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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...