Re: American Sport Bike
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