Cruiser Motorcycles For Beginners | A Complete Guide

A cruiser is not designed for an agile city ride, high-speed chase, or any type of off-road conquest. But they are the ones that attract most public attention, and thus remains a symbol of freedom and the biker lifestyle. A cruiser makes you feel confident by overcoming all the challenges you may face as a beginner, whilst providing maximum riding comfort. This type of bike combines a brutal appearance and a rather sedate ride compared to its sporty and off-road counterparts.

Cruiser, in its classical sense has:

1. Straight relaxed seating position: forward pegs, wide comfortable handle bar tilted towards the rider, thick wide seat with a comfortable back support.
2. Duplex frame, capacious soft rear suspension, powerful brakes, high-quality wind and mud protection, rake (fork angle) from 30° to 35°, relatively high ground clearance.
3. Large engine displacement mostly twin cylinders with a longitudinal V-shaped arrangement. Hence, a long life with a big service interval, decent power reserve for overtaking and maneuvering at good speed.

What should you look in your first motorcycle?

1. Forgiving: Look for a motorcycle that will forgive your silly mistakes, like an abrupt throttle or an incorrect way of handling the clutch or brake. A Yamaha R6, for example, in the hands of an inexperienced beginner will not forgive even an extra inch of throttle, and can throw you away from the saddle instantly.
2. Inexpensive Parts: While choosing a motorcycle, many pay attention to aesthetics, but do take into consideration the cost of replacing them in case of an accident.
3. Mechanically Reliable: Make sure you have tested the engine thoroughly by checking vital engine parts and accessories. There should not be any sort of leakage or grime (commonly found on the base of the engine). If possible take an experienced rider with you to test the bike rigorously.

How to choose a beginner cruiser motorcycle?

1. You need to choose between the cruisers by acknowledging your physical capabilities: height, weight, arm length, and general ability to lift weights. A rider helplessly trampling on a bike nestled on its side is a pitiful sight. And even worse is to suddenly realize that the “cruiser”, three times your weight, refuses to bend on a turn under your efforts, but goes further, to the oncoming lane, as if on rails.
2. Riders, particularly of an average or below average height that are not outstanding in physique, should not choose a cruiser heavier than 220 kg as their first motorcycle. Additionally the saddle height should not be over 70 cm.
3. Tall riders, on the other hand, weighing over 100 kg, should first consider placing their legs on a cruiser comfortably. For them, a small sized cruiser, like the Chinese 250cc models, is not an option. Another thing to be kept in mind is that the angle of leg should not increase from 120°. The wider your legs are placed from this angle, the faster you will get tired, forcing you to take stoppages very frequently.
4. Another important parameter is to acknowledge your basic skills in handling the motorcycle: minor repairs, self-replacement of consumables, tuning, etc. If their availability (and the desire to buy them) is almost zero, it is better to abandon the idea of ​​buying an attractive bike from an import auction. Despite the decent photographs and a good service history, you still have to maintain your motorcycle yourself. And if you consider yourself experienced, or a “hands in oil” type of rider, buy yourself a used motorcycle from a private seller, but not the exotic ones, like the Suzuki Savage LS400, which was discontinued 20 years ago. Choose amongst the most recent models so that you may not find any problems while looking for original spare parts or consumables.
5. Additionally, always choose a motorcycle that is quite popular and in trend around your country. Like we said earlier, you are choosing a beginner motorcycle, but when you have comfortably outgrown your motorcycle, you may want to sell or upgrade. And it would be great if this is dealt without incurring significant loss in price. The demand for these bikes is usually born by the same types of beginners who prefer something that is popular, durable, and much less exotic. Therefore, as your first beginner motorcycle, choose something that is easy to sell later.
6. Another thing to remember is that you are purchasing your first bike for one season only. Such a motorcycle should simply teach you how to ride, give you the skills to ride around the city, and most importantly, make it absolutely clear as to what you want from a motorcycle. It should cause fewer problems and can be sold pretty easily at the end of season. It is not worth chasing plastic, gloss, or vintage cruisers as your first ride. You will be better off buying a 90’s motorcycle in good condition, but do make sure it is not difficult to repair in case you drop it.
7. There is no need to consider a Chinese motorcycle, although the China motorcycle industry is rapidly developing and high-quality motorcycles will be launched in near future, but as of now, do avoid them. As a beginner, it is wise to buy a ten year old Japanese motorcycle than a brand new Chinese one. Moreover, when sold, a year old Chinese bike will have a 60% depreciated value.

Technical Specifications and Features of Cruiser Motorcycles

The appearance of a cruiser is difficult to confuse with other motorcycle types. Low comfortable seat, vertical fit, relaxed design, wide rear wheel, large protruding mirrors, short fork are some of the attributes of a cruiser motorcycle. On many models you may find the footrest moved more forward. The passenger seat is in most cases equipped with a backrest. But despite all the signs of comfort, the cruiser looks quite brutal – due to the large fenders and the abundance of chrome elements.

The exteriors of these bikes are quite impressive, but the technical characteristics are not mediocre either:

1. It has an engine with a volume ranging from 250cc to 500cc, or 750cc to 2000 cc with a capacity of up to 160 horsepower. It confidently gains momentum and is driven by an impressive mass of iron, which can weigh up to 500 kilograms! Without unnecessary effort, the biker easily manages to get ahead of the flow of vehicles on the road. The engine is designed to obtain maximum torque even at low power levels.
2. Most often, the design involves a liquid-cooled V-shaped engine. However, there are Japanese models equipped with one, two, and three-cylinder engines as well.
3. The fuel tank capacity ranges between 14 to 18 liters and is sufficiently enough to forget about refueling between gas stations.
4. The reinforced braking system is designed considering the massive weight of the bike.
5. The maximum speed can reach up to 190 km/h.