Table of contents

• Focus: Harley-Davidson tilted Ex and hops

Buell

55 pictures

Buell

1/55
Erik Buell and the Rotax team at the Rotax plant.

Buell

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2003 – Stuntman Craig Jones on an XB9S.

Buell

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The Buell factory in Mukwanago.

Buell

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The full-length Lightning Long XB12Ss.

Buell

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Lightning CityX XB12SX is slated to fill stores in 2010. But then everything turns out differently than planned: …

Buell

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In 2008 the East Troy factory was still busy producing.

Buell

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1989 – the first Buell without full fairing. The shock absorber and rear silencer are located under the engine in the RS1200 Westwind.

Buell

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At the end of 2009, Buell presented the new Lightning CityX XB12SX for 2010, which is based on the short XB chassis.

Buell

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Of course, there is also an autograph session from bike builder Erik Buell.

Buell

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Anniversary bike in touring outfit: Ulysses XB12XT.

Buell

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In 1999 the new Thunderstorm engine with Buell Dynamic Digital Fuel Injection (DDFI) with 90 PS is installed not only in the sports tourer S3 Thunderbolt, but also in the new X1 Lightning (picture).

Buell

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… for a completely new model family of sporty US bikes.

Buell

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“So I decided to build my own bike in the garage next to my house. In 1983 it was finished.”

Buell

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Rico-Penzkofer on XBRR in the Daytona 200 Race in 2006.

Buell

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The 1125R is not only impressive in the hall, but also outdoors.

Buell

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2008 – Erik visits Berlin.

Buell

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The beginnings of the Buell Motor Company, this is where it all began. The old workshops still exist today.

Buell

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Erik Buell’s racing fever began in the 1970s. Here he rides a Yamaha TZ 750. The Sparton – and thus the RW – was based on it.

Buell

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2009 – Julius Ilmberger at the 500 km race in Hockenheim.

Buell

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In 2006 the Lightning Long XB 12Ss comes onto the market, which is particularly suitable for tall street fighter fans and trips for two.

Buell

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With the new Lightning Low XB12Scg, a machine is offered in 2007 that is specifically aimed at smaller, grown-up Streefighter fans.

Buell

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In 2005 the Streetfighter Lightning CityX XB9SX hits the asphalt of the urban jungle, as well as the winding country roads.

Buell

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The yard of the production facility.

Buell

24/55
Erik cannot be stopped and within 3 months develops a ready-to-drive prototype of a sporty street motorcycle with a Harley-Davidson engine, new frame and full aerodynamic fairing: the RR 1000 Battletwin.

Buell

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Erik Buell not only lets engines rock, but also likes to take the stage.

Buell

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In 2004 Buell presented the Firebolt XB12R sports fighter.

Buell

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… October 15, 2009 Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced that it has ceased production of Buell branded motorcycles. But now we know that an Eric doesn’t let himself get down so quickly.

Buell

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2008 – the 1125R lays a new foundation stone …

Buell

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2009 – AMA Pro Daytona SportBike winner: Danny Eslick.

Buell

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1994 – S2 Thunderbolt is the first motorcycle that results from the now closer cooperation with the Motor Company.

Buell

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Erik in the shed with an old construction plan of brake discs.

Buell

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Erik Buell at the presentation of the 1125R – here the Buell in a cutaway model.

Buell

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On the day of the anniversary, some Buells are gathered in front of the plant.

Buell

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Erik with his band Thunderbolts in Elkhart Lake.

Buell

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The historical production facility from the inside.

Buell

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Erik couldn’t find the right motorcycle for himself at the time …

Buell

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The associated hardware is still in the old Buell Motor Company garage.

Buell

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2008 – 25th Anniversary in East Troy.

Buell

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2007 – Rainer Schwarz shows what he can do on an XB12S in Mainz.

Buell

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2006 – The Adventure Sports Bike Ulysses XB12X …

Buell

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Buell fans celebrate around the factory.

Buell

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Erik Buell and the Firebolt XB9R, their basic chassis data correspond to those of a GP racer.

Buell

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… the new Streetfighter Lightning XB12S.

Buell

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In addition, the sports tourer S3 Thunderbolt comes onto the market, which is now also represented for Buell in Germany and Austria.

Buell

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Two-wheelers also continued to accelerate: Danny Eslick, US champion at the AMA Daytona SportBike.

Buell

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On January 2, 2000, the 25,000th Buell leaves the assembly line.

Buell

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On the company’s 25th anniversary: ​​an unusual look discovered on a Buell bike in front of the factory.

Buell

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The Thunderbolt S3T and S3 on exit 1999.

Buell

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Around 180 employees now work for the Buell Motorcycle Company in East Troy. They produce more than 11,000 machines a year.

Buell

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The history of Buell motorcycles begins in 1983: the RW750 racing machine with a square four two-stroke engine is about to be ready for production – and becomes superfluous because the American motorsport association AMA decides to discontinue the Formula One class in favor of the superbikes. Only one copy was sold.

Buell

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The Firebolt XB12R has a 1203 cm³ large, air-cooled and long-stroke designed V-Twin, just like …

Buell

52/55
In 1997 Buell made its debut with the M2 Cyclone in the all-rounder category: fast and extraordinary.

Buell

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… shines with optimal touring suitability.

Buell

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With the EBR 1190 RS, Erik Buell presented a new super sports car in 2011 that has a Rotax V2 engine at its heart and was launched in 2012.

Buell

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motorcycles

Focus: Harley-Davidson tilted

Focus: Harley-Davidson tilted
Ex and hops

Because profits are shrinking, Harley-Davidson throws ballast off, shuts down Buell and wants to sell MV Agusta. In the USA 3,000 Harley workers are threatened with dismissal.

Eva Breutel

10/22/2009

The news came out of the blue: Neither at Buell’s in East Troy, Wisconsin, nor at MV Agusta in Varese, northern Italy, the employees suspected something of the plans of the parent company Harley-Davidson. Not even at the German branch in Morfelden, Hesse: Ninja Zeiler, the German Buell brand manager, had gone on vacation innocently. Until the evening of October 14th, the official sales figures for the third quarter of 2009 from Milwaukee arrived, garnished with the dry announcement by the US bosses that the previous year’s quarter had shrunk by 84.5 percent to only 26.5 million dollars Net profit with a “go forward strategy” have to react. Its core: Buell is closed, MV Agusta is sold. Obviously struggling to maintain composure, company founder Erik Buell announced the decision on the Internet that would mean the end of his life’s work. He assured all Buell drivers that Harley-Davidson would continue to provide spare parts, the guarantees would also remain in effect. Erik Buell had built sporty motorcycles with Harley engines under his name since 1983. The group gradually took over the new brand in the expectation that it would also score points outside of the chopper and cruiser segment. However, the hopes were not fulfilled.

In its 26-year history, which now ends on December 18th with the dismissal of a total of 180 employees, it built Buell an average of 5200 motorcycles annually. Not worth mentioning for Harley with an annual production of around 300,000 pieces. MV Agusta was specially designed for Europe. In August 2008, the Americans bought the small Italian manufacturer with the premium image. After only 14 months, the marriage is now falling apart. MV Agusta President Claudio Castiglioni, crisis-tested ex-owner, is still calm. “I can understand Harley’s point of view. In the current US and international marketplace, it may actually be best for a company to focus on its core business.” Castiglioni had revived MV Agusta, first in 1997 with the four-cylinder F4, later followed by the legendary Brutale. Financial problems led to negotiations for Piaggio’s participation in 2001, but these failed. In December 2004, the Malaysian group Proton bought MV for 70 million euros – only to return the brand to Castiglioni a year later due to a changed strategy at the symbolic price of one euro. In 2008, Harley-Davidson paid $ 57.5 million for the Italian manufacturer and paid off its debts with a further 47.5 million. It is now up to the Americans to find a buyer for MV Agusta. According to Harley-Davidson, the blame for the misery is of course the financial crisis. But she doesn’t meet the group by chance. For years, Harley in the motherland USA financed its expensive machine on credit for every willing customer – through its in-house Financial Services, which also took over the dealer financing. In this way, according to the calculation, you can also pocket the loan interest yourself. But then the bloated credit system ran out of steam in the financial crash: Sales collapsed, loans were not paid off, motorcycles returned – Financial Services made a record loss of a good 110 million dollars in the first nine months of 2009. Now what can be saved is to be saved. Back in the summer, Harley-Davidson decided not to build the planned new Buell plant and instead ordered short-time work. Each new annual report also announced layoffs. Of the 10,000 employees that Harley employed at the end of 2008, almost 3,000 are to go by the end of 2010. The wave of layoffs is already rolling. Given such numbers, the decision to get rid of two small brands seems more like a casual chord than a bang. The criticism of US bikers on the Internet was also cautious. The bankers, on the other hand, gave loud applause. They had quickly calculated that without the millstones Buell and MV Agusta, instead of a premium of eleven cents per share (2008: 71 cents), 21 cents would be expected. Harley stock rose as a result.

110 years of Harley-Davidson

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