jimmy z
Member
Eric was having a hard time finding dealers to stock his bikes.I also read relationship with Harley getting engines was rocky.
Didn't see this coming, Goodbye Victory
- Thread starter OldRider
- Start date
WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
Huh? He wasn't using Harley engines anymore, not since before Harley dumped him in fact.jimmy z said:
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Buell was competing in the high price end of the sports market, so a narrow niche to begin with, and the magazines found his bikes just didn't perform as well as the competition.
WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
Yeah, multiple factors for sure. That's why I said the Polaris decision affected Buell "in part".Checkswrecks said:
jimmy z
Member
After I thought about it buell was using rotax engines at the trade show in Chicago last year.I read a post on revzilla yesterday that they were using Harley engines.That is wrong.
Harley and Buell were joined at the kneecap for years until Eric finally reached the limit of the Sportster engine. Once he started using Rotax... it was adios Harley. Buell ended up building their own engine but have opened and closed doors now, twice so it's unlikely his vision of an American sportbike company will succeed. Tough market out there.
If Indian builds that flat tracker engine into something that could be used in multiple platforms, they stand a good chance at remaining viable. Not everybody wants an 800lb, chrome barge that costs a small fortune.
If Indian builds that flat tracker engine into something that could be used in multiple platforms, they stand a good chance at remaining viable. Not everybody wants an 800lb, chrome barge that costs a small fortune.
imho - Eric Buell has been his own worst enemy, in trying to compete head to head with the big players in crowded niche markets, AND in his business models.
The Motus is a dream bike, which is also in an extremely high price niche at $38,000. They recognized the folly of doing what Buell did and knew better than to come to that market before their product was perfect. Motus did not try to directly compete and they've been really careful about not trying to grow too fast so they could get out of financial balance, which Buell also did. It's interesting what they wrote about Polaris and the demise of Victory.
http://motusmotorcycles.com/blog/
The Motus is a dream bike, which is also in an extremely high price niche at $38,000. They recognized the folly of doing what Buell did and knew better than to come to that market before their product was perfect. Motus did not try to directly compete and they've been really careful about not trying to grow too fast so they could get out of financial balance, which Buell also did. It's interesting what they wrote about Polaris and the demise of Victory.
http://motusmotorcycles.com/blog/
Motus appears to be making reasonable business decisions and I'm rooting for them, but they aren't completely out of the financial woods either. It's all good until it isn't.
- Mark
- Mark
There's a 20 minute ride review in that blog and the fella said he felt no heat issues at all from the motor.
Seems like a first class high speed touring machine.
And the craftsmanship, because that's what I'd call it, is impressive.
Cost about as much as an XLT F150. But far more exclusive. Lol
Seems like a first class high speed touring machine.
And the craftsmanship, because that's what I'd call it, is impressive.
Cost about as much as an XLT F150. But far more exclusive. Lol