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Whats Up With BUELL!?
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July 26, 2009 at 8:37 pm #3199JamesMSanDiegoParticipant
whats going on with them and cancelling the Buell Blast. It was a great intro bike for beginners and i was about to buy a new one, then all of a sudden *poof* out of production.
July 26, 2009 at 8:53 pm #20963briderdtParticipantDeserved or not, the Blast had a reputation for having a lot of vibration. I think that in itself turned a lot of would-be buyers off. It’s a business decision. They’re going higher-end, which is unfortunate for the American market, but it is what it is.
The biggest unfortunate part is that there now is only one America made sport bike under 900cc — Fischer — and it uses the Hyosung engine.
July 26, 2009 at 9:11 pm #20966JamesMSanDiegoParticipantfew the videos and read up, there stopping with the 09 and not even selling those off the website and such now. its the end of the blast because it did not “fit in ” with the other models
July 26, 2009 at 11:30 pm #20970eonParticipantI find the following advert very odd. Seems like they are trashing themselves?
And this is just weird.
http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/blast/index.aspJuly 27, 2009 at 12:12 am #20971Capt CrashParticipantThis one is tough for me to read…the Blast always got…blasted…for being half a sportster. The feeling those I came into contact with was that they just pulled the rear cylinder and made a motorcycle out of it. They were kinda fun to ride (good brakes, drag pegs in a second) but they were heavy and (to me) slow to transition from side to side.
Then it got picked up as the Rider’s Edge training bike…the question is what are the HD Rider’s Edge providers gonna use?
You could be these guys: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/10150-how-to-get-on-a-motorcycle and be stuck with a bunch of Buell Videos….
My understanding is the HD Dealers Meeting start this week so we’ll see–could just be the buzzzz factory at work…
July 27, 2009 at 2:52 am #20973JtownJJAParticipantI was out there on Buell’s website last night and I just happen to see all this as well. Very weird way of announcing that they are going to stop producing the Blast model. They don’t come out and say it, they just say that the new 2010 model comes in a crunched up cube. I was very surprised by it all, especially in how it was conveyed. Good way to say it Eon, “seems like they are trashing themselves.”
While the Blast did get my attention a few times when I was shopping for my first bike, I will say that I don’t think I ever seriously considered it. I am starting to look at some of their other models, though, as a second bike, but that will be a long way off.July 27, 2009 at 2:55 am #20974owlieParticipantToo sad. I had kind of been looking at getting one. I liked the waspy looking body style with the upright seating position.
However, I will say that both from everything that I have seen online and from my discussions with the salesperson at the dealership, they were perceived as being a “girl’s bike”. This isn’t bad when trying to get women into the sport, but that attitude shows through when trying to convince men to get in the sport. Mechanical issues aside, it alienates roughly half your target audience…
July 27, 2009 at 3:08 am #20976JamesMSanDiegoParticipantyea these would have to be but it is kind of rediculous when their new “starter” bike is 984cc
July 27, 2009 at 3:20 am #20978VitricParticipantIt seems to me that most beginners bikes are considered “girls bikes.”
Gotta love the sexism.
July 28, 2009 at 1:48 am #21002owlieParticipantWhat I found particularly delicious is that they put out a press release on Saturday that mentions the 2010 Blast as part of their line-up. Looks like their marketing people weren’t even in the loop.
July 28, 2009 at 5:52 am #21008Capt CrashParticipantOh it’s in the lineup…
Just in a new format.
July 28, 2009 at 6:12 pm #21010JackTradeParticipantAs a current P3 owner, I’m a little puzzled by the way Buell decided to end things with it.
On one hand, it’s a pretty bold thing to do, and I agree with Erik’s assessment of the bike in the video…it’s no sportbike, and I’d even add it has some real design flaws compared to its competition.
But on the other hand, the whole crushing it into a cube combined with Erik’s seemingly cavalier attitude toward it seems to insinuate that if you actually liked this thing, you’re not “Buell material.” I like their “real” bikes plenty…I just didn’t think a 1200cc XB12 Lightning was the best choice as new rider, that’s all.
Usually, you only have ad campaigns like this to announce that you’re replacing said crushed thing with something better…”we need to free up warehouse space for the all new 650cc Buell Cyclone II…we’re coming for you, SV650 and Ninja 500r!” Here’s hoping…
I just hope Buell isn’t getting infected with Harley’s attitude (i.e. if you don’t want the big, bad bikes, then get lost). Seems dangerous in this economy, esp. for companies that produce costly items that are nearly always discretionary purchases.
July 29, 2009 at 5:28 pm #21042eonParticipantI’m not convinced it makes sense for Harley to make a beginner bike. It would make sense for the rider but not necessarily for Harley. I suspect folks who want HD go get one. I’ve certainly seen plenty of beginner riders on 1000cc+ cruisers (not necessarily HD). I know one old lady with arthritis whose first bike is a 1800cc Victory. That thing is huge. Seems to me that in the States, bigger is better and that applies more to the cruiser market than others.
There would also be the danger of watering down the brand image if they made a ‘beginner’ bike. Seems like this is what concerns Buell but if it’s good enough for Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/Yamaha I’m not sure what concerns them. If they are trying to turn themselves into a premium brand like Ducatti, they have a long difficult road ahead of them.
July 29, 2009 at 5:36 pm #21043JackTradeParticipantBuell’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…
July 29, 2009 at 11:12 pm #21052MunchParticipantMy take..the Blast really didn’t have a chance. Here in my locale it got shoved to the side as the “Festiva” of bikes. Buell as a whole is still very unknown period, again in my area South East US. So if they are truly trying to step things up they got a lot of money to dump into advertising.
Being around lady riders and reading articles one thing I have learned. QUIT LABELING THEM AS WOMEN BIKES. Sorry for the caps but I hear it at every turn. It hurts the bikes reputation and kills the manu’s reputation with lady riders and new male rider alike.
If HD really wants to get back in the market they need to start understanding the new generation of riders. They are more conscious of quality in comparison to price. HD has gotten way over priced for what they offer. I can get 2 of my 900’s fully bagged for the price of 1 street bob w/out accessories. I sincerely hate to say it but if they don’t do something soon they will revisit their problem in the 80’s when AMF bought ’em out. -
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