This seems to be the most neglected type of motorcycle on this entire forum. That seems strange to me, since cruisers represent about 50% of the motorcycle market, and are so good at so many things, from commuting, to just riding around for the fun of it, to cross country touring. A 750-950 cruiser makes an excellent solo touring bike, if you want a passenger, just get a bigger one. They are the most comfortable bikes made, are easy to put a windshield on, and easy to load down with stuff. You can get as much stuff on a cruiser as you can a purpose built touring bike. The only thing they lack is sportbike handling, and if you have to have that, you want a sportbike. I have ridden mostly cruisers for the past 36 years, at least mileage wise. I have over half a million miles on them. Most of that has been on interstate highways, but cruisers also make excellent bikes for exploring paved backroads. My current cruiser, an '02 Kawasaki Vulcan 750, has 77,000 miles on it, all mine. It has been ridden from coast to coast several times. It is not a showpiece, it is dirty, and has quite a few scratches on it, though it is in excellent mechanical condition and has never been crashed. When it wears out, I will buy another cruiser. Unlike what many seem to think, cruisers are not just for barhopping or cruising up and down main street on Saturday night. They are the most practical, functional bikes out there. There must be several cruiser owners here, hopefully they will come out and admit to owning one. The way I see it, other than off road, cruisers are the best adventure bikes around. And even the prices are pretty reasonable on most of them, and they come in all sizes and prices, from a 250 Rebel to a 2300cc Triumph Rocket III
105k miles. Regularly do IB rides and rallies. Very comfortable either one up or two. Rock solid cruiser. However, it doesn't like gravel, especially when raining. [/url][/IMG] [/url][/IMG] Been coast to coast, border to border. Never failed to get me home.
While most things in motorcycling is very subjective, and while I have recently begun to enjoy a cruiser (my new H-D 48) for what it is, I would never say that a cruiser is the most comfortable bike made. Especially if it has the ever popular forward mount foot controls. Not for me anyway. I traded mine out for mids pretty quickly and find them much better for me. Nor would I say that they are the most functional practical bikes out there. They are full of compromises in layout and ergonomics, often strictly for the sake of "style", and they commonly place form over function. With that said, to each their own, and I do enjoy mine for reasons other than what you described. And if it's what blows your skirt up, then that's all that matters. Ride on! As a disclaimer, I'm specifically talking about a standard "cruiser" and not about a cruiser based tourer. And I won't pass up an opportunity to post a pic of my new bike either!
Is there some part of "Adventure Rider" that you don't understand? 99% of this forum is about ANTI-cruisers. It is not that they are not welcome (they are here in road warriors) it is just that they are a minority here. There are plenty of cruiser and snoozer forums to choose from out there.
Best? I would have said butt ugliest, sure, that's a given, but best? At what? What's your yardstick???
I admit a Sportster is not the best cruiser for long trips, or to carry things on. I do include touring cruisers. But they are usually standard models with saddlebags and a windshield, which can be installed on most standard models. I don't like forward pegs plumb out to the front axle, but do like something where your knees have a little more than a 90 degree bend. A riders backrest is almost a necessity for long distance travel. Without one you have the reverse problem to a lean forward bike. You have to use your arms to pull yourself upright, which not only hurts, but has a negative effect on handling. I noticed the BMWR1200C, Royal Star Venture, and Victory Vision pictured here all have backrests. I do not consider Choppers or Bobbers to be cruisers. They are basically non functional. They are strictly for looks. The Honda Fury for example would be worthless for traveling. But even they call it a chopper and not a cruiser. At the moment, Honda doesn't make anything In would really call a cruiser. They have transformed their 750 Shadow into a Sportster clone. The VTX 1300 and 1800 series bikes were great touring cruisers, as were the older Shadows. But Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki still make plenty of cruisers suitable for touring. and many Harleys are also great touring bikes. The BMW R1200C was also a great cruiser, to bad they don't make it anymore. I heard it was selling great just before they dropped it. I have saddlebags, a T bag, a big roll bag on the passenger seat, a tank bag, and a windshield on mine. I have taken a lot of 2 week trips on it with no problems at all. As far as this site being anti cruiser, then why does it have a scooter section (yes I like scooters as well, and own 3) Scooters would not seem to be good adventure bikes either, but most actually are. BMW GS models and KTMs are not the only adventure bikes out there. My first new motorcycle was a cruiser, a 1981 Suzuki 450L. I was hooked. There was nowhere I couldn't go on that bike, and in comfort. I do wish for the return of the non v-twin cruiser, but I doubt that is going to happen anytime soon. As of now, Yamaha makes 12 cruisers suitable for long distance riding (everything but the Stryker, Raider, and V-Max) Suzuki has 8 (everything but the "M" series) and all Kawasaki cruisers are great for touring. So with just the Japanese models, there are 28 cruisers well suited for adventure bikes. And both Victory and Harley make several. It seems most of the road bikes on here are some type of sport bike. I don't see how they are practical for long distance travel. They are uncomfortable, and there is no place to put anything. Yes it has been done. But it has also been done on an 883 Sportster too, though that is not exactly what I had in mind.
I like a low center of gravity. My knees like forward controls. A day in a sport touring position is agony. I like big thumping air cooled v-twins and belt drives.
I'm loving mine. It just makes me feel good to ride it. I commute on it. I just got it in Sept, but I am looking forward to taking a road trip on it (9 days) this coming summer. It's a 2008 Kawasaki Nomad 1600.
Adventure Riding, in my mind and probably a lot of guys here, is 'riding on an adventure'. If you were to take a Sportster to, say, Alaska on mainly paved roads with some gravel detours mixed in how is that different from taking a GS to alaska on paved roads? There's a RR here somewhere of a guy on a Goldwing riding in Alaska with studded tires. Sounds like an Adventure to me. Here's my Sportster I picked up last summer, I'm loving it. Have a desire to go on a few road trips with it, hopefully the stars align this summer.
This notion that a Sportster is not a cruiser suitable for cruising is news to me. A cruiser does not have to be a huge lumbering tank to be comfortable for long distances.
I have nothing against Sportsters, I have put some miles on a couple of them, and love them. I am hoping to be able to own one soon. I am a bit on the large side for a Sportster, but forward pegs fixes most of that. If you have a full seat and sissy bar, you can carry an amazing amount of stuff on them. I put over 20,000 highway miles on this Honda Rebel 250, and had plenty of room to carry stuff. It was to small and cramped, but still more comfortable than even a full sized sportbike. You definitely don't need a huge bike to go somewhere. I have already done a 700 mile trip on this. and only 125cc. This is my current cruiser, with 77,000 miles on it. Except for a Goldwing, it is the most comfortable bike I have ever owned. This is an '02 model. I also had a '93 model, also bought new, and sold with 80,000 miles on it. This bike was made for 23 straight years completely unchanged except for paint, which must mean something. Manufacturers do not continue to make bikes that don't sell.
I can't imagine putting that many highway miles on a Rebel 250! I guess it's been a while since I sat on one. I think the Nighthawk 250 is a bit more roomy, but they are harder to find and stuck with a front drum brake. I used to have a Honda CM400, kind of a cruiser/standard model, and that was actually pretty comfy on the highway. The //twin was also much smoother than my Harley's. After having an Kawasaki EX500, I could see myself on the EN500 Vulcan LTD/whatever cruiser. That's a sporty little motor for a little cruiser. I also like the Vulcan 750, but have never ridden one. Here is my CM400 the day I brought it home.
After shunning Cruisers for most of my life, and on some suggestions from this board, I ended up with an '07 Nomad, and I gotta say I am LOVING IT. More comfortable than I ever thought a Cruiser could be, reliable, practical, and a real looker...
I rode a friend's Vulcan Nomad one time, and I thought it was the most comfy bike I ever rode. Like riding a La-Z-Boy down the road. Still, I prefer a smaller, more nimble ride.
