Large, heavy cruiser motorcycles have lower seats, big-inch, high-torque engines, and front controls. These characteristics enable cruiser motorcycles to provide a lean-back, feet-forward riding position that allows comfortable, leisurely journeys. You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn more about these well-known devices. This cruiser motorbike review contains all the information you require!
A Cruiser Motorcycle: What Is It?
The market is filled with a wide variety of motorcycles, cruisers being only one of them. As their name implies, these bikes are designed primarily for cruising, making them a fantastic option for medium-distance trips as well as for commuting within cities.
In the US, cruiser bikes originally appeared in the 1930s, and over the years, their use has increased. The biggest motorcycle manufacturers, including Indian, Henderson, Excelsior, and Harley-Davidson, produce the most well-known models.
But do you want to know what distinguishes a cruiser motorcycle? Let’s get right to the point and discuss these bikes’ features in depth!
Features Of A Cruiser Motorcycle
- Gearing And The Engine
A cruiser motorcycle’s large-displacement V-twin engine is often its beating heart. They have substantially lower maximum revs than traditional motorcycle engines thanks to their long-stroke/small-bore cylinders.
Therefore, rather than producing a lot of horsepower, these power mills and their gearing provide superb low-end torque. Many cruiser motorcycle engines come equipped with classic features like air cooling and carburetors, with displacements ranging from 15ci (250cc) to 130+ci (2150+cc).
Special variants, such as the fabled Boss-Hoss cruisers, however, had an engine displacement limit of 376ci (6200cc) and a maximum power output of 445 HP.
The term “power cruisers” refers to cruiser motorbikes with incredibly strong engines. In addition to this high-performance power supply, they have sophisticated brakes and springs for the best performance.
- Suspensions And The Frame
On cruiser bikes, the engine is mounted on a large, “low-slung” metal frame that is close to the ground. Similar to how the engine is situated, the seat is similarly quite low, and a sizable fuel tank is positioned just above it.
A robust frame on which the rear axle is directly fastened supports the construction of some cruisers. In other words, because these bikes don’t have rear suspension, their rides can be quite rough.
Contrarily, the vast majority of stock cruisers have front and rear suspension built in for comfort. The mid- or forward-foot controls on cruisers are another unique feature. This makes these motorcycles simple to identify.
- Position And Experience When Riding
To provide a pleasant and relaxing seating position as well as a low center of gravity, a low seating position and forward-mounted controls were designed.
You don’t have to lean forward to operate a cruiser that is the right size. Instead, you can take a small step back and put your hands comfortably on the higher bars.
High “ape-hanger” bars, which can make rides uncomfortable, are not the topic here. The cruiser’s arched handlebars offer steering that is manageable and strikes a balance between high apes and sporty clubmen or clip-on bars.
With this practical design, you may transfer gears quickly and easily and maintain a relaxed body position while traveling farther. Since the low center of gravity translates to significantly better stability at higher speeds, it is also helpful.
Smaller riders particularly value the low seat height of cruisers since it makes it simple for them to put their feet on the ground. The disadvantage with cruiser motorcycles, on the other hand, is that you can’t get out of the seat to soften the bones on a rough road. As a result, your spine immediately receives dynamic forces. Cruisers frequently have soft saddles and suspensions to soften these impacts.
These motorcycles often have a small pillion seat to accommodate a person behind their comfy saddle. The starting dry weight for cruiser bikes is 300 pounds, and they can weigh up to 800 pounds or more, but most of them fall between 500 and 700 pounds.
As a result, cruisers are excellent on straight, flat, smooth roads but not on rocky ones. Due to their lengthy wheelbases, they are also challenging to maneuver in small areas.
- Features And Style
Along with the aforementioned, cruisers stand out from the crowd due to their distinctive appearance and the way of life they symbolize. And this isn’t just a case of nostalgia! Cruisers are unrivaled in terms of appearance, sound, and vibration. A lot of chrome parts, long front forks, balloon tires, and other features specifically designed for these bikes are frequently included.
Cruisers have strong hauling capacity and provide lots of space for luggage because of their large chassis. Installing a matching pair of side bags on these bikes is one of the most fashionable ways to carry gear.
Surprisingly, even with a heavy load, the riding characteristics don’t change much.
