gbrummett

Sorry dude, your link for Riding the American Dream is off just a little, try this



http://www.ridingtheamericandream.com

gbrummett

It must be really hard to make a good Sport Bike. You see startups and small U.S. companies making Harley clones and cruisers all the time.



WHERE ARE THE SMALL AMERICAN SPORT BIKE COMPANIES???



Does anyone out there know of any?

Captain_1

A small bike manufacturer can't make enough money to stay in business. High volume production is essential to cover the R+D and multitude of other costs if the bike is to be priced competitively.

BBD_Racing

Yes, it is.



Sport bikes require real engineering. You can't just toss a huge overbuild factor at everything and end up with a 600 lb middleweight.



In the cruiser world, you can just buy a crate motor, string together a simple stone age frame and bold on lots of chrome. Add paint and a really loud exhuast and voila, a mnaly cruiser is born. Massive profit margin, no engineering risk.



As an American engineer, I am saddened by the utter lack of competitive American alloy. Cannondale was a great hope for me, but they bit off more than they could chew.

Mistaandypants

uhh? Buell

www.buell.com

seruzawa

I think that Hanlon has already suckered enough people. I'm not supporting his coke habit by buying some crappy book.

__________________
"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

sr412

Try the Fischer Motor Co. @ http://www.fischer1.com

burtonsimmons

Ah, but who's supplying the engines for them? It looks like Fischer is doing the body & suspension work, but choosing a third party from whom to buy the engine. I mean, is it still an "American Sportbike" if Yamaha provides the engine? Is the Pontiac Vibe really an "American Car" if it's really a rebadged Toyota Matrix?

ZRX_bullock

Buell and sport bike do not belong together in the same sentence. Sport bikes are race replicas and any one of following can be had off the showroom floor. Just a few examples of sport bikes:

Super Bike or liter class; Honda RC 51 winner of 2002 WSB and AMA super bike. Suzuki GSXR 1000, future 2003 AMA super bike champion. Ducati 998/999 and Aprilia Mille R.

¾ liter class, GSXR 750; three time winner of AMA super bike championship

How about Super Sport; Yamaha R6, Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda CBR, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Triumph 600.

Where does Buell fit in this mix??? Aprilia and to a lesser extent Triumph have entered the mix and had relative success. They have had success because they developed, built and competed against Honda and Ducati. Once they built a race bike they were able to sell a "Sport Bike". What has Buell done other then develop a marketing plan.

Even Moto Guzi is developing a sport bike to compete in the 20004 WSB. What will Buell do, develop another marking plan...

Until the Buell customer demands a bike that can compete with the established race bikes Buell will at best be considered an oddity not a sport bike by any stretch of the imagination

__________________
ZRX 1200 - Mods make it 130 HP and 85 torque at the rear wheel.
trackday junkie.

lukam

Oh now I get it, you are the master of the world and define what a sport bike is for all of humanity.



What an idiot...