The Best Cruisers For New Riders

Why We Picked It:

Somehow, with each bike they make, Yamaha manages to bring out hilarious amounts of joy from what are literally bits of metal suspended between two wheels. This is definitely true of the 2023 Yamaha V-Star 250, the quintessential lightweight cruiser. It won’t break any land speed records, it won’t last 400 miles between fuel stops, but that really doesn’t matter because of the smile threatening to tear your face in half under your helmet.

The little V-Star packs in an air-cooled 250cc V-Twin producing just a hair over 15 lb-ft of torque in a bike weighing 324lbs soaking wet with a cinder block strapped down on the pillion seat. It has a happy, burbling exhaust note at idle and a surprisingly throaty note when cruising. It has enough power to get you up to freeway speeds, as long as you don’t weigh much over 200 lbs.

The V-Star 250 is perfect for lighter-weight riders wanting to approach cruisers but afraid of the bigger bikes being too heavy, too unwieldy, or too powerful. And because it’s so lightweight, it also has the agility, if you need it, of a standard bike, just with a lower seat and a V-Twin powering it. You can go in any direction you want from the V-Star, although if you are staying in cruisers, the most direct route would be to sports cruisers.

Why We Picked It:

The Honda Rebel 500, when it was introduced in 2017, quickly became one of the most popular and loved beginner cruisers of all time. With the consideration that sportbikes and cruiser-style bikes often are within a few percentage points of each other in sales, Honda wanted to bring more riders over to the cruiser side of things, and so went with the formula that had worked with so many of their bikes becoming beginner favorites: Simplicity.

That is precisely what the Rebel 500 is… simple. It’s not some big, scary, roaring 1,800 V-Twin, nor is it a whimpering little scooter that buzzes about. It has a gentle throttle, great brakes, an assist-and-slipper clutch, excellent gearing, and a comfortable seat and riding position. And that’s it. 

Yes, Honda does offer a less-powerful, more beginner-friendly Rebel 300, but we find that the Rebel 500 is a better entry point in the cruiser space. It’s got enough performance to keep you entertained without scaring you. 

Much like the CBR250RR for sportbikes in the mid-2000s, or the CB500X for adventure bikes in the 2010s, the Rebel 500 is a bike that contains the purest essence of the top-tier machines in the cruiser segment can do, distilled down to beginner-friendly levels. Someone who starts on a Rebel 500 can literally go anywhere in the cruiser spectrum, from a sports cruiser across to a continent-crushing touring cruiser.

Why We Picked It:

The 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S is a bike that divides opinions. Some people think it looks ugly with its slightly high seat and relaxed handlebars. Others feel that it doesn’t sound right, using a parallel-twin engine instead of a V-twin. But when you consider that the handlebar, seat, and footpegs on the Vulcan S can be adjusted to best suit your riding position, it immediately becomes the best beginner cruiser for any body shape.

You could be 4’10” and 100 lbs, or 6’3” and 260 lbs, and because the bike has a simple, open setup about it, both sizes will fit no problem. It also uses the time-tested and literally bulletproof 649cc parallel-twin that is found at the heart of the Z650 and Ninja 650 sportbikes but tuned to be way more accessible across way more of the rev range.

Peak output figures of 61hp and 46.3 lb-ft of torque are perfect for the 496 lbs wet weight. Its slightly higher stance gives it excellent handling and will let the beginner learn how to lean with or against the bike in corners to keep it stable without threatening to toss them off. Riders that enjoy the Vulcan S are more often than not destined more for the sport cruiser or muscle cruiser markets.

Why We Picked It:

We can already hear you mentioning, “wait, what, I thought Harley’s were bad beginner bikes?” For the most part, you’d be correct, but not with the Iron 883. For over 60 years, Harley-Davidson has been making what is one day considered comfortable endurance cruisers and tourers, and the next day overly expensive two-wheel land yachts. Social opinion aside, however, the fact remains that the Iron 883 is just a damned good bike. Full stop.

What makes it so is the 883cc Evolution V-Twin that gives it its name. It’s an extremely forgiving engine, with just about 54 lb-ft of torque. Harley typically does not share peak power figures, but power delivery is linear, and the superb framework of the bike lets you know everything that the bike is doing through your legs, butt, and hands. Unlike the bigger Harley bikes, it’s light enough and pared down enough that you will learn how it wants to communicate with you, telling you things such as how its tires are gripping, how it’s feeling in the corners, and the like.

If you start on a Harley-Davidson Iron 883, you will have to pay a little more for a badge premium because there is still the belief that Harley’s are the bikes of America. Prices start at a hair under $11,000, but since Harley discontinued its Street line-up of bikes, you won’t find a more forgiving and generous entry point to the wide world of customizable cruisers that Harley-Davidson makes.

Note: The Iron 883 has sadly been discontinued, but are still being produced until Summer 2023. That means that there is more than likely still some in inventory at your local Harley dealership, and many might be coming into the pre-owned inventory as well, if not up for private sale on the local auto-trader website.

Why We Picked It:

“The other American company,” many will say about Indian Motorcycles. Much like Harley-Davidson, if you set aside the social opinions and focus purely on the machinery, the Indian Scout Sixty is a super entry point into the premium cruiser segment. 

Considered a mild hybrid between a sports cruiser and a bobber cruiser, the Scout Sixty has a wonderfully growling 1,000cc V-Twin piped out through two beautiful exhausts, with 78 hp and 65 lb-ft of torque. The seat is premium leather. The paint is applied with the same care as a Bentley Continental GT. The options list for the bike is as long as about 17 arms. It is to cruisers as Mercedes is to executive sedans, a comfortable, capable, and reliable premium option.

The engine power and torque may scare you slightly, but keep in mind that the Scout Sixty is a mid-weight, at 544 lbs wet. It’s also got a low 649 mm seat height, meaning that most riders will be able to have both feet firmly planted in any scenario. 

When you roll on the throttle, you’ll get the classic V-twin rumble and a gorgeously linear response, surging you down the road without making it a scary thing to do. And, it is true, once you are hooked on Indian cruisers, you’re pretty much destined to love the premium cruiser market… which doesn’t really matter because Indian makes premium cruisers of all types!