Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Buell is out of business

Oh contraire there, Craig. While I think you stated your case very well, I think you're wrong on a couple of points there.

First, by saying that Harley couldn't have sold anymore V-Rods if they would've given that engine(or something very close to it) to Buell because the Buell would've in effect made the V-Rod "obsolete"(and I think that's what you're sayin' here) is VERY akin to sayin' that Triumph couldn't sell Americas and Speedies because the better handling STANDARD Bonnies and Thruxton make our criusers "obsolete", wouldn't you say?! And Triumph STILL sells quite a few of these slightly less capably handling crusiers like ours, RIGHT?! Yep, I'd have to say this argument of mine here is VERY corrolative in this respect.

What I'm talkin' about, and what in effect what you brought up here is the idea of the "modular concept", i.e., making many different styles of motorcycles using as many common parts between them as possible in order to reach as many comsumers as possible...a business plan of which John Bloor has made and continues to make a success of utilizing with his Triumph brand.

And secondly, I think your argument that "Harley doesn't build bikes anymore since the Hydra-Glide debuted" is also more than just a "slight exaggeration" too. You see, it was the Evo engine which came much later than that Hydra-Glide's era, and which Harley threw a heck of a lot of money into to make the Evo and actually made a "reasonably" modern and reliable motor which caused folks to come back and look at and to actually consider the possibility of purchasing a Harley again in the mid-1980s. And they've made "progress"(for want of a better word) in making each and every "new"(for want of a better word again) motor they've come out with even more reliable and smoother since then.