Who Owns Buell Motorcycles, And Where Are Its Bikes Built?

Names like Honda, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, and Ducati tend to inspire no shortage of reverie among folks who prefer to hit the roads and racetracks of the world on vehicles with only two wheels. For some in the motorcycle world, Buell is a name that should be every bit as well known. If you aren't familiar, Buell is a brand that first came into being back in 1983, with former Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell leaving his gig with the legendary bike maker to start creating motorcycles on his own.

While Buell and his team continued to make racing and street bikes, the Buell brand didn't go fully legit until the mid-1990s when Harley-Davidson took over 49% of the company. A few years later, Buell's former employer essentially took over the rest of the company, making Buell Motorcycles a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson. Unfortunately, Buell became one of the many casualties of the 2008 financial crisis, with Harley-Davidson opting to end the brand as it struggled to keep itself afloat. 

For many motorcycle brands, that would've been the proverbial end of the line. However, Buell continued developing new models even after the brand was shuttered. In 2021, EBR Motorcycles purchased the rights to the Buell brand and its trademarks, marking a full-on revival in the consumer market. Erick Buell, however, is no longer calling the shots at the company. Instead, Bill Melvin serves as CEO. 

Though the press release announcing the Buell revival made rounds in 2021, bikes branded with the name weren't projected to hit the streets until 2024. The bikes are still relatively rare to see on the road, even as older Buells continue to be sought after on the used market. Regarding the next wave of Buells, the brand currently features a few different models in its lineup, including street bikes, track bikes, and even one better-suited to the desert dunes.

As noted, the Buell brand originally spun off from Harley-Davidson, one of the most storied American motorcycle factions in history. Like that brand, the company that revived Buell also holds roots in the United States, setting up its current base of operations in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From there, the brand also manufactures its motorcycles by hand.

While the bikes are made in America, however, not all of their parts are. Buells bikes are also made with materials sourced from Europe and Asia, although about 60% of the parts that go into Buells today are from American sources, per a 2025 MLive article. At the Grand Rapids facility, about 50 techs are working to make these bikes, although Buell CEO Bill Melvin has said he wants to scale that up.

According to the MI Live piece, Bill Melvin is currently planning to expand Buell's operations via an almost $20 million investment intended to, in part, bring aboard more than 100 new techs that could push production on its motorcycles up to 28,000 per year by 2028. That significant expansion will no doubt be dictated by how Buell motorcycles continue to perform in the market, though it's safe to assume that Melvin wouldn't be considering it if the bikes weren't selling well enough.

If you're curious about Buell's current offerings, getting one is not as easy as walking into a showroom and riding one home, as the company appears to still be making bikes to order. At present, there are a handful of models to choose from on Buell's website, including the speed- and performance-minded Hammerhead 1190 and 1190SX, the road-ready Super Cruiser and SuperTouring, and the off-track focused Baja 1190 Dune Racer.

The cost of these builds varies, of course, though prospective buyers may be encouraged by the fact that they are all priced well under $30,000. As far as per-bike pricing goes, the Hammerhead 1190 is selling for $20,995 on the low end and $26,995 fully loaded. The 1190SX, on the other hand, is listed at $19,995 and $25,995. Meanwhile, the price of the Super Cruiser is $25,900, with the MSRP on the SuperTouring set at $23,995. It would appear, however, that it is still too early in the game to purchase the Baja 1190 Dune Racer, as Buell currently lists it as still in concept phase.