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Exclusive: Erik Buell Racing 1190 Bikes European Prices Unveiled, Lower than Expected

The name of Erik Buell is a synonym for high-performance race bikes on both shores of the Atlantic. Despite the harsh times the Buell company had after Harley dropped the sport bike segment, the reborn Erik Buell Racing (EBR) is afloat again… or should we say that it is flying? We met EBR’s VP of global sales Gary Pietruszewski in Milan at the EICMA and he agreed to share some exclusive stuff with us.
2014 EBR 1190RX 1 photo
Photo: EBR
Fact is, we were able to learn quite a lot reading between the lines and we are glad to be the first to share the info with you. First of all, we were a bit distressed to see that there were no 1190 bikes at EICMA 2014, but Pietruszewski explained to us that the bikes are in a transition stage between the 2014 and the 2015 model years. They were simply not ready for being displayed at EICMA.

Aggressive pricing and expansion in Europe

If anything, Buell machinery has also been associated with premium price tags which made them quite exclusive. This however, is about to change, Pietruszewski tells us. In a way, the new company, Erik Buell Racing has passed through a “strategic realignment” (BMW’s favorite for “change of plans”) process and is now aiming to debut in as many markets as possible.

However, knowing that super-expensive bikes do not make too good a business these days, EBR understood that price may be a decisive factor for most customers, despite brand attachment. What used to be a $45,000+ (€36,000) bike offer turned out to be less lucrative than expected. The race-specced RS is still up for sale, but its new siblings are going to make a difference.

EBR’s new motorcycles retain most of the vibe the old sport motorcycles had, but in a package that’s more affordable and with better sales prospects. And it doesn’t take a marketing specialist to learn that selling more bikes does drive business forward.

The 1190RX has an US price tag of just under $19,000, while its naked sister is a couple of thousands less expensive. We were expecting that prices for Europe be in the €20,000 range, especially as most of the products which cross the pond from the US to the old continent maintain the figures but swap the dollar sign with the Euro one… and get some more taxes sometimes.

We were surprised to hear Pietruszewski mentioning that EBR first thought about a €17,000 price, but then decided to lower things a bit. He even said that depending on the market, the cheapest 1190 bike sold in Europe could go for as low as €15,000.

Now, this means war, and a very serious one, too. An American bike completely built in the US, with a huge history behind and in a modern guise with updated technology and performance offered for such a price in Europe should draw a lot of customers.

Of course, it’s always the reliability, service and parts supply which have the final word, but EBR looks like they are taking care of everything. Their plans for expansion are quite ambitious and they include Eastern Europe and South Africa, with more regions to follow.
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