Desert Fury from a Reborn American Brand…
In 2022, the revived Buell Motorcycles stunned enthusiasts by unveiling one of the wildest concept machines of the modern era: the Buell 1190 DR Dune Racer. Equal parts superbike and desert weapon, the machine looked less like a production motorcycle and more like something ripped straight from the Glamis sand dunes — or a Hollywood stunt film.
This wasn’t a relic from Buell’s Harley-Davidson years. It was a declaration that the American performance brand was back — and thinking far beyond pavement.
A New Buell for a New Era
The original Buell Motorcycle Company, founded by engineer Erik Buell, was shuttered by Harley-Davidson in 2009. After several intermediate ventures, the Buell name returned under new ownership, separate from Erik Buell’s own later company, Erik Buell Racing (EBR).
The modern Buell Motorcycles brand has focused primarily on high-performance street machines powered by large V-twin engines — most notably the Hammerhead superbike and Super Cruiser. The Dune Racer concept showed the company exploring a radically different direction: high-powered off-road performance inspired by hillclimbing, dune riding, and desert racing.
Superbike Heart, Desert Legs
At its core, the Dune Racer uses Buell’s modern 1190 platform — a liquid-cooled V-twin producing superbike-level power (175 to 185 hp). Instead of low clip-ons and track geometry, however, the chassis is reworked for off-road hooliganism. Key visual and functional cues include:
- Long-travel suspension front and rear
- Massive ground clearance
- Spoked wheels with aggressive knobby tires
- Minimal bodywork
- Tall dirt bike-style ergonomics
- Reinforced skid protection
The proportions suggest a machine capable of extremely high speeds across open terrain — more desert missile, dirt dragster, or dune hoon than trail bike.
Radical Buell DNA Still Intact
Even in off-road form, the Dune Racer carries unmistakable Buell design DNA. Traditional Buells were known for unconventional engineering solutions such as fuel stored in the frame, oil housed in the swingarm, rim-mounted perimeter brake rotors, and short wheelbases for agility.
The Dune Racer seems to borrow heavily from the Buell 1190 Hill Climb Racer, which has been highly competitive in AMA Pro Hill Climb with multiple wins and podiums. Rarely have we seen production concepts that take cues from this discipline, but hill climbing was once one of America’s most popular spectator sports, deeply rooted in the competition heritage of Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior. Today, out of strict competition bounds, venues like Oldsmobile Hill at the Glamis sand dunes and run-what-ya-brung events at various motorcycle rallies keep the amateur spirit of the sport alive.
While full technical details of the Dune Racer haven’t been released, the concept clearly embraces Buell’s long-standing philosophy of unorthodox design: re-envision what a production motorcycle could be rather than simply adapting an existing, expected template.
Buell Baja 1190 Dune Racer: Key Specs (Concept)
Type: Desert Racing Concept (2022)
Engine: 1190cc liquid-cooled DOHC V-twin
Power: ~175–185 hp (claimed platform output)
Torque: ~100 lb-ft (est.)
Transmission: 6-speed
Final Drive: Chain
Frame: Steel trellis
Front Suspension: Long-travel inverted fork
Rear Suspension: Long-travel monoshock
Seat Height: ~940 mm (37 in)
Wheels/Tires: 21″ front / 18″ rear, knobby off-road tires
Estimated Weight: ~420–450 lb wet
Status: Prototype / Concept — not in production
Not Erik Buell’s Project
Importantly, the Dune Racer is not an Erik Buell Racing creation. Erik Buell himself founded the original Buell company and later EBR, but the modern Buell Motorcycles brand operates independently of him.
That distinction matters. The Dune Racer represents the vision of the new Buell leadership — an attempt to reposition the brand as an American performance innovator across multiple segments, not just sportbikes.
Baja Dreams and Production Uncertainty
As of now, the Dune Racer remains a concept machine. Buell has not confirmed production plans, pricing, or final specifications, though they do have the bike listed on the website. Whatever the future holds for the 1190 DR, the design taps into what seems a growing appetite for extreme off-road performance bikes.
If built, the Dune Racer could occupy a unique niche between traditional adventure bikes, scramblers, and purpose-built rally machines — with far more power than either.
A Glimpse of What Buell Could Become…
More than anything, the Dune Racer serves as a statement piece. It signals that the reborn Buell brand intends to experiment boldly rather than simply revive past formulas. Whether it ever reaches production is almost secondary. The concept demonstrates that American motorcycle design still has the capacity to shock, excite, and challenge expectations.
In a market dominated by European rally machines and Japanese dual-sports, the idea of a brutal V-twin desert superbike from Buell feels both unexpected and perfectly on-brand. Radical, unapologetic, and just a little bit insane — exactly what you’d hope for from Buell.
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with that wheelbase it would not be very good handeling, I have raced Baja and other desert events and this bike would be poor, Hillclimb is what more of its looks are pointed toward.
No doubt it would be much better as a dune bike or hillclimber — but with 185 hp, they must have decided it needed that wheelbase just to keep the front end down!
I’m pretty sure most of those pictures are the 1190 Hill Climb Racer, it won the National Championship last year. The first one is a bit different, with a shorter and stouter rear fork.
Only the shot of the #895 1190HCR is their competition Hill Climb Racer — the white and black bikes are indeed the 1190 Dune Racer. There’s some obvious carryover but the frames are different.
Huh, good to know. I hope somebody throws a rally tower on one and goes to Baja for real, that motor is a gem and I think they’d have a real shot at the podium!