harley davidson - Jalopnik

posts about #harleydavidson more →
Harley Doesn't Calculate Savings Of Killing Buell
Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
CEO Says “Fundamentals Of Harley-Davidson Strong” As Earnings Drop 91%
Arlen Ness Bike #6 Found In Oakland Garage, Gold Leaf Still Looks Great
International Lonestar Harley-Davidson Special Edition: A Truck For Real Men
2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150: Who's The BOSS?
Harley-Davidson Says MPG Doesn't Matter To The True Rider
Crosley-Davidson Has A Harley V-Twin

You Already Bought The Bike: The Legend of Hoot's Panhead

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

JawzX2: Hoon The Earth @ www.cafepress.com/jawzx2
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
wait, what? wha... fu...cu...bu..shi...da...mah...

hot good (G)od damn!!

Buell was my last great hope for owning a New American Motorcycle...

I'm speechless. just fucking speechless.

/me sits in stunned silence. #buell
Reply

Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet promoted this comment

Botswana Meat Commission FC
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
This is terrible news. Not just because it kept H-D from completely caving to its Halloween Pirate Costume impulses, but what other company could Buell possibly fit into?

Japan Inc. doesn't do nichey, handmade, air-cooled, twin-engined bikes with odd brakes.

Ducati, BMW and Triumph already have bikes that compete for Buell's customers.

Maybe Polaris/Victory will see an opportunity here. #buell
Reply

bzr
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
Oh ok, I suppose that makes sense. After all, Harley's gotta make more room for "distressed" paint jobs on Dyna Glide CVO Fat Bob Customs.

And trikes. Hey, want a race-winning 1125CR? Uh, we don't make those anymore. But we've got this sweet Tri-Glide Ultra Classic for you instead! Gotta impress those dental clients somehow.
Reply

Edited by bzr at 10/15/09 2:09 PM bzr was starred bzr was unstarred

smalleyxb122
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
It's a shame. They were finally building bikes that weren't plagued with reliability issues. They had culled the Blast! from the lineup just recently (and the ads announcing it were quite amusing), and they had just added a liquid cooled engine to a couple of models. It seems odd to cut the brand, since it didn't compete with the H-D parent's offerings, and they had the market (what little there was) cornered for American sportbikes. They could have slowed production down to match the market demand, and they should have been able to keep the division profitable.

It's not really any skin off my back, since I'm still patiently waiting for the new owners of Norton to ramp up production on the new Commando. It would have been cooler if Kenny Dreer had made it work, and we had an American Norton, but as long as the bike doesn't change much from Dreer's design (which from the website looks like they won't be changing anything), I'll buy the British one. #buell
Reply

smalleyxb122 was starred smalleyxb122 was unstarred

Wes Siler
10/15/09

@smalleyxb122: waiting for Norton to ramp up production is going to be an awfully long wait. #buell
Reply

Wes Siler was starred Wes Siler was unstarred

smalleyxb122
10/15/09

@Wes Siler: I've got time. The longer, the better within reason, since what I don't have is money. #buell
Reply

smalleyxb122 was starred smalleyxb122 was unstarred

mr_dude
10/15/09

@smalleyxb122: So get a used Triumph? Their classic styles are so pretty, even without the street cred of a Norton. #buell
Reply

smalleyxb122 promoted this comment mr_dude was starred mr_dude was unstarred

smalleyxb122
10/15/09

@mr_dude: I've owned a couple of Triumphs (Daytonas, '97 and a '98), and if the Norton thing doesn't come to fruition by the time I have the money, I'll probably be buying a Thruxton, although I'd consider a used Thunderbird Sport, or Trident (both discontinued). #buell
Reply

smalleyxb122 was starred smalleyxb122 was unstarred

mr_dude
10/15/09

@smalleyxb122: I hope you'll share the bike pr0n with us, and evidence that you've done a ton. #buell
Reply

mr_dude was starred mr_dude was unstarred

YankBoffin
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
That is sad and surprising news, particularly b/c I thought Buell was an independent company that purchased engines from H-D to put into awesome machines. I don't ride, but I've always admired the crazy innovation they had. #buell
Reply

YankBoffin was starred YankBoffin was unstarred

DoogieFullHouser
10/15/09

@YankBoffin: This really sucks. Of all the bikes I've owned its the only brand I fell in love with. Why not sell it off? Or let Erik buy HD's stake back?

Well, I'll always have turn 2 at the Jefferson Loop... #buell
Reply

YankBoffin promoted this comment DoogieFullHouser was starred DoogieFullHouser was unstarred

YankBoffin
10/15/09

@DoogieFullHouser: Beautiful picture. #buell
Reply

YankBoffin was starred YankBoffin was unstarred

DoogieFullHouser
10/16/09

@YankBoffin: What that picture doesn't show is that I lowsided it two laps later, d'oh! #buell
Reply

DoogieFullHouser was starred DoogieFullHouser was unstarred

weatherman
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
I never was a fan of their bikes - I always thought them overpriced, and they haven't really been keeping up with the times design-wise. But it's a sad thing when any American company goes out of business. I'm hoping all those folks who worked there land on their feet. #buell
Reply

weatherman was starred weatherman was unstarred

weatherman
10/15/09

@weatherman: I guess they all should have seen this coming though... #buell
Reply

weatherman was starred weatherman was unstarred

nataku8_e30
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
This is very sad. I always liked Buell, and thought they had some very interesting engineering. Using frame members as gas tanks and oil tanks to reduce weight and allow a shorter wheelbase, running the exhaust down very low to reduce the height of the center of mass. They had some innovative tech, but from what I understood (never owned or even rode one) the implementation just wasn't there, and their reliability was terrible. Oh well, I'd still like to own an XB9R sometime in my life. #buell
Reply

YankBoffin promoted this comment nataku8_e30 was starred nataku8_e30 was unstarred

Flathead Smith
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
Well, that sucks. I'm not much a Sport Bike guy, but I like the Buell products. #buell
Reply

Flathead Smith was starred Flathead Smith was unstarred

Tanshanomi
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
To have the rug pulled out from under your entire life's work must suck to a degree I can't quite comprehend. No wonder the guy seemed on the verge of tears. #buell
Reply

Tanshanomi was starred Tanshanomi was unstarred

oddseth
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
This is very sad for me as I have always found Buell to be innovative and quirky but in a good way. Goodbye, gasoline filled frame and oil filled suspension arm, goodbye to the Buell Blast, the best 'starter' bike on the planet. #buell
Reply

Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est promoted this comment oddseth was starred oddseth was unstarred

H. Mushman
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
I am crushed. The lightning was one of my all time favorite motorcycles.

Thank you Erik for all that is Buell. #buell
Reply

acarr260 promoted this comment H. Mushman was starred H. Mushman was unstarred

PowerTryp, Starless wonder.
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
WHAT!!!! This is the most boneheaded thing HD has done in quite a while, I really hope somebody picks up Buell and allows them to keep building the unique motorbikes that they do.

They are winning AMA and NHRA championships. They are starting to get noticed and thats a good thing. #buell
Reply

acarr260 promoted this comment

dmoon
10/15/09

In reply to Harley-Davidson Kills Buell Motorcycles
It'd be nice if they'd spin off/sell Buell. #buell
Reply

Cognitive Friction promoted this comment dmoon was starred dmoon was unstarred

Cognitive Friction
10/15/09

@dmoon: I also wonder why HD isn't selling off the Buell brand. It seems like a waste of whatever equity the brand had...Maybe Erick Buell's continued involvement would complicate things? If anyone has insight I would be interested to hear it.
Reply

Edited by Cognitive Friction at 10/15/09 12:38 PM Cognitive Friction was starred

ishigakisensei
07/18/09

In reply to CEO Says “Fundamentals Of Harley-Davidson Strong” As Earnings Drop 91%
Hoooooo Boy! I wonder if this place is infected with the Harley zombies? They don't like to hear the Truth and so they ban those on motorcycle magazine websites who told them that this would happen two years ago. This was obvious...incredibly obvious to real motorcycle enthusiasts.

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

Although some of the information is out of date, no one encapsulates Harley's problem like Chris T. Shields. But, the cult followers will continue to think that they're still cool, that deep down we're all just really jealous of their credit card toughness, and that they are better because they worship at the alter of pathetic quitters.

I feel like Jerry McGuire, "Help me help you Harley." Stop building crap and start building motorcycles again. Hire the Japanese to show you how if you have to. After all, you already buy Japanese carbs.
Reply

Wes Siler promoted this comment Edited by ishigakisensei at 07/18/09 12:31 AM ishigakisensei was starred ishigakisensei was unstarred

powermatic
07/17/09

In reply to CEO Says “Fundamentals Of Harley-Davidson Strong” As Earnings Drop 91%
They're the slowest bikes on the road, this side of Goldwings. And if those were my two choices, I'd be a Winger any day-at least they wave to you when you ride by.
Reply

pauljones promoted this comment powermatic was starred powermatic was unstarred

pauljones
07/17/09

@powermatic: Go race a V-Rod in your car and see how long it takes you to get your foot out of your mouth.
Reply

pauljones was starred pauljones was unstarred

powermatic
07/17/09

@pauljones: Well, I'm not sure what kind of car you think I own, but it's irrelevant- if I ever came upon a V-Rod that would 'race' (unlikely) while I'm on a motorcycle, my (yeah, I'll admit it) old-man sport bike (VFR-800) would kill it. And either of my BMWs (1100 RT, 1150 GS) would keep up-and leave it far behind in the twistys. And BTW, real 'Harley Guys' wouldn't be caught dead on a V-Rod. It's, as far as they're concerned, a woman's bike. Go figure.

But then, you'd know that if you rode a motorcycle to those Star Trek conventions- though I suppose all that nasty wind would blow your Princess Leia costume off.
Reply

powermatic was starred powermatic was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO Jalopnik

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment