Unless, HD paid Erik Buell enough money to never resuscitate the brand, I have a hard time believing that someone won't have the idea and money to bring it back. Think Excelsior-Henderson, and how many times that turd Indian brand has been brought back.Martin, you simply bought the wrong color FJR....
Uhhhhhhhh, HD asked for bailout money last year. Was that a clue (think---subprime loans)? And while Buell has taken the Sportster engine a long way, they've never been competetive (from the performance aspect) with the Europeans or the Japanese. The Japanese RULE the sportbike world, and rehashing a '50s design aircooled engine won't upset any applecarts.HD's biggest support comes from the old diehards, who are dying off. They don't want the bikes of the future -- liquid-cooled fuel-injected bikes -- and HD is clinging to those old-school supporters rather than moving along with the rest of the world. Since our Spender in Chief is not a dyed-in-the-wool old-school biker, I don't look for him to throw a few trillion dollars at HD to save them from their own narrow-minded refusal to emerge from the past. If the movers and shakers at HD don't start looking to the future, they may well be ancient history before long. The Europeans and the Japanese are outdoing them at their own game; they are making much better bikes for much less money. That's not the way to survive in today's world.
Quote from: hipshot on October 16, 2009, 09:32:39 PMUhhhhhhhh, HD asked for bailout money last year. Was that a clue (think---subprime loans)? And while Buell has taken the Sportster engine a long way, they've never been competetive (from the performance aspect) with the Europeans or the Japanese. The Japanese RULE the sportbike world, and rehashing a '50s design aircooled engine won't upset any applecarts.HD's biggest support comes from the old diehards, who are dying off. They don't want the bikes of the future -- liquid-cooled fuel-injected bikes -- and HD is clinging to those old-school supporters rather than moving along with the rest of the world. Since our Spender in Chief is not a dyed-in-the-wool old-school biker, I don't look for him to throw a few trillion dollars at HD to save them from their own narrow-minded refusal to emerge from the past. If the movers and shakers at HD don't start looking to the future, they may well be ancient history before long. The Europeans and the Japanese are outdoing them at their own game; they are making much better bikes for much less money. That's not the way to survive in today's world. Never been competitive eh? How bout the fact that they won the 2009 AMA championship, if that's not competitive what is?either way hope someone buys the right from buell and keeps building them... they are awesome bikes
Never been competitive eh? How bout the fact that they won the 2009 AMA championship, if that's not competitive what is?
Isn't it amazing - .................- you can be a total idiot and still run corporate America - make millions and not have the slightest idea what the heck you are doing.
