they dont sell because the marketing was all wrong. when a biker goes into a hd shop to look at a sportbike, he's met with a sales crew with a bias. unless that shop is an active member in the racing community, you've got a great product that languishes.

you don't buy your sport car from a mower salesman. why would you buy a sportbike from an hd dealership??

the local sales guy told me that a lot of "bikers" took the 1125r out for test rides and came back with a case of the shakes.

its just a case of failed marketing.

 

I think they failed because they couldn't compete with all of the other sport bikes already on the market...Sure, they are cool, especially the older EVO powered ones, but they are a niche machine. They did not have the performance to convert sportbike riders over from their foreign machines.

In my experience, very few salesman of any kind of vehicle truly know the ins and outs machines that they are selling.

 

he might not have "pressure from Harley to sell numbers" but buell will have pressure from himself. if he doesn't sell bikes and make money he won't be in business long. i see they have the rotax motor not an HD motor. i hope it works out for him.

 

I hope he does well.

 

have you seen the prices of these bikes? im not sure if the price of 45k is for his race bikes but i hope his prices are low enough to compete with the other jap crotch rockets...

 

I used to have an XB9S and it was an incredible bike, probably my favorite bike of all the ones I've ever ridden and easily my favorite of the ones I've owned. It was not as fast as the Japanese sportbikes but it was just plain fun. You couldn't get off of that thing w/o a huge stupid looking grin on your face. It was an amazing "all arounder". I commuted on that thing and it was comfortable, had a great suspension, handled AMAZING, would torque a wheelie up at will and would get 60mpg if I could keep my right wrist under control.

It kind of bugs me when people compare Buells to the Japanese sportbikes. THEIR NOT THE SAME! It's like comparing a SV650 to a CBR600RR. Of course the SV is going to come up looking like the loser but that doesn't mean it's not a fantastic bike. Even the 1125R was a partially faired street bike; like an SV650S on steroids! I think given some time he could have turned that one into a SERIOUS Ducati competitor- he was definately on to something.

I wish Eric all the luck in the world and I hope he succeeds beyond his wildest expectations. The US needs a good sportbike we can call our own and I can't think of any better man to do it than Eric.

As far as one of the original questions: "will it hurt Harley sales". I sincerely hope it does.

 

good stuff. I always thought Buells were cool. Them and Ducatis are really the only sport bikes I'd consider owning. go Erik!!!!

 

I think the only reason he partnered with HD was because he needed the cash to expand production and models but HD became the majority owner of Buell and he couldn't produce the models the way he wanted and Buell failed. The water cooled V-Rod motor was originally supposed to go into a Buell.

 

Ahhhh the Youth of today.... talking bout all the 600 RTSV's, 650 RR's, 750 ZSX's, and all those number and letter bikes plus the bussa's....

Now back in the good ole days there was just two. the CB750 and the Kaw 900.. now those where fast bikes back in 1969 and early 70's.. But they'd be dogs today....

 

Ahhhh the Youth of today.... talking bout at the 600 RTSV's, 650 RR's, 750 ZSX's, and all those number and letter bikes plus the bussa's....

Now back in the good ole days there was just two. the CB750 and the Kaw 900.. now those where fast bikes back in 1969 and early 70's.. But they'd be dogs today....