Buell Buy-Out

BUELL BUY-OUT

On February 20, 1998, Harley-Davidson took essen tially full ownership of the Buell Motorcycle Company, exchanging its own stock for all but 2 percent of Erik Buell's 51 percent stake. This does not, however, signify the separation of Buell from his name sake company; on the contrary, Buell says, "I've got a 10year contract with Harley and more support than ever."

Buell will remain in his current posts'~of chief technical officer and chairman of Buell Motorcycles. His ongoing status is reflected in his formalized position on Harley's Product Planning Committee, the group of senior Harley Davidson officials that must approve all-new Harley and Buell motorcycles. Buell says the buy-out is more of a formality preceding a step-up in investment and expan sion of the East Troy Buell facility, which will make possi ble new projects and motorcycles that couldn't have been attempted before.

The BueIl Motorcycle Company will continue to operate as a separate subsidiary handling sport-oriented motorcy cle design and manufacture, while Harley-Davidson will continue to distribute the bikes through independently franchised Buell dealers. In the role he took up last year, former Harley-Davidson VP of Marketing Jerry Wilke man ages day-to-day operations as president of Buell Motorcy cle Company, while Erik Buell will he responsible for planning and design.

Steve Anderson