Motorcycle Cruiser Deals - Best Buys

Star Road Star
This was a hard one to call and was a bit of a tossup between the slightly dated Roadstar, the granddaddy of the Star brand, and it's newer flagship twins, the Stratoliner and Roadliner. All three are struggling right now, though it seems the Star brand has been less effected by the overall slowdown than some others. But the nod has to go to the old guy. Like the Wide Glide and VTX its familiarity and somewhat generic looks have yielded a yawn from riding populace. For whatever reason, sales are down on what was once a game-changing bike and it can be snapped up for a steal, with deals in the $1000-$2000 off range.

Other than its age, the Roadstar has few warts to speak of. It's a neutral handling bike with solid torque and smooth mechanicals. The air-cooled, pushrod-driven four-valve is reliable, and known as a fantastic customization platform for you aspiring custom builders out there. It's also sized just right and will appeal to riders at all but the extremes of height and weight, unlike its more stretched-out siblings the Stratoliner and Roadliner. It'll stretch a tank of gas like those bikes can't, with average fuel economy near 40mpg.

As we mentioned earlier, the Strato and Roadliners are also selling slow, and as these are typically faster-selling models, there may be even more excess inventory of them at some dealers. So take a long look around and watch for the red tags to get the best deal possible.

Suzuki Boulevard M109R
We seemed to get the least information from dealers regarding Suzuki's Boulevard line of cruisers, other than vague lines about how "the big bikes have really slowed down." So we're going to go ahead and pick the M109R out of the hat that includes the M109R2 with its different headlight treatment, and the C109R with it's traditional fuller-cut fenders and slightly smaller rear tire. Chances are that any of these machines are available as an '08 for at least $1000 off, especially since they are in Suzuki's '09 lineup as well.

Considering that most of its peers are MSRP'd at over $14K, The M109R is value priced at $12,699 (08 price), so with prices down, the deal is even better. The big, water-cooled twin cranks out the torque and horsepower in equal measure, offering a very sporty ride. It sports a massive 240-section rear tire, which is not for everybody, but still handles very well for spinning that much meat out back. Ergoes are on the big side, but not ridiculously so, appealing more to riders average to tall. Suzuki really tried to inject their racing GSX-R DNA into this cruiser, so aggressive riders will be right at home on the M.

Triumph Rocket III
Joining the Vulcan 2000 in the plus-sized category is the Rocket III. In a world where big and bad are king, this is the emperor, but today, that trend has been set on its head, so the Rocket III is in the dumpster. The comment most heard from dealers is that for something priced akin to a Harley, it sure is funny-looking. The Rocket III also hits a trifecta of things that could be wrong in todays market: size, fuel economy, and price, all of which have it on the wrong side of the tracks.

The Rocket is a cartoonishly big and powerful machine, so big that its 240 rear tire looks right at home beneath its arched steel fender. It's got an asymmetrical style with two pipes sticking out on the right and one on the left side of the bike, the triple headers on the right and a big sweeping air intake to the left. One dealer described it as "funky." Sporting a curb weight of close to 800 pounds, it handles like a wheelbarrow, but as long as you don't hit many mid-corner bumps it's pretty solid. Ah, but there's that motor. The unique growl of the triple, and the fury with which it launches forth makes all its other warts somewhat disappear when you twist the dumbstick.

Other possible deals from Triumph are the floorboard-equipped Rocket III Classic, as well as the Rocket III Touring, which had a warm reception in some circles but not in others. Forget about the smaller Bonnevilles and their ilk, as they seem to be flying off of showroom floors like most sub-1000cc bikes.

Victory Hammer S
America seems to have a love/hate (or love/indifference) attitude with Victory. We got a very mixed reation to the Victory brand that seemed to transcend region, but more had to do with individual dealers. Sales manager Luca Rattazzi of Scuderia West in San Francisco claimed that, while "San Fransisco is not a cruiser city," the Vision was flying off of the floor. That said, he still had other '07 and '08 models in stock.

As all of Victory's offerings are big bikes the market has been especially cruel to them, but it still seems there are places that the Victory brand is doing well. That said, we had trouble coming up with a consistent line on what was up with Victory. So we went to the source. Our Victory rep told us that the slowest selling Vic' has been the Hammer (and Hammer S), the line about it being a performance cruiser just not finding traction overall. So if you can locate a leftover '08 (or '07) good prices will probably follow, especially since the Hammer is still around in '09.

The Hammer was the first mainstream cruiser with a 250 rear tire, mated to an 43mm inverted front and performance rubber all around. The S model is the upgraded version with Performance Machine wheels and other doo-dads which bring the price up near $20k. Naturally in this market that price is negotiable.

Another potential Victorian product is the Vegas Jackpot. Victory's other wide-tire bike is similarly-priced to the Hammer S, except swapping performance for bling. Since it's been a bigger seller in the past, there might be more stock out there.

The Best Of The Rest
Naturally, a deal is where you find it, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Big bikes in general are on the ropes and smaller ones are selling, but there is probably more to find on a micro level. Cruise your local (and not so local) shops for deals. There may be a lower-priced model that got some bad ink, or lack of exposure, or simply not the sort of bike a particular dealer knows how to sell.

And don't forget the "Alternative Americans." Big Dog, Swift, and especially American Ironhorse (AIH) are ripe for the picking with bikes that start at prices at where most lines top out. AIH is especially ripe for picking, as all the bad press surrounding their recent bankruptcy may have put a damper on sales as much as the economy has. Parts availability is less of a concern with all of these brands as there is considerable interchangeability between all aftermarket bikes (home-built or factory), as well as with Harley-Davidsons. If you've got the kind of coin needed for a bike like this there has rarely been a better time to buy.

Smaller Euro brands like Moto Guzzi might be a good deal as well, with prices higher than an equivalent Japanese machine, and less name recognition. As always, happy hunting. And let us know what you pick up and for how much at: cruiser@sourceinterlink.com.

Resources
Jacksonville:
Big Bike Motorcycles
888-426-0182

Honda Of Jacksonville
904-721-2453

Purcell's Motorcycles & Marine
904-771-8244

Ron Turner Cycles
904-641-0066

Los Angeles:
Bartels' Harley-Davidson
310-823-1112

Bert's MegaMall626-974-6600

New England:
Canton Cycles (Winsted, CT)
860-738-1718

Libby's Motoworld (New Haven, CT)
203-772-1112

Motorcycles of Manchester, Inc.AKA M.O.M.'s (Manchester, NH)
603-627-3957

San Francisco:
Golden Gate Cycles
415-771-4535

Munroe Motors
415-626-3496

Scuderia West
415-621-7223