EXUP Worldwide

Looks like HD showed its true colours. Lets dump a brand that has life to make more varients on 3 bikes.

www.buell.com

F*cking Great...... more news that I DO NOT NEEED right now!!!!!! (damnit)





A sad day in motorcycling news for sure!!!

More press releases on the topic...

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company announced today that it was shutting down the Buell product line to further focus on the Harley-Davidson brand. In doing so they issued a press release that thanked Buell customers, its employees and dealers. In addition, Harley says it will "divest its MV Agusta unit as part of this strategy."

"As our announcement regarding Buell and MV Agusta indicates, we are moving with the speed and decisiveness required to bring our business strategy to life," said Wandell. "The fact is we must focus both our effort and our investment on the Harley-Davidson brand, as we believe this provides an optimal path to sustained, meaningful, long-term growth."

Harley-Davidson will now begin actively looking for a buyer for MV Agusta to continue along the development of the brand as an outstanding manufacturer of premium, Italian performance motorcycles
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Ducati North America's CEO Michael Lock gave his views on Harley-Davidson's bombshell decision to shut down the Buell Motor Company and sell MV Agusta.

"Honestly, I'm pretty sad to see Buell fold."

Lock said he found the news that Harley would sell MV much more profound than the closing of Buell.

"They made the decision to sell MV within a year of buying it. I feel this is much more significant than them shutting down Buell. MV was to be their great, white shining hope in Europe, the future of Harley and a way to entice sport bike riders in Europe into Harley dealers and so on."

"To put it on the market within a year of buying it (MV) ... it beggars belief really,"
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Harley has also just announced a further worldwide drop in sales of 21 per cent and an 84 per cent decline in income compared to a year ago

Uff! That's a pants decision, that is.

That's a shame, I actually quite like the push rod Buells as they are great fun to ride in a left feild bizzare sort of way, but boy did they miss the mark with the new one IMHO.

that was a dumb dumb, DUMB thing of HD to do.

I'd bet me left one that the closest most anyone from this forum would get to an HD would have been through the form of a Buell.

So they axe buell but continue to grow their line of useless bikes, how many different renditions can there be with a choice of three engines, or is it four? Bloody ridiculous.

Shows the HD folk are either incredibly desperate, or have no
imagination at all, and no commitment to the future of their brand
either way.

Seriously, where is HD going to be in 10 years? Their existing
customers will have gotten older and more frail and less likely to buy.
Their competition is already, and increasingly, stronger, cleaner,
better, and better value for money.
The rest of the bike buyers will be on a bike of a different style,
becoming more affluent and free-to-ride instead of less.

HD is suddenly going the way of Indian, who died through
failure to innovate, aka "we're on a good thing, let's flog it
until 5 years after it's dead and we've run out of money."

And there I was, thinking "HD have Buell to be different and American,
and MV to be sporty and exotic but also patriotic... they've finally
got themselves a setup for the future". Shows what I know...

I'd bet me left one that the closest most anyone from this forum would get to an HD would have been through the form of a Buell.

I'm afraid Sickle my good man, you will now be known from this day on as 'one hung low' - I had a 1984 XLX61 Sportster

Looks like Harley is going the way of General Motors...

I had to ride an FXSTC last week for work (softail custom that is).

Oh well... Hahahahaaaaaa. The suits who like to play at being bikies are where the $$$ are. At least MV will get to go on. I never understood why they tried to make a sports bike out of one of those engines (buell). Quite fitting they made them look so god damn ugly.

Easy spook. Erik could get Sportster engines alot easier than Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawi or even Ducati. They are simple motors than took well to minor mods for his needs. He took a 45hp sportster motor and upped to to 80ish and ALOT of tourque.

BTW HD didnt start Buell. They aquired Buell in 2003. Buell has been around since 1984. Also I'm about 40 min from the Buell plant. This is more bad news for this area. Factories are closing left and right here.

I think theres a protest ride tomorrow from Buell to HD one website is starting up.

But just heard Yamaha is exploring buying Buell from HD.

Was just taking the piss Rob. I'm aware of the Buell's history and the quirky innovative nature of Eric Buell himself. I'm surprised he isn't buying it back? I'm sure it will live on.

However.... 80 hp and and 6500 rpm... not my cup of tea

I know spook.

80hp @ 6500 makes a great city bike and tight twistie toy. Took a friends XB9R racebike around our local track and it was a hell of a lot of fun in the back technical sections. Isnt the fastest thing straight line.

HD seem to be going the same way as the British bike industry of the 60's & 70's.

They seemed to have buried their heads and hoped the competition would simply disappear...lack of forward thinking will be their downfall IMHO