Raw, stylish and aggressive: these motorcycles were built to impress
The cruiser motorcycles are made to impress and offer lots of torque. All this accompanied by a raw sound and chrome polished components to catch the attention of anyone around. Harley-Davidson and Indian have their view on what’s important when you build such a bike while BMW, Moto Guzzi and Triumph have their thoughts on the matter.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, 114 ft-lbs, $20,599
The Milwaukee brand has a tradition in building raw cruisers dating back to 1903 when the company was founded. Also, they are loyal to their customs and still produce Softail bikes.
One motorcycle that stands out from the crowd is the Fat Boy model. Harley-Davidson offers two options for the V-twin configuration – Milwaukee-Eight 107 or 114. The latter making 114 ft-lbs (155 Nm) of torque @ 3,000 rpm.
With a history of 117 years of building badass bikes, you can impress with this bike thanks to the satin chrome finishes and large Lakester wheels of the Fat Boy bike. The price tag is set starting from $20,599.
Indian Chief Dark Horse, 119 ft-lbs, $18,499
This is a long time Harley-Davidson nemesis. Indian quarrelled with the Milwaukee brand for some time now and they still argue on the tech specs of their bikes and their heritage.
Indian states that they're America's first motorcycle company. They could be right due to being founded in 1901.
Indian Chief Dark Horse has a Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin which delivers 119 ft-lbs (161.6 Nm) of torque @ 3,000 rpm.
All that power comes with a roar from the dual exhaust pipes and a price tag starting at $18,499.
BMW R18, 117 ft-lbs
The German brand announced the launch date for their first cruiser model which is set on 3rd of April, this year.
BMW wanted this cruiser to carry their legacy on so, they’ve fitted the bike with a 1802cc boxer engine. This is the biggest flat-twin power plant BMW ever produced and the first boxer cruiser on the motorcycle market.
The Germans want to take a share of the cruiser motorcycle market from Harley-Davidson. And they probably can because the R18 has the same torque as a Harley-Davidson Milwaukee Eight powered motorcycle – 117 ft-lbs (158 Nm) at 3,000 rpm. The Harley-Davidson’s engine output is 111 ft-lbs (150 Nm) at 3,250 rpm.
Although the power figures stand out, the motorcycle community is wondering how BMW will cope with the long riding position required for a cruiser model.
Moto Guzzi Audace, 89 ft-lbs, $16,390
Established in 1921, Moto Guzzi brings almost 100 years of innovation in the motorcycle world thanks to the transversal 90° V-twin engine configuration.
The Audace model is fitted with an 1380 cc engine putting out 89 ft-lbs (121 Nm) of torque @ 3,000 rpm and 96 hp. It's the largest V-twin power plant made in Europe.
That isn’t the only detail which makes a good first impression. There are no chrome plated parts, every component was designed to be as raw as possible and is painted in black.
Furthermore, the Moto Guzzi Audace features carbon fibre parts like the front and rear fenders as well as the mudguard. All this comes with a cost of $16,390.
Triumph Rocket 3 R, 163 ft-lbs, $21,900
Muscle bike best describes this motorcycle as the Triumph Rocket 3 R features a 2458cc inline 3-cylinder making 163 ft-lbs (221 Nm) of torque @ 4,000rpm and 167 hp.
Founded back in 1883, the Hinckley brand has over 130 years of experience manufacturing bikes. Last year, the Triumph Rocket 3 R smashed the UK brand’s internal 0-60mph production bike record with a time of 2.73 seconds during a track event in Cartagena, Spain.
All this performance has a cost and the price tag for the Rocket 3 R is set at $21,900.
Insanely comprehensive 🙂
Thank you so much,
Now I have something to read during the holidays. This will take a while but well worth it like always
You can read another one here the motorbiker