Let's get Erik Buell on the CBS Evening News

[SoCalBuellRiders]

CBS Evening News has a nightly segment called "The American Spirit." They ask people to nominate people they know who they think should be featured. Quoting from http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-18563_162-298.html?tag =hdr;cnav:
"The American Spirit embodies the heart and soul of America. We're looking for people who are inspiring, helping, working towards, or having a positive impact on the lives of other people.

If you want to submit an idea for The American Spirit send an email to: [email protected]"

I think we should nominate Erik. While his dream is gone (for now anyway), he did give it a real go. A copy of the e-mail I sent is at http://socalbuellriders.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-le tter-to-cbs-evening-news.html

What do you guys think?

 

[Stevenc150]

I'm in. [up]

 

[keisersozae]

I think Erik is what America is all about. [up]

 

[lleubbx]

Awesome[up]

 

[browland]

[up] E-mail sent!

 

[onelogue]

Agreed!! Email sent [up]

 

[Buell_Cru]

E-mail sent. Thanks for taking the time out to write and post what you wrote.

 

[dave_xb12r]

Great idea!

I tried to fix the link for your letter, but it still didn't work [sad]

 

[Trill]

My Letter to the CBS Evening News
Erik Buell started building motorcycles in a dairy barn in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Since 1983 he grew Buell Motorcycle Company into the only American Sportbike company, built more than one-hundred thousand Buell motorcyles, and gained a passionate following among people who ride Buells. I'm one of those fans.

In September, Danny Eslick won the 2009 American Motorcycle Association Daytona Sportbike championship riding a Buell, proving that a small American Company with only 300 employees could compete with the big motorcycle companies and win.

In October, Harley-Davidson, who bought Buell, announced it was shutting it down and discontinuing the brand.

A lesser man would have crumbled or turned bitter. Erik Buell did not. He thanked his loyal Buell riders in a video released the day of the announcement (http://www.buell.com/en_us/company/). This week, many Buell owners took a "Last Ride" to the Buell factory in East Troy, Wisonsin to bid goodbye, and Erik Buell was on hand (See the Fox news report on this ride at [url]http://www.fox6now.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=7feec448-49b4-4fdf-9168-767c6e812f4f&src=front[/url] ).

Take a look at the loyalty his riders have for him, for the people who worked at the factory, and for the bikes themselves by reading the comments on their facebook pages - [url]http://www.facebook.com/buell[/url] and [url]http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1669824900&ref=nf[/url]

Erik Buell is a man who started with a dream, saw it become a reality, lose it to the current downturn, but still vows to move on in the spirit of innovation and "can do." I think this sort of determination exemplifies the American Spirit, and I hope you'll agree and feature him in an episode of The American Spirit on the CBS evening news.

 

[mpolans]

Here's mine:
To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to nominate Erik Buell for your segment. Erik Buell is a motorcycle designer and manufacturer of Buell motorcycles. He embodies the American dream. Mr. Buell was a promising motorcycle racer who started a small motorcycle company in his barn with little more than his bare hands and some innovative ideas and built it into a successful company with a cult following that was later bought out by Harley-Davidson. Some his ideas were ahead of their time and revolutionized the motorcycle industry, with major manufacturers from Japan later adapting his innovations to their sportbikes; such as his idea of emphasizing mass centralization by having the exhaust muffler mounted under the engine instead of along the side of the motorcycle next to the rear wheel or under the seat above the rear wheel.

Despite a new model sportbike (Buell 1125R) that was garnering favorable reviews and challenging the best from Japan and Italy and recently winning the prestigious national AMA Sportbike Championship (the first time for a U.S. motorcycle in almost 40 years), Harley-Davidson business executives decided to discontinue manufacturing Buell motorcycles and lay off almost 200 employees . . . I believe their last day is December 18th, the Friday before Christmas.

I'm sure it would be an interesting story about a man who has lived the good times and bad times of the American Dream . . . hopefully, the last chapter of Erik Buell, motorcycle designer/builder hasn't already been written.

 

[onelogue]

Any word back yet?

 

[Dragonslayer]

email sent [up]

 

[burnjo]

sent mine too. mentioned how I teared up a little with his video thanking everyone for the great ride.

 

[bardo688]

I 2nd this mpolans is great...not poetic at the moment but i would love to see this happen erik is a true american and he stands for all of us