10 Cruisers You Should Buy Used in 2026

Modern motorcycles offer a level of refinement and safety that is far ahead of anything that has ever come before. The argument that “they don’t make them like they used to” doesn’t hold up either. Product quality has improved across the board, and while we are starting to see some elements of planned obsolescence creep in, it has not yet been widely adopted.

Unfortunately, there is a ‘but’. All the extra safety equipment and fun features these new bikes come equipped with add to the bottom line. Experienced riders shopping on a budget will either have to settle for less power or turn to the used market. Over the past decade we’ve seen the demise of several great cruisers, and some of them represent fantastic used buys for the right buyer.

In order to provide you with the most current and accurate information, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources including KBB. Buying a used motorcycle always comes with some risk, so do your research and proceed with caution. The motorcycles on this list go from oldest to newest.

Honda Magna 750 from 1994

Price range: $1,000 – $3,000

Even if you’re not really into cruisers, the old Magna 750 simply represents incredible value for money. This relatively lightweight cruiser was equipped with the same V4 engine as the VFR750 sports bike. On paper these bikes only had about 90 horsepower, but in proper condition this is a bike that can produce well over 100 horsepower. If you’re looking for a fun sleep project, this is a great option.

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2002 Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod

Price range: $3,000 – $5,000

After a stagnation in the 1990s, Harley-Davidson teamed up with Porsche in the early 2000s to build a modern, liquid-cooled halo model. While this may seem like an odd partnership, Porsche successfully switched from air to liquid cooling just a few years earlier. History will tell us that this didn’t really work out, as Harley persisted with air cooling to this day. But the V-Rod is still an iconic motorcycle that offers great value for the right buyer.

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2005 Honda Rune

Price range: $11,000 – $13,000

Honda reportedly lost tens of thousands of dollars per Rune sold. Engineers and designers were given free rein, and it pretty much proved why this can’t always be the case. This expensive experiment proved that this particular brand of chrome-heavy custom cruiser was starting to go out of style. From a distance it looks like your average metric cruiser, but on closer inspection you’ll see incredible attention to detail and a host of unique parts. It’s already a highly collectible modern classic, but for now it remains accessible and well worth checking out at this price.

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2005 Triumph Rocket III

Price range: $4,000 – $6,000

The massive Rocket III will never be accused of looking like an ‘everyday’ metric bike, but it will never be accused of being beautiful either. Its impressive 144 hp excuses the unspectacular styling. That record-breaking triple is very much why anyone would consider buying the bike, but it’s also far from perfect, lacking finesse and certainly not the smoothest drivetrain in the world. It’s the sledgehammer of the motorcycle world.

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Yamaha V Max from 2005

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

The first generation V-Max is a truly legendary motorcycle. While there were certainly muscle bikes that preceded it, when those other bikes came out in 1985 they suddenly became irrelevant. Unfortunately, the complex V-Boost system will eventually fail, and if it does, it will cost a small fortune to repair it. A test drive is crucial here.

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2011 Triumph Thunderbird Storm

Price range: $3,000 – $5,000

This is as big as any parallel-twin motorcycle has ever gotten. Sure, it will shake quite a bit, but it has also proven itself over its production life as one of the best alternatives to a Harley. While these bikes are reliable and the build quality is generally good, some degree of corrosion is normal.

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2012 Harley Davidson XR1200X

Price range: $6,000 – $8,000

The XR1200 was a strange model. It was always a great-looking bike that offered a neutral riding position, but struggled to lure buyers away from other brands thanks to a relatively high asking price. Traditional Harley enthusiasts didn’t mind either, regular Sportsters cost a lot less, but now that prices have dropped a bit, it makes a lot more sense.

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Yamaha V Max from 2012

Price range: $10,000 – $12,000

The second generation VMax came out in 2009 and cost almost everything up to 11 hp. At 200 horsepower, it was not only the most powerful cruiser money could buy, but it is still the most powerful production bike Yamaha has ever built. Fuel injection replaced the failure-prone V-Boost system, so as long as previous owners took care of basic maintenance, these bikes will remain as reliable as any Yamaha.

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Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom from 2013

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

An Italian name and an unconventional transverse V-twin engine held the California 1400 Custom back. This is somewhat understandable, as most consumers at the time were hesitant to buy anything Italian, but over time these massive twins proved reliable. These bicycles were also praised for having superior handling characteristics to contemporary alternatives, but the design was not the most original.

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2021 BMW R18

Price range: $9,000 – $11,000

BMW has already dropped the price of the R 18 a few times since its launch in 2021. Customers who bought these bikes for almost $20,000 will be furious because just four years later you can find them for less than $10,000. At this price it’s a bargain due to its impeccable build quality, but the truth is that, like the aforementioned Moto Guzzi, it won’t appeal to everyone.

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