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Posted on 10/15/2009 7:10:44 AM PDT by Betis70
EAST TROY, Wis. -- (Thursday, October 15, 2009) Buell Motorcycle Company officials thanked the company’s customers, employees and dealers for an unforgettable ride, following today’s announcement by Harley-Davidson, Inc. that it will discontinue the Buell® product line as part of Harley-Davidson’s go-forward business strategy. The new long-term strategy aims to drive Company growth through a focus of efforts and resources on the Harley-Davidson® brand.
“I want to personally thank all our past and present Buell employees, dealers and suppliers for their efforts. I also want to thank Buell motorcycle owners for their support and passion for the brand,” said Buell Motorcycle Company President Jon Flickinger.
Flickinger said a limited number of new Buell motorcycles remain available for sale through authorized dealerships and production will wind down by October 30. He also stressed that Harley-Davidson will provide replacement parts and service through dealerships and that warranty coverage will continue as normal for Buell motorcycles.
“I will always be proud of what we have accomplished. It is a testimony to what a small group of passionate and inspired people can do, and with brilliant innovations, we’ve produced some of the best-handling bikes of all time,” said Buell Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. “I personally look forward to exploring how I can continue to work with Harley-Davidson to bring advanced product technology to riders.
“I have also had the great fortune to meet and get to know many Buell riders over the years, and they are an amazing and interesting group of free thinkers,” Buell said. “May you ride with pride into the future. And may your roads ahead be as adventuresome and rewarding as mine have been for the last 26 years.”
A wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc. since 1998, Buell Motorcycle Company was founded in 1983 by Erik Buell and produced more than 135,000 motorcycles. Over the past 26 years, Buell motorcycles won numerous design accolades and awards, and countless races and championships around the world, including the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike championship in 2009.
Buell is dead, long live Buell! ping
How sad, great bikes.
Thanks ozero and your party/media.
More Americans out of work.
I owned one for a year. 2008 model Ulysses.
A blast to ride, handled like a dream. As for reliability,
well... the drive belt parted at 1700 miles, the injection
control unit died at 7000 miles. Traded it for a 2001 Road
King Police and never looked back.
Crap. I was planning to buy a Buell (not new). Now either the prices will go through the roof because of the rarity, or collapse because of a lack of parts support. The bikes have enough uncommon parts like the brake pads and drive belts that it may not be cost-effective to keep supporting them for long.
I’ve always liked the way the CityX looked, but could never see one in person. The dealers never had any.
Saw one this past weekend, might have to take a closer look.
I bought a used Blast when I cam back to riding after two decade off and it was a great little bike. Sorry to see them go.
So what will the motor company do to pull riders under 50 into their show rooms?
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If I ever buy another old sportbike, I’ll be looking for two cylinders, fuel injection, and other-than-chain final drive. Buell was high on the list.
Have you looked at the new Sportster? The one with inverted forks, fuel injection, and six-piston front discs? Other than the Harley “look”, it’s very much a high-performance machine.
Thanks to all those people who said they would buy an American sportbike if one was even produced. Naturally every one of these frauds and liars continued to worship at the Altar of Japan. Thanks also to all those HD dealers and sales people who refused to stock or try to sell Buells.
All those years when the HD dealers were gouging customers and the HD union employees were working all that over time and laughing at the public.... how does that shoe fit now? KMA, all of you. How’s that unemployment line?
Gone the way of the Indian.
I went from the Blast to a series of Hondas -- a 750 cruiser, a VTX-1800 and finally a Goldwing. Sadly, the Goldwing production line is moving from the USA to Japan.
I always got a kick out of Harley sound on a sport bike.
All those years when the HD dealers were gouging customers.
Are you a conservative who believes in the free market or what? When dealerships were able to get over MSRP for Harleys during the nineties up until about 2003, it was because of supply and demand. Now we have the opposite situation also because of supply/demand. This is the free market, no? As far as the union, they can go to hell. The same union that HD has to deal with tried to unionize our shop awhile back. We beat them, but boy, what a bunch of scum bags the union thugs are. The employees who tried to get the union in are all out of jobs now.
Problem is that they also run about $12K or more and still have a tiny little fuel tank.
I owned a Buell S2 for a while, great bike, but still chained to that Harley engine that does not have the power or sophistication to run with the rest of the world. By the time Buell started using the Rotax engines it was likely already too late, and still they were $12K for the bikes that are competing for buyers at the $10K mark.
The Lightning was decent at 104HP, and being such a small machine rode well. Not a hypersport, by any means, but more performance than 99% can use off the track. I’m going to have to re-evaluate my purchase plans now, and start re-considering a rice bike (not enough dosh for a KTM, BMW, or Ducati, and not enough patience for a Guzzi; I’m also leery of Triumph because of the loooong history of substandard electricals that Lucas is known for).
“The new long-term strategy aims to drive Company growth through a focus of efforts and resources on the Harley-Davidson® brand.”
In other words, more “lifestyle™” accessories. All the HD riders can dress the same in the correct Harley-Davidson™ clothing while claiming to be rugged indidualists as they thunder from saloon to Starbucks. No wonder HD is dropping Buell. How can you be a rugged individualist when you’re riding the same bike as nobody else?
“I will always be proud of what we have accomplished”
Um... apparently you failed.
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