It hit me while riding why everyone should use cruiser motorcycles for long rides. Ironically, the thought hit me while running a short errand on my Harley.
As a whole, cruiser motorcycles are great for long-distance riding. The relaxed riding position makes you comfortable for long periods. The windscreen keeps road grime off of you. The low seat height increases confidence by allowing both feet to touch the ground, and the saddlebags give extra storage.
You might be thinking there is more to riding long distances than what I just mentioned. You would be correct. We’ll cover many aspects of long-distance riding in this post.
Cruiser Motorcycle Riding Position
The riding position required on long trips is perhaps the biggest driver of being able to put in big mileage on any given day. When you plan a multi-day trip, your riding position becomes even more important.
As a general rule, the cruiser motorcycle riding position gives the rider a relaxed slightly laid-back positioning. The feet will be slightly out in front of the knees towards the front of the motorcycle. The longer low, slung nature of the cruiser enhances this relaxed arrangement.
Think of the riding position in the same way you see cowboys riding a horse out west. Cowboys were the inspiration for this style of riding position.
It makes sense. Cowboys are in the saddle all day. As riders, if we plan on doing the same thing, why not stick with something that already works.
Even though this riding position works well, it is not without the possibility of discomfort. Taller riders will need to make changes to their seats and footpegs to accommodate their longer legs. They will also need to reposition their handlebars too.
One downfall to the riding position is the low lean angle while turning. Because of the forward positioning of the front footpegs, they tend to be one of the first items that start scrapping in turns. If you’re not expecting this noise it can through you off balance
Cruiser Motorcycle Windshield: Do they make a difference?
Part of the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle is having the wind in your face and feeling the nature around out. The changes in air temperature, or the smell of a freshly cut lawn. How about the smell of rain off in the distance?
While all riders enjoy this, there are downfalls to this air blasting you right in the chest. It makes you tired.
A motorcycle windshield helps increase your comfort by reducing the strain put on your body from air blasting your body. Your comfort level increases significantly and thus extends the duration of your ride. The windshield also keeps the rain and bugs off you paying dividends the whole day.
After a good cleaning last year, I decided to leave my windshield off the bike. Call it a mid-life crisis, but the urge to feel the wind on the upper body took over.
I then decided to go riding for several hours. Towards the end of my ride, I noticed how tired I had become. It felt like I was on the bike for more than 8 hours.
I just played it off as the start of a cold or allergies. The next day I knew what happened when my hands and forearms were tight and didn’t want to move.
On a three-day trip this year, I did have my windshield on the bike. We were in the saddle for more than 8 hours per day. I felt better than I did without the windscreen after only a few hours.
The motorcycle windshield greatly increases the length of time you can spend on your cruiser. This is one of the things that makes them great.
Cruiser Motorcycle Low Seat Height
Confidence plays a big role in how far you ride a motorcycle. Being able to firmly put two feet on the ground is one of the best ways to increase confidence.
Cruiser motorcycles have a low seat typically below 30 inches. This allows the vertically challenged a chance to put both feet on the ground this increasing their riding confidence.
While it sounds like the low seat height may not be a factor in riding a motorcycle over a long distance, my experience says otherwise.
Riders make several stops along the way, either to rest or check out specific destinations. In the course of multiple stops, the rider has to deal with swinging their legs over the bike, starting and stopping the machine.
This is where the low seat height comes in handy. On a long ride where you rarely stop, I would still argue the low seat height is an advantage.
Your body will be tired and worrying about which foot or where to stop because you cannot reach the ground is frustrating.
How far can you comfortably ride a motorcycle?
On average, a motorcycle rider will comfortably travel less than 500 miles in a day. Weather, road conditions, experience, and type of motorcycle all play a factor in how far a person can ride. A rider should spend no more than 6 to 7 hours riding per day.
Notice two items I mentioned in how far you can comfortably ride a motorcycle.
The first point to remember is the type of motorcycle. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. A cruiser is one of the most comfortable styles of motorcycles.
Remember the windscreen from earlier in the post? What better way to keep stress low than by keeping the elements off you like rain.
As for the time of 6 to 7 hours, this is the actual ride time. If you have become a grizzled veteran, putting in more than 7 hours might be ok. Just know when to stop.
It is better to stop frequently and have small rests along the way. You’ll likely find you get more miles-ridden versus trying to make long stretches.
On a cruiser though, you need closely monitor how tired you are. It is more difficult to do so on a motorcycle that is already more comfortable.
Are Harleys Good For Long Distance?
You have heard the saying before, “It does not get better than the original.”
This holds as true with cruiser motorcycles as it does with anything else. Harley is the original cruiser motorcycle.
As a whole, Harleys are good motorcycles for long-distance riding. The new models (anything after 2000) are reliable machines to transport you anywhere. The layback seat position and forward pegs create comfort while the torquey motors will carry the extra weight of passengers and saddlebags.
What I just described is a utilitarian motorcycle. This has been Harley’s heritage for more than 100 years. Harley illustrated this best during World War 2. Search YouTube for motorcycle training for WW2 and you’ll see what I mean.
On second thought, check out this video.
The ultimate adventure motorcycle!
Can you imagine jumping or laying your bike down like these guys? Unfortunately, riders today treat their motorcycles like big pieces of jewelry. The chrome and nice paint. God forbid you scratch the paint.
Yes, people do ride them long distances and yes, they are comfortable. This is part of how Harley changed over the years.
The Heavy Weight of Harleys
The heavyweight of the bikes makes them good for long-distance as the bike feels more planted. Riders benefit the most from this extra on the highway. It reduces the buffeting effect of wind from other vehicles.
The extra weight also makes Harleys ideal for towing trailers.
What are cruiser motorcycles good for?
As you can see cruiser motorcycles are good for long-distance riding based on many factors. Comfort, torquey motors, the ability to haul passengers comfortably. They can tow trailers as well.
Cruisers are also good for daily commutes, riding on vacations, and comfortable enough to ride as a touring motorcycle.