Marty!
Marty! HalfDork
3/15/10 1:09 p.m.

Because the horse hasn't been beaten to death yet.........

http://www.dealer-world.com/issues/amd128 Page 50

http://walworthcountytoday.com/news/2010/mar/15/trade-magazine-harley-turned-down-chance-save-buel/

EAST TROY — A story in an industry trade magazine questions Harley-Davidson's decision to close East Troy's Buell motorcycles, reporting that Canadian conglomerate Bombardier twice made a bid to purchase the company.

Alan Cathcart writes in the March edition of American Motorcycle Magazine (PAGE 50) that Bombardier was interested in purchasing the struggling division because one of its subsidiaries made engines for Buell.

Cathcart cites an un-named Austrian source as saying that Bombardier initially offered to "acquire the design, manufacturing rights and production tooling of the two Buell-Rotax models."

When that deal was turned down, Bombardier offered to purchase the whole company and was once again rejected, according to Cathcart.

The operation would likely have remained in East Troy, and Cathcart writes that there was the possibility that assembly of the CanAm Spyder might have been shifted to East Troy from Bombardier's Quebec factory.

Harley-Davidson reportedly incurred $125 million in costs for the shutdown of Buell.

Bombardier is not an unfamiliar name in Walworth County. At one time, they operated a recreational motor manufacturing facility in Delavan's industrial park. But in 2004, they decided to sell the facility.

Company founder Erik Buell has since gone on to form his own motorcycle racing company.

The new company, Erik Buell Racing, is an independent operation with a one-year agreement with Harley-Davidson that doesn't allow him to produce street bikes.

In the meantime, he's focused on 1125R-based models, the motorcycle ridden by champions in this year’s AMA Pro racing and NHRA Pro Stock World championships.

“It’s something I have a lot of passion for,” Buell said. “I was looking for what we could do out of respect for the workers and to help out the owners and dealers.”

If you follow the links to the magazine article it goes more into detail of Harleys reasons not to sell, mainly to save face on the 1125R.

So Harley could have sold Buell, re-couped some desperately needed cash, saved $125 million in closing costs, and saved jobs in America? But didn't because success under different owners would've shown incompetence on their part? WTF?

SlickDizzy
SlickDizzy SuperDork
3/15/10 1:21 p.m.

As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury SuperDork
3/15/10 1:38 p.m.
SlickDizzy wrote: As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!

i believe you mean MERKUN

There is a reason I want an old bike - I like vintage stuff...no one wants new old stuff, cuz thats just dumb.

SlickDizzy
SlickDizzy SuperDork
3/15/10 3:46 p.m.
4cylndrfury wrote:
SlickDizzy wrote: As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!
i believe you mean MERKUN There is a reason I want an old bike - I like vintage stuff...no one wants new old stuff, cuz thats just dumb.

Oops! Thanks for the correction. Forgot we're in 'MERKUH!

While I agree with the sentiment, I'd be just fine with Yamaha tooling up to build two-strokers again! Heck, I'd buy three!

minimac
minimac Dork
3/16/10 7:18 a.m.

This is what happens when bean counters run a business. It was probably more advantageous to take the loss (and charge off $125M). Like the Mafia, nothing personal, it's only business. Tax laws being what they are, sometimes it is worth a lot more money shutting down than making a "small" profit.

stroker
stroker Reader
3/16/10 10:10 a.m.
minimac wrote: This is what happens when bean counters run a business. It was probably more advantageous to take the loss (and charge off $125M). Like the Mafia, nothing personal, it's only business. Tax laws being what they are, sometimes it is worth a lot more money shutting down than making a "small" profit.

That's why she wouldn't sell the Charlestown Chiefs. At least, that's what she told Reggie Dunlap.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
3/16/10 10:26 a.m.
SlickDizzy wrote: As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!

Doode, it ain't 40 year old technology. It's more like 75 year old technology. Get ur facts straight.

pinchvalve
pinchvalve SuperDork
3/16/10 10:46 a.m.

According to other sources, selling off Buell wasn't as simple as it sounds. Most of the bikes were made on the same production lines as HD models. The level of integration made pulling out the Buell models and building them elsewhere difficult.

Still, you had a buyer, an american/canadian motorcycle could have remained on the market, some cool bikes could have been kept on the road.

minimac
minimac Dork
3/16/10 11:20 a.m.
stroker wrote: That's why she wouldn't sell the Charlestown Chiefs. At least, that's what she told Reggie Dunlap.

+1 Well played!

SlickDizzy
SlickDizzy SuperDork
3/16/10 11:57 a.m.
Dr. Hess wrote:
SlickDizzy wrote: As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!
Doode, it ain't 40 year old technology. It's more like 75 year old technology. Get ur facts straight.

Again, my mistake! Good to know Harleys are even more archaic than I'd previously given them credit for.

Josh
Josh Dork
3/16/10 12:00 p.m.
pinchvalve wrote: According to other sources, selling off Buell wasn't as simple as it sounds. Most of the bikes were made on the same production lines as HD models. The level of integration made pulling out the Buell models and building them elsewhere difficult.

Uh, isn't that up to the new owners to figure out though?

eastsidemav
eastsidemav Reader
3/16/10 4:01 p.m.

I like the XR1200. Admittedly, I'm probably not buying another bike for a few years, but unless Harley's management changes, I won't darken their door when its time to shop.

I thought they had a sale of the Buell factory assets recently? If so, maybe not as hard to separate as they claimed.

Cotton
Cotton HalfDork
3/16/10 4:23 p.m.
SlickDizzy wrote:
4cylndrfury wrote:
SlickDizzy wrote: As a Milwaukee citizen and a vague acquaintance of Erika Buell (Erik's daughter), I will definitely NEVER be drinking the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid. Just a bunch of thick-headed good 'ol boys making thousands of dollars with 40-year-old technology...'cuz it's AMERICAN!
i believe you mean MERKUN There is a reason I want an old bike - I like vintage stuff...no one wants new old stuff, cuz thats just dumb.
Oops! Thanks for the correction. Forgot we're in 'MERKUH! While I agree with the sentiment, I'd be just fine with Yamaha tooling up to build two-strokers again! Heck, I'd buy three!

I like old stuff too, which is why most of my cars are vintage.

Hey Yamaha still makes two strokes....you just have to want to ride on dirt. I love my YZ250.

All my bikes have been Japanese, with the exception of my 80 Husqvarna 390, but I do see the appeal of certain Harleys.....regardless of how old the tech is. Excluding the vrod of course which has a pretty impressive, and I think fairly new tech, engine.

kcmoken
kcmoken New Reader
3/17/10 12:57 p.m.

Hey, I got one of those 1125Rs with $5K rebate, and then dealt some more. These things went out the doors of the H-D dealers cheap (the Rotax 1125Rs were cheaper than the H-D powered Buells). I think even the dealers wanted to revise history that Buell was ever a part of H-D.

It certainly won't see the stealership again, nor would I ever be a repeat buyer lured into the H-D mystique.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
3/18/10 8:42 a.m.

My friend, now dead, had her picture taken with Willie G at Sturgis one year. Her husband was taking the picture and Willie G groped her. The goat pic wouldn't surprise me.

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