Buell is gone.

[tik]

Why posted here? Because it seems Olympus and Buell had both beautiful products underestimated by the average customer.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/tichi

 

[Michaelr205]

??
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MichaelR

 

[FNG303]

IMHO .

 

[BuonRotto]

I think the dude is trying to scare persuade you into thinking Olympus is a dodo bird.

 

[Barry Stewart]

I suspect many here do not know what a Buell is... (motorcycle line made by Harley Davidson).

By contrast, I'd think if you went on the CaNikon forums (or even in the general public) and mentioned the Pentax or Olympus name, those folks would at least know the brand name.
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Barry

 

[Michael M Fliegel]

Pontiac, Oldsmobile, AMC, Saturn (next year) are all gone and cars are still being produced.

 

[Michaelr205]

You may find that more people than you realise know what Buell is (was). The original posting was just a little enigmatic and needed, in my opinion, further explanation

MichaelR

 

[nalax]

It's unfortunate for US motorcycling. Buell was in a niche market and perhaps the Blast crushing was the sign.

Things aren't easy in the photo industry either. Pentax got rid of almost 2/3 of their national sales force in the last year. Olympus USA has not had a sales rep from Chicago since early this year. We have had a rep call from Cleveland once and another from Atlanta once. I don't know how much of Oly's sales force was eliminatd. The business model for selling cameras is changing. Where it's going, I don't know. I bought an E-620 this summer without having seen the camera shown by an Oly rep or store salesman. It is a nice camera though.

 

[Dan W258995]

I knew about Buell, although I ride bicycles, not motorcycles. Too bad about Buell.

DW

 

[Jon Stock]

It's unfortunate for US motorcycling. Buell was in a niche market and perhaps the Blast crushing was the sign.

Things aren't easy in the photo industry either. Pentax got rid of almost 2/3 of their national sales force in the last year. Olympus USA has not had a sales rep from Chicago since early this year. We have had a rep call from Cleveland once and another from Atlanta once. I don't know how much of Oly's sales force was eliminatd. The business model for selling cameras is changing. Where it's going, I don't know. I bought an E-620 this summer without having seen the camera shown by an Oly rep or store salesman. It is a nice camera though.

A Canadian camara store owner said Olympus got rid of Olympus Canada, he used to have a good salesman who was very helpful. Now he has a 1-800 #.

Part of the normal buisness cycle. Everone is making cutbacks. Even Nikon is loosing money and lots of it.

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Jon

 

[Jim Ford]

none

 

[Rich Z]

I bought a new Harley, once. After a year of bits falling off it, and other bits quitting their function, I traded it in on a new BMW. I still have the Beemer, 30 years on. Rich

 

[dotweb]

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Steen
dotweb.dk
http://www.ukphotosafari.org/join-the-ukpsg/

 

[pinnacle]

You may find that more people than you realise know what Buell is (was). The original posting was just a little enigmatic and needed, in my opinion, further explanation

While I know the Indian, Victory, and a few motorcycle manufacturer names, I think a lot of people on these forums and especially the non UK/USA/AUS members will have no idea who Buell is or was.

I had no clue as to who they were and assumed (mistakenly) because this is a photo gear web site that they were likely a photo gear company.

I think that the idea of attempting to draw analogies between the motorcycle market and the digital camera market is probably not a well placed use of energy.

Dan

MichaelR

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Will I learn from life's lessons or will I lose my faith in the goodness life's promise had to offer?

 

[Rob MacLennan]

... is a visionary. He has been producing new ideas since long before his link-up with HD. His design ideas are cutting edge. He had significant failings though. He largely tied himself to under-performing, massively overweight engines in top quality frames. Only recently did they start to produce purpose made engines, which were still hobbled by their basic design.

These engines were bolted into beautifully designed frames with ground breaking technological ideas, whose manufacturing quality resulted in massive numbers of recalls. I can't think of a single Buell motorcycle that didn't have at least one major recall issued after its first or second production year.

To put it in terms that could be understood by members of this board it would be as if Olympus produced the first Four-Thirds camera and then never improved the sensor or frame rate, while producing ergonomically class leading bodies with incredibly intuitive menu systems.
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D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30

 

[doc1975]

Well put...

To put it in terms that could be understood by members of this board it would be as if Olympus produced the first Four-Thirds camera and then never improved the sensor or frame rate, while producing ergonomically class leading bodies with incredibly intuitive menu systems.

 

[TrapperJohn]

What convinced me to get an EP1 was actually picking one up and trying it out at a local camera store. You really have to see it to appreciate it. So I bought it there, and paid no more than most online outlets are charging.

Having had it for a few weeks now, I find that the majority of criticisms leveled against it online range somewhere between pointless nitpick and criminal inexactitude.

I wasn't surprised by the negative opinions, I was surprised by how far off base most of them were. To date, the only negative point I would score against the EP1 is the somewhat vague menus, and that's more an irritation than an impediment.

 

[seho]

I bought a new Harley, once. After a year of bits falling off it, and other bits quitting their function, I traded it in on a new BMW. I still have the Beemer, 30 years on. Rich

Sounds like a Harley made during the AMF years.

Definitely a low point of the marque's existence.

They seem to be very much better made these days.

That said, my BMW K100RT was the most reliable (and fun) transportation that I have ever owned.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

And my K75RT was the least reliable bike that I've ever owned, but the one that I enjoyed the most.

That said, my BMW K100RT was the most reliable (and fun) transportation that I have ever owned.

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D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30

 

[keggo]

Neither the best bikes, nor the worst. I never really liked them, but I'm more of a full fairing guy anyway. Plus, the belt drive on some (if not all) = yuck. Give me a GSXR and I'll be happy.

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• Kevin

http://www.flickr.com/photos/keggo/

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