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[Scrrem]

Maybe I have been living under a rock latey, but has Harley-Davidson ended their relationship with Buell?  Last week at our monthly HOG meeting the Fort Washington Maryland dealership rep. informed the chapter that after July 31st 2008, it will no longer sell or service Buell motorcycles.  The dealership is taking this position due to sagging sales of the brand.  Kind of a shock, has Harley-Davidson Corporation done the same?
Scrrem

[SBB]

Maybe I have been living under a rock latey, but has Harley-Davidson ended their relationship with Buell?  Last week at our monthly HOG meeting the Fort Washington Maryland dealership rep. informed the chapter that after July 31st 2008, it will no longer sell or service Buell motorcycles.  The dealership is taking this position due to sagging sales of the brand.  Kind of a shock, has Harley-Davidson Corporation done the same?
Scrrem

Scrrem


Go to the Harley website and see for yourself.
Buell is still there.
Dealers are independent of Harley, they don't have to carry the Buell line. (unless they want to)


 

[Twolanerider]

Only speaking to the one shop.  But the local dealership here has recently turned the area of the sales floor that had been assigned to Buell back to motorclothes.  Not sure if it's a cessation of the product line or just less promotion.  But I don't remember seeing any Buell bikes on the floor for awhile.

[sportygordy]

Buell sales area are bordered in larger areas by dealer where as not every Harley Dealer can offer Buells. Im sure another dealer will be happy to pick that one up.

[mr_magoo]

Our dealer dropped Buell about 2 years ago.

[Gecko]

They wouldn't have a clue how to work on the new Rotax engine anyway...

[BIGDOG]

Harley owns Buell , no relationship involved. Dealers are all having trouble selling Buell, there stores bring in the wrong clientele .

[J-Carr]

Over the last few years, many of the delaers have started dropping the Buell line at least for sales.  Some of them will still service them, but many dropped the service as well.  If you talk to most of the Sport bike crowd they have no interest in a Buell, even the new 1125R.  They pick it apart worse then Hoist talking about a factory 110 with a warrenty...  (Sorry Howie, It was just too darn easy!)

Durning the same time, I have not seen a single dealer add Buell even when there's no other in the area.  But I've noticed quite a few with Jap/German brands next door or even in the same building.  Harley's strategy to get young riders was first Buell and now the whole dark custom thing.  I don't see it working either.

Ride Safe,
J-Carr

[Twolanerider]

Have no idea where it is now but this discussion came up here 18-24 months ago.  Some doubted the suggestion that Buell space would go away on Harley dealership floors because the brand just wasn't a complementary fit to what the main lines were.  Others expected the Buell line to fade away even more quickly than it has seemed to begin to.

I always thought they were an odd combination to expect to fit together.  Didn't see the Buell line as the sporty way to bring a new generation to Harley either.  If Harley expects to attract a new generation's interest to the Harley brand they're going to have to make sportier Harleys that somehow effectively attach the name to a complementary but new generation of motorcycle (not Harley's best thing).  Just throwing something that is perceived to be a separate adjunct on the sales won't get that job done.

[DCFIREMANN]

Harley owns Buell , no relationship involved. Dealers are all having trouble selling Buell, there stores bring in the wrong clientele .

Yep they sure do. Eric Buell is now just the Prez. He smucked the MOCO very well. He is still laughing all the way to the bank!!!!!

Be Safe

THE DAWG

[JoMo]

My dealership still has Bules on there show room floor, and I haven't heard anything about stopping that!!!
If Harley wants to attract a younger crowd, they should try lowering there prices, making there product more affordable
Hell that would bring everybody in.

                  Jo Mo

[RedDevil]

My dealership still has Bules on there show room floor, and I haven't heard anything about stopping that!!!
If Harley wants to attract a younger crowd, they should try lowering there prices, making there product more affordable
Hell that would bring everybody in.

                  Jo Mo

Got an email from Harley Davidson of Washington (DC) the other day, they are getting rid of their Buells and are having a blow-out sale.  They have 4 1125R's going for $9k ($2800 off) and Lightnings for $7800.  If you live in the DC area and want a 1125R with that Rotax engine, now would be a good time to get one.  East Coast Harley, as far as I know is not dropping their Buell line yet, so they would be able to service it.  HD of Washington won't even service them anymore.  They're totally dropping the Buell line, lock, stock, and barrel.

 

[Twolanerider]

Got an email from Harley Davidson of Washington (DC) the other day, they are getting rid of their Buells and are having a blow-out sale. 

HD of Washington won't even service them anymore.  They're totally dropping the Buell line, lock, stock, and barrel.

 

If they've sold it new is there an obligation to provide warranty service if the shop is still in business?

[ice6900]

buell probably has a bigger market share over here is europe, which is probably why the new hd 1200r was researched and developed for and released first in the european market. 

[RedDevil]

If they've sold it new is there an obligation to provide warranty service if the shop is still in business?

That's a good question.  I would think that they do have an obligation to service it...but who knows...

   

[J-Carr]

Nope.  In fact, if they loose or give up their Buell Service Authorization they would not even be allowed to do warrenty work.  It would have to be taken to another authorized dealer.  According to a friend at a dealership, they're allowed to work on the bike without voiding the warrenty, but Buell would have no obligation to reimburse the dealer for the labor or parts.

Ride Safe,
J-Carr

[sportygordy]

Nope.  In fact, if they loose or give up their Buell Service Authorization they would not even be allowed to do warrenty work.  It would have to be taken to another authorized dealer.  According to a friend at a dealership, they're allowed to work on the bike without voiding the warrenty, but Buell would have no obligation to reimburse the dealer for the labor or parts.

Ride Safe,
J-Carr

True DAT. I know one dealer in Sacramento that would give his left "emmm' for a Buell Dealership. Another dealership nearby is claiming record sales for the Buells, along with Sportsters. These are Calif stores,,. I think Local has a lot to do with Buell popularity.

[Jock]

 

[Puzzled]

Got an email from Harley Davidson of Washington (DC) the other day, they are getting rid of their Buells and are having a blow-out sale.  They have 4 1125R's going for $9k ($2800 off) and Lightnings for $7800.  (snip)

That is dirt cheap for a 1125R. I have been shopping and the best I found was 10K. I'll drive to save another 1K

[OhioDave]

That explains why there was only one Buell at the Harley display in Cleveland last month at the International Motorcycle Show.

[Mr. We]

One of our local shops (Colonial) still advertises that they sell Buells, but more importantly, they do sell the Vespa and Piaggio Scooters now... 

[Highjagger]

From Erik Buell himself : http://www.buell.com/en_us/

You can easily see that it was not easy for him . 

[Talon]

From Erik Buell himself : http://www.buell.com/en_us/

You can easily see that it was not easy for him .  

Yep, I just looked up the same thing, their closing. It's a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson.

[Twolanerider]

Wonder if there's a non-competition clause rolled up in all this somewhere that will keep him from doing anything outside of or not approved by HD?

[Puzzled]

I suspect and I know didly squat, that they are loosing the name only. I forsee a HD based Sport Bike in the Future. That would eliminate the Buell dealerships in the HD houses. Now it will all be HD based (name) products. Harley's 3rd quarter report was just released and here is a quote from it,

And with our product plan we are confident that we will continue to expand the appeal of Harley-Davidson motorcycles to the under age, under 35 age group.

[Puzzled]

Highlights From HOG's Q3 Conference Call; Discontinues Buell Brand, Sees More Dealerships Closing in N-T, But Int'l Growing

1:13 pm ET 10/15/2009 - StreetInsider

Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) reports Q3 EPS of $0.11, which includes items and may not compare to the analyst estimate of $0.21. Revenue for the quarter was $1.12 billion, which compares to the estimate of $1.1 billion. Surprisingly, shares are up 3.5% today.

Highlights From HOG's Q3 Conference Call:

Harley-Davidson is narrowing its guidance for full-year 2009 shipments, and now expects to ship 222,000 to 227,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles to dealers, including 35,000 to 40,000 during the fourth quarter. The Company continues to expect full-year gross margins to be between 30.5%-31.5%.

Harley-Davidson also unveiled major elements of its go-forward business strategy to drive growth through a single-minded focus of efforts and resources on the unique strengths of the Harley-Davidson brand, and to enhance productivity and profitability through continuous improvement. As approved yesterday by Harley-Davidson's Board of Directors, the Company will discontinue its Buell product line and divest its MV Agusta unit as part of this strategy.

(CFO) To-date we are on track with previously announced restructuring activities. We're working to reduce administrative cost, eliminate excess capacity and exit non-core operations.

Our decision to discontinue Buell and sell MV Agusta takes into consideration the following. Investment in the Harley-Davidson brand has provided greater returns than either the Buell or MV Agusta brands. Harley-Davidson customers have a much higher repeat purchase intend and our success in attracting new customers to the Harley-Davidson brand indicates the brand is well positioned to grow worldwide in the future.

The Buell dealer network will continue to sell new motorcycles into 2010 and provide service into the future. We have chosen to discontinue the Buell product line as oppose to selling the business in part because Buell is so integrated into the Harley-Davidson business systems and distribution network. From an accounting perspective, Buell is not considered a separate and distinct operation and as a result will not be presented separately as a discontinued operation.

Of approximately 125 million in total cost associated with the discontinuation of Buell. We expect to incur approximately $55 million of restructuring and impairment cost in 2009 related to contractual requirements, write down of asset and severance benefits. We also expect to reduce our hourly workforce by approximately 80 employees and our non-production primarily salaried workforce by approximately 100 employees.

During Q2, we recorded a $14.2 million impairment charge relate to the fixed asset associated with Buell.

In addition to restructuring charges, we anticipate approximately $60 million in cost related to helping our dealer sell their inventory and charges for absolute inventory which will negatively impact gross margin in Q4. In addition, we expect approximately $10 million of cost in 2010. Buell revenue was $134.9 million in 2008 and $59.4 million 2009 year-to-date.

Turning to our plans to divest MV Agusta. Like Buell ongoing investment in MV Agusta does not align with the company's long-term strategy. MV Agusta has value driven by its respected heritage, exciting products and passionate workforce. It is a standalone entity with a separate distribution network. As a result we expect to report MV Agusta results as a discontinued operation which means MV revenue, cost and earnings will be reported as a separate line item below Harley-Davidson's income from continuing operations beginning in Q4.

MV Agusta revenue was 15.9 million in 2008 and 42.9 million September year-to-date. Net losses were 30.1 million in 2008 and 52.6 million through the first nine months of 2009. This includes the $18.9 million, I'm sorry, this includes an $18.9 million impairment charge of good will related to the purchase of MV Agusta recorded in the third quarter.

[Zinister]

The guy that sits behind me at work was watching a video with Erik Buell giving the speech. He has a Buell and it's killing him to see them go out of business.


I bet the value of his biked dropped allot today and now he can't buy a new one to replace it in the future......a real bummer!!

[VaEagle]

I think it's a shame for H-D to stop production of the Buell and sell MV Agusta. My .02 is that H-D needs to attract a younger rider that doesn't have a lot of disposable income but wants a dependable bike with performance that comes right out of the showroom and they don't have to spend thousands to get it to run well. I don't believe that a new paint job or chrome bits on a Sportster will entice a younger rider away from the imports.
For anyone looking for a Buell, I just got an email from Hampton Roads H-D and Southside H-D in Virginia : they are selling the Buell blast for $1,000 off and the other Buells for $3,000 off (I am guessing MSRP prices) this month. Their email stated they would honnor warranties for Buells as well.

[BG]

I personnally like the Buell bikes.  I always thought that they were a well built alternative to the rice rockets.  I hate to see that they are going out of business but I can't say that I didn't see it coming. 

[ice6900]

Dealers are already pushing hard to sell there inventory of new bikes.

Got an email 2day from Buell, bla bla come n test ride a new Buell n get a free back pack ...........

[Puzzled]

Here's my 1125R. The bike is great. Factory support doesn't mean a lot to me as I service my own bikes. As for parts, under US law they are required to keep producing parts for an expressed period of time, so I'm good to go. Plus as I posted in another thread I have already purchased a second motor.

[SBB]

Here's my 1125R. The bike is great. Factory support doesn't mean a lot to me as I service my own bikes. As for parts, under US law they are required to keep producing parts for an expressed period of time, so I'm good to go. Plus as I posted in another thread I have already purchased a second motor.

Mike

You have a 1125R, damn, we all can live vicariously through your adventures.
I know you ride with the jap bike guys at times, how does the power compare and how is the handling?
Ride safe!

SBB

[Puzzled]

I have an 08 which would be the equivalent of the first year 110's with their first year run issues. I purchased mine at the end of the model year when the 09's were coming out. With the help of the various forums I knew what I was up against. I had all of the necessary changes, recalls and updates performed prior to taking delivery of the bike. I have yet to have an issue. What was not a Buell issue was addressed via the aftermarket. So with that said I absolutely love this bike. Sure it is quirky in a sense and is not for everyone. For me the I4's make a ton of power but need to be spun to ungodly RPM's to get to the power. The Rotax makes power right off of idle. In comparison to the I4's I have nothing for them over 140MPH. I can run up to the low 170 range but the I4's start pulling on me pretty hard back at the 140 range. Anything below that and all is fair! I try to stay on the roads with lots of turns so I don't have to try and run with them on the highway . I have acceleration over the I4's where as they have the top end. I dynoed my 06 GSXR 1000 and my 08 Buell 1125R on the same dyno on the same day within ten minutes of each other. The GSXR makes 20 more horse than the Buell at the wheel. They are both bone stock.

Handling......The Buell 1125R inspires aggressive riding and promotes better riding. I've run deeper and faster into corners with this bike than any other bike I have owned. I feel that I have progressed to the point where I have already looked into running some track days. My full leathers showed up the day before I left for Daytona. The bike is small and nimble which contributes to its great handling characteristics. Out of the box the bikes works great. I can only imagine what it would be like with a good aftermarket suspension under it.

There are already HD sites posting blowout prices on Buells (I saw one at 6K). I had intentions of making 2011 the year I replace my Bagger (Silver standard Road Glide or an 09 SERG in Silver) however I may have to add an 1125CR to the garage as the pricing makes it hard not to.

[SBB]

Thanks Mike!

What you said was what I was hoping for.

 

SBB

[Twolanerider]

Here's my 1125R.

 

That's the one Buell model I've been very very tempted buy.  I'm hoping that as prices drop to clear orphaned inventory I don't walk in to a dealership and see one at some unholy blowout cost. 

[Buy early]

That's the one Buell model I've been very very tempted buy.  I'm hoping that as prices drop to clear orphaned inventory I don't walk in to a dealership and see one at some unholy blowout cost. 

You mean like this?

[BLM777]

That's the one Buell model I've been very very tempted buy.  I'm hoping that as prices drop to clear orphaned inventory I don't walk in to a dealership and see one at some unholy blowout cost. 

Stand by there 2lane...... Going to be lots of inventory rolling out at way below dealer cost.  I know some might miss these bikes, but there are a ton of very happy dealers out there to dump the HD pressure to stock even a sampling of the Buell line. 

[Highjagger]

statement : http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38515

[ice6900]

Buell’s East Troy, Wisconsin production line has today delivered the 136,923rd and last motorcycle, this Buell Lightning XB12Scg. The company’s 26 years of operation end today after Harley-Davidson announced the discontinuing of Buell a month ago.

[Highjagger]

Tschau Bella 

[Puzzled]

All of the dealers that I have been in lately are completely sold out of Buell's. With that said my Buell parts sales have picked up.

$5650 was the best OTD price I got on an 1125. At that price why not buy one!

[RedDevil]

All of the dealers that I have been in lately are completely sold out of Buell's. With that said my Buell parts sales have picked up.

$5650 was the best OTD price I got on an 1125. At that price why not buy one!

there's one dealership around here, Whitt's HD in Manassas, VA, that has the 1125s left, but they are asking $7995 for them.  (Guess that's why they still have them.  ) Anyway, all the dealers around here that we "dumping" them at $4995, got rid of them litterally over night...I was going to pick one up at that price and I went the day after I got a notification from a dealer and they had four that went virtually as soon as they unlocked the front door. 

I had one owner tell me, he thinks this is just temporary until the economy picks up then they'll start producing Buells again...that's why they didn't sell it off.  dunno...

[BALIS]

More news
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/HD_News/Company/newsarticle.jsp?locale=en_US&articleLink=News/0609_press_release.hdnews&newsYear=2009&history=news