It's hard not to love cruisers, you can tell yourself all you want that it's not your type of bike, but when you hear a Harley-Davidson ride by, you can't help but feel something shift, deep in your core. The high-end growl, the tough looks. There's just something unique about them, that we don't get with other types of motorcycles. And while it's a motorcycle with many positives, no one has ever said, 'hey look at that cool Versys 650!'
But knowing which cruiser to go for, especially on the used market, can be a treacherous endeavor. It is especially so if you're new to motorcycling. And though there are hundreds of bad ideas on the internet when it comes to buying motorcycles, there can be just as many diamonds in the rough, if you know what to look for.
10 Buy Now: Honda Shadow Phantom
You just can't go wrong with a Honda. Well, that's not entirely true, as you'll see further down in the list. But for the most part, that statement is on the money. Especially when it comes to the Honda Shadow.
There are several trims that you can choose from, but we prefer the Phantom, as that variant's minimalism and simplicity ticks all the right boxes. If you want a blacked out, perfectly shaped cruiser, with just the right amount of tasteful chrome, the Shadow Phantom is the perfect bike to pick up. They're reliable, ubiquitous and inexpensive. And because they've been around for a such a long time, there are plenty of after market parts to customize it to your heart's content.
9 Rather Avoid: Kawasaki Vulcan S
The Kawasaki Vulcan S is good for one thing only. Its adjustable ergonomics. That's it. And if you're in the market for a decent cruiser, and you see this pop up in your browser, your best bet is to swipe left immediately.
Yes, they're cheap and plentiful, but unlike the Honda Shadow, they have zero charm, character or personality. Its 649-cc parallel twin engine is so boring, you'll be forgiven if you think that riding a motorcycle ain't what it's all cracked up to be after all. And no new rider should ever have to feel that starting out. Its biggest claim to fame is that's a great beginner bike, but only because most new riders eventually sell it within a year to move on to something with a bit more life to it.
8 Buy Now: Victory Octane
So you like the look of the latest Indian Scout, but can't afford that price tag? Let us introduce you to its daddy, the Victory Octane. Victory Motorcycles had a short yet tragic history, as its parent company Polaris eventually purchased the rights to Indian Motorcycles, who promptly began outselling Victory in the same market. Before Victory shuttered completely they'd created their last best hope for staying alive, and that was the Octane. You can see a lot of the Scout in its DNA, and that's because after Victory closed, Polaris gave the Octane to Indian to play around with, and the results were much more successful in their hands.
But the Octane did sell for a year or so, and is still out there. It has the same bones as the Scout, although it is lighter, and somehow edgier and more handsome looking. If you're lucky, you can find them out there for less than $8,000 and in pretty good condition. And for what essentially amounts to being a mass-produced, history-making prototype, that's not half bad.
7 Rather Avoid: Suzuki Boulevard S40
This popular single thumper cruiser was based on the previous model, the Suzuki Savage, and was anything but. We don't know what's worse, its bland, boring looks or the weak 31 hp output. You can't blame the 652-cc, air-cooled single. It tried its best, but the motorcycle, though mass-produced, used ancient, by today's standard, technology and was somewhat unreliable.
It's also fairly small, so while it may be ok to ride for shorter riders, it's not well suited for anyone above average height. And while you can get it to 70 mph on the highway, it'll shake your whole body apart.
6 Buy Now: Yamaha Bolt R-Spec
The Yamaha Bolt is already a more affordable option if you want something like a Harley-Davidson Sportster, even when you purchase brand new. It's even more so on the used market, with some 2014 models going for as little as $4,000. And it is perhaps the best looking and performing Harley clone out there, produced by a top tier manufacturer.
It's dead simple to operate, comes with minimal technology and roars to life when you roll on the throttle. It's also about as reliable as a Yamaha motorcycle can get. Outfit it with some great aftermarket options, like a Vance & Hines exhaust, and you'll feel that visceral noise low in your guts. The 950cc V-twin that is the beating heart of the Bolt is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
5 Rather Avoid: Harley-Davidson Street Rod
The Street Rod is not a Harley you should buy, and there's definitely no reason why you should pay what is being asked for it on the used market. Not when options like the Yamaha Bolt are available. This Harley attempt at entering the beginner cruiser market was met with complete and utter indifference. And though it produced an alleged 70+ hp, it was astoundingly heavy, at 525 lbs.
It didn't quite look the part either, opting for weirdly placed mid-controls and strange stance, more akin to a standard motorcycle. It's as if Harley thought about making a naked standard bike, but pulled back at the last minute, as if afraid of how it would be received. The result looked like a hodgepodge of ideas, none of which were good. You should definitely pass on this Harley, especially since there are better HD options, if you look hard enough.
4 Buy Now: Suzuki Marauder 800
The Suzuki Marauder probably has the single coolest motorcycle name on this list. And where the Kawasaki Vulcan S looked like a formless blob, the Marauder looked exactly like what we think a cruiser should look like, with classic lines, and twin chrome pipes on the side. It was simple, like the Honda Shadow, though with a little bit more character to its 805-cc V-twin engine. Plus, if you're into chunky tires, just check out that front wheel.
It also had a comfortable, approachable seat height, down-low center of gravity for better balance and plenty of power and torque to get you around traffic. And though it was simple to fix and maintain when the need arose, Suzuki's reputation for building reliable motorcycles definitely needs to be factored in, as many of them can still be seen on the road today. And if you're patient enough, you can probably steal one for less than $2000.
3 Rather Avoid: Honda Rebel 250
Don't let nostalgia for your old MSF class blind you. The Rebel 250 is a bad motorcycle in general and an even worse cruiser. We're talking comparatively, of course, but it's so small and cramped, you may as well be riding a 331 lb BMX bicycle. Its ancient rear drum brake is so useless, it may be borderline unsafe.
The only saving grace is the super low seat, so they're perfect to learn on for shorter riders. But the positives end there. The forward foot controls feel unnatural for beginner riders, as they don't allow for good balance at lower speeds, and lower speeds are all you'll ever get as the tiny parallel twin outputs a weak 19 hp and 14 lb-ft of torque.
2 Buy Now: Harley-Davidson Roadster
Some will tell you to get the standard Sportster, but we feel that the Roadster looks better. Its compact frame, low handlebars and stylized seat screams 'muscle cruiser.' It looks like a coiled fist, ready for a fight. The seating position may be somewhat uncomfortable, however, as it had forward controls and clip-on level bars.
So perhaps this cruiser was more for commuting and weekend rides, rather than longer touring. But the low, approachable seat height, large fuel capacity and 66 hp from the 1202-cc push rod V-twin gives it so much charisma, your back would probably forgive you, eventually.
1 Rather Avoid: BMW R1200C
You'll forgive BMW for constantly trying to beat Harley-Davidson and Indian on their home turf. The cruiser market is still very potent to this day, with no sign of slowing. And with the release of the BMW R 18, all the old memories of past BMW cruisers came floating back up, including this crazy looking gem of a bike.
BMW definitely tried to do something different and unique with the R1200C, we'll give them that. It had a lot of innovations for its time, like a passenger seat that became a backrest. But it still failed to capture the imagination of the buying masses, who were used to riding cruisers from the likes of Harley, Indian and to a lesser extent Honda and Suzuki. And though a case can be made for the R1200C looking pretty interesting and being design forward, that is not what the cruiser buying public was looking for at the time, or now for that matter.