Rant - Buell Is No More

    • 2 posts
    October 15, 2009 9:03 AM PDT
    Just got the news HD has discontinued the Buell line

    Not going to bash HD - HD bashers are a bore - but sure the H*** ain't going to buy another new ANYTHING from HD.

    The Ulysses convinced me that I wanted a new scooter instead of trying to find a restored "Air Head"
    • 5418 posts
    October 15, 2009 9:29 AM PDT
    Yep, even the best of companies are suffering in this economy! Don't think I would go as far as to say I will never buy anything from Harley again, just because they made a tough business decision to ensure the survival of their core business. But I agree it is a shame anytime more Americans lose their jobs through no fault of their own.

    Here is the complete story as reported by the New York Times and the Harley Davidson website...
    Harley Davidson Shuts Down the Buell Line (click for story)



    A message from Eric Buell



    • 190 posts
    October 15, 2009 10:29 AM PDT
    Thats ashame, maybie they can come back someday like indian?
    • 83 posts
    October 15, 2009 11:26 PM PDT
    That really sucks....
    For us as consumers the more competition out there the better!
    • Moderator
    • 19007 posts
    October 15, 2009 11:58 PM PDT
    That is tough.
    Corporate decision makers mostly look at the bottom line and quite often do not consider the fallout beyond the financial. But in their defense Harley's side of the story should be heard before damning them.
    • 83 posts
    October 15, 2009 11:59 PM PDT
    No damning should be done....the bottom line is that only the strong will survive these trying times....
  • g
    October 16, 2009 6:29 AM PDT
    AYE,ITS NOT GOOD TO SEE THIS ,I KNOW A FEW FOLKS OVER HEAR IN SCOTLAND THAT RIDE A BUELL ,ME MA SEll IM NO TO KEEN ON THEM ,BUT ITS A SHAME ANYHOW .
    • 1161 posts
    January 16, 2010 10:05 AM PST
    it's to bad, i was looking at a buell blast for my first bike may just stick with H-D sportster now. Untill i can build my own anyways.
    • 2 posts
    January 17, 2010 5:03 AM PST
    I was thinking about a "Blast" for my last scooter. First scoot I hopped on was a GoldStar. About my funest one was a Lightning - I like one lungers & thought there would be something symmetric in finishing up on one
    Seriously, there are a lot of bargain Blasts out there & the Buell community is real supportive. - Check out this site

    http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=topics />
    When the Ulysses gets too much for me now I guess I will strike for something w/ a side car.
    • 2 posts
    January 19, 2010 2:20 AM PST
    A fitting memorial to the demise of Buell - From France of all places - If "g" will just bring the battle pipes

    http://moto.caradisiac.com/Moto-Sexy-Hommage-a-Buell-la-marque-americaine-purement-sexy-644/diaporama?iddoc=50062
    • 2 posts
    February 2, 2010 8:57 AM PST
    Sorry, just have to take one more shot @ HD - I'll get over it & be back to lusting for their crap soon enough

    "We at Harley Davidson are very confident that with the money we have saved by discontinuing the Buell motorcycle line, we will be able to get back in touch with our core customers. With that we would like to introduce the all new Harley Davidson FXLZB(Lay-Z-Boy) with optional forward control ottoman! We are sure that with this new addition to the HD line we will please our core riders as well as tap into the younger 60 year old market that we desperately need as customers."

    (this is just so copied)

  • February 5, 2010 12:18 AM PST
      That's a cool pic I haven't seen yet. This newest thing loosing Buell reminds me of when I was a youngin. In my teen years I helped a couple mentors here wrench and pit at the Daytona 200 with their KR750's, those were the days. Harley at it's best with the core members and fans cheering to the sound of dozens screaming by at full throttle   dragging knee's.

      I saw Cal Rayburn win the 200 two years in a row handlebar to handlebar swapping the lead with Gary Nixon, Rodger Reiman, Don Emde, Dick Mann and history's legendary riders that got Harley Davidson where it was since it's birth, generations of racers and fans.

      They won twice more races than any other bike maker until 1970 the year Dick Mann agreed to drive the first Honda, it was lightning fast and had a tremendous lead over the rest of the field, near the end it had problems and barely finished the race but it won. Harley Davidson after generations of dominating world road racing decided the United States of America could no longer compete, America can't keep up, we ain't good enough and pulled the plug on racing just like they did to Eric Buell, Deja Vu forty years later..............another generation lost and abandoned.

    • 2 posts
    February 5, 2010 9:22 AM PST
    Never was a fan of knee-slider racing but it is a terrific proving ground for new technology (check out what VICTORY is up to) & the situation is worse than you noted, HD is backing out of dirt track & hill climbing.
    I like HD & big 'V'-Twins but when that is all that there is out there it gets BORING pretty quick.
    Would really like to see HD develop a one lunger for the Riders Edge Course. Lop one cylinder off of their 1200, put the Sportster on Jenny Craig & make a beginners cycle. - Would make a lot more sense than the 883
  • February 6, 2010 12:29 AM PST
    I never understood why Harley treated the Buell like an ugly stepson from the beginning. How does it look to potential buyers when the manufacturer doesn't even sell their own bikes in their stores?
  • February 7, 2010 6:46 AM PST
    I'd love to see Victory pick up the man.Would love to see him come up with a bike like the Buell for Vic.Unfortunately,the motor co. kept him in their loop,so he can't jump to another bike manufacturer.Smart move on HD's part!
    • 2 posts
    February 15, 2010 2:26 AM PST

    Still doing things other than the things I should be doing  -

    Buell returns to his racing roots

    • 2 posts
    April 9, 2010 2:16 PM PDT
    Hitler rants over Buell closure  (language warning but funny)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBgc-LlIcLM