10 Cruiser Motorcycles That Are Perfect for Weekend Getaways

When the world around you gets too busy, and your mind starts racing, the cruiser is the nicest way to spend the weekend. Where sport bikes demand the rider’s focus and ADVs invite you to take the road less traveled, cruisers simply want to do what they’ve been built to do—cruise as if nothing else matters. They offer the best kind of riding dynamics and ergonomics for relaxed, laid-back riding with wide handlebars, plush seats, and, just to keep the bike enthusiast in you happy, perfect retro styling. Some do these things better than others, though, adding more practical touches to their bikes, like wind protection, cruise control, and even saddlebags, making them easy to choose when going on an overnight ride. Here are 10 such examples.

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Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 (Celestial variant)

Price: $7,899

Royal Enfield

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Celestial is one of those bare-bones cruisers that ask for nothing in return. It is powered by a 648 cc parallel-twin engine that produces 47 horsepower and 38 pound-feet of torque. It’s not the most powerful in this lineup, but the company has tuned it well enough for smooth and consistent performance.

Royal Enfield

The Super Meteor is available in three variants, of which one is the Celestial variant. This one gets some added accessories out of the factory, including a touring seat, a backrest, and a tall windscreen, all designed to make the ride just a little bit better.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic

Price: $9,599

Kawasaki

Kawasaki tends to be more famous for their sport and naked bikes, but they’ve done a fantastic job on their cruisers as well. The Vulcan series spans all the way from a 649 cc S variant to a massive 1,700 cc Vaquero and Voyager variants. The 900 Classic that we are talking about sits firmly in between these two engines and does a brilliant job of bringing classic cruiser styling to the company’s lineup.

Kawasaki

It is powered by a 903 cc V-twin that produces 51 horsepower and 58.3 pound-feet of torque. The Vulcan 900 Classic’s ergonomics are designed for comfort with a wide seat, easy-to-reach handlebars, and a suspension that prioritizes ride quality over performance.

Honda Rebel 1100T

Price: $10,899

Honda

Perhaps one of Honda’s most famous tourers is the Gold Wing, but the Rebel also carries a name rooted in legacy. It blends minimalist cruiser style with modern engineering. Now, we do agree that its design is more modern when compared to the rest of the bikes on this list, but what sets this bike apart is that, at this price, it comes with saddlebags fitted straight out of the factory.

Honda

All this while, the Honda Rebel 1100T features a 1,084 cc parallel-twin that’s paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. You can opt for the automatic 6-speed DCT gearbox, which helps it stand out in the segment.

Indian Super Scout

Price: $16,999

Indian Motorcycle

The Indian Super Scout has more of a sporty aesthetic to it. It still maintains that low-slung look but adds saddlebags to the mix. It also gets a fairly large windscreen to deflect even more wind from the rider’s face. Elsewhere, powering comes from a liquid-cooled V-twin engine paired with a 6-speed gearbox. Also weighing in at just 568 pounds at the curb, the Indian Super Scout is much easier to handle on winding roads compared to some other larger cruisers on this list.

Indian Motorcycle

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Indian Sport Scout RT

Price: $16,999

Indian Motorcycle

The Sport Scout RT is the other Scout on this list. Same sporty aesthetic to it as the Super Scout, but with a different windscreen, different bags, and different wheels. Where the Super Scout gets spoke rims with fat 16-inch tires, the Sport Scout RT gets 8-spoke alloys in a 19-inch front and a 16-inch rear combination.

Indian Motorcycles

This is powered by the same 1,250 cc liquid-cooled V-twin and is even tuned the same. The wheel combination and the handlebar profile may change the riding dynamics a bit, but the suspension is tuned for a mix of road conditions, adding a bit of versatility to your weekend escapade.

Indian Chief Dark Horse

Price: $18,499

Indian Motorcycles

As far as design goes, the Indian Chief harks back to classic cruiser design a little more than the Scouts before. The Dark Horse variant in particular gets more blacked-out elements than the standard version, but there’s barely any difference otherwise mechanically. Powered by the Thunderstroke 116 engine, the Indian Chief has strong torque, allowing for consistent cruising speeds on the highway.

Indian Motorcycles

While the seat height is low, the mid-mounted foot controls create a slightly more engaging riding position compared to other cruisers. But the engine is relaxed enough not to egg you on to push harder all the time.

Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic

Price: $19,999

Harley-Davidson

This Harley-Davidson leans very heavily into classic cruiser design. It has a wide front-end, valanced fenders, and a huge windshield, giving it an almost vintage touring appeal. At its heart, meanwhile, is a Milwaukee-Eight 117 Classic engine that has meaty low-end torque, perfect for cruising at the low end of the rev range and not needing too many gear changes.

Harley-Davidson

What makes the Heritage Classic even better is that the windshield perfectly shields the rider from wind, and the factory-fitted saddlebags allow you to carry some luggage for your weekend trip. The suspension is also tuned for comfort.

Indian Super Chief Limited

Price: $21,999

Indan Motorcycle

Like the Indian Chief Dark Horse, the Super Chief Limited is also a classic cruiser, but this time with windscreens, saddlebags, and more chrome flourish. It uses the same Thunderstroke 116 engine as the Chief Dark Horse, and has low-end torque that makes cruising easy and relaxed.

Indian Motorcycle

The Super Chief Limited also gets electronics tailored to riders. Four riding modes tailor the engine performance to the type of conditions you’re going to ride in. A 4-inch full-color dash gives you Bluetooth connectivity, a wealth of information, and even navigation. Cruise control for when you just don’t want to twist the throttle.

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Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Price: $23,999

Harley-Davidson

The Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST blends cruiser and touring into a more aggressive package. All the usual traits are there with the low seat height and the mid-mounted foot controls, but the design itself is a little more engaging. Powering the bike is Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight 117 High-Output engine that provides strong acceleration along with a broad torque range.

Harley-Davidson

Highway speeds are easy to maintain but also easy to get to. The slight forward-leaning riding position balances this out to give you something a little sportier to enjoy, even as you pack your gear for the weekend with the included saddlebags.

Triumph Rocket 3 Storm GT

Price: $27,495

Triumph

Finally, we’ll give you something completely different from what we’ve been talking about for so long. If you want a lot more oomph in your weekend ride, the Triumph Rocket 3 is what you could look at. With a 2,458 cc inline-three engine, the Rocket 3 has the largest engine in this list. It is tuned for immense torque at very low RPMs, allowing the bike to move almost effortlessly even at relaxed speeds.

Triumph Motorcycles

The Rocket 3 Storm GT variant also focuses on comfort more than the R variant. It gets a well-padded seat and adjustable footpegs. However, you might want to add the windshield, which can be found in Triumph’s accessories list.