Buells Downunder

[twoguns]

on a side note...

i reckon more over the sales that are happening now would be more buellers buying a back up bike or spare for the memory. or a last minute update oportunity.

i dont see new to the brand buyers rushing in. they wouldnt come before for what ever reason, and now that there will be no official support for hte product other than the legal requirements. there would be less reason. only price can balance that one. hence why some of these deals are out there.

buell Au couldnt keep stock of parts, accessories enough as it was when the factory was open. how many of us had to look OS for our bits, and now there will be no official dealers. i dont see how any dealer will say... 'we will carry all your parts and accessories' now!

anybody else have thoughts?...

[Butch]

buell Au couldnt keep stock of parts, accessories enough as it was when the factory was open. how many of us had to look OS for our bits, and now there will be no official dealers. i dont see how any dealer will say... 'we will carry all your parts and accessories' now!

Hope Pete stocks up on more parts... would use him over a dealer anyday

[Trip]

When Buellistic bought her first Buell in 1999 we went to the local dealer Frasers N'ctle, none of the sales staff had much of an idea about Buell at all and the best they could do for us was to hand us an A4 brochure of all the Buell models, nothing on the floor to look at or test ride, the brochure was so small we couldn't make out even what they looked like, we had to travel to Homebush to see and purchase her X1, originally we were going to buy from Blacktown but they didn't have a test ride available and Frasers Syd did, price was the same, things did change for the better at Frasers when a new manager was installed and later he was brought up to N'ctle where things also improved, however, since the ceasing of production of Buell the disorganised manner the dealers are behaving is abominable to say the least, I read a post about an XB12R being sold in Melb. for about $9 K ride away, so I rang N'ctle who originally quoted $13 then $11, Trivetts the same thing, Morgan & Whacker who asked if I had spoken to any other dealers as they didn't know what was happening with prices on the bikes they may know something later, we have contacted Peter Stevens who has accepted our deposit on a XB12R of $500 and we have received a sort of acknowledgment of this deposit with the original quoted cost unregistered of $8,490, a statement "there is no guarantee that we can fill these orders, deposits will be refunded if we are unable to supply you with a bike".

I'm pretty disgusted with the shambles I'm in the middle of at the moment, I have been quoted prices that vary $4,500 with statements like "you need to place a deposit immediately to guarantee a sale", surely someone could have organised this debacle a lot better, either I have a bike held with a deposit or not, I don't understand how this system works and as non Buellers see this shit fight unfold I can only imagine it will deter them from entering the fray, I agree the larger percentage of buyers for '09/'10 models will already be owners, why would anyone buy an unsupported discontinued manufacturers bike just because they're slightly cheaper is a joke, I hope that Peter Stevens honours their contract to supply us with a bike, if they are unable to I will be expecting some sort of evidence as to exactly how many bikes were brought into the country how many deposits were placed and when, I am very sceptical about the whole scene at the moment, what I want to do is guarantee our place in the history of Buell with the purchase of another XB as we already have the Rotax model, I'm not about taking advantage of people trying to clear their stock off the floors of their shops, but I'm also not going to pay a higher price than necessary for a bike I know I will have trouble getting parts and service for, HD/BUELL AUST. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND BE PROFESSIONAL FOR THE TERMINAL BREATHE OF OUR BRAND, it's bad enough losing our manufacturer, let's not add to the pain. !!!

[twodogs]

Hope your quests for new Buells comes off Wes and Trendies. When I originally wanted to purchase a Buell I was in the market for a new one. Would have a 2008 model now if they could have supplied one in less than 5 months. Not at all unhappy with what I got but you have to be pretty stubborn to end up getting one with all the competition out there. When I had to get an oil line it took Frazers Newy about 6 weeks to supply. That was when all seemed good. Had to get an oil cooler as well and sent a text off to Peter. Didnt think ya could get things not in the catalouge. I was wrong as Peter supplied it quick as, and at a much better price than you know who. Maybe you Guys should think of as near new a bike as posible before they go up. Wish I was in the market, but one is hard enough to support. At least with the XB engine gearbox parts will always be available. Be that original or aftermaket. My only concern really is cosmetic damage but I hope not to do any of that. Good luck guys, lucky you already got one.

[Aussie_XB12SS]

I'm only getting another one because of the price.
Most of the extras on my bike came from overseas as the dealers never had anything & Pete hadn't started his shop at that stage so nothing much changes for me.

We have contacted Peter Stevens who has accepted our deposit on a XB12R of $500 and we have received a sort of acknowledgment of this deposit with the original quoted cost unregistered of $8,490, a statement "there is no guarantee that we can fill these orders, deposits will be refunded if we are unable to supply you with a bike".

There are going to be a lot of disappointed buyers I'm afraid if they are waiting for an XB at the $8990 price.
I can tell you for a fact that some one I was standing next to at 1:00pm Saturday afternoon rang & asked Peter Stevens for an XB12R unregistered & they would drive down Monday morning with the cash & was told no we can't sell unregistered. Plus they didn't have one.
I was in Harley Heaven at 9:10 am Saturday morning for nothing else but filling time when they printed off a price list & gave it to me. I was gob smacked & after telling him my thoughts on this whole business I asked to see a new 09 bike as I would've paid for one then & there - they didn't have any but said to put a deposit down & they would get whatever I want & if they couldn't get it then there would be a 2010 available or they give my deposit back.
Rang another dealer & they rang me back on Monday & said no way at those prices. They seem to think they have all the available XB's & they can stay in the warehouse & they won't let the other dealer have them!
I have spoken to three different salesmen at Harley Heaven & all told me different stories plus not one new as much about Buells as I do.

I'm not really bothered to be honest so if I miss out then thats life.

[twoguns]

i think that that is a valid point. but many of hte buellers are buying these run out bikes, not other riders. it is those buellers that more than likely have one and want another for teh sake and oporunity. maybe a few who ummed and arred and thought well for the money why not.

lets remember this is a discontinued brand that up till date had little support anyway, and now will be less. not going to attract a otherwise unsure new buell owner by any means.

hell i have been to almost every dealer in NSW over the last 6 years, and know first hand how hard it was to get buell information, see buell goods or even buell signage. FRASERS SYDNEY WAS THE WORST... a new sydney showroom and for the entire trading business previous and months after that showroom opened, you didnt see or hear buell mentioned ever. go into that showroom and it was a 3m x3m space up in the back corner behind everything else. get fuked now if they wana whinge that they can not get in close out deals and clients.

i can recount a hundred stories from other buellers of similiar tales.

teh amount of people i refered to go look at or test ride a buell, only to have em come back to me and say they couldnt see or ride one, or talk to anybody with real enthusiasm or knowledge. almost embarresing sometimes to hear how they were treated.
and i personally know 7 lost sales for buell due to this very fact. x that by 10 buellers referring others and there is 70 sales lost!!!

hell i spent half a day talking to riders at hte last sydney show cause the trivett guy there openly admitted he knew nothing about buell. one guy all day on a stand that knew nothing. trying to impress riders and gain some interest to lead to sales. FAILED! all i heard was hear say rumours among the attnedees and i couldnt take it no more. if i had a sales book that day i wouldve sold a dozen bikes guaranteed. and trivett still have no idea of the goings and deal offerings. even when they did... they thought 14200 was GREAT! that guy just stood in amazment! i just thought... yep typical spend on a trade show to strut your stuff and man it with incompetent morons.

no wonder Erik has been ripped a new one by HD. i feel for that guy!

back to this though...

the prices quoted for the rotax represent the same kind of discount as those for hte XB. so i dont think there is anything underhanded. pricing has been offered to dealers, tehy choose how to go about their mark ups. fair trading i would think.
its not until the whingers kick in and HD loose their spine. hell if i was HD and with the current track record and a dealer said 'hey i will take all your stock now and clear it out' i would give it to em.
even more so when i have comments directly made to me by other dealers who have no stock, who tell me ' mate we are not going to commit to any stock unless you front up a deposit'. 'we dont want to get stuck with old buell stock with no buell support'... shows a lack of commitment and represents to me that clearing the discontinued stock would take a while with that kind of dealer attitude

HDAU could turn around and adjust their pricing if they feel the need to further kick their market support in the guts and gouge a few extra dollars out of already gutted and disappointed buell community and owners, in the hope of getting a few $$$. gouge by all means if they are still going to stock a full range of parts on teh shelf and accessories... but we know that wont happen - hardly did before. we will rely on our own sources and imports.

but they have already obviously sent deals out to dealers as i ahve spoken to many and accross the board many showed simliar price discounts and then there were those who offered more or were structuring their own sale. thats to me is competitive dealing... not price fixing. you also read and see those that have already got deals and commited. a few even have bikes delivered.

i dont think however that an unrealistic run out price will draw in non buell lovers to buy a now disconitnued model from a discontinued dealer, from a discontinued manufacturer. it will aid HD teh oportunity to clear their stock quickly and effectively. free up their cash flow to fund the HD product.

there is bullshit going on clearly as both Qld and Vic dealers took an oportunity to clear stock and make a small margin as an oportunity to turn over cash flow. that is an entrepreneurial position. other dealers sat on their hands and waited to see what would be feed them as far as information and oportunity. then want to winge the loudest when it turns out they are missing out on buyers and oportunities to sell and make something. no some dealers want to make more.
there is two forms of business... buy little sell little and have more margin (considered less work for more %) and others buy bulk, turn over and have less margin (more work but an easier sell).

dealers i have spoken to today fell into once of these categories. now which one is more likely to get the sale on the identical product. the guy who puts his balls on the line commits to stock and wants to clear it though. the other guy just bitches cause he has missed yet another oportunity to make any kind of sale at all.

look at the geographic location of buells on the forums. how many from sydney compared to melbourne and brisbane areas...

i wait likewise. my 9k xb buell is no different to an 11k 1125. about what i would expect to pay for niche product that is no more. i know i love buells. they jsut do it for me. they dont it for others, and they dont do it all. just enough to be fun. the deals being sprouted look no different to those offered and enjoyed by us buellers.

we will see shortly people... that s for sure.

[lostbiker]

With you Wes & Trip. Its a debarkle, a shamozzle, & an insult.
Wes, i fall into the categories you mentioned earlier. I can see the value & can appreciate the marque. Maybe a little too much, sometimes, i think! Obsession come to mind...

[lostbiker]

Went to the bike shop today just for some oil/O-rings & overheard one of the salesies on the phone fielding an enquiry on a new Ss. I hung around til he had finished the phonecall & asked him a few questions. He reckoned they had taken 60 X $500 deposits on new (09, 010) Buells in the last 10 days!!! Then told me he didn't know how many of those orders would be fulfilled as he didn't know how many bikes they were getting, if any...

[Bueller]

I have heard that there are bikes but the numbers are not known by the dealers. One speculation is 450, but there are 180 supposedly on a boat on the way over so I don't know if it that would be 450 inc those or 450+ those or 450 with another ship load that could possibly come. Some bikes are supposedly here already waiting to be released. The allocation withn dealers is in order of the date and time that the deposit was placed. The allocation to dealers could be critical.

One big issue will be the assembly and predelivery of hundreds of bikes.

[Nugget]

One big issue will be the assembly and predelivery of hundreds of bikes.

Will that mean more loose bolts than normal?

[Argentum]

there is two forms of business... buy little sell little and have more margin (considered less work for more %) and others buy bulk, turn over and have less margin (more work but an easier sell).

I've always campaigned for the latter..... and practiced the same in my business life.

Low margin = Easier to Sell = More Sales = Same/More clear profit at the end of the day.... and when you're dealing in industry that relies mainly on 'enthusiasts' and weekend hobbiests, the higher the prices the less people will take up a particular hobby(or spend on their hobby) and that instantly equates to slower sales and no growth in the market. Backwards thinking in my book
Greedy capitalist bastards trying to get rich at the expense of the consumer is exactly why prices on motorcycling gear is too damn high in this country.... and once you add up all the margins added by 'middle-men', the poor consumer gets screwed every time.

High Margin = Low Turnover = $ome quick dollars for retailer = Unhappy Customers = Short Term Win for retailer
Low margin = High Turnover = $$$ome more dollars for retailer = Happy Customers + More New Customers = WIN WIN for all


It's a proven fact that when items get cheaper, more items are sold.... that's why supermarkets have 'specials' every week. They don't do it to create extra work or to lose money.... they do it because they know they'll sell ten times as much just by lowering their profit margin a little.

IMHO, Australia needs to wake up and stop supporting this same kind of capitalist greed that has lead to this current world economic troubles.
By this I mean support only businesses that are willing to support YOU.... at the right price... and those businesses that are unwilling to support their customers wallets can suffer the consequences of their own short sighted greed.... and we'll pick up some real bargains at their 'Going out of business sale'

[Trip]

Got the call this afternoon, there are NO Buells available, the deposit drawn against our account is presently being mailed back to us, Lex from Peter Stevens said there was some talk about a release around December with prices about $13,500. We are not interested, $9,000 to $9,500 at a stretch we would consider buying an XB12R but over that I can't see the value.

Triumph would now have to be my choice of replacement if the occasions ever arose.

[Lazza]

Maybe you could get one of these

Damn shame

[Butch]

Shit why dump the bikes ...soooooo many spare parts....that kind of waste really pisses me off! but I've seen it time and time again

[lostbiker]

Is anyone really surprised?
As far as i'm concerned, these bikes are worth more than what they charge for them, anyway... When you compare what value ya get for ya money on RRP over other makes in a particular 'class' of motorcycle...
I've had more than $17000 worth of fun & enjoyment out of my bike in 3 1/2 years & will continue to do so for years to come.