Quote:
Originally Posted by MaDalton
i have actually no idea how many Buell bikes were sold, but i find them impressive and the number of things the guy invented is impressive too. it would be a loss - why don't they at least try to sell it?
|
i'm with you, i can see why you are impressed, erik buell is an engineering genius. but he's the one who started the whole nightmare going in the direction it's gone over the years, specifically, selling the buell rights to harley and letting them put the sportster motor in it and sticking to the need to design *quirky* bikes, innovative, but strange. only recently did they switch to a motor (the rotax) more in line with the type of bike.
buell has always been the red-headed stepchild of harley. buell's problems started the second he sold his soul to h-d. i think everyone meant well in the beginning, buell was a harley frame engineer and is credited with designing the best frame ever- the fxr. so he was employed by harley at the time he designed the 1st buell bike.
but i don't think the story is over, h-d has a non-compete contract currently with buell, but they have no plans to make a competing bike. i suspect they are holding out to sell the rights to some entities with deep pockets who can take erik buell and the buell bike in the direction it needs to go
\no, i think h-d did the right thing by shutting it down, the moco has bigger problems to fry.