Can't Catch A Break: EBR Announces Its Closure (Again)
The continuing saga of EBR and Erik Buell should be a TV mini-series
Here we go again. The wild ride that is Erik Buell Racing has announced that it is headed for another precipice. Will this be the one that finally, completely wipes the letters E, B, and R from the motorcycling landscape? Who knows, but we’re running out of fingers and toes to count the number of near-death experiences our favorite beleaguered motorcycle company has endured. What little we do know is contained in the press release below.
Here is our take on a few select quotes:
EBR will continue to review strategic alternatives with interested investors regarding production operations.
Translation: We’re not (completely) dead yet.
The combination of slow sales and industry announcements of other major OEM brands closing or cutting production only magnified the challenges faced by EBR.
Translation: If Polaris, with its deep pockets, couldn’t make a plucky motorcycle brand work, investors are skittish, thinking that nobody can.
To read the saga of EBR in serial form, check out the links below.
New Owners For Erik Buell Racing! UPDATED
The Wild, The Innocent, And The EBR Shuffle
The Goal Is To Have 2016 Model EBRs Rolling By Mid-March
Yet Another Streetfighter Shootout!
Begin Press Release:
EAST TROY, WI – EBR Motorcycles, LLC (“EBR”) located in East Troy, Wisconsin will begin a wind down of production operations commencing next week. EBR will continue to honor warranties and provide technical and parts support to current dealers and riders who bought motorcycles manufactured by EBR. EBR will continue to review strategic alternatives with interested investors regarding production operations.
The decision was a tough one for EBR as it has been solely focused on the growth and building EBR for success. The team at EBR has worked tirelessly making every effort to build the company. There is no fault on any of the team at EBR for this decision. They and their families have our deepest gratitude for their efforts and dedication to EBR. This difficult decision was based primarily on EBR facing significant headwinds with signing new dealers, which is key to sales and growth for a new company. In addition, EBR has had limited production in 2016 and 2017 that was under goal. The combination of slow sales and industry announcements of other major OEM brands closing or cutting production only magnified the challenges faced by EBR.
The limited production of remaining 2017 and 2016 EBR motorcycles are currently available from EBR’s top dealers. For a list of top dealers, please go to www.EBR.com.
Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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Mr.Evan Brasfield,, I know it is common now in the era of complete lack of journalistic integrity to have bold incorrect headlines; whether this is do personal bias, desire to scoop the competition, get more web hot or just plain old failed reading comprehension I leave you to decide. How about a headline that actually has some truth to it. IE "ERB announces halt of production" or even EBR Ceases Production(again). The press release that has been copied and pasted mentions nothing of a closure. True the proverbial hand has picked up a pen and appears headed for the wall, but let's tell that story when it actually does happen. This is the kind of poor press work that makes it even harder for a struggling brand to find it's footing, putting out bad information not only unjustly harms the marque but it discredits not only the writer and his medium but the media as a whole. Fix your headline! Your a motorcyclist for Pete's sake.
FYI - This was just posted to the EBR 1190 Owners Group facebook page by EBR engineer Dan Hurda:
"I just want to clarify for people exactly what the press release concerning EBR said.
EBR Motorcycles is ceasing manufacturing operations and winding down that part of the business. The company is NOT closing.
Warranty and service parts will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.
The volume of orders and phone calls has increased dramatically since the press release, so if you aren't getting immediate responses to your questions it is not because we stopped shipping parts or answering email, it is simply that just like before the press release there is a very small staff at EBR but now there is 4 or 5 times the work. Be patient we will answer your questions, we will ship your orders.
If you do have parts of technical questions as always email them to parts@ebr.com or tech@ebr.com do not ask them via Facebook."