|
|
Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | From a Hanlon brother, founder of the out of business Excelsior Henderson Motorcycle co.
What do you think of the Victory and Indian motorcycle startups?
Congratulations to them both on determining to enter a difficult industry with great barriers to entry. Excelsior-Henderson invested approximately $95 million, which includes $11 million for a new factory and $8 million for a finishing facility, whereas Indian invested approx. $240 million before succumbing to the forces of the market and didn't require building a factory or finishing facility. The Polaris Victory motorcycle project has invested nearly $200 million and also did not construct new facilities--it is widely known that without a profitable, patient, corporate parent, the Victory motorcycle line would be shuttered...it has not met it's production and sales goals. With the passage of time, the accomplishments of the Excelsior-Henderson motorcycle venture are better validated.
Huh ??????
Also:
Tell me more about the Road Crew?
The maximum employment the company had is approximately 240 positions during mid 1999. With attrition factored in, over an eight-year timeperiod, there were approximately 275 people that comprised the Road Crew. Many of them today remain in contact with one another, and continue to progress in their respective careers. Some remain in the motorsports industry, achieving such titles as manager, director, vice-president, and president. The former Senior VP of manufacturing and engineering for EH is the head of Victory motorcycles production since EH ceased production--little wonder the Victory has improved! EH's lead designer is employed with Harley-Davidson in their design department. These are just a few of the many examples. Congratulations to all the Road Crew for their dedicated efforts in joining a company that was undercapitalized and for committing their valuable time and energy to build the company. Collectively, it was the most skilled team-driven force that many have worked with, and most likely will not be duplicated. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | Sort of sad. Somewhat understandable when you consider the passion for the brand, but he's looking through rose-colored glasses at E-H and taking unwarranted pot shots at Polaris/Victory.
Bragging up the former employees I can accept, up until a certain point. He just about crosses that line.
I really do wish that E-H had made it, here in the good ol' USA.
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2012-05-05 5:52 PM
|
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | I wonder who the fella at Victory is ??? |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Nothing against the EH motorcycle but what's there to have sour grapes about and make it public. Victory wasn't a resurrection company, it was a start up who indeed has the backing of a much larger, more substantial company. That company believed that if it stayed in long enough it could produce a profitable motorcycle, and they were right. In way, everyone who makes a motorcycle wants to be like Harley, believing that they are the only choice. People fail to realize that having a choice is a good thing, and it takes time to build a reputation to be better and worth owning. You also have to do something the other guy doesn't do to make a mark. While I'll appreciate any motorcycle, and the people who ride them, the renditions of the E-H's I saw did not knock my socks off like a Victory, Indian or even an HD would. In fact they look very much like a japanese bike imitation. I feel bad for EH going under but it is obvisious they did not understand their products market very well. The same thing happened with the Gilroy Indian, or even the original Indian company. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | varyder - 2012-05-06 5:37 AM
Nothing against the EH motorcycle but what's there to have sour grapes about and make it public. Victory wasn't a resurrection company, it was a start up who indeed has the backing of a much larger, more substantial company. That company believed that if it stayed in long enough it could produce a profitable motorcycle, and they were right. In way, everyone who makes a motorcycle wants to be like Harley, believing that they are the only choice. People fail to realize that having a choice is a good thing, and it takes time to build a reputation to be better and worth owning. You also have to do something the other guy doesn't do to make a mark. While I'll appreciate any motorcycle, and the people who ride them, the renditions of the E-H's I saw did not knock my socks off like a Victory, Indian or even an HD would. In fact they look very much like a japanese bike imitation. I feel bad for EH going under but it is obvisious they did not understand their products market very well. The same thing happened with the Gilroy Indian, or even the original Indian company.
+1 sounds to me like some sore loser crap.... |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 390
| Just like people whose football team can not win. Blame the other teams for having better players and management for your losses..... |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | Where did u find this? I would like to read more. I remember when EH went under, the media placed alot of the blame on the Hanlon Bros. for out of control spending. I just thought it was because the bikes were ugly. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 482
Beer Collins, Colorado (there is no fort) | Here's the entire section the above two paragraphs were pulled from- I had read it a while back and didn't feel there was anything to get upset about-just another persons perspective.
http://www.excelsiorhenderson.com/pages/heritage/faq.html |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 373
Lansing, MI |
HA HA HA HA! FUCK YOU LOSER! |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | cook06vegas - 2012-05-07 10:19 PM
HA HA HA HA! FUCK YOU LOSER!
+1 |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| I feel bad for E-H but I didn't see anything special from them either. Frankly they looked pretty vanilla to me. |
|
| |
Talk about sour grapes: Read this..............