A wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc since 1998, Buell Motorcycle Company was founded in 1983 by Erik Buell and produced more than 135,000 motorcycles.

“I will always be proud of what we have accomplished. It is a testimony to what a small group of passionate and inspired people can do, and with brilliant innovations, we’ve produced some of the best-handling bikes of all time,” said Buell Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell.

“I personally look forward to exploring how I can continue to work with Harley-Davidson to bring advanced product technology to riders.

“I have also had the great fortune to meet and get to know many Buell riders over the years, and they are an amazing and interesting group of free thinkers,” Buell added.

“May you ride with pride into the future. And may your roads ahead be as adventuresome and rewarding as mine have been for the last 26 years.”

Remaining Buell motorcycles will be sold through authorized dealerships. Warranty coverage will remain as normal and H-D will provide replacement parts and service.

Worldwide sales of Harleys dropped by 21.3 per cent over the last quarter compared to the same period in 2008. Harley is focusing on the iconic V-Twins and so is also looking for a buyer for MV Agusta, which it bought in 2008.

To view an emotional video message from Erik Buell, go to buell.com