Buell is a name that’s been through hell and back. Born in the ‘80s with wild ideas and a racing pedigree, the brand quickly built a reputation for doing things differently. Sometimes those ideas worked, sometimes they didn’t, but nobody could accuse Buell of playing it safe.
Then came Harley-Davidson pulling the plug in 2009, followed by years of uncertainty, comebacks, and reinventions that made even die-hard fans wonder if the brand would ever truly find its footing again.
And yet, here we are.
The Super Cruiser is real—or at least close enough to touch. Buell’s been teasing this bike for what feels like forever. In reality, it’s been a few years since the project was announced, and the timeline has stretched on longer than most expected. Some of that is down to the reality of bringing a small American manufacturer back from the brink. Developing a new model isn’t easy when you don’t have the same resources as the big OEMs, and building hype can sometimes be easier than delivering the actual bike.
Nevertheless, the Super Cruiser has stuck around in the headlines because it hits a nerve. Designed with input from Roland Sands, it promised to be the Buell that looked unapologetically cool while still carrying the performance DNA the brand is known for. A mash-up of muscle and sportbike spirit, it’s the kind of machine that dares to step into Harley’s playground but with a sharper edge. That’s why it’s been so closely watched.
Because if Buell nails this, it could finally cement the company as a serious player again.
So what do we actually know about it? The Super Cruiser is built around Buell’s familiar 1,190cc liquid-cooled V-twin, the same engine that powers the Hammerhead 1190 and 1190SX. That motor makes a claimed 175 horsepower and 101 pound-feet of torque in those bikes, which is massive by cruiser standards. Chances are Buell will retune it for the Super Cruiser, so expect more focus on low- and mid-range punch rather than top-end speed. But even if it’s dialed back slightly, it’ll still out-muscle almost anything else in the category.
The chassis is another area where Buell might flex. The prototype shows off a seemingly lightweight tubular steel perimeter frame, which could translate into sharper handling than what you’d get from a traditional heavyweight cruiser. Suspension appears fully adjustable, with an inverted front fork and a rear monoshock, hinting that the bike will lean more toward performance riding than relaxed cruising.
As for weight, Buell hasn’t published numbers yet, but with the Super Cruiser’s focus on performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it come in well below rivals from Harley or Indian.
Now, the speculative part. Will it come with rider aids like traction control, multiple riding modes, or even cornering ABS? Buell hasn’t said, but given where the market is today, it almost has to. Same goes for electronics—cruiser buyers expect some level of connectivity and TFT tech. The prototype has kept things pretty bare, but don’t be shocked if the production version gets a modern dash to go with all that muscle.
Right now, the bike is in its final test phase, being flogged across thousands of miles in some of the harshest conditions in the US—from 120-degree desert heat to 14,000-foot mountain passes—checking fuel stability, hot starts, two-up performance, and even how much dust sneaks into the airbox. It’s as close as you can get to a baptism by fire without literally setting the thing on fire.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Buell isn’t just launching a new bike; it’s staking its rebirth on it. Riders are hyped, no question. The Super Cruiser has been talked up as a machine that can take on the best in the American cruiser market, but hype can be a dangerous thing. After years of promises and delays, people aren’t just expecting a good bike—they’re expecting a game-changer.
Source: Buell
