Michigan motorcycle company launches production of $26,000 Super Cruiser

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Buell Motorcycle Co. has launched production of its new Super Cruiser, a bike that blends the design of a classic American cruiser with the power of a European superbike.
The Cascade Township-based company, which previously said preorders for the bike totaled $120 million, said it began building the first models in late September, and is now slowly ramping up production.
“These hand-built machines are a true blend of performance and art,” Bill Melvin, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “We’re proud of the talented team whose dedication and craftsmanship transformed the Super Cruiser from a bold concept into a production motorcycle.”
The Super Cruiser retails for $26,000.
“We’ve chosen a deliberate path of ramping up production slow and steady to ensure every machine lives up to its promise and every rider feels that unmistakable Buell connection the moment they twist the throttle,” said Jason Anderson, manufacturing and quality director at Buell Motorcycle Co.
Buell Motorcycles was launched in 1983 by Erik Buell, a former motorcycle racer and Harley-Davidson engineer. Buell, which was acquired by Harley-Davidson in 1998 after previous investments in the company, built its name producing high-performance, racing-inspired street bikes.
The company was acquired in 2019 by Melvin, a Grand Rapids-area resident whose family has deep roots in the motorcycle world. He relaunched the company in Cascade Township in 2022 and is now seeking to grow the company through the new Super Cruiser.
He previously told MLive that the Super Cruiser will compete with American cruisers created by industry heavyweights such as Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle.
In a release, Buell Motorcycle Co. said the first Super Cruisers are set to be delivered to customers “following the completion of final federal certifications.”
“Customers who placed a sales order for the Super Cruiser will be contacted within the next two to four months to configure financing and arrange delivery once these approvals are secured,” the company said.
In June, Melvin said the company has 50 employees, but another 162 people are expected to be hired over the next three years. Plans are in motion to add a second manufacturing line, enabling Buell to complete 300 Super Cruisers a month in early 2026, he said. Production is expected to hit 28,000 bikes in 2028.
“The Super Cruiser has a large order base,” Melvin told MLive in June. “Market demand shows that the volumes will continue to expand, and that we’ll continue to need to expand what we’re doing here at the factory.”
In May, Buell was awarded a $972,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant by the Michigan Strategic Fund.
The performance-based grant dollars were to be used to help the company make an $18.5 million investment that included purchasing its headquarters, 2700 Patterson Ave. SE, and expanding its manufacturing capacity.