Harley-Davidson announced yesterday that the final bike built by Buell, a Lightning XB12Scg, rolled off the production line on October 30. This marked the 136,923th motorcycle built by Buell in its 26 years of operation.

On October 15 Buell’s parent company, Harley-Davidson, announced that the Buell line-up would be discontinued effective December 18, 2009. The move, along with ditching its investment in MV Agusta, was seen as necessary by Harley.

This desperate act was done solely to keep Harley’s “84.1 percent decline in net income and an 84.5 percent decline in diluted earnings per share from the year-ago [3rd] quarter” from plummeting even further.

Buells will be for sale at dealers until stock is depleted. Current Buell owners can rest peacefully knowing that Buell, or rather Harley, will continue to supply Buell parts for another seven years as mandated by federal law.

Regardless of your opinion of Buell motorcycles, you can’t deny this is a dark day for all of motorcycling, and not just Harley-Davidson.

Erik Buell had an undeniable passion for his products as viable and competitive (even superior if you ask him!) alternatives to other brands in the sportbike segment. If you’ve ever met Erik or heard him speak, you’ll understand.

Don’t know ‘bout you, but this photo gets me all choked up, as if I, too, have suffered a personal loss. In fact, I think all of us in the U.S. motorcycling community have suffered an immense loss.

Buell Motorcycles Shut Down [video]

Update Nov 13: Last Buell Motorcycle Rolls Off the Line

An emotional Erik Buell has posted a video on the Buell Motorcycle site officially announcing that Harley-Davidson has shut down all Buell motorcycle production.  Harley-Davidson will honor all warranties for Buell owners, Buell dealers will still be selling the limited supply of bikes that are currently on hand.  Visit Motorcycle.com News for more details.

You can watch the video statement from Eric Buell after the jump.

And check out our factory tour and the Buell story below.

Hit the jump to see Henrichot’s Buell Scoop concept.

Check it out after the jump.

If you haven’t heard, or have seen the new 2010 Buell Blast, you should check it out before viewing the video below.

Buell has re-branded itself over the last month or so and have been taking a very close look at themselves.  Not only did they change their logo, but they decided to put to rest a motorcycle that just didn’t fit what they really wanted to be making.  Sport bikes.

So the 2010 Buell Blast is a crushed hunk of metal signifying the end of that model.  There will be no Blast in the future so don’t hold your breath!

From comments on our own blog and across the Internet, it seems that not everyone agrees with Erik Buell’s decision to kill this beginner motorcycle.

So to help everyone understand this decision, Buell has thrown together a video explaining why they killed the Buell Blast.  See the rest of the post for the 3 minute video.

For more Buell video, check out the Motorcycle.com Buell Video Channel.

Buell is getting their priorities straight these days, and nothing says this more then their new 2010 Buell Blast (pictured above).

How do you ride that?

You don’t. Buell has deemed the Buell Blast as “cute”, which does not fit in with their drive towards making the best and fastest sportbikes out there.  And so they’ve crushed their remaining Buell Blasts and will try to ignore the bike ever existed (probably).

The Buell Blast was a cute little motorcycle. It just never made much of a sportbike. But, as luck would have it, it makes a killer ottoman. Or end table. Or art piece.

Believe it or not, Buell has submitted the New 2010 Buell Blast to Motorcycle.com’s own Specs tool, featuring specs and data on this fancy new Buell ottoman.

New 2010 Buell Blast Specs

See the rest of the post for the 2009 Buell Blast and then the crushed 2010 Buell Blast version.

Before (2009 Buell Blast):

After (2010 Buell Blast):

Want these as desktop wallpapers?  Head over to Buell’s website to nab them!

Motorcycle.com’s own Kevin Duke recently took a tour of Erik Buell’s “little” garage where Buell motorcycles are dreamed up and created and it looks like a mighty fine place to work!

The Buell factory is a quite small operation but quite technically advanced, using high-tech testing facilities and computer programs to design, build, and test out their bikes.  There’s only 170 people on staff!

Just 170 employees are responsible for the entire operation, and Mr. Buell joked during the tour, “Ducati has more people in their race department than I have in my whole company!”

Holy crap!  I bet all those 170 employees are total gear-heads, dedicated to their work. It also looks like they are hiring!  Harley-Davidson, their major partner/investor, seem to be in charge of the hiring by the looks of it, but I’ve included all the job positions available in Wisconsin, where the Buell factory is located. I’m betting those spots are for Buell.

See the rest of the article for possible job positions at Buell, Motorcycle.com’s video tour of the factory, and head over to their “Buell Factory Tour” written report to get details.

Buell Jobs

Corporate Conformity of Production Lead	Wisconsin	Engineering
Sr. Project Engineer	Wisconsin	Engineering
Staff Technical Specialist	Wisconsin	Engineering
Tax Analyst	Wisconsin	Finance
Assistant Manager General Merchandise	Wisconsin	General Merchandise
Designer	Wisconsin	General Merchandise
General Merchandise Associate Manager	Wisconsin	General Merchandise
Product Manager	Wisconsin	General Merchandise
Security Analyst Sr (SAP)	Wisconsin	Information Services
Advanced Manufacturing Technical Staff Engineer	Wisconsin	Manufacturing / Plant Ops
Development Purchasing Analyst Sr	Wisconsin	P&A/Parts & Accessories
Developmental Purchasing Analyst	Wisconsin	Purchasing
Supply Base Analyst Sr	Wisconsin	Purchasing
Manager, Service Marketing & Retail Capabilities	Wisconsin	Quality
Assistant Product Manager Retail Environment	Wisconsin	Sales
Manager, eMarketing	Wisconsin	Sales & Marketing
Manager, Project Event Operations	Wisconsin	Sales & Marketing
Sr. Project Manager, eMarketing	Wisconsin	Sales & Marketing
Sr. Project Manager, eMarketing	Wisconsin	Sales & Marketing

Head over to their job postings to see where else Harley-Davidson is hiring.

Since it’s inception Motorcycle.com Specs has been the best place for bikers and enthusiasts (like you) to voice their opinions; there has been a lot to spout-off about too! Over 528 Motorcycle models have been updated for you to review in 2009 alone. It’s great to see what the Motorcycle Community has to say about the bikes they ride. We’ve taken all your reviews and ratings (good and bad) to figure out which sport bikes our viewers ultimately chose as the best SportBike of 2009.

But… Reviews are still rolling in (so go review your bike if you haven’t already!) you never know which machine may be the victor before years end. Without any further adieu and with no spoilers.. drum-roll please.. The Top 10 Sportbikes of 2009 by Viewers Choice..

(or click here for the best of 2009 list from the editors at Motorcycle.com)

#10 Suzuki GSX-R 1000

User Reviews:

• “Beast from the East!” – Mike(Owner), Jan. 8, 2009
• “Everything about the GSXR 100 is outstanding!!!” – Jacob Mata(Enthusiast), Nov. 21, 2008

Motorcycle.com Review: 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Review – Getting better with age: An all-new Gixxer Thousand

Specs:

• MSRP: $12,899.0
• Cylinders: 4
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Displacement (cc/ci): 999 / 60.9
• Compression Ratio: 12.8:1

#9 BMW F 800 ST

User Reviews:

“F800ST Absolutely Awesome!” – Chris(Owner), May. 15, 2009

Motorcycle.com Shootout: 2008 Middleweight Sport-Touring Shootout: BMW F800ST vs. Honda VFR800 Interceptor – Two 800s to the 800s

Specs:

• MSRP: $10,600.00
• Engine Type: Parallel Twin
• Cylinders: 2
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 8
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Compression Ratio: 12.0:1
• Displacement (cc/ci): 798 / 48.7

#8 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14

User Reviews:

• “by far the best bike I have ever owned” – Mike McSween(Owner), Dec. 26, 2008
• “Incredible is all I can say.” – Chase(Owner), Jun. 11, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $12,099.00
• Engine Type: Horizontal In-line
• Cylinders: 4
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 16
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Displacement (cc/ci): 1352 / 82.5
• Compression Ratio: 12.0:1

#7 Kawasaki Ninja 650R

User Reviews:

• “Perfect balance of performance and comfort” – Erik Tyler(Owner), May. 16, 2009
• “I love this bike!!” – Larry L.(Owner), May. 6, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $6,799.00
• Engine Type: Parallel Twin
• Cylinders: 2
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 8
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Displacement (cc/ci): 649 / 39.6
• Compression Ratio: 11.3:1

#6 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 Monster Energy

User Reviews:

• “What a bike!” – Jeff(Owner), Apr. 10, 2009
• “I recommend everyone to get the bike. Smooth RIDE. Sick looking bike!!!!!!” – Nick(Owner), May. 25, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $12,399.00
• Engine Type: Horizontal In-line
• Cylinders: 4
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 16
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Displacement (cc/ci): 1352 / 82.5
• Compression Ratio: 12.0:1

#5 Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod Muscle

User Reviews:

• “AWESOME!!! V-R0DI traded in my ‘05 vrscb for a new Muscle WOW what a change!! I love the new rod! every thing is sweet the only thing needs work is the license plate mount! Other then that Great investment!!! “- Samuel (Owner), Oct. 12, 2008
• “Totally Satisfied!I’ve owned my new Muscle now for over 6 weeks, and I must say…WOW. Everything about this bike is amazing, performance is out of this world, coupled with the ins and outs you’d hope to find on a HD. I can’t even ride any other bikes anymore, I totally recommend this ride…you won’t regret it.”- Bryan (Owner), Jan. 3, 2009
• “AWESOMEMy first Harley and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Was concerned that my 5′6, 125 (female) body could handle it but after 300 miles I am in love. Handles great, looks great, highly recommended for anyone who wants something right in between a crotch rocket and a contemporary HD. AWESOME! (License plate suggesti…on: tilt it vertically, looks way better)”- Sabrina (Owner), Jun. 3, 2009

Motorcycle.com Review: 2009 Harley-Davidson VRSCF V-Rod Muscle Review – Harley gets some Muscle

Specs:

• MSRP: $17,199.00
• Engine Type: V Twin
• Cylinders: 2
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 8
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Compression Ratio: 11.5:1

#4 Buell Firebolt® XB12R

User Reviews:

• “Very fun bike“- Joe (Owner), Nov. 3, 2008
• “died and went to heaven xb12r” – John Moore (Owner), Jun. 19, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $9,995.00
• Engine Type: V Twin
• Cylinders: 2
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 4
• Valves Per Cylinder: 2
• Valve Configuration: OHV – Pushrod
• Compression Ratio: 10.0:1

#3 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

User Reviews:

• “My First Motorcycle I would recommend th…is bike for any beginning sport bike rider. It’s not a bike you’ll want to trade in after a year. I’m ready to keep mine for quite some time.- Kristi Bluhm(Owner), Jan. 12, 2009
• “Don’t be fooled… this bike will kick @$$ I was the proud owner of a yamaha R6 for many years. The R6 was fast, responsive, nimble, and very uncomfortable on long rides. I sold it last year when it started to give me transmission issues (I bought it used with high mileage). As I was looking for a new bike to buy the ergonomically designe…d ninja 250r caught my eye. Sure it was only a 250 but the seating position along with the handle bars were very comfy..”- David Medeiros(Owner), Mar. 26, 2009
• “2009 250 Ninja – Best Bang 4 The Buck!!! Okay, I went into the dealer the day before thanksgiving to look for an entry level bike for my petite wife, who has decided she’d rather learn to ride her own scooter, than ride on the back of mine. I got the 2009 250 Ninja for less than MSRP, due to the time of year and the economy, and was total…ly surprised when I took it home! It feels like a bicycle with an engine! This bike corners, brakes, and handles like it was formed to me, and I still haven’t broke it in yet!..”- Joe Hawes(Owner), Dec. 19, 2008

Specs:

• MSRP: $3,999.00
• Engine Type: Parallel Twin
• Cylinders: 2
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 8
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Compression Ratio: 11.6:1

#2 Suzuki Hayabusa™ 1340

User Reviews:

• “Sweet machine Just had her first service and haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face yet. Suzuki has great quality, and the flag ship bike definately shows that. The only down side to this bike is that evryone wants to look at it and talk about it, which doesn’t seem that bad, but it cuts into riding time…”- Jun. 11, 2009
• “Great Bike! Absolutely taken with the 2009 Hayabusa!” – G Hep(Enthusiast), Dec. 4, 2008
• “So easy to ride!! Bought my new Busa over a month ago. After having my 04 GSXR 1000 for more than two years I thought it was time to offer my wife a bike that was easier for her sit on and easier on my body to ride, but didn’t wanna give up the horsepower. Well I definately chose the right bike. Abundant power, rides… like your sitting on a lazy boy..” – Brandon (Enthusiast), May. 9, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $13,199.00
• Engine Type: Horizontal In-line
• Cylinders: 4
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Cooling: Liquid
• Valves: 16
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Compression Ratio: 12.5:1

#1 Suzuki GSX-R 600

User Reviews:

• “Highly Satisfied Have about 500 miles on it now and loved every single mile. This bike is quick. It is comfortable, sounds great, looks great and is easy to ride. It has been years since I rode a sport bike and within hours I was right back into it. Still breaking it in but so far it has handled everything I have thrown at it…”- Steve(Owner), May. 26, 2009
• “Ive had my 09 for about 600 miles and also enjoyed every mile. Took her in for the first service and wasnt to thrilled to be without her for a couple days. Easy to ride,plenty of power, turns heads “- Andrew Lewis(Owner), Jun. 1, 2009

Specs:

• MSRP: $10,399.00
• Engine Type: Horizontal In-line
• Cylinders: 4
• Engine Stroke: 4-Stroke
• Valves: 16
• Valves Per Cylinder: 4
• Valve Configuration: DOHC
• Compression Ratio: 12.8:1

Top 10 User Rated Sportbikes of 2009

1. Suzuki GSX-R 600
2. Suzuki Hayabusa™ 1340
3. Kawasaki Ninja 250R
4. Buell Firebolt® XB12R
5. Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod Muscle
6. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 Monster Energy
7. Kawasaki Ninja 650R
8. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
9. BMW F 800 ST
10. Suzuki GSX-R 1000

Although not currently included in the Viewers Choice Top 10 Sportbikes of 2009 these ‘Close Contenders’ are still within reach. Yamaha, Honda and Ducati who are not currently represented in the Top 10 could rally their loyal followings to boost rank and steal the victory. Kawasaki and Harley also have more top-ranking machines. Last but not least United Motors a loner within the Top 20 could be the under-dog who steals it all at the last moment. You never know..

Close Contenders

• 2009 Yamaha YZF R1
• 2009 Yamaha YZF R6
• 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 500R
• 2009 Harley-Davidson VRSC Night Rod Special
• 2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
• 2009 Honda CBR® 600RR
• 2009 Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod
• 2009 Ducati 848 Base
• 2009 Honda CBR® 1000RR ABS
• 2009 United Motors V2S 650R

The Showdown

Who knows what the ultimate outcome may be? You, the users are the ultimate judge of the Viewers Choice Top 10 Sportbikes of 2009 on Motorcycle.com Specs.

Got something to say? Disagree with this list? Don’t see ‘The Best‘ bike ranked here? Don’t complain about it, do something! Go rank the sportbike you want to win UP or if you’ve ridden a bike you really don’t like, you can give it an honest review too. It’s all up to you! So, lets see which bike takes it all for the Viewers Choice 2009 Sportbike of the Year.

• 2009 Literbike Shootout
  • Honda CBR1000RR
  • Kawi ZX-10R
  • Suzuki GSX-R1000
  • Yamaha YZF-R1
  • Ducati 1198S
• 2009 Supersport Racetrack Shootout
  • Yamaha YZF-R6
  • Honda CBR600RR
  • Suzuki GSX-R600
  • Kawasaki ZX-6R
• 2009 Supersport Shootout
  • Honda CBR600RR
  • Kawi ZX-6R
  • Suzuki GSX-R600
  • Yamaha YZF-R6
• 2009 Streetfighters Shootout
  • Aprilia Tuono 1000 R
  • Buell 1125CR
  • Triumph Speed Triple

Based out of Upton-Upon-Severn in Worcestershire, England, Mac Motorcycles will produce a line of bikes powered by Buell’s air-cooled single cylinder 492cc engines used in the Blast, with a tubular backbone frame.

On the company’s website, Pitt describes its bikes as being simple to maintain, include references and details from choppers and bobbers and feature “Harley posture, flat-track manners, Ducati handling”.

To see photos of the full line up, hit the jump.

Between us we’d designed, modified, built and ridden all sorts of motorcycles over the last 30 years and thought it was time to produce a motorcycle that reflected our philosophy,” says Pitt. “Our influences have been diverse and we’ve made unusual connections between genres of motorcycles such as choppers, Italian singles from the 1950s, flat-trackers and competition specials. What underpins Mac Motorcycles’ philosophy though is the belief that the riding experience and the stories that go with motorcycle journeys seem to have been hijacked by technology and plastic.

The Ruby, which Ellis says is named after his first girlfriend, is described as a “girl-next-door” bike inspired by the Triumph X75 Hurricane.

The Roarer is described as an “experimental works special” and a spiritual descendant of its namesake, the Velocette Roarer.

The Peashooter is a café racer with influences from Moto Guzzi and Honda’s CB500.

The Spud is Mac Motorcycles’ interpretation of a bobber, designed for “mooching about the lanes and streets on, feet forward, grin on your face”.

Mac Motorcycles plans to market its bikes in North America, the U.K., and Japan with possible expansion to France and Australia. Depending on tuning options, Mac Motorcycles is pricing its bikes between 8,000 pounds and 10,000 pounds ($12,800 to $16,000 US).

For more info, visit the Mac Motorcycles site.

About 2.7 million years ago a meteorite crashed into Hälsingland, Sweden creating the Dellen lake system, which only freezes over once a year. On March 4th with temperatures at -10C, Craig Jones, riding a Buell 1125R complete with a nitrous oxide kit (an estimated extra 50bhp), reached a top speed of 148.7mph on a 1.1km run over the frozen Lake Dellen.

Click on the jump to see more videos of the Buell on ice.

“I firmly believe that your head is the biggest limiting factor in pushing to the edge. The less you think about the risks, the further you can push yourself. So I kept it simple. I just put the bike into gear, tucked down and went as fast as I could.” Craig said.

Buell Extreme