WE first reluctantly spotted the Buell SuperTouring 1190 last March, as the revived American brand showed it off along with some other off-road models.
And it’s got to be said, it wasn’t the most attractive machine we’d seen. In fact, it was ugly enough to have you reaching for the mind bleach to erase the memory of it! Pleasingly, Buell has taken some of that commentary from social media on board, and the latest version of the bike, widely reported to be the production machine, is much easier on the eye.
The facelift comes courtesy of designer J. Ruiter, who has turned the SuperTouring from an ugly duckling into a striking and fairly funky-looking bike. The twin headlights remain (and I’m still getting ‘Bender’ from Futurama vibes) but are now shrouded by a sculpted nose cone that reaches upwards to secure the windscreen of the bike. This is also the first time we’ve seen the bike in any kind of colour scheme, as it was finished in gloss black when wheeled out before. The new two-tone scheme of this bike though seems perfectly fitting for the bike, making it looks muscular without being too angular.
Buell SuperTouring 1190 specs
Specs for the bike, as already reported by us at Visordown, are thought to still be the same, meaning 185bhp claimed, 102lb-ft of torque, and 386mm perimeter-mounted brake discs to keep the purists happy. The chassis of the bike includes a fuel-in-frame design, and the bodywork makes extensive use of carbon fibre.
We aren’t sure if the SuperTouring 1190 will be making its way to the UK, although if it did, we’d expect the $21,995 (£18,200) price tag to be adjusted somewhat.
More info on the Buell SuperTouring 1190 can be found on the official website.
