Erik Buell Documentary to Air on PBS

John Burns
by John Burns

The Ragged Edge, a new hour-long documentary telling the story of EBR Motorcycles and Erik Buell, will air May 8 on PBS, but only if you live in Wisconsin. It may find its way later into limited PBS distribution around the rest of the country, and will be available for digital download.

What it is, according to creator Joe Sousa, is “a full, important profile of the man and the company that both changed motorcycling in America and have come to stand for the dogged determination – even in the face of failure – that characterizes the best of American business. We feel this is a film not just for the fans of Buell and EBR Racing, but anyone who appreciates a story about an underdog trying to make it. Even if, in the end, it doesn’t quite work out.”

Unfortunately, the heartwarming aspect of the thing is somewhat chillaxed by EBR going into receivership last month. Sousa says he and his partner trained cameras on Erik Buell at work and play, the EBR factory race team, and workers on the factory floor in East Troy for the past five years, wrapping up production just before EBR’s latest financial emergency. Sousa says his team is “actively working to cover unfolding events with plans to either update the current film or create a follow up film that begins with the Hero closure and moves forward from wherever things go from here.”

Anyway, seems like a really interesting documentary for followers of the Erik Buell brand. Sousa claims over 30 hours of broadcast television credit, including last year’s PBS series, ‘ Coming Back with Wes Moore,’ which profiles returning combat veterans. The trailer looks great. See it and learn more at http://raggededgefilm.com.

John Burns
John Burns

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