:app:

It's great to see that Erik is keeping the Buell flag flying - we'll follow his progress with interest.

October 17, 2009

With Heavy Heart
It goes without saying that the news we got 2 days ago was absolutely devastating . . . not only for fellow Buell fans, but for anyone who has longed over the past 40 years for an American motorcycle that could compete with the best in the world.

Starting a motorcycle company from nothing is one of the most difficult things imaginable. Think about all the motorcycle companies you know and then think about how many of them started in a garage 20 some years ago. Triumph is one of the few success stories in recent years, but even they had a recognizable name on which to build.

When I first heard of Buell in the mid-eighties, I was excited. I wasn't a fan of cruisers and, in a time when it seemed the Japanese were taking over the world, I wanted an American bike that could ride through the twisties with the confidence of the better Japanese bikes.

The early models clearly didn't match the best of Japan, but they were a step in the right direction. Suddenly, there was an American brand that valued performance over style.

With the introduction of the XB's, Buell took a huge leap. They still didn't have the power to compete with the top bikes in spec. sheet wars or top level racing, but for those of us who really enjoyed the feel of a RESPONSIVE bike they did everything well. The torquey engine pulled from any RPM and the handling was amazing (crowned by one British publication as The Best Handling Bike EVER ). The XB's also brought Buell's quality (an issue with early models) up to commendable levels for such a small manufacturer.

Even as the XB's were delighting those who could appreciate their unique charms, I was hoping for the next and final step - an engine that could bring Buell up to that level of the best in the world.

The 1125R got us just about there. Out of the box, it had all the raw elements of the undisputed king - Ducati . . . but it hadn't been refined to nearly the level of Ducati, so it still fell many, MANY track and R & D hours short of the standard.

Behind the scenes, work was being done in Canadian Superbike and the AMA to close that gap and the result of that work was the 1125RR. A bike that was so good that it was able to run - at NJ Motorsports Park in the hands of a couple young, talented, but relatively inexperienced riders - with the best bikes and some of the best riders in the world. An absolutely amazing feat.

BUELL HAD ARRIVED!!! It was just a matter now of further development and putting some headlights on it and Buell finally had a bike that was right up there with the rest.

. . . and then this . . .

If Harley had pulled the plug 1 year ago, 3 years ago . . . 10 years ago, I could have lived with it, but why did they have to let us get SO CLOSE first?

From a practical point of view, it was a "perfect storm". Harley had already seen their business dropping (here's Harley revenue over the past few years):

2006 - 4,553,561,000
2007 - 4,446,637,000
2008 - 4,278,241,000

. . . and when the economy went to hell, and the last thing anyone is going to buy in such shaky economic times was an expensive toy like a motorcycle.

I understand Harley's business decision and their perceived need to re-focus. I can't blame them for doing what they felt was in the best interest of the company, but I hope it doesn't end here.

Someone, somewhere HAS to make the 1125RR. The current speculation seems to be that Harley doesn't want anyone else to have the rights but also won't do it themselves. If Harley really wants people to believe they're not just a soul-less corporation, and if they really want us to believe they give a damn about America, they need to allow someone to make this bike.

But I'm powerless at the moment to do anything but sit back and hope.

Just for reference and those curious (and any companies considering purchasing Buell) here is what Buell's revenue has done over the past several years:

2000 - 58,053,000
2001 - 61,672,000
2002 - 66,949,000
2003 - 76,064,000
2004 - 79,029,000
2005 - 93,069,000
2006 - 102,227,000
2007 - 100,534,000
2008 - 123,086,000

They were making the slow, steady clime from tiny manufacturer to small manufacturer. Their bikes were getting better every year and they were making leaps while the rest of the motorcycling world was taking baby steps. They were growing while Harley was shrinking.

Erik Buell is one of the great, inspirational figures in a world sadly lacking in such figures and no-matter where things go from here, he will have my lasting respect and admiration.

He deserves more than this and I sincerely hope there is more going on behind the scenes than we currently know.
10:27 am edt Comments


October 11, 2009

Erik Buell Racing?


I'm not affiliated with Buell, and, frankly, I don't even know if there is such a thing as: "Erik Buell Racing".

All I know is that, as a long time fan of motorcycles and motorcycle racing and as someone who always wanted a light-weight, high-performance American motorcycle that could run with the best, fastest bikes in the world, I was THRILLED when I saw Cory West would be riding an 1125RR for Erik Buell Racing in NJ.

. . . and seeing him ride the wheels off it only strengthened my interest.





( Cory West on the tail of Ben Bostrom
at NJMP . . . so fast, he's just a blur )




I haven't been able to find out any more about what the team really is or if they will be racing in 2010, and the curiosity has been getting the better of me.

On a whim, I looked to see if the web-site had been registered. When I found that it hadn't, my first thought was there probably isn't any real "Erik Buell Racing" and they just used that as a place-holder for their registration and testing. . . . my second thought was that they may at least be thinking about it, but hadn't thought to register the web-site. As I thought more about that, I was afraid that, if I didn't grab it, someone who might want to make a quick buck might grab it out from under them . . . or, worse, someone who spends most of their time in their mother's basement pounding out ham-fisted diatribes against Buell might use it for a twisted crusade.


If Buell ever decides they want the site, I'll gladly hand it over. Until then, I thought I'd have a little fun.

Gary





4:24 pm edt Comments



2009.10.01


This site The Web


Powered by Register.com

WSB here we come