10 affordable cruisers that are worth every penny

Everyone loves a good deal. Few things can be as satisfying as making a purchase and knowing that it would have been virtually impossible to do better. In the same vein, a good cruiser not only has the ability to put a smile on your face but also make you relax. When you’re driving a good cruiser on a public road, all is right with the world – and combine the two, and you have one of the forms of automotive nirvana.

The cruiser market has a whole range available to the customer, with the sky being the limit if you want one. At the affordable end of the spectrum, it’s the value that will attract buyers, and there is stiff competition. Here are ten affordable cruisers that are worth every penny.

Honda Rebel300

Price: $4,849

The Rebel 300 is the smallest Rebel and the most affordable. It shares its punch with the CBR300R and CB300R, and it doesn’t really go fast. In fact, it reaches a top speed of only about 86 MPH. It’s a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected unit, so you can expect consistent performance and reliability. You also get an inverted LCD instrument cluster, dual rear shocks that provide a low seat height, and a pair of disc brakes at both ends. However, ABS is not even an option anymore.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350

Price: $4,899

Royal Enfield

The Meteor 350 is the baby of Royal Enfield’s cruiser series and it is the most efficient cruiser on the market today. It’s powered by a relatively low-tech engine, which is air-cooled and torquey rather than high-powered. A recent update has given it a number of new features such as new color schemes, all-LED lighting as standard, the ‘Tripper’ navigation pod with the TFT color screen, a fast-charging USB-C port, a slipper clutch and progressive springs for the rear suspension.

CFMoto 450 CL-C

Price: $5,799

CFMoto

The CL-C is a CFMoto, which means you can expect great value from the start. But even with those high expectations, the CL-C manages to surprise. It has the only 270-degree parallel twin engine in its class and generates 40 horsepower. It is also one of the few products in its class and segment to offer a Gates carbon final drive. The features list is equally impressive, with a circular 3.6-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth, inverted front forks, a radial-mount four-piston fixed caliper for the front brake and traction control.

Benda Chinchilla 500

Price: $5,999

Keeway America

The Chinchilla 500 is the most affordable middleweight V-twin cruiser available today. Despite being a V-twin, it is priced more competitively than other parallel twin products in its segment. It offers 47 horsepower and 31 pound-feet, sending it through a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and final drive. Features include a multi-color LCD screen, a radial front brake caliper mounted on inverted front forks and all-LED lighting. This may be a Chinese product, but it seems to have all the positive qualities while not having many of the negatives traditionally associated with it.

Moto Morini Caliber 700

Price: $5,999

Moto Morini

We’ve talked about value, but nothing comes close to the value that the Calibro 700 offers in terms of price-performance ratio. For less than $6,000 you get a 693cc parallel twin engine with a 270-degree crankshaft, liquid cooling and fuel injection. A six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and a Gates carbon belt drive complete the drivetrain. The instrument cluster is part analogue, part inverted LCD, but you do get full LED lighting and dual-channel ABS.

Kawasaki Eliminator

Price: $6,499

Kawasaki

The Eliminator is a cruiser like no other in its segment. We’re used to cruisers sharing components and engine tuning with sportbikes and cruisers, but the Eliminator generates its 51 horsepower at a stratospheric-for-a-cruiser 10,000 rpm. You’ll have to give this one a handful of throttle to get it going. You get dual-channel ABS and disc brakes at both ends to keep your enthusiasm in check. It also has a unique LCD screen that is unlike anything else in this segment.

Honda Rebel500

Price: $6,499

Honda

The Rebel 500 has a similar displacement and engine type as the Eliminator, but its character is noticeably different. It produces a respectable 47 hp from 471 cc, but does so in a quiet manner, at much lower speeds. ABS is an optional extra and will cost you €300 more than the base price above. The signature inverted LCD screen of the Rebel series is present, and this is a great choice not only for beginners, but also for those who want a worry-free second motorcycle, or want to extend their riding career.

Kawasaki Vulcan S

Price: $7,649

Kawasaki

The Vulcan S is the next step in Kawasaki’s cruiser hierarchy, making more power and torque from a larger engine. That’s about the extent of the extras, and to be honest, the way it keeps things simple is a big part of its appeal. It shares parts with the sports motorcycle and engine displacement in Kawasaki’s range, and as such also shares their enthusiasm for spirited riding. We just wish it was offered in more colours, that ABS wasn’t an optional extra, and that it came equipped with a 5-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth and navigation like its siblings.

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Price: $7,899

Royal Enfield

Recent price increases have seen the Super Meteor 650 surpass the price of the Vulcan S. However, it has the retro look and you can even get a more comfortable touring saddle with certain paint schemes. The 270 degree parallel twin engine does not develop much power thanks to the choice of air cooling, but it certainly has a lot of torque and character. The analogue instruments are enhanced by the ‘Tripper’ color TFT display/circular stand-alone pod providing Bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

Honda shadow phantom

Price: $8,699

Honda

The Shadow Phantom is the version designed to appeal to a younger audience. As such, it uses a black look with alloy wheels. Mechanically, however, it is identical to the retro-looking Shadow Aero. That’s not a bad thing, as the V-twin engine has always had liquid cooling and fuel injection, and final drive is via a driveshaft. It recently got a disc brake and ABS, and the Shadow Phantom, unlike the Aero, has ABS as standard.