DevilStars Club Buell Italia

It is hard for me to understand Hero letting it go to this.

1. Surely their financial people understood EBR's position--great bikes but starting from a ground zero position--when they made a $25 million investment 2 years ago. It is almost as if they have no business understanding. Continuing investment should have been recognized.

2. The huge design talent coming from EBR is not a "one and done" mentality. For a manufacturer wanting further acceptance in the world market they just lost major talent and years of development time; assuming they can even come close to the innovation coming out of East Troy, which they cannot. They--Hero--will look back at this as a major strategic mistake changing the course of Hero.

3. What is Hero now going to have to do to gain entry into the US market? Supply and distribution and warranty networks are not cheap. Marketing without EBR Acceptance on their brand name alone.

4. What is Hero going to field now on the major racing circuit? They are right on the cusp of having their name splashed across the winners circle. When if ever will they get back into this position. I predict never. They are willing to throw this all away.

When I read this is all for $20 million EBR has in liabilities, that really confounds me. That amount is nothing in the scheme of things. Each of the points above is worth more than $20 million in itself. i.e. Just try to field a contending racing team for $20 million (a year) on your own.

Hero will never be in this position again. Ask yourself how much each point above will cost to do on their own (if even possible with things like design talent)? My guess, for a lack of $20 million Hero just lost $200+ million. They are confirming their future as a 3rd world brand that one time looked like it had a shot at it.