I recently rode my motorcycle to work and wondered how it would perform as a long-term cruiser.
Are cruiser motorcycles good for commuting? Cruiser motorcycles can be good for commuting under the right conditions which include, commutes longer than 30 miles and on open roads. Cruiser motorcycles are not as good for commuting on short urban trips.
To better understand why cruisers are good for one style and not the other we need to look at what makes the typical commuter motorcycle great.
Characteristics Of Typical Commuter Bikes
Commuter riders use their motorcycle for everything in the same way people use a car. From going to work to making trips to the grocery store. Because of their multiple uses, commuter motorcycles must score highly in many categories.
Here the most common things riders look for in a commuter motorcycle:
Reasonably Priced
The average family does not own a luxury car for a reason. They cost a lot and are expensive to maintain and insure. Luxury cars also get stolen more frequently.
The same applies to motorcycles. A commuter rider does not need an expensive bike, but wants one that works well and gets the job done.
American cruisers do not fit the reasonably priced category well. Just look at the price of a Harley-Davidson and tell me it is reasonable when comparing it to the average price of a motorcycle.
If you ride a Harley, do not take offense to what I am saying. I have and ride mine to work as much as I can. While we may compare the price of one Harley to another or to the price of an Indian motorcycle, we consider Harley motorcycles a luxury bike placing them in the same category as the luxury car.
Comfortable
No rider every said they wanted to be uncomfortable while riding to work. Comfort, while obvious, should be one of the most important factors for a commuter motorcycle.
When you’re comfortable, you will have a higher level of confidence and execute your skills in a sharper manor.
Increased comfort makes the ride more enjoyable. You can pay attention to the best elements of riding like the wind in your face and hearing the engine rev.
Comfort is one area where the cruiser shines above all other motorcycles. Their ergonomics put the rider in a relaxed position. If you have read some of my other posts, you have heard me say that my Harley is like riding a recliner. For me, it does not get more relaxing.
Beginner riders will not find a cruiser comfortable. In this post, I talk about how easy or difficult cruisers are to ride for the beginner.
Light
Commuter motorcyclists commonly split lanes in states or countries where it is legal. If you do not know, lane splitting is the act of riding in between cars as traffic slowly moves down the road.
To split lanes efficiently, the motorcycle needs to be light so the rider can “flip it” back and forth. For newer riders, this means the motorcycle will turn quickly left and right.
Heavier motorcycles have a hard time turning quickly for the average rider. It feels like your transferring the momentum of a freight train as the bike moves from one lean angle to the other.
Having a light motorcycle not only helps when maneuvering in between cars, but you can stop faster. Have you ever seen a freight train try to stop? If not, take a moment and YouTube it to see what I am talking about.
Thin
Running right along being light, a good commuter bike is typically thin for lane splitting.
Handlebar widths are the thing to review for a bike. Widths can range from roughly 30 inches to 37 inches which is a big gap. Take a moment and hold your hands three feet apart from one another.
Now imagine trying to put that in between cars in a traffic jam at 20 or 30 mph. Yep, now you see why having a thin motorcycle helps.
Being thin also means you have smaller places to park your bike. With wider motorcycles, you might as well stick to car parking.
Riders also need to monitor other wide points of the motorcycles such as the crash bars found on cruisers. While they are not as wide as the handlebars, I have seen some motorcycle crash bars come close.
So, how do cruiser motorcycles rate at being thin?
Not very well, they have wide handlebars for a reason. To handle the extra weight we already discussed. We just talked about the wide crash bars they may have too.
You do not lose all with having a cruiser as your commuter motorcycle. With some practice and experience, you can make they heavy wide bodies do amazing things. The key is knowing how to use the momentum generated from the bike itself.
When you learn this skill, it does not take a large amount of effort to get the bike bobbing and weaving through traffic. Just watch the handlebars.
Gas Efficiency
What would a commuter motorcycle be without gas efficiency? Not much really.
The traditional way of getting gas efficiency is lowering the displacement of the motorcycle to 500 cc’s or less. This worked well from the 60s through the mid-90s. Then something started happening.
Similar to the automobile industry, improved technologies added to the world of motorcycles. Things like electronic fuel injection and computers enhanced fuel efficiency. As a result, the engines did not have the small displacement.
Modern commuter bikes have a larger displacement and get as good as or better gas mileage.
Technology has helped the cruiser score better on this criteria. In fact, I ride an 2002 Harley with electronic fuel injection. I think it was one of the first years for it and am amazed at the mileage I get.
Fun
If you have come this far in the article, you are likely an enthusiast and riding is more than a mode of transportation. In fact, I do not know anyone who rides a motorcycle for the “practicality” of a motorcycle. They are not really that practical at all.
There must be something more, like fun. Riding has to be fun on some level or there is no point in doing it at all.
The question riders have to answer is how to have fun on a motorcycle. Commuters like the thrill of cutting, weaving and bobbing around in traffic.
When you ride a big heavy cruiser in the traffic as a commuter, it takes the excitement to a higher level. It shows you have mastered the bike and riding skills. This is not an endorsement for taking a cruiser to rush hour just for a thrill.
Functional
To be functional, a higher priority is being useful rather than being attractive. The common commuter bike does not possess the “bling” factor the way cruisers do. Just look at the level of chrome on them and compare it to a standard motorcycle.
Cruisers can be functional for commuting. In the strictest sense getting you from point A to B economically and efficiently is the name of the game.
Buy the right cruiser or build one yourself, it takes care of the economics. Learn to ride a cruiser well so it is easy as we describe in this article and you make it fun and efficient.
Typical List Of Bikes Who Are Commonly Used As Commuters
We spent all this time going through the criteria used to select a great commuter bike. Most of the criteria do not favor cruisers. If not cruisers then what kinds of bikes do make the list?
Standards
These are also commonly known as naked bikes. They have a styling mix of British and Japanese flavor with an upright riding position. This makes them comfortable for riding.
The upright position makes the rider sit up straighter and helps him become more visible. A few times when I saw a rider splitting lanes in California, it was because I could see something bobbing and weaving in between the roofline of the cars behind me.
Standards also have low to mid-range handlebars and foot controls. To point to our the difference on a cruiser you can see mainly forward controls placing your feet out in front of you. On a standard your legs are bent at a 90-degree angle and the handlebars are below your shoulders.
The seat will be designed for two-up riding and thicker for comfort. I can tell you the thickest seat I ever had on a motorcycle came on the standard I had as a young man.
These motorcycles do not have fairings or minimal fairings with one headlight. Their lightweight makes them great for commuting.
Sport Bikes
I am convinced sport bike riders use these motorcycles purely to enhance the thrill of riding as fast as you can from one place to the other while splitting lanes along the way.
The favorable attributes these bikes have favor commuting but were designed for track days.
I can tell you from personal experience, these commuters leave a lot to be desired as they zoom past you in traffic. You cannot see them because of the crouched over position, but the unnecessarily high rate of speed creates additional risks to motorists.
As you can tell, I am not a fan of people using sport bikes as commuters.
Scooters
When you need to get to a place and are not really in a hurry, use a scooter. Many motorcyclists dismiss them, but I think they have a place in the two wheeled world.
Where Do Cruisers Fit In the world of Commuting?
Believe it or not they fit in. Just not using the conventional criteria. Let’s talk about a few areas where cruisers do have an advantage over standards, sport bikes, and scooters.
Cruisers Give Riders Additional Visibility And A Larger Presence
One of the best things cruisers share with the standard is the upright seating position. You read earlier about how I could see something bobbing and weaving between cars while on a trip to California.
This upright position puts your head and shoulders up where you see the rider through the windows of other cars. On a sport bike, the rider leans over or hugs the tank as they speed by you.
The problem with this crouched over position is the bike and rider are down at or below the window level where you may not see them moving in and out of traffic.
To illustrate how much of a problem this is, have a sport bike rider pull up next to a regular sedan and hug the tank. Measure the difference in height from the bottom of the window to the top of her head. Now have a cruiser or standard bike do the same thing. See what I am talking about?
Commuting On Cruisers For Longer Distances
Most riders want to have some level of comfort (as you get older, it becomes a priority). Comfort though is a subjective matter. For the most part, riders will agree that cruisers are more comfortable (provided you are not a new rider, check out more here) for longer distances.
For the commuter, if you ride over 30 miles one way to work, a cruiser will be a good choice. Riding in rush hour traffic at a slow pace hunched over a tank puts lots of stress on your wrists, arms, and shoulders. You heard me say before, my cruiser is like riding a recliner. Riding in bumper to bumper traffic is not a big deal.
The trade off here is being able to split lanes easier on a sport bike than you can a cruiser. You are not as visible. The point is, the longer the commuter the better a cruiser will be for you.
Commuting On Cruisers On Open Roads
Upon reading this headline, you may wonder what I mean by commuting on the open road.
I mean that riding on the highway or bi-ways for most of your commute favor cruisers. This riding differs from navigating city streets and alleys. Here the smaller more nimble motorcycle easily wins.
On the open road the rider need not worry as much about flicking the bike back and forth to navigate traffic. Even when traffic stops on the highway motorists leave more room in between the cars versus a city street.
Cruisers have the advantage because of the presence they command versus other types of bikes. This could be because cruisers are much larger.