BYE BYE BUELL

November 1, 2009 11:34 AM AEDT

Just as we were about to send this issue to press came the shock news that Buell will cease production. Parent company Harley-Davidson, who purchased Buell in 1998, made the announcement on October 15th that the Buell brand will be discounted, with the last models rolling off the lines in late October, before the Wisconsin plant closes for good on December 18th.

The decision came in the wake of dramatic sales and revenue drops for Harley-Davidson this year. Compared to the third quarter of 2008, sales are down 21.3 per cent, while net income dropped an alarming 84.1 per cent. In announcing the closure of Buell as part of their "go-forward" business strategy, which saw them cut 1,000 jobs earlier this year, Harley-Davidson also revealed that the MV Agusta operation they acquired last year is on the market. Any similar sale of Buell was not considered possible, however, due to Buell's close symbiotic relationship to Harley-Davidson.
In a video message on the Buell website, a visibly devastated Erik Buell thanked his team, dealers and customers for their support over the 26 years the company has been in business. Buell has been tipped for a product development role within H-D, but this has yet to be confirmed. More on this story in next month's JUST BIKES.