Buell to be shut down

[dmh2000]

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38444

[Nesquik]

http://www.buell.com/en_us/ video from Erik Buell.

[weavefish]

Thats too bad.... i guess i feel bad for the people who will be laid off more than the loss of buell's

[Justin]

If Erik Buell's comments are correct, his company would continue to be manufacturing, no?
Pay careful attention to his speech at 2:15.
His words say one thing, but everything else screams to the contrary.  The *sigh at 2:17 says everything about how he feels about Harley and working with Harley in the future.  Clenching his jaw at the end.  It made him sick to have to read that. 

http://www.buell.com/en_us/company/

Hey, Harley!
How can you give a guy a freakin HandiCam and make him do that from his own desk. 
Sorry Erik.  Tell HD to F* themselves.

[Adiggity]

Wow........

[oldBolt]

Does this put the 1125 out of the AMA Sportbike?  Or can it still race?

[Nesquik]

Does this put the 1125 out of the AMA Sportbike?  Or can it still race?

I think it's out.

[99 900ss duc]

maybe buell will come back with a rotax engine and be rid of the hd boat anchor

[zipbyu]

     Mixed feelings. 
     
     History lesson:  Erik Buell started his own company at first, and did OK for a while.  He wanted to use HD engines to keep it built in the U.S.  HD took it over with a stockbuy out in the late 90's and it got better and grew.  This is close to what I remember anyway.
     HD bit off more than it could chew with buying th MV brand.  Which they are tring to sell.  HD are hurting bad just like everyone else.  I am suprise that they just shut it down and not selling Buell.  Maybe due to some pattents issues. 
     Did you folks know you can have a name like Smith or Buell you could name your company after your name.  This is how there are many companys with the same name.  Murphy"s Plumming, Johnson and Son,  Hardware Hanks. I wonder if we heard the last of Erik Buell?   
     

[Justin]

Mr Buell looks like a hostage that is being forced to read a statement on camera.

[Nesquik]

Mr Buell looks like a hostage that is being forced to read a statement on camera.

So true 

[jlavallee]

I was feeling all bad watching the video until I got to the end when he talked about beating the other guys to win the sportbike championship. 1200cc against 600cc. That is not beating anybody, that is winning a race others could not.

Either way, I am sad to see Buell go as they did add some more flavor to bikes and were getting better each year. Harley guys never embraced them though and with a air cooled Harley power plant it was going to be nearly impossible to compete against euro/jap bikes. Hell, a lot of Harley guys hate my V Rod because the engine is water cooled and Porsche designed. They can be a weird bunch. It is also really unfortunate for all the Buell workers that are now going to be laid off.

On the upside, this is one more bad thing for DMG as they were so willing to screw the other manufacturers to get Buell to the top. Hopefully, this is another step toward pushing those NASCAR a-holes out of bike racing. That is my silver lining.

[zipbyu]

Mr Buell looks like a hostage that is being forced to read a statement on camera.

Yeah, I was his company.

[Justin]

Mr Buell looks like a hostage that is being forced to read a statement on camera.

[Adiggity]

I was feeling all bad watching the video until I got to the end when he talked about beating the other guys to win the sportbike championship. 1200cc against 600cc. That is not beating anybody, that is winning a race others could not.

I have to disagree with this one. Sure, it is a 1200cc vs. a 600cc, but the 1200 is a twin. The 600 in an inline 4. Their horsepower ratings were pretty damned close to each other. That was the right fit for that bike and the only (slight) advantage they had in power, they lost with handling. It was a bigger bike and harder to move around. I personally take nothing away from Buell or Danny Eslick. If your logic worked, the other Buell should've finished 2nd easily, right? That bike would've been a joke in the Superbike class.