The motorcycle industry has seen huge growth in the last couple of years thanks to television bike building shows, the price of fuel and the aging demographic. But is this growth, primarily in the Cruiser market, a product of hype or functionality? I, personally, fell in to “the trap” and bought my first motorcycle in the summer of 2004. Because the shows on television and “the Harley allure”, I, too, chose a cruiser, a Suzuki Marauder 800. Did I make the right choice? I’m not sure. Do I regret it? Not on your life!

I have recently become more attracted to a standard bike, either a sport tourer or a classic naked cafe racer. I think a “crotch rocket” has no practical function on the street, but neither does a full size Hummer or a Ferrari Testarossa, so to each his own. Can the same be said for cruisers? Are they the most practical for everyday riding? I tend to think not. Don’t get me wrong, they are comfortable and fairly easy to ride but what is the true attraction?

I have perused these types of forums and have discussed motorcycles with a myriad of different people, from cops to teenagers and doctors to webmasters. One thing that sticks out in my mind is in the cruiser market a lot of riders buy a bike and spend the next several months modifying it to make it their own. I read somewhere that Harley owners spend on average $1200 in the first twelve months followinfg the purchase of their bike. I do understand this philosophy and have browsed the thousands of aftermarket accessory available for all the cruisers, but I have noticed that some people spend more time on accessorizing than actually learning how to ride. If someone needs their mid size cruiser to go six miles per hour faster , they think nothing of spending $500 tp $1000 on aftermarket exhaust and a fancy power commander. If you didn’t have a speedometer would you be able to tell the difference? I know, I know, there are mods that actually make a noticeable difference in performance but could these performance gains be achieved by purchasing a different bike to begin with? I think the most limiting factor in Cruisers are their ergonomics. Put a 800 cc V-twin in a more upright frame I think the performance gains would be more noticeable due to the riding position and cornering clearance.

I think what it comes down to is that there is a certain type of person that likes the look of fancy chrome and leather and I know that there is the same following in the cage market, those who trick out their Nova SS or Mustang. I rarely wash my car so I guess when I say I’m not sure if I made the right choice in buying a cruiser, it is because I feel left out by not having the desire to add more chrome or drill out my pipes. Obviosly I’m in the minority. Happy chrome shopping.

- By Kevin A Case