Why Are Cruiser Motorcycles Expensive?


I sometimes wonder if purchasing my expensive cruiser was worth it.  Cruisers seem cool and I find them comfortable, but they cost so much.

Why are cruiser motorcycles so expensive? Cruiser motorcycles have been expensive in the past do to their popularity and high demand.  The increased demand has driven prices up, but recent trends have started to bring down the price of cruiser motorcycles.

You can see from the short answer here, what goes up eventually goes down.  There are numerous points discussed below providing insight on why cruiser prices went up and why they are changing.

Demographic Trends Made Cruisers Expensive

In a previous article, I wrote about the popularity of cruiser motorcycles and how they became popular.  The popularity reflects the demand for this style of motorcycle.   

They created the demand initially from the excess supply of WW2 motorcycles. Many of those were Harley-Davidson.  At the time they were cheap, and inexpensive to change.

Next came the boomers who grew up seeing dad and mom customize these bikes creating a new subculture.  The kicker to all of this was the increased size of the boomers relative to their parents. They were a much larger generation at roughly a 4 to 1 ratio.

The much larger boomer generation created an easy way for Harley to thrive. They only had to mimic the styling cues from the WW2 vets and older boomers who picked up the customization of the leftover motorcycles.

When you look back on Harley design, we will easily find these elements in their production motorcycles.  This about the raked out front end of the 60s Captian America’s motorcycle in Easy Rider. Then look at the custom softail.  

If you recall the boomer generation also had a rebellious streak in them.  Combine this with the 4 to 1 ratio, and limited production and demand quickly starts outstripping supply. 

The result, much higher prices for cruiser motorcycles that has continued to today.  

Cruisers are still the most popular style of motorcycle in the US.  Some estimate as much as forty percent of US motorcycle sales are cruisers.

What Is An Expensive Cruiser?

In my professional life when people tell me they have modest living expenses, I find it interesting. I always follow-up with “Tell me more about that.”  The person or couple will start talking about how they perceive the world and their cost of living is “modest” relative to the families whom they compare themselves.

My point is simple.  What one person considers expensive is cheap by another person’s standards.

For example, I remember when I was looking to purchase my first cruiser.   My dad had always ridden a Harley so naturally I planned to buy one. After looking at their price, my jaw hit the floor.

Dad had pointed out two bikes he would have bought if he were me.  Those machines were way out of my price range. At least as I saw it.

We could settle the issue by talking about how the markets determine the price of bikes.  But I assume we need to narrow it down and talk about how to determine expensive for your budget.  There will always be a motorcycle outside of your price range that you want.

Determine Your Cruiser Motorcycle Budget

The best price of a motorcycle is one you can afford.  My guidelines are simple in determining if a cruiser is expensive. Follow these simple steps:

  1. How much does it take for you to live on a monthly basis?
  2. Do you have 3 to 6 months’ worth of cash sitting in a bank account? If not, the cruiser is too expensive.
  3. If your answer is yes to #2, then subtract the 3 to 6 months’ worth of expenses from this amount and that is how much you have to purchase a cruiser.
  4. If it is not much,  work hard at saving more.

Most people avoid this commonsense approach to buying things because they want it now and end up financing it or using credit. We will talk next about how this helped make cruisers expensive.

Credit Help Make Cruiser’s Expensive

What most people do not understand is how a large group of people using credit affects the overall price of cruiser motorcycles.

As we already established, most people will not have saved up to buy the bike.  Most modern “bikers” want the immediate gratification of riding now so they end up using credit for the purchase.

When one or only a few people do this, the upward pressure on price is small. When we use this form of purchasing lots of people bid on bikes driving the price up.

By using credit to purchase a cruiser, it extends the market to people who could not normally buy the bike.   

Harley really encourages people to use credit to purchase a motorcycle. The last time I went into a local Harley dealership, the salesman (who was superb at sales) had me upstairs looking at a 2010 CVO.  

Once he saw I was drooling, he immediately started talking about the low financing and payment plans Harley can create for my budget. I quickly came back to reality and explained I only pay cash for my bikes.

Now imagine how this move keeps a market strong for cruisers. This happens at all motorcycle dealerships not just Harley.  

People worry about whether they can afford the monthly payment and ignore the total cost of the motorcycle. This includes interest, the bike, and insurance.

Outside of the price of the bike, guess which cost is the greatest? The interest on the bike.  We could talk in more detail but we’ll just leave this topic alone for the time being.

Premium Branding Makes Cruisers Expensive

I do a lot of searching online for Harley and other cruiser parts, accessories, and articles.  This means Harley and everyone else targets me with Facebook ads, YouTube ads, and Google ads.

Boy, do they have great branding.  I want to get the bike out of the garage every time I see one of the YouTube or Facebook ads. 

In fact, branding is so strong many non riders recognize Harley’s symbol.  Show the picture below to a non-rider to test me.

See what I mean.  You also know the branding works well when people ink it onto their body. 

When you see a group you like, you want to be part of it.  When the desire becomes strong enough, you follow suit and take part in the activities of the brand suggests.  Or at least this is what you think, reality will be different.

Cruiser Traits Make Them Expensive

What is it about the cruiser itself that makes them expensive?  Perhaps a few things, but it is really all subjective. Here are a few of the common items cruiser riders really enjoy.

Relaxed Riding Position 

Veteran riders like the laid back position of this style of motorcycle. Having a bike with forward controls makes it feel like you are riding a recliner.  Many riders who prefer cruisers roll over hundreds of miles per day. 

Larger Tanks

Part of the reason these bikers put on so many miles is because they have large tanks.  It has been my experience a 5 gallon tank is the norm for cruisers over 1100 cc. 

The larger tank can have two down falls though.

  1. The bigger tank can be wider making you spread your legs. For some this will become uncomfortable.
  2. When the tank sits high on the frame, it raises the center of gravity for the bike making it not handle.  

Chrome & Lots Of It

We like shiny things and put a lot of shiny stuff on cruisers.  There was a time in the 90s and 2000s when just about every component on the engine of a cruiser was chromed.  

My bike is from this era and no exception. I take 6 to 8 hours to polish all the parts.  At this point in my life I would prefer to not spend so much time polishing.

There are still many riders who like the chrome.  Just look the next time you’re around a lot of bikers.

Room To Carry Extra Things

Carrying extra items in saddle bags seems to fit well with cruisers. In fact, during WW2 many riders had saddle bags to carry extra gear.  

I can tell you from personal experience that I can carry more on my cruiser than I could on any other bike I have owned.  

How to NOT Make A Cruiser Expensive

We have reviewed all the things that make a cruiser expensive. If you’re looking for a cruiser here are a few ways to make it less expensive.

  1. Avoid bike with lots of chrome. It seems people expect a premium when selling a cruiser with lots of chrome on it. This applies to new and used motorcycles.
  2. Look at one that needs a little work. With YouTube you can learn to fix just about anything.  I am not talking about a bike that needs a complete overhaul, we’re talking about one that needs tires, brakes, and maybe a little polishing. 
  3. Look for bikes being sold by estates.  Usually there is only a rider or two in the family. After someone passes, the family normally wants to get rid of the bike.
  4. If you are a DIYer, get a basket case and learn to build the bike from the ground up. 

Bosco

Bosco is a long time motorcycle rider with 30+ years of experience. After his childhood ATV accident and becoming a father, motorcycle safety has become his focus.

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