Cruiser bikes are known for their old-school charm, low, stretched-out stance, and undeniable road presence. These are generally designed for long straights, and hence the insane rake angles and long wheelbases. However, amid demand for affordable cruiser bikes, automakers are building compact offerings that stay true to the ideology while also offering the added benefit of being urban-friendly. This is mainly due to a low seat height and curb weight. From a 250 cc Yamaha that religiously replicates an American big-twin experience for the city to a 300cc Honda with an automatic clutch system, this list takes you through 10 such commute-friendly cruisers.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, including Yamaha Motorsports, Royal Enfield USA, CFMoto Motorcycles USA, Kawasaki Motorcycles USA, Honda Powersports USA, Moto Morini USA, and Keeway USA. This list is organized in decreasing order of pricing, from the more expensive to the most affordable cruiser bikes perfect for commuting. All prices and specifications mentioned here are of the 2025 models unless mentioned otherwise.
Honda Shadow Phantom
Price: $8,699
Despite having a quintessential stretched-out stance, the Honda Shadow Phantom has the makings of a comfortable urban runabout. This is mostly because of its relatively approachable curb weight of 543 pounds and a low seat height of 25.6 inches. It looks cool with custom-bike elements like blacked-out components, chopped fenders, and layered color options.
Powering this cool Honda cruiser bike is a 745 cc V-twin engine that produces 44.6 horsepower and 47.9 pound-feet of torque. The torque is spread out to be linear and meaty at low RPM, and the engine is an uber-low-stress state.
Kawasaki Vulcan S
Price: $7,649 (Non-ABS) / $8,149 (ABS)
The Kawasaki Vulcan S impresses in the middleweight game by combining sportsbike-derived performance, nimble dynamics, and lightweight packaging, along with a bespoke Kawasaki feature that allows the rider triangle to be adjusted to best suit the rider. Powering this sporty cruiser bike is a Ninja-derived 649 cc parallel-twin engine that produces 60 horsepower and 46.5 pound-feet of torque.
While spirited, the torque curve is meaty at lower revs, which helps for seamless, peppy urban sprints. Furthermore, its low curb weight of under 500 pounds and the adaptive rider triangle make the Vulcan S a versatile urban runabout.
Kawasaki Eliminator
Price: $6,499 (Non-ABS) / $6,700 (ABS)
This is the most affordable Kawasaki cruiser bike today. The Eliminator follows a similar formula to the Vulcan S above, packing a Ninja 500 sports bike-derived parallel-twin mill that produces a grin-worthy 51 horsepower and 31.7 pound-feet of torque. Its compact form factor impresses and makes this a no-frills all-day city companion.
As a refresher, there’s 59.8-inch wheelbase, 28.9-inch seat height, and a curb weight of under 400 pounds. In addition, you also get likable features here, which are actually more impressive than the pricier Vulcan S.
Benda Chinchilla 500
Price: $5,999
This is a brand-new Chinese entrant in the affordable cruiser bike world. The Benda Chinchilla impresses by shrinking down custom big-twin cruiser bike design cues into a highly compact and urban-friendly package. A peppy 475.6 cc powers the Chinchilla liquid-cooled V-twin (yup, a cute little one) that produces 47 horsepower and 31 pound-feet of torque.
Couple this with its low curb weight of 473 pounds, and we have a beginner-friendly cruiser bike that is swift, too. Despite its chunky tires, low stance, and steep rake angle, its low seat height of 27.2 inches and relaxed ergonomics make this baby cruiser bike a comfortable city bike.
Moto Morini Calibro 700
Price: $5,999
While the tag of being the most powerful cruiser bike under $8,000 might make the Moto Morini Calibro 700 look intimidating, that is not actually the case. This Italian cruiser bike sure packs a feisty 68-horsepower parallel-twin engine, but it’s been tuned to deliver a linear curve. This helps it be composed on tight urban roads, too.
Its acceptable seat height of 28.3 inches, low curb weight of 443 pounds, and a fairly compact form factor with a wheelbase of under 60 inches help this affordable power cruiser be a formidable urban companion. Oh, and if you want to go the distance, Moto Morini sells a proper touring bagger based on the same platform.
CFMoto 450CL-C
Price: $5,799
The CFMoto 450CL-C is a gorgeous fusion of cool, custom-inspired cruiser bike design, accessible, comfortable ergonomics, and a peppy, urban-ready parallel-twin engine. It produces 40 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque from a sports bike-derived mill.
It’s impressively light at under 400 pounds and loaded with cool technology features like a round 3.6-inch TFT display, traction control, a slipper clutch, and turn-by-turn navigation. This cruiser bike is an overachiever for under $6,000.
Honda Rebel 300 E-Clutch
Price: $5,349
The baby Rebel is the best when it comes to urban-riding capabilities. This is thanks to its compact form factor, with a wheelbase of 58.7 inches and a low curb weight of just 379 pounds. Its seat height is also fairly low at 27.2 inches. Powering it is a humble yet peppy 286 cc single-cylinder engine that produces 25 horsepower.
For 2026, Honda is spicing things up with a new electronic clutch feature, making this the most affordable Honda to flaunt it. This is basically a smarter version of the quickshifter that we know of. With the E-clutch, the rider can literally forget about the clutch lever. Even standstill take-offs don’t need it. This feature will truly simplify the riding experience in the city with the Rebel 300.
Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350
Price: $5,299
This is the coolest-looking cruiser bike that a new rider can buy. The Goan Classic 350 embodies the essence of the vibrant state of Goa in India. Bright colors, whitewall tires, and loads of custom styling components, including an ape-style handlebar, make this RE stand out profoundly.
Beyond its visual appeal, the Goan Classic 350 is also a competent and comfortable urban motorcycle, thanks to its compact form factor and low curb weight. All the underpinnings and the engine come from the Classic 350, meanwhile.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Price: $4,899
This cruiser bike is a prime example of what simplicity can achieve. The Meteor 350 is barebones in terms of technology and hardware. It packs a humble 349 cc single-cylinder engine, producing 20.5 horsepower and nearly 20 pound-feet of torque. Humble figures, yes. But this is ample for urban duties.
Moreover, its comfortable, relaxed riding stance and compact form factor make it a zippy runabout on tight city roads, while its classic-vibing cruiser bike design keeps it looking cool. What we really dislike is the fact that RE hasn’t launched the variants of the Meteor here, otherwise sold in Indian and British markets.
Yamaha V-Star 250
Price: $4,799
This is currently the most affordable cruiser bike on sale. The V-Star 250 is an impressive recreation of classic American big-twin cruisers, but in a city-friendly 250 cc package. Powering this cool-looking Yamaha is a 249 cc single-cylinder engine producing 21 horsepower and 15.2 pound-feet of torque, ample for city errands.
Making urban rides cozy are features like its compact form factor with a wheelbase of under 60 inches, a relaxed rider triangle, and a low curb weight of just 324 pounds. Don’t expect any technological features here, however. This is as barebones as a motorcycle can get.