#cruiser

If you asked most motorcyclists what defines a cruiser, you’d probably hear something like: a laid-back riding position with classic (or even retro) styling, powered by a V-Twin engine. Well, what if one of the major motorcycle OEMs learned through research that there is a whole swath of almost riders out there – let’s call them Intenders – who haven’t quite made the leap to buying a cruiser? Is the definition of a cruiser flexible enough to allow the exclusion of some of the main features traditional cruiser riders expect? Kawasaki has taken its extensive research with interested parties on the cusp of buying their first motorcycle and designed a motorcycle to fit their desires. The result is the 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S ABS.

Well, ahh, basically we were just looking for an excuse to tool around on H-D’s swell new FSXB Breakout for a while, and decided to bring one of our favorite cruisers, the Victory Gunner, along for the ride to see how things stack up between these American cruisers. In the powertrain departments, at least, both big V-Twins are representative of their makers’ current offerings.

Moto Guzzi revealed three new California 1400 variants joining the returning Custom and Touring models. Taking the stage at EICMA were the Eldorado (pictured above), the muscle bike styled Audace and the California 1400 Touring Special Edition.

In this week’s Church feature, we look at the Yamaha BT1100 Bulldog. Not familiar to some of our American readers? That’s because it never came to this side of the Atlantic, possibly a contestant for a future list about bikes we never got in this country. Sharing the same V-Twin engine from the Virago (aka V-Star 1100) we did get here, this naked standard has hints of Buell Lightning and Ducati Monster written all over it. Let’s travel back to 2002 and get Yossef Schvetz’s take on this Euro-only category buster.

Kawasaki revealed a new cruiser model equipped with the 649cc parallel-Twin engine from the Ninja 650. The result is an entry-level cruiser with sportbike-derived power retailing for $6999 ($7399 with ABS).

My first drag down the airport runway aboard Can-Am’s new 2015 Spyder F3 was accompanied by the unmistakable sound of tire squeal and the smell of torched rubber. This was not, however, the result of dumping the clutch at high RPMs on the base model’s six-speed manual transmission. This was the up-spec F3-S with the SE6 semi-automatic transmission. Nothing but horsepower, baby! Intrigued?

When Indian unveiled the Scout at Sturgis last month, it sent ripples through the motorcycle world. How would it compare with other cruisers in its class? What exactly were the other cruisers in its class? Obviously, Indian is hoping to improve its bona fides by taking on that other American brand’s most ubiquitous V-Twin in its displacement class, but what others? So, the lists began.

Indian Motorcycles made a big splash in Sturgis this year with the introduction of its new Scout. The revival of a historic model is newsworthy on its own, but the larger take-away from the emergence of the Scout is that it doesn’t directly compare to any other cruiser.

It’s long, it’s weird, and it’s no doubt polarizing. Welcome to the Travertson V-Rex, the topic of this week’s Church of MO feature. The V-Rex is what happens when computer renderings based in science fiction turn into three-dimensional reality through creativity, clever engineering, and yeah, a little bit of money. In 2008, MO’s Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Duke, rode the head-turning V-Rex and now, five years later, we’re taking a look back at a motorcycle that’s as head-turning now as it was then. Has time made the V-Rex any less radical? Not a chance. What do you think of the V-Rex? Tell us in the comments section below, then click on the link above to the original story, where you’ll also find a huge photo gallery.

By Evans Brasfield

When it comes to liking the cut of one’s jib, no motorcycle owns a profile quite like the Road Glide’s. Not only is the Road Glide unique in Harley-Davidson’s line-up, but also in the realm of cruiserdom. Others emulate the fork-mounted, batwing fairing of Street Glides and Ultras, but the Road Glide’s frame-mounted fairing and its distinctive styling sets it apart from the crowd.

In recent years, the cruiser market has been caught up in chasing the perception of authenticity or heritage or history or whatever buzzword you care to use, but regardless of the name attached to it, the result has mostly come in the form of the motorcycle’s styling. While it’s nice to call on the past – and it certainly shouldn’t be ignored – there comes a point where the current retro styling exercises risk crossing over into a caricature of the very thing they’re trying to evoke.

When  Indian revealed the 2015 Scout, yesterday, the company made a bold move that is sure to frustrate Indian traditionalists and pique the interest of riders who have wanted a smaller, lighter, less-expensive Indian. In the process, the design crew has shown that there is more than one way to interpret history.

Baggers are a big deal these days, making up something like half of the cruiser market according to Victory’s experts. Victory’s newest attempt to supply what the market demands is this highly customized version of its pre-existing Cross Country, dubbed Magnum.

Indian has said – repeatedly since its release of its first models under Polaris’ ownership – that it plans to expand its model line beyond just the Chief and Chieftain. Well, today, the company announced its latest addition at its dealer meeting. A few weeks ago, Indian invited a few members from the moto-press to visit the Polaris Product Development Center in Wyoming, Minn., to meet the people behind the development of Indian’s newest motorcycle, the Roadmaster.