Motor-enthusiasts were recently excited about the tie-up between Erik Buell Racing and Hero MotoCorp and were expecting something grand from the manufacturers. However, all has come to Ground Zero as EBR has ceased its operations in the country. This sudden move has washed away the expectations of bike-lovers as well as has left all its 126 employees jobless.
The proprietor of the company, Erik Buell had invested money in a venture with Hero MotoCorp, which had 49 per cent ownership in EBR after that. The two manufacturers would produce and sell bikes as well as scooters in the Indian and US market, beginning last year. This also means that the Indian two-wheeler giant has stopped providing funds to EBR. Also they must have cut ties with the company on the whole. Erik said, "The turn we recently took, after we thought we were moving forward, was unexpected. We thought we had secured funding, but in the end, we were not able to get the funding in place. Therefore we need to do the best we can under the circumstances for all parties in interest."
Erik Buell racing had also employed some engineers from General Motors, Boeing Corporation and Yamaha. It was working closely with Hero on bike designs and it was reported that some of these models would be introduced in the US market. We will have to wait until further reports from the company arrive about the future prospects.
