Six New Cruisers We Can’t Wait To Ride 2024

Cruisers are back! OK, so they never really went away, but it feels like the last few years have been pretty ho-hum in terms of exciting model launches. That looks to have changed in 2023 and 2024, and the new machines represent a serious range of options, with everything from Triumph’s entry-level 400cc scrambler to BMW’s rorty R 12 cruiser, ranging in price from $5,600 all the way up to around an expected $15,000.

Like we said, options. The fresh designs are coming from all over the world too, from heavy hitters like BMW, Kawasaki, and Triumph as well as lesser-known firms like Moto Morini and CFMoto all getting in on the cruiser action. And Royal Enfield shows no signs of slowing down its new model release schedule either, adding one to this list of interesting new cruisers for 2024. Bikes are in order of displacement from highest to lowest.

The horizontal jugs sticking out on either side instantly mark the 2024 R 12 as a BMW. That 1,170cc air/oil-cooled boxer twin derived from the R nineT serves up 95 hp at 6,500 rpm, but the aesthetics help this bike stand out from the crowd too, with a new one-piece steel trellis frame and separate subframe capped by a shapely steel tank that pays homage to the “Toaster” tanks from ‘70s. An upside-down 45mm fork gives just 3.5 inches of travel, but that also makes for a low 29.7-inch seat height, while short fenders and a cruiser-appropriate 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheel combo cement the laid-back vibe.

The R 12′s feature set includes a six-speed transmission and shaft drive to lay down the power, with two ride modes, Dynamic Traction, and Engine Drag Torque control also in the mix. Brakes are top-of-class too, with dual 310mm discs and four-piston calipers up front, and a 265mm disc/two-piston caliper out back. BMW says the R 12 will be “available soon,” though no MSRP has been announced (we estimate somewhere in the $15,000 range).

Parallel twins, it seems, have been pushing hard into a category once reserved almost entirely for V-twins. The latest all-new cruiser with a parallel-twin engine layout is Moto Morini’s 2024 Calibro, recently confirmed for the US market at last month’s AIMExpo show.

The “custom” model signals the company’s intent to enter the class, and the Italian-designed, Chinese-built bike brings a liquid-cooled DOHC 649cc twin-cylinder engine set into a double steel cradle frame with a basic, nonadjustable 41mm telescopic fork out front and dual rear shocks. The ergos are all cruiser, with a low 28.3-inch seat, forward foot controls (which are adjustable), and the bike rolls on an 18-inch aluminum tubeless rim up front and a 16-incher at the rear, while a six-speed transmission, all-LED lighting, and standard ABS are nice to see in an entry-level model. The styling is vaguely retro but there are hints of Honda’s neo aesthetic in play, and it’s likely to go up against the Royal Enfield Super Meteor and Kawasaki Vulcan S once it’s released here. We’ll share more details as they become available.

This one straddles the definition of a “cruiser.” We’re talking about Royal Enfield’s new Shotgun 650 which is making its way to the States later this spring. Complicating the issue of just what category it belongs in is the fact that the Shotgun lifts the steel frame (though there is a new detachable subframe) and P-twin mill wholesale from the Super Meteor cruiser, though there are enough tweaks to make the SG an almost completely different rig in terms of look, feel, and riding quality. Power is generated by the well-traveled 648cc parallel-twin engine shared with the INT650, Continental GT, and Super Meteor, churning out 46.4 hp way up at 7,250 rpm. That all flows through a six-speed gearbox, and the braking arrangement is identical, with two-pot ByBre calipers and a 320mm disc front/300mm disc rear.

The Shotgun’s styling is what brings quizzical looks though; is it bobber or roadster, with a dash of cruiser? What we can tell you is that it’s a hoot to ride, and if it comes in anywhere near the expected $7,000 MSRP when pricing is announced, it’ll be a bargain.

Entry-level riders in the market for a lightweight, unintimidating rig, rejoice. Kawasaki’s 2024 Eliminator packs a Ninja 400–derived 451cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine into a steel trellis frame (using the engine as a stressed member), giving it a low 28.9-inch seat height and neutral riding position, and brings it all in at under 400 pounds.

You get all the basics here, with a 41mm nonadjustable fork, dual exposed shocks, a tractable engine, single disc brakes front and rear, and LED lighting all around; ABS is optional, but the Eliminator does come with a slipper/assist clutch and a light clutch pull, making things even easier for first-time riders.

If the Eliminator’s modish styling looks like a mix of Honda Rebel 500 and Kawasaki Vulcan S 650, that’s also where the Eliminator slots in, whether in power, riding style, and price tag. For reference, the Rebel retails for $6,499 (non-ABS) and the Vulcan S is $7,349, while the Eliminator—which is available now, in three trims—has a starting price of $6,649 (non-ABS).

As you’ve noticed from this list, 400s are also having a moment. The latest is the 450CL-C cruiser from China-based CFMoto, which is headed stateside with a liquid-cooled 449cc twin-cylinder engine that uses a 270-degree crank and dual counterbalancers, and produces a claimed 40 hp at 8,000 rpm. CFMoto already has a range of CL-X models that tout a neo-retro roadster look, so the new CL-C branding will be on cruiser-style models in the future.

To that end, the 450CL-C features all the classic cruiser cues like a low 27-inch seat height, chunky tires on spoke wheels, teardrop tank, wide bars, and blacked-out components. Nice surprises include a 37mm upside-down fork, full-color TFT dash, traction control, and ABS. Braking is down to a single 320mm disc with four-piston caliper up front and 240 mil disc with single-pot caliper rear, but there is LED lighting all around. Even better is the very accessible MSRP of $5,699. CFMoto USA expects models to arrive in dealerships by this fall.

OK, we won’t even pretend this is a cruiser, but ya gotta admit the new Scrambler 400 X is pretty compelling, both in its packaging and capability. The new 400 X shares its all-new 398cc DOHC single-cylinder engine with the Speed 400, as well as the Speed′s 3.4-gallon tank and side panels, but Triumph tweaked the frame design, and changed the seat, bars, and pegs and gave it different wheels and a longer-travel fork to give it a distinct stance and riding position. Not quite standard, not quite mini-adventure rig, the retro-styled machine engine pumps out 39.5 hp at 8,000 rpm and 27.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,500 rpm, driven though an assist-and-slipper clutch and six-speed box. There’s switchable traction control, a better-than-average 5.9 inches of suspension travel front and rear, and the seat height, while not necessarily low, tops out at a manageable 32.9 inches. You also get wide bars and a deliciously light 395-pound wet weight.

For a bike that can offer a modicum of dual-sport capabilities with iconic scrambler styling, the 2024 Scrambler 400 X’s MSRP of $5,595 seems just about right.