Cruisers

Put up your feet

Generally built for style and comfort, cruisers make up about one-third of all motorcycle sales. They fall somewhere between sport bikes and touring bikes, with elements of each.

Cruisers feature upright seating with the feet forward, rather than straight down or behind like other bikes. Many cruisers are custom built, and range from basic or "naked," with just the essentials, to high-concept show bikes. Choppers are a type of cruiser, and are usually custom-built.

Bike naked?

Cruisers often don't have as many extras as touring bikes, which can feature luxuries like satellite radio and air-conditioning. Often the biggest luxury on a cruiser is the paint job, which can be elaborate. However, some consumers prefer their cruisers naked, or just the basic bike, without any extras. Some buy the naked bike and customize it themselves, but manufacturers and dealers will often customize a bike for the consumer.

A wide variety

Most Harley-Davidson motorcycles are cruisers, and Harleys remain the most popular American-made cruisers. Harley cruisers feature the Dyna, Softail and VRSC lines. Honda's Valkyrie, VTX and Shadow lines and Kawasaki's Vulcans are also popular cruisers.

Independence day

Cruisers often represent independence and originality to their owners. Customization allows you to have a bike like no one else's. They don't have the speed and power of sport bikes, but they aren't weighed-down with the extras such as on touring bikes. Falling between the two extremes, cruisers are more versatile. Owners are as likely to ride their cruiser to the corner store as hundreds of miles to a rally.