Interesting read...Nothing really new, but a good read about Buell

[lancruza]

Here's a quote from this article. Totally agree -

"When H-D’s new CEO was hired from an air conditioning manufacturer to make the changes he felt the company needed in 2009, Buell had steadily built up fantastic growth. His decision of getting rid of a brand that was exploding in growth will go down in history as one of the biggest blunders in corporate America."

https://www.hotcars.com/the-real-st...799CsG7zPu6HT1gU35DU3MVj5uydQT7gba6IJfXX5B3FY

 

[34nineteen]

I wonder if the result would have been the same if it was 2014 or 2015 , and not at the heels of the recession.

 

[lancruza]

I doubt it would have been any different. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[user_deleted]

Levan: the content of that article is not only wildly inaccurate....it's full of nonsense and wild conjecture. Jason Bagnall has a propensity for spewing on-the-fly bull**** as both filler and conjured props to support his premises.

consider these actual facts then formulate your own informed decision on the demise of BMC:
1-BUELL MOTORCYCLE COMPANY NEVER produced "over 90,000 motorcycles" in any production year cycle. EVER! that's the first clue this article is bull****. total 27 year production run resulted in total of 137,004 units not including PT's....test mules....compliance units.
2-total production for 2003 model year was approx. 13,473 units.
3-CEO Jeff Bleustein was a very nice man and highly regarded at H-D. he and Buell and Hurda got along very well and BMC did quite well during Bleustein's CEO tender at H-D. anyone who says differently is wrong.
4-Jim Ziemer and Buell had their "moments" and the Buell 1125 fueled the friction for a multitude of reasons. dealer complaints regarding their God-awful styling...Austrian sourced motor....ridiculously high warranty claims....and high "floor plan" fees did tremendous harm to BMC on many fronts.
5-Keith Wandell aka "JellyBean"....single-handedly put an end to BMC. simple as that. considered by most to be the worst CEO in H-D history tempered with the fact that he was extremely abrasive and difficult to get along with.
6-BMC production contrary to article statements...never "surged" from one year to the next. it was reasonably consistent across a near 27 year production run. ironically...to within a few thousand total units....total BUELL and total POLARIS/VICTORY production during their entire runs virtually identical.

the demise of BMC could be debated till hell freezes over. two critical ingredients of its demise that are seldom if ever discussed, but played a huge role were: an uncompetitive price-structure among all model lines.....and a huge percentage of franchised dealers failing to promote the very brand they were floor-planning....which defies all logic.

 

[lancruza]

Thanks for the clarifications John. Stay safe and stay healthy.

 

[34nineteen]

Hey 'cruza! Why didnt you say that Purpony's bike was #11???

Did you ever read this article?

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/258922/buell-barracuda-2-what-could-have-been/

 

[Cooter]

I still think that Barracuda was an incredibly good looking bike:angel: Better than the 1125R that we got. (Runs and hides:tongue-new

 

[34nineteen]

I thought the Barracuda was the predecessor to the EBR bikes. I thought the 1125R looked MUCH better with the full side fairings.

 

[Cooter]

Yes, and yes