 It's a sad day for motorcycling in general, and I admit to feeling a little emotional as I write this. Buell, one of the most innovative, creative and downright entertaining motorbike manufacturers on the planet, will cease production of motorcycles at the end of October 2009. The fact that any manufacturing company is going to the wall, with the associated loss of jobs and dilution of skills is sad. But for a company like Buell it's truly tragic.
Erik Buell founded the company in 1983 and from humble beginnings as the brainchild of a slightly eccentric but gloriously unfettered by convention engineering genius it grew until Harley Davidson acquired the business in 1998. Then it grew more as Buell had access to the larger R&D budget and variety of equipment that Harley could offer.
While the cornerstone of the company has always been the air cooled Harley Davidson Sportster engine, in both 900cc and 1200cc versions, in recent years Buell branched out with a Rotax developed liquid cooled engine of their own. And it was a blinder, though hampered by some teething problems. Buell addressed the reliability and quality control issues that plagued the bikes in the early days and by the end were turning out machinery that was generally as well built and reliable as anything from Japan.
And infinitely more soulful.
Here's the actual press release. Make of it what you will.
"EAST TROY, Wisconsin. (Oct. 15, 2009) – Buell Motorcycle Company officials thanked the company’s customers, employees and dealers for an unforgettable ride, following today’s announcement by Harley-Davidson, Inc. that it will discontinue the Buell® product line as part of Harley-Davidson’s go-forward business strategy. The new long-term strategy aims to drive Company growth through a focus of efforts and resources on the Harley-Davidson® brand.
 “I want to personally thank all our past and present Buell employees, dealers and suppliers for their efforts. I also want to thank Buell motorcycle owners for their support and passion for the brand,” said Buell Motorcycle Company President Jon Flickinger.
Flickinger said a limited number of new Buell motorcycles remain available for sale through authorized dealerships and production will wind down by October 30. He also stressed that Harley-Davidson will provide replacement parts and service through dealerships and that warranty coverage will continue as normal for Buell motorcycles.
“I will always be proud of what we have accomplished. It is a testimony to what a small group of passionate and inspired people can do, and with brilliant innovations, we’ve produced some of the best-handling bikes of all time,” said Buell Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. “I personally look forward to exploring how I can continue to work with Harley-Davidson to bring advanced product technology to riders.
“I have also had the great fortune to meet and get to know many Buell riders over the years, and they are an amazing and interesting group of free thinkers,” Buell said. “May you ride with pride into the future. And may your roads ahead be as adventuresome and rewarding as mine have been for the last 26 years.”
 A wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc. since 1998, Buell Motorcycle Company was founded in 1983 by Erik Buell and produced more than 135,000 motorcycles. Over the past 26 years, Buell motorcycles won numerous design accolades and awards, and countless races and championships around the world, including the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike championship in 2009."
You can see Erik Buell's announcement yourself. Fair play to the man for sitting down and telling his customers what the score is, straight and with no nonsense. And for not being afraid to let people see he cares. The video is here.
Note that Harley Davidson will be honouring warranties, supplying spares and supporting the dealer network for the forseeable future. So if you've got a Buell, don't panic.
And if you haven't, perhaps it might be a good time to get one...
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