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.
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 »
Ridden & Rated: 2013 Victory Boardwalk
Greg Drevenstedt
July 31, 2012
Victory has done an impressive job competing with Harley-Davidson in terms of engineering and styling, but the young brand, launched by Polaris in 1998, has stood in the long shadow of Harley’s 110 years of heritage. Polaris’ recent acquisition of Indian Motorcycle, the only American marque whose... Read more »
Indian Motorcycle Introduces 2013 Chief Vintage Limited Edition
Press Release
July 31, 2012
Indian Motorcycle is proud to debut for 2013 the elegant and powerful Chief Vintage Limited Edition. Featuring a pearl white and thunder black two-tone paint scheme, this bike is sure to turn heads on the open road. The LE also features stylish chrome accents, including chrome highway pegs and a chrome... Read more »
Rider Magazine’s 2012 Motorcycle of the Year
Rider Magazine Staff
July 3, 2012
Our 23rd Annual Award! The chilly “New Economy” seems to be thawing slightly at this writing, but it’s been a challenging 12 months since Rider last presented its Motorcycle of the Year award. Any new bike introduced into this fiercely competitive environment has got to be a solid hit, drawing... Read more »
2012 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob vs. 2013 Victory Judge Review
Bill Stermer
June 1, 2012
(This Retro Cruiser Shootout was published in the June 2012 issue of Rider Magazine.) Aggressive, big-inch, V-twin cruisers with style and muscle have always been a favorite on the American road, and two of the latest are the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob (updated for 2012), and the Victory Judge (just released... Read more »
2012 BMW K 1600 GTL vs. Honda Gold Wing GL1800 ABS Comparison
Greg Drevenstedt
May 1, 2012
by Greg Drevenstedt When BMW unveiled the all-new 2012 K 1600 GTL, a high-tech, high-performance replacement for the long-running K 1200 LT, the company declared that it had built “a shark, not a whale,” a thinly veiled jab at the Honda Gold Wing GL1800. Around the same time we got our first ride... Read more »
2012 Star Raider SCL First Ride Review
Greg Drevenstedt
April 26, 2012
(This article was published in the July 2012 issue of Rider magazine.) Story by Greg Drevenstedt, Photos by Nelson and Riles Starting in the late ’70s, metric cruisers, such as Yamaha’s 650 Special and Virago 750, Honda’s CB650 Custom and Nighthawk, among others, offered an alternative to American... Read more »
2013 Victory Judge – First Ride
Bill Stermer
March 18, 2012
Victory Motorcycles introduced a new model called the Judge to the press in Palm Springs, California, in February. It is a model that joins the Cross Country Tour and Hardball as the latest in its line. The Judge is the first of the 2013 models from this Medina, Minnesota, company that is a division... Read more »
