Best new cruisers under $20,000

Cruisers are a popular choice for road riders who prioritise comfort, style and a relaxed approach over outright performance. Who wants to be hunched over the 'bars of a sportsbike like Quasimodo, when all you want to do is sit back, take in the scenery, and revel in the beat of that engine thumping away beneath you?

If a relaxed riding position, a long wheelbase, wide 'bars and a low seat height add up to your idea of riding bliss, but you’re on a more modest budget, there are a variety of new cruisers to be found for under $20,000 on today’s market, with options for greenhorns and old hands alike.

American iron will cost you more, mind you, with entry-level US models kicking off with the Indian Scout Bobber ($21,995 ride away) and Harley-Davidson Softail Standard ($22,995 ride away). But hey, if the country of origin isn’t a deal-breaker, you’ll find some very competent and easy-to-manage hardware in the options we’ve assembled below.

So while channeling the iconic Steppenwolf ('Get your motor runnin', head out on the highway'!), let's take a look some of the best budget-friendly cruisers you can snaffle new for under twenty large…

Benelli 502C

Priced at just $10,590 ride away, the Benelli 502C might not be the first bike that springs to mind when you think ‘cruiser’, but this funky little package is very capable and has taken out our LAMS Cruiser title a number of times in previous bikesales Bike of the Year awards.

Like all cruisers it has a low seat height, in this case 750mm, a low centre of gravity, a long 1600mm wheelbase and a wet weight of just 170kg, giving the novice a good deal of confidence. You can tailor the 502C somewhat, thanks to its adjustable forward-mounted footpegs.

Nestled in a trellis steel frame is a 499cc, liquid-cooled, four stroke parallel-twin with four valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts. It delivers 35kW and 45Nm along with a nice rumble for some cruiser cred, while the go is dished out via a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive.

It’s not too powerful but it is an engaging ride, and the large 21-litre tank delivers a generous range.

The bike rides on a basic but competent suspension package comprising a non-adjustable 41mm inverted fork with 125mm of travel and a rear monoshock that is adjustable for preload, with 50mm of travel.

With 17in rims front and rear, the Benelli 502C has a single-disc front stopper but with a four-piston caliper, plus a single-piston caliper at the rear.

The biggest standout of the Benelli 502C is however its distinctive styling, while other up-to-the-minute touches like TFT instrumentation and LED lighting give plenty of bang of your bucks. Three colours complete the palette: Matt Black, Purplish Black, and Bordeaux Red.

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

The new kid on the block is the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. This LAMS cruiser is the latest Royal Enfield model to use the 650 Twins platform that debuted back in 2018.

With a very reasonable starting price tag of $11,990 ride away, the Super Meteor combines classic Royal Enfield aesthetic with an easy-to-ride, yet still entertaining package.

It is quite heavy on paper, with a whopping wet weight of 241kg. But the weight has been hidden well and is largely unnoticeable when in motion.

The bike is free of any fancy electronics or gadgetry, except for the Tripper navigation module which uses smartphone connectivity for turn-by-turn directions.

And for a few extra dollars, you can get a Tourer variant, which comes with a windscreen and pillion backrest as standard.

Unfortunately, the bike is not here just yet. But it will be soon! Stay tuned.

Kawasaki Vulcan S

The model combines a low, wide, well-padded and comfy solo seat with a long wheelbase, mid-mount footpegs, and a low centre of gravity.

Another learner-approved ride is the Kawasaki Vulcan S, which will set you back $10,259 plus on-roads.

However, it is substantially heavier than the Suzuki Boulevard, tipping the scales at 226kg wet.

Best of all, its more generous dimensions mean it looks more like a bigger-capacity bike. If you’re on L or P plates you might be quizzed by the cops as to why you’re riding it – but it will an entertaining conservation to have!

In any case, there’s a full-power Kawasaki Vulcan S available alongside the LAMS variant, for exactly the same price. And we will point out you can’t legally upgrade the LAMS model to full power once you’ve graduated to a full licence.

The Vulcan S rides on five-spoke rims, an 18-inch front and 17-inch rear, with a rear guard hugging that rear hoop snugly.

In a rare feature for a cruiser, the Vulcan’s footpegs feature three-way adjustment for added comfort and control, making it suitable for a wider range of rider heights and sizes. Likewise, the levers are also adjustable, so you can really tailor the bike to suit your requirements. And the high ‘bars mean the mirrors offer an unimpeded, almost panoramic view to the rear.

The DOHC, eight-valve, fuel-injected 649cc parallel-twin does its best work in the low to mid rev range and has been geared to maximise its low-end torque, while the sportsbike-derived chassis and suspension mean the Vulcan S can display a surprising turn of speed and agility when the bends roll into view.

The grunt is sent to the rear wheel via a six-speed gearbox and a chain final drive. Braking is provided a 300mm single disc with twin-piston front caliper at the front, with a 250mm disc with single-piston caliper at the rear.

Adding modern touches to a traditional theme is the LED taillight and comprehensive a LCD dash with digital speedo, gear position, clock and trip meter. Sitting next to that is an analogue tacho.

After a different look? Check out the Kawasaki Vulcan S Café, which builds on the theme with three-tone paint scheme and a headlight cowl with tinted fly screen.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom

The $12,959 plus on-roads Vulcan 900 Custom is a more powerful, bigger-capacity Vulcan aimed at more experienced riders.

With wide drag ‘bars, forward-mounted footpegs, custom-look paintwork, and parallel slash-cut matte black exhausts, it dishes out that made-to-order cruiser style by the mile.

After a more traditional cruiser look? Maybe the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic is more to your liking. It’s essentially the same bike mechanically but cosmetically it swaps the backstreet city attitude in favour of whitewall tyres, chromed exhausts and spoked wheels. It’s also $100 less, at $12,859 plus on-roads.

Nestling in the Vulcan 900 Custom’s double-cradle frame is a 900cc, SOHC, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled V-twin. With belt drive and a five-speed gearbox, it pumps out 37kW and 78N. The bike has a rangy 1845mm wheelbase and it tips the scales at 277kg, so it’s no lightweight, but the 20-litre teardrop tank ensures a fair range between fill-ups.

Offsetting that weight is its ultra-low 685mm seat height, so throwing a leg over and getting your feet down at a red light should be a cinch.

The 41mm fork has a relaxed 33-degree rake and offers 150mm of wheel travel, while the Uni-Trak rear monoshock has 103mm of travel, and seven-stage preload adjustment.

The wheel package comprises striking multi-spoke alloy rims, 21in up front with a 15in rear, while hauling the thing down from speed is a 300mm single front disc and a 270mm rear disc, each gripped by a twin-piston caliper.

See the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom in New Bike Showroom

Honda CMX500

When you think of cruisers, Honda isn’t the ‘H’ brand that springs to mind…

Nevertheless, the Japanese brand has a couple of cruisers in its fleet starting, with its LAMS-approved CMX500.

Two variants are available: the $10,253 (ride away) standard bike, and the $10,664 (ride away) ‘S Edition’, the latter with different seat and fork covers.

Lurking in the tubular steel frame is a 471cc fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, eight-valve parallel-twin engine with 33kW and 44Nm. It has chain drive and a six-speed gearbox, with a slipper assist clutch for a super-light lever action.

Both CMX500 variants get modern features like full LED lighting (including a neat quad-LED headlight) and neat digital instrumentation.

The seat height is just 690mm, while the 41mm for and twin rear shocks provided 121mm and 95mm of travel respectively.

The S Edition gets extra kit by way of a factory-fit headlight cowl with smoke screen, retro front fork gaiters, and a special diamond-stitch style seat.

Honda CMX1100

A big brother for the CMX500, and just sneaking in here in terms of pricing (okay, so it’s just over, at $20,131 ride away, ex-Melbourne), is the Honda CMX1100 – a new model for Big Red that reached Aussie dealerships for the first time last year.

Honda claims the CMX1100 will change the way you think about cruisers.

Yes, it comes with a low slung (700mm) seat, twin-cylinder engine, forward-mounted pegs, and a relaxed riding position. And it’s also 2420mm long, has a 1520mm wheelbase and low ground clearance (120mm), so it ticks the usual cruiser boxes.

But the CMX1100 boasts a raft of modern technology such as a choice of a six-speed manual or dual clutch gearbox, a ride-by-wire throttle, four ride modes (Standard, Rain, Sport, plus a custom mode) and electronic cruise control. Yep, that lot sure changes things…

The 1094cc eight-valve V-twin has electronic fuel injection and puts out 64kW and 94Nm via a chain final drive. But it ain’t no touring bike, courtesy of its modest 13.6-litre fuel tank.

An 18-inch-front and 16-inch rear wheel are mated to a 330mm and 256mm single brake discs respectively, backed by ABS (as is the case with all these models).

As for ironing out the bumps and humps, there’s a 43mm fork with 121mm of travel paired with preload-adjustable twin shockers at the rear, offering 95mm of travel.

Surprisingly, the Honda CMX1100 Rebel tips the scales at a mere 223kg for the six-speed manual, with the DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) version only adding 10kg more.