Buell’s problem now that they’ve decided they’re a racing manufacturer is that they don’t really have, at the end of the day, truly competitive bikes. For all of Erik’s talk about Buell’s racing history, it’s just that…history. He’s famously prickly when people suggest his bikes can’t compete with the Japanese or Europeans, but it’s true.
Buell is going to have to get serious about racing beyond AMA (e.g. Superbike) if it wants to get that reputation. And it’s going to be a tough climb, esp. where the rubber hits the real world sales. They’re between the rock of the Japanese (cheap performance), and the hard place of the Europeans (build quality).
Harley’s in a better spot, definitely. HD is the Coca Cola of cruisers, and everyone else is Pepsi. With that strong a brand, a small-for-HD bike (I’d see basically a 500cc version of the Rebel or GZ250) would slot right in. Surely given the iconic nature of HD, it has to realize it’s missing a big market by having an 883cc as the smallest offering…
Also, personally, if HD would offer a 750cc version of the XR1200, I’d be in heaven. Went to the flat track races this past weekend in Hagerstowne MD, and WHY HD doesn’t talk up its success in this more with the general public, I don’t understand…