It has been a rocky road, but Buell Motorcycles are back in business (and still American-owned) and are now being imported into the UK. That’s the good news – the slightly less exciting news is that despite a change of ownership and a heap of investment, the first products to arrive are very much just tweaked EBR models, which are effectively ten-year-old machines.
- Latest news: Production begins on long-awaited Buell Super Cruiser with UK bikes possibly arriving in 2026
That’s why when you look at it in the cold light of day, it is a bit hard to justify the £23,500 that Buell’s UK importer Rainbow Moto are asking for the Hammerhead 1190, which is effectively just a slightly revamped EBR 1190RX and that cost £14,000 in 2014.
That all said and done, if you are a fan of Buells (and there is a hardcore group of very passionate owners) you can now buy a new Hammerhead and it not only comes with a three-year warranty, you can pick it in your own choice of colour (for an extra cost) if you don’t want the cool carbon fairing showing and when it arrives rejoice in the fact that it is built in America.
Will the Hammerhead 1190 and its naked sibling the 1190SX make much impact in the UK market? Probably not, but these two are ready-to-go models to start establishing the brand again and once the new Super Cruiser hits dealers, which is an all-new machine, the company might start to gain a bit of traction.
Ride quality & brakes
The Hammerhead uses exactly the same platform as the SX but it swaps the naked bike’s flat bars for clip-ons, a move that isn’t entirely appreciated. If you are looking at buying a sportsbike you know what you are letting yourself in for when it comes to comfort levels but unfortunately for Buell, the Hammerhead’s riding position highlights some of its more irritating features that the naked SX is better at masking.
Set firmly on its fully-adjustable suspension (Wilbers forks, Showa shock) and with a stiff feeling from its chassis, the Hammerhead is fun on a smooth and flowing road but once you introduce a few bumps, quite quickly your wrists start to protest.
If the bumpy road is also slow, the pain is only exaggerated by a stiff clutch action putting even more strain on your wrists and the heat from the engine trying to cook your legs.
Not only that, the clip-ons trap your hands against the tank on full lock, not that there is much in the way of turning circle! And to be honest, the Hammerhead isn’t really in the same handling-league as a modern sportsbike, which is to be expected as remember, it is a ten-year-old design. So where does that all leave it?
As is the case with rival limited-run manufacturers, the Buell is an interesting machine to ride that has its quirks. Anyone who has ridden or owned a Japanese or European sportsbike will instantly feel it is well behind the game in just about every aspect, however fans of Buells will love the fact it retains the rim-mounted front brake discs (more on this later…) and its V-twin has a gruff and raw nature, which is very reminiscent of all Buell models.
And there is also an issue around ABS, which is a fairly major stumbling block for Buell’s expansion into Europe…
The Buell’s rim-mounted front brake makes fitting an ABS sensor much harder, which is why every Buell has to be individually approved by the DVLA.
Buell are working on a new twin disc model that will have ABS and can therefore pass Euro5+ (emissions won’t be an issue, the Buell can already pass California’s stringent limits) which will be sold alongside a ‘heritage’ model that will retain the rim-mounted disc and require MSVA-approval. Until then, no European country can road-register a Buell as only the UK allows MSVA approval…
Engine
The 72-degree liquid-cooled V-twin engine can track its roots back to the 1125cc motor designed and built by Rotax for Harley but it has evolved since it was owned by Harley.
Featuring the more efficient EBR-designed heads as well as the larger 1190cc capacity it grew to under EBR, the engine has been further refined by Buell’s new owners Liquid Asset Partners and its production has been brought in-house to their facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. So it is now American-built, which should please Trump…
Once on the go the V-twin has a smooth and progressive throttle connection but there is no denying it is a very lumpy and quite agricultural engine and nowhere near as smooth as modern V4 or inline-four sportsbikes.
The gearbox action, despite being precise, is also clunky (a quickshifter is an optional extra) and the Hammerhead’s full-fairing sees it run hot (the naked SX also runs hot) and that means that the side-mounted fans are always clicking on – making the bike sound like a jet trying to take off, which is annoying, and the heat also does its best to cook your legs.
- Related: MCN tested these sport helmets for over 30k miles | Here are our favourite ECE 22.06 options
When it comes to performance, Buell claim the Hammerhead (and SX) produce 182.4bhp with 101.6ft.lb of torque but we’d be surprised if a dyno sees anything over 160bhp as they don’t feel that fast. Being a V-twin the power delivery is quite lazy, which can be deceptive, but it’s not a motor that bowls you over in terms of its performance characteristics and definitely doesn’t feel in the same league as a modern sportsbike. There again, does it need to?
The Hammerhead feels authentic to Buell in its attitude and spirit, which is what Buell enthusiasts will probably prioritise over peak performance. The only safety assist, 20-level traction control, is acceptable in its performance on the road but we wouldn’t 100% trust it when going hard (definitely not on track) as it feels quite an old system (we believe it is activated by a spike in engine revs as there are no wheel speed sensors).
Reliability & build quality
The new generation of Buells are hand-made in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and there are lots of lovely features. The suspension is fully-adjustable, the bodywork carbon fibre, foot controls adjustable, levers span-adjustable and more – but there again it is a £23,500 sportsbike so you would expect it to be good.
There are a few rough edges but the Hammerhead hides them better than the SX thanks to its full fairing.
When it comes to reliability, Buells of old have a poor reputation but the UK bikes come with a three-year warranty and importers Rainbow Moto say they have access to a full range of spares.
It is also worth noting that the engine has a ‘soft limiter’ so you can’t over-rev it when it is cold. Bikes take roughly two weeks to build with shipping from America adding five to six weeks to this time frame with any customisation (finish, colour etc) further increasing the time-span.
Value vs rivals
Costing £23,500, the Hammerhead 1190 is an expensive machine to buy and that’s before you start ticking a few optional extra boxes. Insurance shouldn’t be an issue as once they are MSVA-approved they have a UK registration number, not a Q-plate.
Other 2025 superbikes include the ultra rapid BMW S1000RR, Kawasaki ZX-10R, and MCN’s superbike of the year 2025 award winner – the Ducati Panigale V4S. The BMW’s base price is £17,990, and the Kawasaki slightly less at £17,499. That’s more than a £5500 saving over the Hammerhead 1190, and for bikes which are far more complete packages overall. The Ducati is considerably more at £30,695, but it’s easy to see where the money goes given it’s top tier component and electronics spec.
- Related: The GSX-R1000R returns to the UK! Suzuki’s iconic litre sportsbike officially revised for Euro5+
The Hammerhead is for those who really want it, and aren’t looking at price comparisons. It doesn’t make much sense when there are objectively better superbikes for both the road and track for less money, but none of them are quite like the Buell which could end up being the one for you.
Equipment
Aside from traction control (20-level) there are no other electronics as the Buells have been made deliberately analogue according to the firm (or more accurately they haven’t seen the need to alter the electronics from the EBR days…). The dash is colour but it lacks both connectivity and a fuel gauge…
When it comes to optional extras you can select to have the hammerhead’s carbon bodywork painted instead of clear-coated (roughly £1000 depending on the colour/design) and the chrome parts anodised black instead (£1000). A race exhaust end can is £780 with a dedicated ECU map, comfort seats £800 and an Öhlins steering damper £700. Prices are still be finalised so these are ballpark numbers.
Specs |
|
| Engine size | 1190cc |
|---|---|
| Engine type | Liquid-cooled, 8v, DOHC 72-degree V-twin |
| Frame type | Aluminium alloy with integral fuel tank |
| Fuel capacity | 19 litres |
| Seat height | 826mm |
| Bike weight | 190kg |
| Front suspension | Inverted Wilbers forks, fully adjustable |
| Rear suspension | Single Showa rear shock, fully adjustable |
| Front brake | 1 x 386mm rim-mounted disc with eight-piston radial caliper |
| Rear brake | 220mm single disc with two-piston caliper |
| Front tyre size | 120/70 x 17 |
| Rear tyre size | 190/55 x 17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
|
| Average fuel consumption | 43 mpg |
|---|---|
| Annual road tax | £121 |
| Annual service cost | – |
| New price | £23,500 |
| Used price | – |
| Insurance group | – How much to insure? |
| Warranty term | Three years |
Top speed & performance |
|
| Max power | 182 bhp |
|---|---|
| Max torque | 101.6 ft-lb |
| Top speed | – |
| 1/4 mile acceleration | – |
| Tank range | 160 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
- 2025: Buell Hammerhead 1190 launched – Buell is relaunched with the Hammerhead 1190 alongside the 1190SX naked bike. Both are reworked EBR 1190 models with the Hammerhead based on the 1190RX and the 1190SX on the firm’s named bike.