EBR Changes Hands, Yet Again, But What Does It Mean (Opinion)

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The insolvency proceedings of Erik Buell Racing began a roller-coaster ride for Buell owners and fans. A liquidation sale of the brand and its assets to one buyer has now fallen through, and a new buyer (Liquid Asset Partners) now apparently controls the fate of EBR.

Although LAP has announced plans to make parts available, and even begin production of new motorcycles by the middle of March, we are skeptical that EBR is truly on the road to viability as a motorcycle brand. In part, this is because LAP appears to be a specialist in liquidating assets, not manufacturing motorcycles for an incredibly competitive market. Indeed, LAP appears focused on bringing the motorcycle brand to a point where it can find a new investor to purchase EBR or finance its full recovery. In other words, EBR has a long way to go.

We certainly wish them the best of luck, not only because of our respect for founder Erik Buell, but because we truly believe there is a market for high performance motorcycles offered by a U.S. manufacturer. When we tested the EBR 1190RX at Indy, we were thoroughly impressed. Despite this, the realities of competing in today’s motorcycle market are stark, and daunting.

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Source: www.motorcycledaily.com