From the category archives:

Motorcycle Business

For those of you wondering what Erik Buell will be doing in the near future, it looks like he’s going racing. I guess he won’t be sitting around at Harley Davidson after all.
Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company, will leave the company to establish Erik Buell Racing, an independent motorcycle [...]

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Although a vote is still necessary, the union representing Harley Davidson employees at the York, PA plant will be voting on a proposed contract, December 2nd. Workers at the plant predict the contract will be approved. If negotiations had failed, plans to relocate the plant to Shelbyville, Kentucky were in progress.
This is certainly good news [...]

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Harley Davidson Hires Firm to Sell MV Agusta

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/19/2009

in Motorcycle Business

Harley Davidson has hired BNP Paribas to help them sell MV Agusta. Maybe they could have done that with Buell, too, …
Press release follows:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON, INC. SELECTS INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM TO ASSIST IN SALE OF MV AGUSTA
BNP Paribas in Milan Will Help Harley-Davidson Move Sale Process Forward
MILWAUKEE (November 19, 2009) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: [...]

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Harley Davidson’s decision to close the Buell motorcycle company and discontinue production was met with great surprise and disappointment from many in the motorcycle community, but it was the further decision, not to pursue the sale of Buell to any interested investors, that has puzzled industry observers and frustrated many who would like to keep [...]

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Millepercento M2S and BB1

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/17/2009

in Motorcycle Builders, Motorcycle Business, Motorcycle Design

When I mentioned the new Moto Guzzi concepts at EICMA this year, one comment pointed to the Millepercento M2S. I’m not very familiar with the company, but I remembered some information I had filed away and took another look. It seems they make some rather interesting water cooled big bore engine conversions for the Guzzis, [...]

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Since the announcement of the Buell shutdown, some folks who would know, have been talking about a new Buell model that was in development. Details from those folks are mixed with lots of speculation, so it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.
Someone tipped me to this photo of what they say is the bike in [...]

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Last Buell Motorcycle has been Built

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/12/2009

in American Motorcycles, Motorcycle Business

Just got this note from Harley Davidson, so the era of Buell has officially come to an end:
Harley Davidson press release:

On October 30, a Buell Lightning XB12Scg rolled off the company’s East Troy, Wis. assembly line, the last of the 136,923 motorcycles built in the company’s 26 years of operation. Parent Harley-Davidson announced on October [...]

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Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle $7995

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/11/2009

in Electric motorcycles, Motorcycle Business

Computers, digital cameras and cellphones keep going down in price, we’ve come to expect it with anything electronic, could it be electric motorcycles will follow suit? Maybe. Brammo announced they are lowering the price of the Enertia to $7995. Combined with a 10% tax credit, your final price is $7195. Compared to the initial $11,995, [...]

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