Holy Crap! Buell shuts down!

Found this over on “SOUP” Well this sucks.

Buell Motor Company Folds , October 15, 2009


BUELL OFFICIALS THANK CUSTOMERS, DEALERS AND EMPLOYEES FOR UNFORGETTABLE RIDEEAST TROY, Wis. (Oct. 15, 2009) – Buell Motorcycle Company officials thanked the company’s customers, employees and dealers for an unforgettable ride, following today’s announcement by Harley-Davidson, Inc. that it will discontinue the Buell® product line as part of Harley-Davidson’s go-forward business strategy. The new long-term strategy aims to drive Company growth through a focus of efforts and resources on the Harley-Davidson® brand.”I want to personally thank all our past and present Buell employees, dealers and suppliers for their efforts. I also want to thank Buell motorcycle owners for their support and passion for the brand,” said Buell Motorcycle Company President Jon Flickinger.Flickinger said a limited number of new Buell motorcycles remain available for sale through authorized dealerships and production will wind down by October 30. He also stressed that Harley-Davidson will provide replacement parts and service through dealerships and that warranty coverage will continue as normal for Buell motorcycles.”I will always be proud of what we have accomplished. It is a testimony to what a small group of passionate and inspired people can do, and with brilliant innovations, we’ve produced some of the best-handling bikes of all time,” said Buell Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. “I personally look forward to exploring how I can continue to work with Harley-Davidson to bring advanced product technology to riders.”I have also had the great fortune to meet and get to know many Buell riders over the years, and they are an amazing and interesting group of free thinkers,” Buell said. “May you ride with pride into the future. And may your roads ahead be as adventuresome and rewarding as mine have been for the last 26 years.”A wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc. since 1998, Buell Motorcycle Company was founded in 1983 by Erik Buell and produced more than 135,000 motorcycles. Over the past 26 years, Buell motorcycles won numerous design accolades and awards, and countless races and championships around the world, including the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike championship in 2009.
ENDS

This guy has good taste in classic Motocrossers! And they’re For Sale!

Someone is selling their nice collection of Big Bore Japanese Motocrossers. I’m really looking hard at the Yamaha 465. If it was an IT465/490 instead of a YZ I’d be all over it.

For the record, I DO NOT know the seller and this is not an endorsememt etc etc.. So please, Buyer beware.

1975 Honda CR250

1975 Kawasaki KX400

1978 Suzuki RM400

1981 Yamaha YZ465


1983 Honda CR250

The 2010 Honda CB1100 vs the Original Concept Bike. Is it just me or….?

When I look at the earlier concept bike I am really impressed. I don’t have the vocabulary but it absoluty hits all the right notes for me personally. There must be something reeeealy subtle about it though because when I look at ….

… the production model I’m left just a little flat somehow. I’ll leave it to the nuanced language of design experts to explain why exaclty, but for my eye the concept is a much superior looking bike. And I admit that I cant really see any siglificant difference to the “line” in either one. Must be the shocks/color/exhaust just leaving me wanting. I don’t know.. shrug.

Update: looking at them one over the other now it’s clear that the concept had a slightly longer lower leaner line than the production bike and that’s not helped a lot by the graphics on the white bike.

Update #2: What they did to the exhaust should be criminal.

Update #3: The more I look the more I see. What did they do to the clean engine finning of the original??? Sheesh did they just pull the castings off the early 80’s bikes?

I’ll stop now.
Leave comments if you agree / disagree.

The British and American "Cafe"

Triunph and Harley Cafe Racers. I’d love tobe there when these bike fire up and ride out!

1977 Ducati GTS Reader Ride.

Greg sends in some pics of his sweet Ducati.

He Writes:

Thanks for a great site.
This is my 77′ GTS. It has 16,000 original miles.
The fun thing about this bike is I know its history back to its original owner. Sold originally in Canada, it was sold to Long Island, NY and then to Manhattan, NY before coming to me. And I have spoken with all of its owners, who are still into Ducati or Italian motorcycles.

The bike has been repainted, has an earlier 860GT seat and a very rare two into one Conti exhaust that no one in the know has ever seen before.
It was electric start and kick … over my ownership the electric motor stopped working and has since been removed.
Hope you enjoy the story and photo’s.
Greg

Thanks Much for the pics!

Montessa Roadracer… vintage racing behind the scenes.

I’m not sure about the actual model / history of this bike (anyone?) but I think this picture does a great job of capturing the flavor of a typical vintage racing scene. Hit’s all the right notes.. as they say. Thanks again to Dave Innola for the pics!

More pics from "Mr Anonymous". This time from a friend of his who has built these fantastic KZ superbike customs.

Really fantastic bikes that appeal to my love of late 70’s and early 80’s Japanese Superbikes!! Thanks Much (again)for the great pictures and do keep them coming!

Beautiful Honda CB350 Four.

Just trying to settle a small issue regarding the small displacement Honda Fours. And this is a beautiful example from the pages Motorcycle USA