If you want a cruiser, you want a Harley-Davidson. This statement was, simply put, a fact, once upon a time. Over the years, though, other manufacturers have chipped in with their interpretation of the American two-wheeled dream. Some of these were actual American V-twin cruisers from other brands, but they were mostly cruisers from other brands that took the formula that has made Harleys so popular and put out their own interpretation of it.
For some, that meant imitating Milwaukee. For others, it meant being as unlike them as possible. Whatever the case, they couldn’t really live up to H-D’s reputation, so they had to do it another way. Here are ten of the best to do it. These are ten cruisers that deliver Harley comfort without Harley pricing.
Kawasaki Vulcan S
Price: $7,649
The Vulcan range was originally developed to compete with Harley-Davidson, but the Vulcan S makes for a very funny and odd story in this context. The Vulcan S was launched in 2014 with its trellis frame and high-revving (for a cruiser) engine, while the current generation Sportster range with similar chassis and engine characteristics was launched in 2021. If it’s good enough for Milwaukee, it must be something! The Vulcan S has ABS as an option, and a TFT display would round things off nicely.
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Engine Type |
180° I2 |
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Displacement |
649 cc |
|
Max Power |
61 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
|
Max Torque |
46.3 LB-FT @ 6,600 RPM |
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650
Price: $7,899
The Super Meteor 650 is a great effort from Royal Enfield. It has an air-cooled parallel twin engine, but with a 270-degree firing order, so you get the feel of a V-twin. You need to opt for the Celestial Blue, though, because for the same price as the others, you get around $1,400 worth of touring seat, backrest, and windshield! You also get the ‘Tripper’ pod, which is a TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation capabilities. All of this at Royal Enfield pricing.
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Engine Type |
270° I2 |
|
Displacement |
648 cc |
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Max Power |
47 HP @ 7,250 RPM |
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Max Torque |
38.6 LB-FT @ 5,650 RPM |
Honda Shadow Phantom
Price: $8,699
The Shadow series was designed to take on Harley-Davidson at its own game, and somewhere along the way, it had so many different engine sizes, it ranged from 125 cc all the way to 1,100 cc. Currently, only the 745 cc Shadow Phantom is on sale. Honda has its own take on the American cruiser formula, with a liquid-cooled and fuel-injected V-twin with three valves per cylinder, and shaft drive. It is a little long in the tooth, but it remains fun to ride, and ABS has been a recent addition, along with a rear disc brake.
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Engine Type |
52° V-twin |
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Displacement |
745 cc |
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Max Power |
44.9 HP @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Max Torque |
47.9 LB-FT @ 3,500 RPM |
|
Transmission |
5 speeds |
|
Final Drive |
Shaft drive |
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Yamaha Bolt R-Spec
Price: $8,999
The Bolt R-Spec was developed to compete with the Sportster series from Harley. Although the latter series has moved on to a different type of frame and engine, there are still those who liked the older Evolution-engined Sportsters. The Bolt R-Spec fulfils that need, with an air-cooled V-twin, a cradle frame, and belt drive. Despite its age, it has a rear disc brake, but ABS isn’t present.
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Engine Type |
60° V-twin |
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Displacement |
942 cc |
|
Max Power |
65 HP |
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Max Torque |
59.3 LB-FT @ 3,000 RPM |
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Transmission |
5 speeds |
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Final Drive |
Belt drive |
Suzuki Boulevard C50
Price: $9,299
The Boulevard C50 is quite like the Shadow, but it has a larger displacement engine, and thus sits in a higher price bracket as well. It has some truly interesting features like a hidden monoshock under the seat, final shaft drive, liquid cooling, and fuel injection for the engine, and the ‘SDTV’ dual throttle valves. The second set of valves sits in line with the cable-operated ones and is computer-controlled for smoother throttle response and easier cold starts. However, it still has an old-school instrument cluster, and Suzuki refuses to update the rear drum brake to a disc.
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Engine Type |
45° V-twin |
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Displacement |
805 cc |
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Max Power |
52 HP @ 6,000 RPM |
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Max Torque |
51 LB-FT @ 3,200 RPM |
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Transmission |
5 speeds |
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Final Drive |
Shaft drive |
Kawasaki Vulcan 900
Price: $9,599
The Vulcan 900 is possibly the closest competitor to the Harley-Davidsons from Japan that is still on sale. It has a mix of modern and retro tech, like a cradle frame housing a liquid-cooled and fuel-injected four-valve V-twin, but it chooses a belt drive to the rear wheel as well, like the Yamaha Bolt R-Spec. Kawasaki has three versions: a cruiser, a light tourer with a bolt-on windshield and luggage, and a drag-bike style variant with blacked-out bits, drag ‘bars, alloy wheels, and a giant 21-inch front rim.
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Engine Type |
55° V-twin |
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Displacement |
903 cc |
|
Max Power |
50 HP @ 5,700 RPM |
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Max Torque |
58.2 LB-FT @ 3,500 RPM |
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Transmission |
5 speeds |
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Final Drive |
Belt drive |
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Honda Rebel 1100
Price: $9,699
The Rebel 1100 is Honda’s modern competitor for Harley, and is an interesting cruiser. It has the looks to compete for sure. Underneath, it has a trellis frame and a parallel twin engine with a 270-degree firing order. A chain drives the rear wheel, and there is an option of a speed dual clutch automatic transmission as well. A 5-inch TFT display offers Bluetooth connectivity and navigation, and there is manual control of the gearbox as well. Its biggest strength, however, might be how easy it is to ride, even for beginners.
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Engine Type |
270° parallel twin, Unicam SOHC |
|
Displacement |
1,084 cc |
|
Max Power |
87.1 HP @ 7,250 RPM |
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Max Torque |
72.2 LB-FT @ 4,750 RPM |
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Transmission |
6 speed manual/DCT |
Triumph Bonneville Bobber
Price: $14,795
The Bonneville Bobber trades the Rebel’s Japanese quirkiness for Brit cool. This has many of the same features of the Honda (including the solo seat!), but does it very differently. Triumph takes its minimalism seriously, offering a single analog/LCD dial for instrumentation, but it now has a six-axis IMU and a full safety suite. There are few motorcycles that are better looking than this, and its looks remain its standout feature.
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Engine Type |
270° I2 |
|
Displacement |
1,200 cc |
|
Max Power |
77 HP @ 6,100 RPM |
|
Max Torque |
78.2 LB-FT @ 4,000 RPM |
BMW R 18
Price: $15,395
BMW had great expectations from the R 18 range, but its second generation has seen it repositioned as a more value product. We miss the styling quirks that made it so unique, like the fish-shaped chrome exhausts, but the current design is a sleeker, if more conventional, one. It is powered by the massive air/oil-cooled Boxer twin, BMW Motorrad’s largest engine so far, and some of its quirks, like the dry clutch and exposed shaft drive, remain.
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Engine Type |
Longitudinal boxer twin |
|
Displacement |
1,802 cc |
|
Max Power |
91 HP @ 4,750 RPM |
|
Max Torque |
120 LB-FT @ 3,000 RPM |
|
Final Drive |
Cardan exposed shaft drive |
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Suzuki Boulevard M109R
Price: $15,799
The Boulevard M109R had Harley-Davidson square in its sights when it was launched nearly 20 years ago, and it is safe to say that the specs blew the American brand out of the water. Its 123 horsepower is one of the most powerful outputs under $20,000 even today, and it is backed by a mountainous 118 pound-feet of torque. A shaft drive is employed. Unlike a lot of cruisers, a rev counter is present, although no modernities like a TFT display or ABS are.
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Engine Type |
54° V-twin |
|
Displacement |
1,783 cc |
|
Max Power |
123 HP @ 6,200 RPM |
|
Max Torque |
118 LB-FT @ 3,200 RPM |
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Transmission |
5 speeds |
|
Final Drive |
Shaft Drive |
Sources: Suzuki Cycles, Honda Powersports