
I really don't see why they are shutting down Buell..If they do use the exact same parts as HD then why not just keep the brand alive and just build them in low low numbers or at least made to order??It's not like the dealerships where they are sold are gonna be shut down and the staff to fix those bikes are the same with HD bikes... Bike components are a lot easier to manage...
I think H-D is gonna start producing their own versions of Buell but branded HD instead and be sporty like Victory bikes and the new comers on the scene...
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Tourian 6:36PM (10/20/2009)
Because it costs money to market, advertise, distribute and otherwise carry the name. They can save money and put it towards more HDs.
Agent55 2:21PM (10/20/2009)
Let them fade away people. Hopefully a proper US sportbike will come along someday... Buell is not it and has never been anything but a slightly odd and inferior competitor to at least half a dozen japanese and european manufacturers. So many bad choices, the latest being the styling of their take-on-the world 1125R. Any sportbike fan knows, right or wrong, that sex sells in that niche of street motorcycles. The 1125R looks like a bloated sea cow compared to plethora of attractive-looking sportbikes from around the globe.
Don't get me wrong, I put functional tech before aesthetics when pure performance is considered, but your average street rider does not. It's got to look hot, and Buell's first major open-class competitor is the worst looker. Erik probably demanded that his "wind-tunnel proven" fairing design adorn the crown jewel of the Buell line-up. Instead of building something that could draw in new buyers who rode an italian twin or japanese 4, they alienated nearly the entire sportbike crowed with one of the worst aesthetic designs alongside a few older bimmers and the odd Bimota or two. My opinion
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la 2:23PM (10/20/2009)
because they are horrible motorcycles, with very little appeal or market. Just look at the values once they are on the used market. They also do not compete well in the markets they try.
Buell has been a losing proposition from day one, and will continue to be. It was just a way for harley to offload excess parts from their manufacturing operations. (to be able to run their parts and engine production lines at full capacity to get some economy of scale. Now that they are selling and building such a reduced amount of motorcycles, buell suddenly comes at a great cost.
Having owned one, they are horrible to ride, horrible to service, and ugly. The economic council in that county would be far better off luring a company that makes wanted and profitable products to town, to take over the factories and workers.
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TB 9:50AM (10/21/2009)
Hmmm...
Why would you buy an ugly bike? Were you blindfolded during the purchase? Personally, I believe it is the sexiest bike on the planet. My wife and all her female friends agree and that is even more important than what I think. As for horrible to ride, I have had many bikes in my 40+ years of racing and touring. My XB12R is hands down the most fun. Horrible to service? No chain to oil, no valves to adjust, no radiator to drain, no leaks. The only thing I have ever done is change the oil.
I suspect your distaste for Buell motorcycles is emotional. My love for them certainly is.
TB
msheltra 10:13PM (10/21/2009)
I just can't agree with this. I had two Honda "sexy" bikes and then tried a Buell. I sold one of the Hondas with the other to follow now and am after a second Buell. Perhaps sexy is in the eye... right? Just curious-anybody hit on your wife yet? lol Just joking. I do like the handling of my Buell better-truly. And, if a dollar goes to an American company who is trying...I'll do that too even if the Jap bike was a smidge better. In this case the Buell was better-double score.
Sofa King Fast! 2:40PM (10/20/2009)
My impression from the press release was that Harley was going to scavenge anything of worth from Buell and re-brand it as harley.
The unsuccessful models will be given the old yeller treatment.
Harley doesn't seem to have much interest in keeping the company alive - and they own in - so there probably isn't much reason to attempt to bring back the company.
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Sean 2:52PM (10/20/2009)
La,
Perhaps you are unaware of the obvious contradictions in your post. I'm dumbfounded as to why you would buy a bike that you felt was ugly. I know that I speak for a vast amount of people when I speak to Erik Buell's inovative and cutting-edge designs. You probably traded it in for a bike from Japan, a bike that does not roar to life or hold a candle to the soul of a Buell. I'm trying to understand your yearning for a cookie-cutter, whiny, boring motorcycle; but I suppose you, like me, are entitled to your own opinion.
I have put 30,000 miles on my xb-12ss and have done nothing to it but put on tires and change the oil; I suppose that that qualifies as being "horrible to service".
I love my "ugly" bike.
RIP Buell.
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Redline 5:02PM (10/20/2009)
I will never buy one, but I hear you man. It's a shame the company has to die.
Allen 2:59PM (10/20/2009)
I’d like to see Victory build some form of sport bike. They could do one of two things with the engine:
1. Build a 1000cc Inline-4. Design the architecture so that the same basic design can be used in a Polaris snowmobile.
2. Build a 1000cc V-Twin. Design the architecture so that the same basic design can be used in an entry level Victory cruiser.
The chassis should be pretty flexible so it can accommodate three different models, a super sport, a naked, and a sport tourer.
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jim 3:27PM (10/20/2009)
Simple reason for the demise of Buell, why it won't be resurrected and why Victory won't jump in to fill the niche. The market in the US and Europe, simply won't support additional manufacturers and models. If you haven't noticed bike sales have plunged and the economy isn't the only reason. Of greater long term significance is that the average rider continues to age and the sport is not attracting enough 20 & 30 year olds.
All you Gen X, Y and Millennial riders, convince at least one of your non-riding friends to start riding.
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BoxerFanatic 3:41PM (10/20/2009)
Maybe Michael Czysz and Erik Buell could get together and actually bring innovative motorcycling to the market, from the US.
Buell has the knowledge of how supply chains, and production manufacturing, and the motorcycle production industry works, and has some decent ideas, technically. Now he is un-saddled with ancient HD hardware.
The MotoCzysz C1 is a very innovative bike, and a sleek, interesting premise for the race track.
Maybe together, they could build some truly innovative american sport bikes for the street, to finance the ability to put them on the grid, as well.
Something... But I don't think Buell Motorcycles, in it's Harley-intertwined state is what needs revival. Erik Buell needs a new corporate vehicle.
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Motorcycle Mama 4:36PM (10/20/2009)
Buell Motorcycles ride great on the road or track. Since they are of a self-indulgent design, I say they have no competition. They should hold some Buell Races with Buel only bikes and leave it to the riders to see who wins. Nicky Haden WHO?
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philross001 7:33PM (10/20/2009)
Even if Buell made thoroughly desirable motorcycles, they still wouldn't have sold worth crap. Perhaps the saddest chapter in Buell's history was the thorough bungling of the sales channel. The bikes were relegated to the back corner of the occasional H-D dealership, represented by "buyer assistants" with zero product knowledge. It didn't help that the commission stucture for Buells, vs. H-D, was totally different, and the ingrained habit of selling at MSRP+ made the process of buying one quite difficult. Inexplicably, the bikes were never accepted by the Faithful, who viewed them as essentially the same as rice rockets. Too many hurdles for even a competent bike, which it eventually was, to overcome.
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chris m 7:34PM (10/20/2009)
hello to all.
this is interesting news indeed. when i first heard that buell was going to be shut down, i felt that mr. buell should try to get a group of investors to buy out harley-davidson. and buy mv agusta as well.
ever since harley has had 49 percent of buell and increased their share to 99 percent, that has been a major problem for erik buell. yes, he is a brilliant engineer. but he got caught up in harley's myopic vision.
if i were erik buell, i would let the county do its search for investors to buy harley out. this may be a good thing for everyone involved. especially erik buell.
boxer fanatic, i agree with your post in general. however i would like to see if walworth county in se wisconsin can be the liason to free up buell. if aston martin, land rover and jaguar can be freed from ford, why not buell be free from harley-davidson?
walworth county, i live next door in racine county. and i wish you godspeed in this endeavor.
with warm regards,
vrmchris
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RLQ 9:22PM (10/20/2009)
Rumors are going about Yamaha being interested in Buell.
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nytelecom 9:24PM (10/20/2009)
since they owned MV Agusta, why wasn't the MV's mill put into the Buell chassis? that bike might sell - i would certainly look at it.
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