Buell partners with West Coast motorcycle designer on new Super Cruiser model
CASCADE TWP. — Fresh off a new round of fundraising, Buell Motorcycle Co. has unveiled a partnership with a well-known industry designer to launch a new Super Cruiser production concept for the West Michigan-based high-performance brand.
In debuting the Super Cruiser this month, Buell worked with Roland Sands Design Inc., a Long Beach, Calif.-based motorcycle, product and apparel design firm known for its “King of Cool” styling.
The goal in the partnership was to offer a take on the fast V-twin-powered motorcycles of the 1930s in a modern, capable new motorcycle, said Buell Motorcycle CEO Bill Melvin.
Melvin likened the Super Cruiser, which is in development for the 2025 model year, as a multi-generational leap forward in terms of performance and capabilities in a market dominated by large and heavy American brands.
“It’s the modern performance version of an American cruiser everyone has wanted,” Melvin said in a text to MiBiz. “It puts Buell back on the map, breaking out of the mold and putting us on a path to compete with the big boys.”
The Super Cruiser design leverages Buell’s existing V-twin engine and several standard pieces of rolling kit in a chassis design engineered by Roland Sands, a designer of a range of cruisers and café racers with a history in custom builds and racing.
“When Bill first approached us about building a high-performance cruiser using the Buell motor, it was as if the bike designed itself,” Sands said in a statement. “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.
“I’ve been working on projects like this for 20-plus years, and this is the first time we’ve been able to build a performance cruiser without the typical V-twin performance compromises of weight and motor width and length.”
Buell Motorcycle’s new SuperCruiser production concept, which is targeted to go into production in 2025. (COURTESY PHOTO)
The 450-pound Super Cruiser delivers 175 horsepower while offering “comfortable seating and foot positions” with chassis tuning for “exceptional handling in a non-sport bike format,” according to the companies. The design also allows for easy customization, which is an important element of the West Coast motorcycle scene.
Melvin said Buell began taking pre-orders on the Super Cruiser after a Feb. 10 private reveal at Sands’ shop in California, “and they are going crazy well.”
The new product unveiling comes about two months after a Buell affiliate closed on an $8 million later-stage investment round, according to the fourth quarter Venture Monitor report from the National Venture Capital Association and Pitchbook report.
Previously, Melvin said the “friends and family round” with West Michigan investors will allow Buell to further invest in its products and sales operations, as well as continue new product development.
Along those lines, Buell also unveiled prototypes for its new SuperTouring model and the Baja DR dirt bike as part of last year’s Daytona Bike Week.
“We’re super fortunate to have a great group of business people and investors who are joining us to support the continual growth of a global brand here in West Michigan,” Melvin said for a December report.
