I am a good "Cruiser-guy", I hardly care about lean angles and horsepower. I am instead, a sucker for low down Torque and softer suspension. I prefer going at 100 km/h with soft rock playing in my ears instead of gunning down at 160 with nothing but wind blasts on my face. Since I tend to write about all the different genres of bikes and their details to enlighten my readers, occasionally I have to break out of my bubble and focus on them. So today I am going to take my time and tell you all about what goes into making a good cruiser.
A light and strong chassis-
We all know that a longer wheelbase is required for highway stability, but when a frame is stretched so long it tends to flex a fair bit. To solve the problem, manufacturers like Honda have started using Trellis frame in their Rebel 500 and 300, but 1490 mm of a wheelbase which both of them offers, only passes as entry level in the cruiser segment, It is literally identical to Bajaj Avenger.
Over the years many custom builders have used dangerous techniques like “Five-finger rake” and “Slug” to increase the wheelbase. A five-finger rake was a process in which the point of the frame which connects the steering head to the rest of the body, was raised until a number of fingers could be inserted into it.
RELATED ARTICLE: List Of Cruisers Available In 600cc- 800cc Class
Instead of using proper measurements, people used crude methods to raise the handlebar and increase the rake. It was a stupid process and resulted in several crashes. With the coming of the internet, people finally understood that this is not a good idea. Modern-day cruisers are sophisticated and use precision machining to form frames in different styles. Things changed for the better when Japanese tried their hand at making cruisers.
Anyways, currently, Kawasaki Vulcan S, Indian Scout Sixty, and Softail series of Harley Davidson offer great flex free riding with a long wheelbase. It is also needless to say that the Chassis needs to be more lightweight as it’s bigger in cruisers than in other bikes, so the stronger and lighter it is, the less power it will eat up from the motor.
Softer suspension-
There is a difference between the suspensions of an ADV and a Cruiser, despite both of them being predominantly soft. Even the suspension of a beaten up entry-level ADV will have more travel than a 1000 cc cruiser. Both of them, however, suffer from the problem of feedback from the front wheel because of two common reasons. One of them, I just told you, the suspension and second one is the difference in wheel sizes. Especially for cruisers, a steeper rake is an important "necessary-evil" which ADV’s can avoid. Some bikes which have achieved a good handling despite having a steeper rake are Harley Davidson Street Rod, Street Glide and Low Rider S.
Manufacturers mainly reduce the height of steering and suspension travel while increasing the size of front forks to compensate for a softer suspension. Before you take your Avenger through a tight turn and almost fall, please note that the feedback will always feel less vague when compared to a Naked or sportsbike.
A low and wide fuel tank-
If you want to imagine what such a fuel tank would look like just imagine the exact opposite of a KTM RC’s tank. I am talking about the Street 750, and the famous Super Glide which "Jack Teller" uses in the famous “Son’s of Anarchy” series. On a cruiser, you’re not going to grip the tank from sides while taking sharp turns, because you won’t be taking any of them in the first place. The tank needs to be low so even a 5-hour continuous ride doesn’t come close to hurting your groin. Plus, the lower the tank will be, the lower it will hold its fuel thus lowering the center of gravity. Which increase highway stability and bike's balance while it's moving at a slow speed.
RELATED ARTICLE: Harley Davidson Super Glide Custom Ownership Review
There are still many things left which distinguish a cruiser from the rest of the bikes. Recently, Arch motorcycles with their KRGT-1 have tried to blend the best of a cruiser like long wheelbase and highway stability along with the best of a supersport like quick and sharp handling. Still, there are many die-hard fans who prefer their cruisers to be in the old school style. We will do a part 2 of the article, so stay tuned. Thank you for reading.
What Makes A Good Cruiser- Part 2
By: Yetnesh Dubey
A light and strong chassis-
We all know that a longer wheelbase is required for highway stability, but when a frame is stretched so long it tends to flex a fair bit. To solve the problem, manufacturers like Honda have started using Trellis frame in their Rebel 500 and 300, but 1490 mm of a wheelbase which both of them offers, only passes as entry level in the cruiser segment, It is literally identical to Bajaj Avenger. Over the years many custom builders have used dangerous techniques like “Five-finger rake” and “Slug” to increase the wheelbase. A five-finger rake was a process in which the point of the frame which connects the steering head to the rest of the body, was raised until a number of fingers could be inserted into it.
RELATED ARTICLE: List Of Cruisers Available In 600cc- 800cc Class
Instead of using proper measurements, people used crude methods to raise the handlebar and increase the rake. It was a stupid process and resulted in several crashes. With the coming of the internet, people finally understood that this is not a good idea. Modern-day cruisers are sophisticated and use precision machining to form frames in different styles. Things changed for the better when Japanese tried their hand at making cruisers.
Anyways, currently, Kawasaki Vulcan S, Indian Scout Sixty, and Softail series of Harley Davidson offer great flex free riding with a long wheelbase. It is also needless to say that the Chassis needs to be more lightweight as it’s bigger in cruisers than in other bikes, so the stronger and lighter it is, the less power it will eat up from the motor.
Softer suspension-
There is a difference between the suspensions of an ADV and a Cruiser, despite both of them being predominantly soft. Even the suspension of a beaten up entry-level ADV will have more travel than a 1000 cc cruiser. Both of them, however, suffer from the problem of feedback from the front wheel because of two common reasons. One of them, I just told you, the suspension and second one is the difference in wheel sizes. Especially for cruisers, a steeper rake is an important "necessary-evil" which ADV’s can avoid. Some bikes which have achieved a good handling despite having a steeper rake are Harley Davidson Street Rod, Street Glide and Low Rider S.Manufacturers mainly reduce the height of steering and suspension travel while increasing the size of front forks to compensate for a softer suspension. Before you take your Avenger through a tight turn and almost fall, please note that the feedback will always feel less vague when compared to a Naked or sportsbike.
A low and wide fuel tank-
If you want to imagine what such a fuel tank would look like just imagine the exact opposite of a KTM RC’s tank. I am talking about the Street 750, and the famous Super Glide which "Jack Teller" uses in the famous “Son’s of Anarchy” series. On a cruiser, you’re not going to grip the tank from sides while taking sharp turns, because you won’t be taking any of them in the first place. The tank needs to be low so even a 5-hour continuous ride doesn’t come close to hurting your groin. Plus, the lower the tank will be, the lower it will hold its fuel thus lowering the center of gravity. Which increase highway stability and bike's balance while it's moving at a slow speed.RELATED ARTICLE: Harley Davidson Super Glide Custom Ownership Review
There are still many things left which distinguish a cruiser from the rest of the bikes. Recently, Arch motorcycles with their KRGT-1 have tried to blend the best of a cruiser like long wheelbase and highway stability along with the best of a supersport like quick and sharp handling. Still, there are many die-hard fans who prefer their cruisers to be in the old school style. We will do a part 2 of the article, so stay tuned. Thank you for reading.
What Makes A Good Cruiser- Part 2
By: Yetnesh Dubey