Comments on: An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:36:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Ed Stuckhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-4033 Ed Stuck Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:24:50 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-4033 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee http://bit.ly/2gfm6C</span></span> An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee http://bit.ly/2gfm6C

]]> By: My Best Newshttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-4034 My Best News Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:53:00 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-4034 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee http://bit.ly/2PaRiZ</span></span> An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee http://bit.ly/2PaRiZ

]]> By: Harleyhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-4035 Harley Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:34:22 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-4035 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee: Motorcycle news, Industry Rumors, MotoGP,.. http://bit.ly/2PaRiZ</span></span> An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee: Motorcycle news, Industry Rumors, MotoGP,.. http://bit.ly/2PaRiZ

]]> By: Asphalt_Rubberhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-14105 Asphalt_Rubber Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:02:04 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-14105 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee - http://bit.ly/2AXyKT #motorcycle</span></span> An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee – http://bit.ly/2AXyKT #motorcycle

]]> By: Allan Engelhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-1517 Allan Engel Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:40:47 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-1517 I have never been a Buell fan and I have no idea if Bill Smith's comments have any validity but Buell's are quite popular in some European markets, especially France. It may have something to do with horsepower caps in certain countries on the continent; France has a 100 hp limit. H-D is making a mistake. With the average owner approaching 50, probably within 10-years of hanging up his spurs permanently, and the following generation having little interest following in dad's footsteps - where will Harley find new buyers? Kids growing up in an environment of "extreme sports" look at Harleys as motorbikes for old fat guys. But I have a feeling H-D has a plan. It will interesting. I have never been a Buell fan and I have no idea if Bill Smith’s comments have any validity but Buell’s are quite popular in some European markets, especially France. It may have something to do with horsepower caps in certain countries on the continent; France has a 100 hp limit. H-D is making a mistake. With the average owner approaching 50, probably within 10-years of hanging up his spurs permanently, and the following generation having little interest following in dad’s footsteps – where will Harley find new buyers? Kids growing up in an environment of “extreme sports” look at Harleys as motorbikes for old fat guys. But I have a feeling H-D has a plan. It will interesting.

]]> By: Bill Smithhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-1511 Bill Smith Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:36:19 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-1511 If you look exclusively at Buell numbers, their inability to innovate to or beyond the level of the Asian/Italian manufacturers, and Eric Buell’s stubborn insistence to cram bad V-twin engines in poorly designed sport bikes you cannot act surprised.Eric touts innovations that in fact were nothing more than over-priced poor concepts confirmed by leading competitors (there are no adaptations of Eric’s ideas overseas). Eric, there are very valid reasons why the REAL sport bike designers won’t support fuel in frame, calipers in swing arms, single rim-mounted brake rotors, large (ugly) under-frame muffles, and belt drive (which I happen to like). They were all bad Ideas formed in cheese chalets and back-yard beer festivals in Milwaukee Wisconsin!Placing Harley engines (excluding the V-Rod/Rotax engine) in sport bikes made Eric the laughing stock of the sport bike industry. Buell was never a threat to the Asian/Italian competitors and was always the bastard step-child of Harley Davidson. A combination destined for failure.I was always quite surprised the Harley Davidson (HD) corporate culture didn’t fix the obvious problems at Buell (in the design shop) and the lack of any real marketing to the proper target segment. But then again, HD knew Eric had been designing substandard product that just could not compete with power-house designers/manufactures like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Ducati.Good luck Eric,The sad owner of a Buell 1125r If you look exclusively at Buell numbers, their inability to innovate to or beyond the level of the Asian/Italian manufacturers, and Eric Buell’s stubborn insistence to cram bad V-twin engines in poorly designed sport bikes you cannot act surprised.

Eric touts innovations that in fact were nothing more than over-priced poor concepts confirmed by leading competitors (there are no adaptations of Eric’s ideas overseas). Eric, there are very valid reasons why the REAL sport bike designers won’t support fuel in frame, calipers in swing arms, single rim-mounted brake rotors, large (ugly) under-frame muffles, and belt drive (which I happen to like). They were all bad Ideas formed in cheese chalets and back-yard beer festivals in Milwaukee Wisconsin!

Placing Harley engines (excluding the V-Rod/Rotax engine) in sport bikes made Eric the laughing stock of the sport bike industry. Buell was never a threat to the Asian/Italian competitors and was always the bastard step-child of Harley Davidson. A combination destined for failure.

I was always quite surprised the Harley Davidson (HD) corporate culture didn’t fix the obvious problems at Buell (in the design shop) and the lack of any real marketing to the proper target segment. But then again, HD knew Eric had been designing substandard product that just could not compete with power-house designers/manufactures like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Ducati.

Good luck Eric,

The sad owner of a Buell 1125r

]]> By: amiejeanhttp://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped/harley-davidson-circles-the-wagons/#comment-4036 amiejean Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:04:39 +0000 http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/?p=5637#comment-4036 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Are you kidding me? RT An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee - http://bit.ly/2AXyKT</span></span> Are you kidding me? RT An Easy Decision: Harley-Davidson Circles the Wagons Around Milwaukee – http://bit.ly/2AXyKT

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