Cruiser + Touring Motorcycles
Cruiser + Touring Motorcycles includes two of the most popular motorcycle categories, accounting for nearly three out of every four on-highway motorcycles sold in the United States. According to sales data from the Motorcycle Industry Council for 2012, motorcycles classified as “Cruiser” accounted for 32.3% and those classified as “Touring” accounted for 41.9% of total on-highway units sold. As discussed in Cruiser motorcycle guides, most cruisers are classically styled motorcycles that highlight the exposed engine–usually an air-cooled V–twin–and metalwork such as chrome exhaust pipes or heavy fenders. They typically offer a relaxed, feet-forward riding position favored by riders who, as the name implies, enjoy cruising down Main Street or their favorite back road. Touring motorcycles, which includes some cruisers as well as other types of bikes, are designed for long-distance travel. Touring motorcycle reviews look for typical details like a windshield (and sometimes a fairing) to protect the rider from wind, a comfortable seat and attached luggage, such as hard or soft saddlebags and possibly a trunk. Baggers, a nickname for motorcycles equipped with saddlebags, straddle the cruiser and touring categories and they’re very popular today.
Ridden & Rated: 2013 Harley-Davidson Breakout
Paul Garson
April 29, 2013
Once upon a time, wide 240-series rear tires were only found on $50,000 custom motorcycles, or bikes heading for the drag strip that needed a big footprint to maximize traction. Today, they’re pretty common on cruisers, many of which handle poorly because of them. Not so for the new Harley-Davidson... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2014 Star Bolt
Bill Stermer
April 29, 2013
It’s a smart company that studies the market, conducts research and builds its products based upon what the data indicate will be successful. In the case of Yamaha, its Star Motorcycles division (which builds its cruisers) is a very smart company indeed. While noting that cruisers compose about 49... Read more »
2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS Road Test
Greg Drevenstedt
April 2, 2013
My fiancée loves spontaneous adventure, but she’s had it with me proposing last-minute weekend getaways and showing up on a test bike she’s never ridden on before. I figured the 2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS, with its ample wind protection, cushy seating and generous luggage capacity, would... Read more »
Indian Motorcycle Unveils the Thunder Stroke 111 Engine
Greg Drevenstedt
March 11, 2013
The reborn-yet-again Indian Motorcycle, this time under the auspices of Polaris Industries, which acquired the legendary company in 2011, reached a significant milestone over the weekend. At Daytona Beach Bike Week, where Indian was a powerhouse in motorcycle racing in the first half of the 20th century,... Read more »
2014 Star Bolt and Bolt R-Spec – First Look
Greg Drevenstedt
March 9, 2013
Fully embracing the popularity of stripped-down, back-to-basics customization as well as the need to offer cool, affordable motorcycles to attract new and young buyers, Star Motorcycles has introduced the all-new Bolt and Bolt R-Spec cruisers. Based on the V Star 950 platform, the Bolt is powered by... Read more »
2013 Harley-Davidson Breakout – First Look
Rider Staff
March 8, 2013
Custom Vehicle Operations is Harley-Davidson’s skunkworks, the division where new designs, features, paint schemes and accessories are conceived and implemented on limited-edition models. Each year, H-D unveils four CVO models about a month before it pulls the covers off the rest of its model-year... Read more »
All New V Star 1300 Deluxe Headlines the Most Diverse Star Motorcycles Lineup Ever
Press Release
September 28, 2012
Star Motorcycles introduced the all new V Star 1300 Deluxe. Built around a 1304cc (80 cubic inch) V-Twin engine with a 9.5:1 compression ratio, aggressive cam timing and fuel injection, the V Star 1300 Deluxe with its 2 into 1 exhaust has the sound and power you need to get up and go. With the V Star... Read more »
2012 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Custom Road Test
Greg Drevenstedt
August 9, 2012
From the menacing, brushed-nickel skulls on its prow and tank, to the smoky graphics swirling around its sharknose fairing, Harley-Davidson’s 2012 FLTRXSE CVO Road Glide Custom means business. Even the names of its high-end accessories—Agitator wheels, Rumble Collection components and Heavy Breather... Read more »
2012 Triumph Speedmaster vs. Triumph Thruxton
Mark Tuttle
August 8, 2012
Retro is in; retro is cool. If a motorcycle looks old and works like a modern one, you can have the best of both worlds. A nostalgic appearance is pleasing to young and old, and the rider enjoys classic style, sound and feel, with brakes that stop and no oil puddles on the ground. Among the U.S. manufacturers,... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim
Greg Drevenstedt
August 7, 2012
By Greg Drevenstedt * Photography by Kevin Wing Whereas the CVO Road Glide Custom is freighted with extras (see page 30), the new-for-2012 Harley-Davidson FLS Softail Slim is stripped down to the bare essentials, like bobbers built in the ’50s by former servicemen. It’s no surprise, then, that Captain... Read more »
