10 Affordable Cruisers Worth Every Penny

Everyone loves a good deal. There are few things that can be as satisfying as making a purchase and knowing that it would have been near-impossible to do better. In the same vein, a good cruiser has the ability not just to put a smile on your face, but also to make you relax. When you’re on a good cruiser on an open road, all is right with the world – and combine the two, and you have one of the forms of motoring nirvana.

The cruiser market has a whole range available to the customer, with the sky being the limit if you want one. At the affordable end of the spectrum, value is what will draw in the buyers, and there is fierce competition. Here are ten affordable cruisers worth every penny.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Honda Powersports, Kawasaki Motorcycles, and Royal Enfield USA. We’ve arranged the list in order of increasing price to give it some order.

Honda Rebel 300

Price: $4,849

The Rebel 300 is the smallest Rebel, and the most affordable. It shares its thumper with the CBR300R and CB300R, and it doesn’t go really quickly. In fact, it tops out at just around 86 MPH. It is a liquid-cooled and fuel-injected unit, so you can expect consistent performance and reliability. You also get a reverse LCD instrument cluster, twin rear shocks that ensure a low seat height, and a pair of disc brakes at either end. However, ABS isn’t even an option anymore.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350

Price: $4,899

The Meteor 350 is the baby of Royal Enfield’s cruiser lineup, and it is the most efficient cruiser on the market today. A relatively low-tech engine powers it, being air-cooled and torque-rich rather than sporting a high-power figure. A recent update has given it a number of new features, like new color schemes, standard all-LED lighting, the ‘Tripper’ navigation pod with the TFT color screen, a fast-charging USB-C port, a slipper clutch, and progressive springs for the rear suspension.

CFMoto 450 CL-C

Price: $5,799

The CL-C is a CFMoto, which means that you can expect it to be great value from the outset. But even with those high expectations, the CL-C manages to surprise. It has the only 270 degree parallel twin engine in its class, and it generates 40 horsepower. It is also one of very few products in its class and segment to offer a Gates carbon final belt drive. The features list is equally impressive, with a circular 3.6-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth, inverted front forks, a radially mounted four-piston fixed front caliper for the front brake, and traction control.

Benda Chinchilla 500

Price: $5,999

The Chinchilla 500 is the most affordable middleweight V-twin cruiser available today. Despite being a V-twin, it is priced more competitively than other parallel twin products in its segment. It offers 47 horsepower and 31 pound-feet, and sends it through a six-speed transmission with a slipper clutch and final belt drive. Features include a multicolor LCD, a radial front caliper mounted on inverted front forks, and all-LED lighting. This might be a Chinese product, but it seems to have all the positives with not many of the negatives traditionally associated with it.

Moto Morini Calibro 700

Price: $5,999

We’ve been talking about value, but nothing comes close to the value that the Calibro 700 offers in terms of price to performance ratio. For under $6,000, you get a 693 cc parallel twin engine with a 270 degree crank, liquid cooling, and fuel injection. A six-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch and a Gates carbon belt drive round out the driveline. The instrument cluster is part analog, part reverse LCD, but you do get all-LED lighting and dual-channel ABS.

Kawasaki Eliminator

Price: $6,499

The Eliminator is a cruiser unlike no other in its segment. We’re used to cruisers sharing components and engine tunes across sport bikes and cruisers, but the Eliminator generates its 51 horsepower at a stratospheric-for-a-cruiser 10,000 RPM. You’re going to have to give this one a wristful of throttle to get it going. You do get dual channel ABS and disc brakes at both ends to rein in your enthusiasm. It also has a unique LCD that is unlike anything else in the segment.

Honda Rebel 500

Price: $6,499

The Rebel 500 has similar displacement and the same type of engine as the Eliminator, but its character is remarkably different. It puts out a respectable 47 horsepower from 471 cc, but it does so in a calm manner, at much lower revs. ABS is an optional extra and will cost you $300 more than the base price above. The Rebel series’ signature reverse LCD is present, and this is a great choice not just for beginners, but also for those who want a fuss-free second motorcycle, or want to extend their riding career.

Kawasaki Vulcan S

Price: $7,649

The Vulcan S is the next step-up in the Kawasaki cruiser hierarchy, and it makes more power and torque from a larger engine. That’s about the extent of its extras, and to be honest, the way it keeps things simple is a big part of its appeal. It shares components with the sports bike and naked of the same displacement in Kawasaki’s range, and as such shares their enthusiasm for spirited riding as well. We just wish it was offered in more colors, that ABS wasn’t an optional extra, and that it got equipped with a 5-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth and navigation like its siblings have.

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Price: $7,899

The recent price hikes have seen the Super Meteor 650 leapfrog the Vulcan S’s price. It nails the retro look, though, and you can even get a more comfortable touring seat with certain paint schemes. The 270 degree parallel twin engine might not develop much power thanks to its choice of air cooling, but it certainly has a lot of torque and character. The analog instrumentation is boosted by the ‘Tripper’ TFT color display/circular standalone pod that takes care of Bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

Honda Shadow Phantom

Price: $8,699

The Shadow Phantom is the version designed to appeal to a younger audience. As such, it uses a blacked-out look with alloy wheels. However, it is mechanically identical to the retro-looking Shadow Aero. Which is no bad thing, because the V-twin engine has always had liquid cooing and fuel injection, and the final drive is via a driveshaft. It has recently got a disc brake and ABS, and the Shadow Phantom, unlike the Aero, has ABS as a standard feature.