Updated Prototype: Buell SuperTouring Photos

Photo: Buell

The reborn version of Buell has been keeping its reps very busy lately, what with launching its new Super Cruiser and then showing off the company's prototypes and production models at Daytona Bike Week. While the Baja 1190 might be the bike that interests us most (the world's most powerful off-road motorcycle, they say… ), we were nevertheless intrigued to see the SuperTouring was also on display, in updated form.

However, it is still not slated for production.

When we showed you this machine last year, here's what we told you:

Buell has officially announced its two anticipated new models, the dirt-bike-on-steroids HCR hill climber and the more mysterious 2023 Buell SuperTouring 1190 model, which does indeed look to be an adventure touring-oriented platform with perhaps a high pavement riding quotient. With a likely 170-ish rear wheel horsepower and 100-odd bits of twist, it should be … fast. Buell claims it will be the "the worlds fastest touring bike;" we can think of a few marques that may take issue with that claim (ahem: Kawasaki). Still, competition is good in any niche.

Buell says the SuperTouring will go for $21,995 and production will start this year with deliveries in 2023. You can lock yours in with a $25 deposit and get a free hat to boot.

Since then, we have seen a year come and go and production has not started. A quick check-in at the Buell website sees the machine now listed as a 2025 model.

The bike has also seemingly evolved from a standard-ish tourer with vague throwbacks to the Buell Ulysses, to more of a hypernaked tourer; indeed, Buell's own marketing now touts the machine as trackday capable. A Uly replacement, it's not. As the pre-Daytona PR said:

Created in collaboration with award-winning designer J. Ruiter to thrill supersport fans and tourers alike, the SuperTouring is the world's fastest adaptive motorcycle, easily converting to a track bike in under an hour. Its latest modifications include a new modular front faring with headlamp assembly, higher handlebars, foot-forward controls, and a new seat and bags.

Not that there is anything wrong with sport tourers. Although adventure bikes have stolen much of their market share, the customer base is often the same demographic, as a quick spin through ADVrider's Road Warriors forum will show you!

However, the whole "Wait until 2025 for production" line may put a lot of potential customers off. Buell's motorcycles come with interesting chassis design, but that engine, powerful as it is, is increasingly dated, and despite the company's hype over the past couple of years, they’ve yet to deliver anything that's more than a reshashed version of older EBR designs. That doesn't mean we won't see this machine in 2025, but… it was already supposed to be here. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */