Our annual Cruiser Buyer's Guide has various uses-wish list, window-shopping guide, reference-and it continues to grow, as it has for the last decade. Cruisers are still the most sought-after streetbikes in America, and motorcycle manufacturers keep creating new ways to supply this growing demand. On the other hand, some old standbys still have life in them; there are motorcycles here that were familiar when we published the first edition of this guide in 1996.
Although it has grown, the format of the Buyer's Guide remains much the same as that in years past. The motorcycles included are listed alphabetically by brand, and within each brand, by price in descending order. We include just those manufacturers that design their own engines, so companies such as Big Dog and Boss Hoss, which use non-proprietary engine designs, aren't included. This is done primarily so that we don't have to take on the large and somewhat amorphous group of semi-custom machines using Harley-pattern engines. We have also omitted many of the small bikes being imported from Asia until they are reasonably well established, as are Hyosung and Kymco.
The changes we know about that were made since last year are listed at the beginning of each capsule unless they are minor, such as graphics. We list functional and cosmetic revisions, but the most common change is price increase. However, there are also some models with major price reductions this year. Virtually every bike gets new colors with the new model year, and we don't include those in the list of changes. When there is a price range, it normally reflects the additional cost of more expensive or elaborate paint. However, the prices may not reflect freight or other surcharges. This year we also include Web addresses (which are case-sensitive) of tests on our Web site, if we have them.
The Guide's final components are a Specifications and Performance section at the end, a recounting of discontinued 2005 models, and contact information for the various manufacturers whose products we include.