Bill Melvin’s Liquid Asset Partners, best known for procuring and flipping distressed assets, bought Eric Buell Racing out of bankruptcy in 2016. But Melvin, an avid motorcyclist and moto historian, harbored noble plans for the storied brand and set about raising investment capital while hiring a new, experienced team.
In 2021, as CEO of Buell Motorcycles, Melvin promised the firm would announce ten new models by 2024. The current lineup includes two production models, the Hammerhead 1190 sportbike and 1190SX naked roadster, and two pre-production models, the specialist Baja Dune Racer and the 1190 Super Touring sport-tourer, and now a fifth model, the recently unveiled Super Cruiser.
In countries the world over, motorcycles have inspired numerous cultures, each as varied as the machines that galvanized them. Stripped-down British roadsters gave rise to the café racer scene in 50s London before ebbing away to resurface in the ‘new wave’ of the 90s. In Japan, the “out-of-control” Bōsōzoku biker gangs tore up post-war Tokyo, influencing a modern customization subculture dominated by small-bore inline-fours, like the Honda CB 400. Here, the cruiser would establish itself as the quintessential American motorcycle symbolic of the ‘outlaw’ One-Percenters that rode them.
America’s Motorcycle
Harley-Davidson’s Sportster and Indian’s Scout, pioneers of the cruiser class, offered forward controls for relaxed ergonomics and huge lolloping V-twins, churning out endless torque, making them ideal platforms for loading with gear and wafting along America’s growing network of highways and byways.
Immortalized in movies like The Wild One, the cruiser culture spread far beyond our shores, and the cruiser motorcycle class, long dominated by American giants, Harley and Indian, became a hotbed of global competition. Yamaha’s entry-level V-Star, BMW’s air-cooled, boxer-powered R18, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, and the improbable Ducati Diavel V4 are among the numerous cruisers available today.
Buell is planning to add another domestic name to that burgeoning list. In what Melvin described as a collaboration, the renowned custom bike builder, Roland Sands, headed the design team responsible for developing the new concept, built around the firm’s powerful, modern V-twin.
If the styling of Buell’s new stead has you reminiscing about a Harley-Davidson FXR, it won’t surprise you to learn that the Motor Company’s vaunted design was the source of Sands’ inspiration. Partly to honor Erik Buell, widely credited for making the FXR one of the best handling cruisers of all time, thanks to his innovative chassis design.
"When Bill first approached us about building a high-performance cruiser using the Buell motor, it was as if the bike designed itself,” said Sands. “Considering the history of Buell and the market’s need for a truly high-performance cruiser, and the build quality of the existing Buell chassis parts, motor, and rolling kit, the project was a natural fit."
The results speak for themselves, and although we didn't get a chance to ride it yet, members of the press were invited to an exclusive preview at Sand's Los Angeles workshop. The Supercruiser also made an appearance at Daytona Bike Week, where Buell also showcased the Baja Dune Racer and 1190 Super Touring concepts.
Not Your Dad’s Cruiser
Currently a concept, production will begin in 2025 and although some of the details remain undefined, expect the Super Cruiser to incorporate much of the rolling stock, in addition to the liquid-cooled, 1190cc, V-twin engine powering Buell’s current production bikes. The new model will share the existing fork, lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels, aluminum swingarm, and the firm’s proprietary perimeter front brake disc.
Such ingredients promise sportbike power and handling with the high bars and low-slung seat of a cruiser. While numbers up to 185 have been widely quoted, Buell’s website predicts a peak output of 175 horsepower and 101 foot-pounds of torque, still nearly double the number of horses produced by Harley’s flag-ship Softail.
And the exciting numbers aren’t limited to its engine performance. The Super Cruiser claimed weight is (cruiser owners might want to sit down for this part) just 450 pounds. I admit, I forgot to ask if this was dry or wet, but in this case, who cares?
Forget that the aforementioned Softail weighs 655 pounds, or the new, just-out-of-fat-club, Diavel weighs 520. The Super Cruiser will weigh about the same as the new Panigale V4. Melvin was unambiguous, “Our Super Cruiser will be the hottest bike on the market. Period,” he said. Bold perhaps, but with numbers like that, it promises to outperform every existing bike in its class.
The Best Of Both Worlds
When talking about his new design, Sands attributes much of the size and weight advantage to Buell’s highly compact V-twin, which gets plenty of exposure thanks to a minimalist trellis steel frame. The Super Cruiser’s ground clearance, bar position, and footpegs, which are set back for a more sporty body position, offer sportbike handling with classic cruiser styling, accentuated by its tall bar risers.
An SC-Project exhaust system provided a raucous soundtrack to the concept bike unveiled to the press corp. Although the production model will likely receive more silencing, don’t expect it to meet Euro 5 emissions standards in its first release.
With its innovative, liquid-cooled engine, rear-mounted footpegs, 17-inch wheels, and unique braking system, the Super Cruiser may have taken too many liberties for some of the traditional cruiser riders, who will regale you with stories of air-cooled Flat-Heads and Milwaukee-Eights for as long as you can stand it.
But time marches on, and, like it or not, emissions standards get tighter, and air-cooled engines simply can’t keep up. Melvin hopes that Buell’s cruiser will appeal to a new, younger crowd of bikers, eager to express themselves and experience the freedom motorcycles offer but also to tear up the highway, just like the outlaw riders who defined the American cruiser culture before them.
The Buell Super Cruiser will be available sometime in 2025, but riders interested in buying one are invited to place a preorder on the company’s website with a deposit of $50. Prices have not been made public but given the cost of equivalent machines, we expect an MSRP north of $20,000.