[downinflames68]

http://www.buell.com/en_us/


This blows. I know a lot of talented designers/engineers who work(ed) there. I'm doing quite a bit of work for HD at the moment, and news like this just really shows the talking heads that NO, the economy is not better. **** still sucks.

[ctt1wbw]

Wow. Just wow.

[olePigeon]

Hopefully they'll be purchased by another reputable company and be able to continue under the same name.

[Laminar]

Oh, like the technological marvel that was the Blast?

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Oh, like the technological marvel that was the Blast?

It actually was a technological marvel. It debuted almost a decade ago, and quite a few innovative features for an entry level bike. Belt drive, some crazy scratch resistant plastic for the bodywork, that was molded IN color so if it did scratch it wouldn't look horrible.

I know a LOT of people who's first bike was a buell blast, all over the country. It's a FANTASTIC 'starter' bike.

So...

1. You don't know what you're talking about, like usual

[ort888]

Oops

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

It actually was a technological marvel. It debuted almost a decade ago, and quite a few innovative features for an entry level bike. Belt drive, some crazy scratch resistant plastic for the bodywork, that was molded IN color so if it did scratch it wouldn't look horrible.

I know a LOT of people who's first bike was a buell blast, all over the country. It's a FANTASTIC 'starter' bike.

Yeah, renowned for its reliability.

[PB2K]

all i remember Buell bikes of is that they were single seaters

It's not comparable to Ducati

[imitchellg5]

My father is pretty bummed, he has a 2008 Ulysses XB1200. It's a great bike, way fun and goes anywhere.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

So why?

[Laminar]

Harley's hurting.

[Phileas]

Buell and HD was never a perfect marriage. Totally different kind of rider. Still, very sad.

[KeyLimePi]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Hopefully they'll be purchased by another reputable company and be able to continue under the same name.

Nope. H-D's not selling Buell...it is discontinuing it altogether.

[turtle777]

I wonder why they wouldn't let someone buy it out.

Trying to eliminate / minimize competition ?

-t

[Phileas]

Nobody's buying the bikes. I talked to a HD a couple of weeks ago, she told me that one of the major problem Buell faced was that insurance for a 10k bike could be up to 5k a year for riders under 35 years of age. And most people older than that would find the bikes too uncomfortable.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

I wonder why they wouldn't let someone buy it out.

Trying to eliminate / minimize competition ?

-t

As Phileas said, it's a totally different kind of rider than the typical HD rider.

I never thought Buells made any sense - all of the uncomfortableness of a sport bike with all of the poor characteristics of a Harley V-Twin Quick! Somebody post a picture of a biker gang that would beat me up for saying that, and try to use it as proof that I'm wrong!

[Rev-O]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

As Phileas said, it's a totally different kind of rider than the typical HD rider.

I never thought Buells made any sense - all of the uncomfortableness of a sport bike with all of the poor characteristics of a Harley V-Twin Quick! Somebody post a picture of a biker gang that would beat me up for saying that, and try to use it as proof that I'm wrong!

Add to that styling that few were enamored with. Buell produced their best bikes when they were using HDs heavy and underperforming mills which were woefully inadequate for a sportbike... but a least they were something unique. When Buell jumped to a Rotax mill and wrapped in a polished turd of a wrapper they needed to compete on a level with all the other sport bike manufacturers, and the Buell 1125cc twin was not up to snuff against Ducati's or KTM's 1100cc twin offerings and certainly not comparable to one of the big 4's liter bikes. Was it a good bike? All indications are yes, but did it stack up against the perceived competition? Not so much.


All that being said, I don't think that Buell building niche bikes is what killed them. The marriage to HD was doomed to failure from the beginning, as the HD dealer network was notoriously indifferent to Buells. HD had little interest in filling the Buell coffers to where Buell could build a bike that would stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys. Then when Buell didn't make a ton of money building niche bikes HD pulled the plug. Don't support it, then get upset when it doesn't sell. Brilliant. Doomed, I say. Doomed.

For me, tho, sad indeed that Buell is gone. I always had hopes that they would make a ride that interested me. Never did, and maybe now they never will.

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Nobody's buying the bikes. I talked to a HD a couple of weeks ago, she told me that one of the major problem Buell faced was that insurance for a 10k bike could be up to 5k a year for riders under 35 years of age. And most people older than that would find the bikes too uncomfortable.

Not so much. I've been riding liter bikes for many years and never paid more than $1200 annually for insurance and that includes my early 30's and late 20's. Granted insurance rates have gone up, but $5k for a liter bike is for someone who is considered high risk or someone who didn't shop insurance companies. The majority of liter bike sales are to folks under 40, and the insurance rates are fairly close for a 1000cc GSX-R and an 1125cc Buell. People find sport bikes plenty appealing, they just didn't find the Buell especially scintillating. See above for better reasons why Buell failed.

[Peter]

Sucks. Gut wrenching video too. I really loved their recent advertising campaign "we own the patents, you own the corners"