Walking the stairs last week, a collegue asked if I rode my Harley to work. He proceeded to ask if he should buy a cruiser motorcycle.
A rider should buy a cruiser motorcycle for comfortable on for long trips, style, and versatility. Cruiser motorcycles are not meant for speed, off-road travel, or adventure riding. Cruiser motorcycles as a general rule tend to be more expensive motorcycles.
Buying a cruiser motorcycle should take some consideration as the motorcycles tend to be more expensive compared to other styles of motorcycles. Read on to help you consider different points before buying your cruiser motorcycle.
Buying A Cruiser Motorcycle
The starting point of buying any motorcycle should be your intent and riding style. So you best start by spending some time thinking about this. You will likely find these change over time.
Intent With Buying A Motorcycle
I am a perfect example. When I first moved from dirt bikes to street bikes, riding was about the freedom to get away from mom and dad. Dad knew this and went with me to buy my first street bike.
Despite having lots of work to do for the family business that day, he stated “See you this afternoon and don’t get any tickets.” I did not have my license yet, make sure your kids have a permit or license before you doing something like my dad.
Then my riding intent moved to speed and impressing girls. Now in my mid-40s, I ride for the freedom to get away from the daily stress of life. Just this past Memorial weekend, a buy and I rode 837 miles, all backroad and twisty. The best!! I needed the comfort to put in the long days.
So what is your intent? Where are you at in life?
Cruiser Motorcycles Vs Other Styles of Motorcycles
Now that you have the intent, your style of riding should influence what kind of motorcycle you should buy. Where not going to exhaustively compare the different styles of motorcycles here. We just want to highlight the differences.
| Style of Motorcycle | Riding Intent | Comfort |
| Cruiser | Moderate distance riding, Style | High |
| Standard | Commuting, High Versatility | Moderate |
| Adventure | Riding on and off-road | Moderate to High |
| Dual Sport | Riding off-road but able to travel from trail to trail | Low |
| Sport Touring | Sporty longer distance travel | Moderate to High |
| Off-Road | Trail riding or motocross riding | Low |
What Are Cruiser Motorcycles Good For?
As a kid riding by hind my dad, I had no idea why he rode a cruiser. I knew they were good for the cool factor as he pulled up to take me home from school. Today though, after more than 30 years of riding, I experience the many benefits of a cruiser motorcycle.
As a whole, people enjoy the cruiser motorcycle’s low seat height, powerful engine, rich styling cues, and high comfort level. Today, cruiser motorcycles are adaptable making moderate to long-distance riding fun with just a few addons like saddlebags, a windscreen, and highway pegs.
I’m going to pick each of these off by sharing my experience and discussions that I’ve had with fellow bikers.
Recently, I went into a bike shop to look at some adventure and dual-sport motorcycles. As I sat on many of the bikes, I could only put one foot on the ground. While this is not a big deal for the veteran rider, one with low confidence will have a harder time becoming conformable with the motorcycle.
Remember, the Memorial Day Ride that I mentioned earlier? It was up in the hills. Because I had a torquey v-twin, gears were not being changed all the time. On a sportbike, changing gears is a constant endeavor.
On that same ride, my friend commented a few times about how fast the time went by. This could not have happened without a high level of comfort.
I did all of this riding with a set of saddlebags, a windscreen, and highway pegs.
Are Cruisers Good For Beginners?
New riders who like the chrome on my cruiser will ask me if it would be a good beginner motorcycle. After a few questions, I notice a few things the potential rider often finds appealing.
On average, cruiser motorcycles look like a great option to beginner riders for the comfortable seat position, torquey motors, and low seat height. The beginner needs to also consider the increased cost, their style of riding, and maneuverability of a cruiser motorcycle.
Cruiser Motorcycle Cost
Because cruiser motorcycles are popular in North America, the demand tends to be higher making them more expensive. There are ways to reduce the cost of these machines that bring them in line with the average person’s budget.
The two biggest ways to reduce the price are :
- Buy a used machine. Make sure you learn how to spot trouble areas and pitfalls for the model you are considering for purchase.
- Learn how to do the service maintenance yourself. The cost for a complete service for my Harley is a few hundred dollars. When I do it, it is roughly $80. Make sure you have a service manual and know how to read it.
Style Of Motorcycle Riding
As noted above, cruiser motorcycles are not meant for off-road riding. The low ground clearance and increase weight make them tough to navigate the obstacles found in dirt, and mud while riding off-road.
That being said, people still try and take them off the pavement. I’m included in this group. Perhaps it is the desire to put a square peg in a round hole, but some of us like to see how far we can take the bike.
If you make the unwise decision to go off-road, check out my experience here and what you need to consider.
Likewise consider the handling of a cruiser if you plan on taking it to a track day or use it in some other way than what it originally intended.
While cruiser motorcycles are versatile, there are limits to their capabilities.
Improving Your Mechanical Ability For Motorcycles
I already mentioned the monetary benefit of learning how to service your motorcycle. You should also consider the other aspects of possessing a mechanical aptitude.
First, learning as much as you can about how your motorcycle works can improve your confidence and can make you a better rider. When you fill in knowledge gaps, you know what you can and cannot do on the machine.
Second, in the event there a breakdown, you’ll likely be able to fix it or at least have an idea of what the problem is.
Third, you’ll be able to prevent failures before they create breakdowns.
There is nothing worse than going on a long trip and not being able to fix your bike. Breakdowns will happen if you ride enough, but giving yourself options on how to deal with them reduces the stress of a ride.