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What is EBR's biggest reason for not gaining traction in US market?

Discussion in 'General' started by RyanDCramer, May 25, 2017.

  1. Sweatypants

    Sweatypants I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!

    here's my one dilemma on that though that i go back and forth on...

    in 2001 people probably thought the R1 was great. in the 80's the GSXR or FZR. in the 70's the TZ. etc etc... i think that's part of the key visionary aspect of a creator/engineer that sometimes other people don't see. where we think bikes are good, and they are, but in the context of the present and what came before. those bikes were all good too cause they were better than the ones before them, but new bikes are def better than those, so in context, you wouldn't say they're good now. so then the argument comes... have we reached a plateau based on physics that we can't go past any more? if yes, then yea... making your own ideas or designs competitive is the only avenue forward for this part of the industry, and this becomes more of a creative expression exercise to be the same yet different. if there's still another level coming of traction/handling/braking/turning... then new designs you would think, would have the aim to push the boundary further. the answer to that i have no opinion on which it is really, but it affects the debate.

    i'll say this much... being friends with a bunch of anal retentive engineers, i've seen dudes go above and beyond with ridiculous engine setups, and do 4 or 5 completely different iterations before spending the measly $200 to just powdercoat their damn wheels so they match, or paint a damn body kit they've had sitting in their basement for 4 years. the obsessiveness towards maximum result in their concept over artistic expression is what pushes me towards an engineer not just being content to have a design that's sub-par. i'm reluctant to go any further down that conjecture road of course because i've never met the guy, but i'd be surprised.
     
  2. Metalhead

    Metalhead Dong pilot

    I actually like that.
     
    RyanDCramer likes this.
  3. RGV 500

    RGV 500 OLD, but still FAST

    Too much money for what you get. I used to pass pass them on a 600, so that was it for them in my mind.
     
  4. He had a vision but maybe too much of one that gave him tunnel vision. Great example were the brakes. Wasn't it May that went quite a bit faster with a conventional brake set up? Plus that probably would have saved on tooling etc. vision is a great thing but not always best business decision.
     
    Gorilla George likes this.
  5. Canepa did also (went faster with a conventional setup).
     
  6. Maybe it was him, knew it was someone.
     
  7. 5axis

    5axis Well-Known Member

    I believe we met briefly at Grattan a few weeks back. Your bike is what EBR should have built.
     
    RyanDCramer likes this.
  8. turbulence

    turbulence Well-Known Member


    Pics of this bike?
     
  9. RyanDCramer

    RyanDCramer Well-Known Member

    I have some shots of it during the work being completed in phases but put those in another thread I think.

    The rear wheel is next. We're going to adapt the rear wheel off my RSV4 to the EBR. It saves another 5.5lbs over the stock EBR wheel for a 1/3 of the cost of the Magnesium wheel EBR sells for the same weight savings.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Steeltoe, 418 and turbulence like this.
  10. turbulence

    turbulence Well-Known Member

    Nice!
     
    RyanDCramer likes this.
  11. HPPT

    HPPT !!!

  12. Lawd couldn't do come up with a better paint scheme.
     
  13. 5axis

    5axis Well-Known Member

    I like that it looks rather normal. ebr 1.JPG
     
    RyanDCramer likes this.
  14. Robby-Bobby

    Robby-Bobby Steeltoe’s Daddy

    Ok I will seriously uppercut you for saying anything negative about any Britten.
     
  15. OldGuyOnBlu

    OldGuyOnBlu Well-Known Member

    I wish I knew why EBR did not gain traction in the US market. I do think first HD and then Hero both screwed Erik and to compete in the US market would require some pretty deep pockets for marketing and dealer development.
    There's a fair amount of trashing the bikes in this thread. All I can say to that is I owned an 1125r and it was probably the most fun bike I've owned or ridden. I've been on faster bikes and bikes that could theoretically handle better, but I was never on a bike that I could ride fast and well as easily, nor any that produced as many smiles. It was just a ball. Of course, I also found a 750 GSXR a hell of a lot more fun as a street bike than the 1000 (this was a couple of generation bikes ago.)
     
    RyanDCramer likes this.
  16. vizsladog

    vizsladog Well-Known Member

    Waayyyyyy overpriced. Ugly as hell. Suzuki sv performance at ducati price. Gimicks like the single rotor front brake.

    Horribly ran back office. Daler network that sucked at best.
     
    Gorilla George likes this.
  17. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    I will say the 1125r was an easy and comfortable bike to ride. It had a lot of torque and handled well. It did a lot of things very good but didn't really do one thing exceptionally well. It was a fun bike to ride, so I liked it.
    It just needed a little more top end.
     
  18. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    [​IMG]
    Thy name is Britten. :D
     

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