When you talk about powerful V-twin cruisers, you’ll eventually end up talking about American bikemakers. Indian, Harley-Davidson, Buell, and Arch–these are the names that come to mind, out of which the first two lead the leaderboard with the most number of V-twin cruisers. Sure, Japanese and European motorcycles makers have dabbled into the V-twin world, but they’ve all politely waved the white flag and started focusing their efforts elsewhere. That means if you want peak V-twin performance, you have to go American. Without further ado, here’s the cruiser that leads the segment in V-twin performance.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Harley-Davidson, Buell, and Indian.
The Buell Super Cruiser Leads The Segment In V-Twin Performance
Power: 175 HP
Expecting a Harley or Indian? Well, the motorcycle here comes from the new kid on the block: Buell. We’re talking about the 2025 Super Cruiser that promises 175 horsepower. That’s not only the highest in the American-made cruiser segment, but also right up there with the European big boys like Triumph Rocket 3 and Ducati Diavel V4. To make matters sweeter, you get nearly 100 pound-feet of torque–again on par with the above-mentioned European rivals.
The next best thing for you is the Suzuki M109R. It has a gigantic V-twin, with close to 130 horsepower. And you pay well under $20,000 for that type of performance. We won’t talk about it much, though, since this is essentially a 15-year-old motorcycle still on sale today without any changes. As much as we love Suzuki, this is just an extremely dated package in general.
After that comes the Arch KRGT-1. It’s not your usual cruiser bike, but it is a cruiser at the end of the day. And a mighty powerful one as well. You get a massive 2,032cc V-twin engine here, sourced from the specialists at S&S Cycles. The result is around 95 horsepower and 115 pound-feet at the rear wheel. The latter is what you need to take note of, since that should equate to over 110 horsepower and 125 pound-feet at the crank.
Then, you have the two popular names. The first is the Harley-Davidson Sportster S. Like the Buell, it has a liquid-cooled V-twin engine, which prioritizes peak power over torque. So you get 121 horsepower and 93 pound-feet. That’s quite impressive by Harley-Davidson standards, yet it is over 50 horsepower down on the Super Cruiser. Indian is further down, meanwhile. Its most powerful cruiser is the 101 Scout with the liquid-cooled SpeedPlus 1250 engine. That’s good for 111 horsepower and 82 pound-feet.
The Super Cruiser Has A Sports Bike-Derived 1,190cc V-twin Engine
But Retuned For Better Low-End Oomph
You know the numbers of the Super Cruiser, but it’s time to dive deeper. The Super Cruiser’s V-twin engine comes from the Hammerhead 1190, and it’s actually sourced from Rotax. This is a 1,190cc liquid-cooled mill with a 72-degree angle that fires at a compression ratio of 13.4:1. That’s quite high for a cruiser (we usually see them well under 11:1).
But this ensures an output of 175 horsepower. All that power is sent to the wheel via a six-speed transmission, driven by a chain. This is a 520 Z-ring chain, with a 16-teeth front and 44-teeth rear sprocket. A slipper clutch helps you shift down aggressively.
Buell Super Cruiser Engine Specs
|
Capacity |
1,190cc |
|
Layout |
V-twin |
|
Power |
175 HP @ NA RPM |
|
Torque |
94 LB-FT @ 8,500 RPM |
|
Compression ratio |
13.4:1 |
|
Transmission |
Six-speed |
FOX Suspension And Sporty Aluminum Wheels Make Up The Super Cruiser’s Underpinnings
Chassis: Steel Tube
Housing the engine is an all-new tubular chassis, built in partnership with custom bike industry leader Roland Sands. This is carved from steel, and it joins hands with a double-sided aluminum swingarm. Adding some sporty touch to the package is a set of 17-inch cast aluminum wheels—a rarity in modern-day cruisers today. These hoops house dual 320 mm calipers up front and a 220 mm disc at the rear.
While these should be enough for this 485-pound cruiser, we’re lwokey bummed Buell didn’t retain its proprietary perimeter disc here (it was present on the early prototypes). Finally, the bikemaker has hit up the specialists at FOX for the suspension. You get USD forks at the front and a single shock without linkage at the rear. Add to that the sporty ergonomics, and you can lean the Super Cruiser to rather serious lean angles. In case you’re curious, the ergonomics comprise a single piece saddle, high mid-set footpegs, and a sporty tubular handlebar.
Buell Super Cruiser Underpinnings And Dimensions
|
Chassis |
Tubular trellis |
|
Front suspension |
Fox USD forks |
|
Rear suspension |
Fox monoshock |
|
Wheels |
17/17-inch alloys |
|
Front brake |
2x 320 mm discs |
|
Rear brake |
220 mm disc |
|
Seat height |
32 inches |
|
Ground clearance |
4.75 inches |
|
Weight |
485 pounds (without fuel) |
A Competitive MSRP Makes The Buell Super Cruiser A Decent Value Option
Starting MSRP: $25,900
Finally, let’s talk price. Buell has priced the Super Cruiser at $25,900 and that slots it right in the heat zone of the power cruiser segment. The MSRP is $905 up from the Triumph Rocket 3 Storm while the Ducati Diavel V4 sits $2,095 above the Buell. This is after the latest round of price updates by Ducati, though, since the previous price of the Diavel was just $800 pricier than the Super Cruiser.
As for home-grown competition, the Buell can be considered a rival for the Harley-Davidson Breakout and Low Rider S. Both are cheaper, but the latter in particular sits a whopping $5,901 down from the Super Cruiser. So you are certainly paying a lot of moolah for that screaming 175 horsepower engine. What you should also know is that Buell has yet to start deliveries of its cruiser. So if you want something right away, you’re better off with something else.
Buell Super Cruiser Rivals
- Harley-Davidson Breakout 117
- Harley-Davidson Low Rider S
- Ducati Diavel V4
- Triumph Rocket 3 Storm