Buell’s 185-HP 1190 Baja Dune Racer Gets Closer To Production
Is this the new dirt beast? See it in action in a recent pre-production test!

First previewed at Daytona Bike Week back in March, Buell’s Baja 1190 Dune Racer broke cover as the “world’s fastest and solely American-built production off-road bike.” Since then, the prototype bike has undergone rigorous testing and performance refinements, bringing it closer to its production in 2023.
“The 1190 is a beast of a dirt bike,” says Buell after putting the bike through its paces, also releasing new photos and video from some of their recent tests.

The new model is based off the brand’s 1190 HCR hill climb racer that won the 2020 AMA National Championship with Logan Cipala at the helm. The production machine boasts a 185 hp liquid-cooled, 72-degree V-twin engine with 102 ft-lbs. of torque. The Baja 1190 also has a trellis frame with a 26.75-degree steering head rake, adjustable swing arm for a 64-70″ wheelbase, and a seat height of 37.5″.
Interestingly, Buell has also revealed the bike will weigh around 380 pounds and “has specs that will fall in the class of the KTM 1290 Adventure R and will exceed its performance.” A bold claim given the KTM’s reputation as one of the top high-performance machines in the liter-plus adventure class.

Back under new ownership, the American company is ready to write their next chapter with the 1190 DR stating that it represents the next evolution in Buell’s off-road technology as the descendant of their former Ulysses adventurer. Bill Melvin, CEO of Buell Motorcycles further added “Ulysses’ ultra-high power and performance proved Buell’s desire to be different and draw attention. Now, leveraging the halo effect, the Baja is the fastest, most agile 1200cc class dirt bike ever made.”

Buell says the new bike initially targets more experienced riders looking for performance, speed and power. And like the company’s other machines, the Dune Racer will be manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a big selling point for some consumers.
The Buell 1190 Baja DR has a starting MSRP of $19,995, with reservations open now for production slots set at just $25. For more information go to buell.com.
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This bike really takes the KTM super enduro to the next level. I guess it’s not really an enduro though because it is not street legal. I was always hoping KTM would bring back the SE.
Very niche, wonder how many will be sold? Not many folks will be able to tap the beast’s potential.
… and live to tell the tale.
The biggest question is…WHY?? Annual sales of what?, 10 maybe?
380 lbs – that’s 172 kg.. Add lights and a speedo (nothing more) and make it street legal. I’ll buy it.
Make a smaller super moto and enduro, Please! Let’s build some American competition. I’ve always loved Buell for doing things differently, bought my 2006 lightning XB12ss new in 2006, and it still turns heads