EBR shut down.........

[Arizona Wayne]

....Erik Buell Racing has filed for bankruptcy. www.roadracingworld .com   :'(  I thought Hero Indus. in India was backing them now.

[AJ Huff]

Wow. I swear they just had a demo day at Riders Hill.

-AJ

[fotoguzzi]

That's pretty sad.. I kept thinking they would build a thumper ADV bike to kill all KLR craving I might have.

[rocker59]

Sounds like EBR backer, HERO, has pulled the plug.

[LowRyter]

Dang .  Pegram was running world Superbike this season on an EBR.  That was a quick fail.

I always thought that Rotax/Can Am was the best fit for him.

[travelingbyguzzi]

Thats too bad. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Buell.
Sam Walton failed a few times, also. Left Florida under a dark cloud before he got it right in Arkansas.

[youcanrunnaked]

Sad news.

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/erik-buell-racing-receivership-bankruptcy/


I guess Hero turned out to be not so much.

I rode the 1190SX at the 2014 AIME.  It's a nice bike, but a bit crude for $19,000.  It looks like the market agreed.  Add to that the lack of success in WSBK, and Hero must have gotten cold feet.  Too bad.  I didn't think there was anything wrong with either the EBR street bikes or their race bikes that they couldn't fix.

The above article mentions the prospect that someone might bid for ownership of the business, but without either Hero's financing or Erik Buell himself guiding it, what would they be buying?

[GearheadGrrrl]

Sad to hear, but not surprising. Seems like they got all intoxicated with Hero's and the EB-5 foreign "investors" money and let costs get out of control. The new EBR bikes haven't been selling well, so ultimately the party had to end. Sounds like Hero's lawyers figured out how to make EBR "severable" so they can stiff the creditors and go on their merry way.

[LaGrasta]

heavy disappointment to hear this.

[rboe]

It would be interesting to see why Hero dropped the hammer on them. I wonder if EB was taking advantage of them, without giving them the reason to put up with it.

[youcanrunnaked]

Now that I recall the arrangement that EBR made with Hero, wasn't Buell going to market Hero motorcycles in North America?  I always thought that part of the deal was more valuable to Hero than EBR's street bike manufacturing, or the race team.  Maybe Hero decided to go it alone in this market, or find another partner, or maybe they decided not to sell their bikes here.

[Vasco DG]

I'd read this in several places in the last few days and this morning my mate and I went into the big Honda dealership in Townsville to kill a bit of time and they also were/are an EBR dealer. Had one on the floor, interesting looking bike, what I could see of it.

Anyway the sales-creature came over and started spruiking it to me and I said "Pity they've gone into receivership innit?". First of all he started waffling on about Harley and I had to explain, no, I meant that the deal with Hero had fallen through and the company was being wound up. He knew nothing about it and told me I was wrong.

No skin off my nose but I thought it quite funny.

Pete

[molly]

The sports bike market isn't what it was especially in Europe even Ducati have become more broad based in their model range. Sports bikes have become smaller over the years so much so that anyone bigger than a jockey can't fit on them plus the average riding age is 45+, so it doesn't bode well for a firm only selling sports bikes.

[Aaron D.]

Innovative, and the one or two I rode (Firebolt/Uly) were great fun, but all were crude, most were ugly, and they haven't done well in racing at all.

[Kev m]

The sports bike market isn't what it was especially in Europe even Ducati have become more broad based in their model range. Sports bikes have become smaller over the years so much so that anyone bigger than a jockey can't fit on them plus the average riding age is 45+, so it doesn't bode well for a firm only selling sports bikes.

And this comment crosses over to one of the tangents of the Triumph thread - i.e. why Triumph is so successful (diversity), though my thought being that more of the credit goes to the Classics/Cruisers (at least in the US).

[Aaron D.]

Aaron , those were completely different bikes than what EBR was building , and they did have some racing success in the US . Really , I think what this proves is the motorbike business is difficult . With the exception of Victory/Indian that are completely owned by Polaris , the only truly successful start up  has been Triumph
funded basically by one very wealthy person who was willing to lose money for years . Yes , Hero is a large concern , mostly because Honda put their money and resources behind them .

  Dusty

Oh, I know they are different, my "crude" comment was based on the EBR bikes I've seen up close. Ugly and crude.
I'm sure they are fun too, but there are a lot of very nice looking sport bikes that would be just as fun-and I didn't see EBR as good on price either.

So with a limited product range-sport bikes and derivitaves-that don't have a "wow" factor in the looks department (like MV) or real racing heritage (Ducati)-what did they have? Apparently the market agrees.

[steven c]

 I guess i'll be riding my Uly for a long time. I know Eric Buell is a die hard sport bike, racer guy, but the Uly was Buell's best seller, maybe he waited to long to bring out the long rumored AX being that adventure bikes seem to be a growing market and sport bikes are on the decline. It will be interesting to find out the true story.

[kevdog3019]

Living on the "cutting edge" seems to be the story of Buell's life.  Not sure it's ever going to work in his favor.  Price, market/audience for such things may not support his idealic designs.
 

[Cage Free]

My local dealer has been giving large discounts on the new EBR bikes for a while, I figured must be collecting dust and not doing well, too bad but not a bike I would ever consider.

[Allflatblack]

They are really nice looking. Now I guess they will be a collectors item. Needed some big money behind them to push through the competion

[jas67]

And this comment crosses over to one of the tangents of the Triumph thread - i.e. why Triumph is so successful (diversity), though my thought being that more of the credit goes to the Classics/Cruisers (at least in the US).

I certainly see a lot more of their Classic & Cruisers than their sport bikes on the road.    This is proportionate to the number of cruisers I see vs. sport bikes I see on the roads.   The US market is definitely majority cruisers.

If I'm not mistaken, Ducati is the only major mfg. selling in the US that doesn't offer traditional cruisers.

As for EBR's lack of success in selling their bikes here, given that Ducati are well established, and sell competitive models for similar money, I can see were it would be tough for EBR to compete.

[Kev m]

If I'm not mistaken, Ducati is the only major mfg. selling in the US that doesn't offer traditional cruisers.

Well, I wouldn't call anything BMW does "Cruiser" since the R1200C variants.

[RickTReloaded]

Too much too soon. Very expensive & quirky small-niche bikes, WSBK aspirations ($$$$$$), and bikes like the new R1 and Ducati 1299...  Odds weren't in Mr. Buell's favor.

Very sad, but we can just expect Motus to be next.

[Arizona Wayne]

Too much too soon. Very expensive & quirky small-niche bikes, WSBK asipirations ($$$$$$), and a bikes like the new R1 and Ducati 1299...  Odds weren't in Mr. Buell's favor.

Very sad, but we can just expect Motus to be next.

Quite frankly I don't know why Motus is still alive.  Great bike but too expensive for most potential customers.  I believe they are finally shipping bikes to 100 or so waiting customers this year.  Kind of like the reborn 961 Norton.

BTW, I met a new Norton owner @ the `14 Datil MGNOC New Mexico State Rally last August.  It was BEAUTIFUL, but he was on his 2nd motor and when he started it up it was so quiet you couldn't even hear it running!  He said he was getting different pipes for it.

[rocker59]

  I believe they are finally shipping bikes to 100 or so waiting customers this year.  

No.  They're not.

they have a warehouse full of unassembled parts.

they still have no bikes for sale.

[Travlr]

Would you buy a leftover EBR?

Mike

[bad Chad]

Would you buy a left over MZ 1000?  Reviewed quite well, but a dead fish is dead, even if you pull it around on your line.

[RickTReloaded]

Would you buy a leftover EBR?

Mike

After sale support? Parts? Service?  NO.  Will stay with Ducati and Piaggio - slow and painful as that may be sometimes...

[jas67]

Well, I wouldn't call anything BMW does "Cruiser" since the R1200C variants.

Looks like I was mistaken  ;-T

I, of course, know this.    I must have been having a brain fart (heck, I own FOUR BMWs).

The do sell lots of GS's.    The "ADV Touring" segment (which BMW started with the R80 G/S) is probably the second largest segment in the US.

[fotoguzzi]

Looks like I was mistaken  ;-T

I, of course, know this.    I must have been having a brain fart (heck, I own FOUR BMWs).

The do sell lots of GS's.    The "ADV Touring" segment is probably the second largest segment in the US.

you need at least one Buell in that collection or maybe a Yamaha..