Confederate Motors, Inc. makers of handcrafted heirloom motorcycles, unveiled their widely-anticipated third generation Hellcat last December. Drawing on the first and second generations’ distinctive architecture, the company’s new X132 Hellcat builds on that design with innovative engineering and avant-garde lines. The result is yet another iconic machine that shakes up the American motoring landscape.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com.

2012 Victory Cross Roads

Upgrades. We all love ‘em, and both the Victory Cross Roads and Harley-Davidson’s Road King, the entry-level tourers from each manufacturer, have them available in spades. But as we all know, some people don’t buy the entry level model not because they can’t afford the more decked-out one, but rather because they want a more streamlined bike (or a little something different style-wise). These two are aimed at that niche. For guys (and gals) who want a competent touring bike, but long for the look and simplicity of days gone by, without whistles and bells like audio, navigation, or even a full fairing, these are the bikes.

A few hundred yards from the Nam Dae Mun market—a vast jumble of alleys where hyperactive vendors hawk everything from live squid tentacles to fake Rolexxx watches, we’re playing an insane game of frogger trying to cross the bustling four-lane boulevard. Trucks and buses bear down within inches of our feet, but most of the metal buzzing around is of the two-wheel variety. That figures—there’s no better way to get around the traffic choked madhouse that is Seoul, South Korea.

When it comes to cruisers with attitudes, the largest displacement bikes often steal the spotlight, but it shouldn’t always be that way. In many cases, attitude is as much of a factor of styling as it is of out and out performance. So, we decided to gather a trio of bikes from the lighter end of the displacement scale to see what kind of attitude they could bring to the table. All three of our collected players have been around in the same basic form for a couple of years, but both the Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 and Honda Shadow Phantom 750 are relative newcomers within their model lines. The Triumph Speedmaster, on the other hand, is an old favorite (though it received some changes last year).

It’s the attitude that surprises you. It’s the way people come up to you when you’re on a CS-1. Depending on who’s viewing it, this bike is “cute as hail” (I do live in Texas) funky, obnoxious, cool or a total turd. Every usual descriptive checkbox in motorcycling can be ticked off by this bike. The one thing nobody can take away from me is the completely satisfying knowledge that I built what I’m riding, and that I feel super cool every time I walk up to it.

By the time you read this, Progressive’s International Motorcycle Show series will be in full swing.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com

At some point in a life spent muscling around two-wheeled machinery, you learn to hold certain truths to be self-evident.

August 2011, Sturgis, SD

American Honda chose to enter the new model year a bit more quietly, with no major changes to its menu of releases. But Honda’s V-twin cruisers are well-represented in the 2012 lineup, with eight different models returning. These carryover models boast mainly graphics and ergonomic tweaks to differentiate them from last year’s machines.

Kawasaki hasn’t been quiet either, releasing its 2012 Vulcan cruiser lineup last month. The 2012 Vulcan 1700 Voyager received the lion’s share of attention, while the popular Vaquero bagger, the Nomad and the Classic round out the 1700 Vulcan offerings. Three 900cc Vulcan cruisers complete the 2012 cruiser lineup.

Ten years ago I heard about a ride you can do in India over to Kashmir, and for ten years I have dreamed of nothing else. Now it's time to stop dreaming, so in May 2012 I will leave the sunny skies of Fort Lauderdale and fly to Delhi.

We haven’t the chance to report on them as much as we’d have liked, but with 2012 breathing down our necks, it’s time to part company with our long-term test bikes. Our summary of living with the Stryker and the Vaquero for the better part of a year should bring you up to speed on these steeds. —Ed

All good things must eventually end, and so it was that last October, Moto Guzzi announced the final run of the historic California model. After 40 years in production, the new California 90 will be the last version of the iconic model produced and imported to the U.S.

Star Motorcycles Announces its 2012 Cruisers, Including the New SCL

Seems like open season for hard-to-get bikes—Triumph has also jumped in the ring with a limited edition model. This one is based on a late actor’s love of the Brit brand’s machines, so there’s some movie nostalgia at work here.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com.

Got a bike you’d like to flaunt? Send prints or high-resolution digital files (300 dpi, please) of your cruiser plus info about it to Motorcycle Cruiser, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or cruiser@sorc.com.