Modern Vespa

http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/blast/#

edit up date: while at Daytona on last thurs Buel announced they are shutting down period. While all new bike production will cease they will continue parts for7 years. The racing world is all saddened by this as Buell really had an outstanding factory support for the racers at the tracks. I'll post some more over in the biketoberfest area.

I saw that the other day. I was confused for a bit then I caught on. Great idea Erik!

Dave

When I ordered my MP3 they told me it might be 4 months before I got delivery. I bought a used Blast with 2,500 miles on it for $2,000 which I figured I could recover when the MP3 came in. I got my money back for it but in those months read the Blast forum. It is the only forum where the people that own the bike say it is a POS and complain. No one expects to be on them for long. A very few got 20k miles or more from them. The end table sounds like a good idea.

+1 (Jerry)

Update:

I went to a local Harley/Buell dealership today. There was a yellow Buell Blast outside and a black Blast on the showroom floor. I thought I would try and be funny with the salesman and said something to the effect of "the last picture I saw of a Blast it looked a lot more angular" He obligingly chuckled and said to look closely at the black one. He said it was a 2010 model Blast. The name Buell is nowhere to be seen on it. He told me the bike is still being produced and sold by Harley/Buell dealerships but it is in no way affiliated with the Buell name and the Buell sport bike image.

Dave

you are correct chet and harley won't put thier name on it either. it is just called Blast.

Y'know, it really is too bad that the by year's end, the Buell will have something in common with my old Aero 80.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/64462187.html

Looks like they are also dumping MV Augusta, who they just bought. I wonder if Piaggio will snatch them up...

Check out Eric Buell's message at buell.com

Very sad. I owned two of his bikes. In my opinion, his part of the Buell design was like engineering artwork. Too bad he was stuck with the Harley engine. And now that he just got a real engine to work with (Rotax 1125), they pull the plug.

Wow...that is hard to watch. You can really tell he's doing all he can to not burst out into tears..... So, did he come out with the "crushing the 2010" model as an introduction to making a better bike and then Harley said, "We're pulling the plug"? I guess what I'm asking is, did his 'creative' way of showing they weren't gonna make run of the mill mediocre intro bikes get him and the company canned? Don't know the history behind this, but it sure seems that way. He looked so optimistic in the 2010 redesign video and now, a few months later...so sad...I hope he pulls a "Tucker" and goes off on his own to make an even better bike that rubs Harley's not too long ago bankrupt themselves nose in it!