The motorcycle industry has seen huge growth in the last couple of years thanks  to television bike building shows, the price of fuel and the aging demographic.  But is this growth, primarily in the Cruiser market, a product of hype or functionality?  I, personally, fell in to "the trap" and bought my first motorcycle  in the summer of 2004. Because the shows on television and "the Harley  allure", I, too, chose a cruiser, a Suzuki Marauder 800. Did I make the  right choice? I'm not sure. Do I regret it? Not on your life!

I have recently become more attracted to a standard bike, either a sport tourer  or a classic naked cafe racer. I think a "crotch rocket" has no practical  function on the street, but neither does a full size Hummer or a Ferrari Testarossa,  so to each his own. Can the same be said for cruisers? Are they the most practical  for everyday riding? I tend to think not. Don't get me wrong, they are comfortable  and fairly easy to ride but what is the true attraction?

I have perused these types of forums and have discussed motorcycles with a  myriad of different people, from cops to teenagers and doctors to webmasters.  One thing that sticks out in my mind is in the cruiser market a lot of riders  buy a bike and spend the next several months modifying it to make it their own.  I read somewhere that Harley owners spend on average $1200 in the first twelve  months following the purchase of their bike. I do understand this philosophy  and have browsed the thousands of after market accessory available for all the  cruisers, but I have noticed that some people spend more time on accessorizing  than actually learning how to ride. If someone needs their mid size cruiser  to go six miles per hour faster , they think nothing of spending $500 to $1000  on after market exhaust and a fancy power commander. If you didn't have a speedometer  would you be able to tell the difference? I know, I know, there are mods that  actually make a noticeable difference in performance but could these performance  gains be achieved by purchasing a different bike to begin with? I think the  most limiting factor in Cruisers are their ergonomics. Put a 800 cc V-twin in  a more upright frame I think the performance gains would be more noticeable  due to the riding position and cornering clearance.

I think what it comes down to is that there is a certain type of person that  likes the look of fancy chrome and leather and I know that there is the same  following in the cage market, those who trick out their Nova SS or Mustang.  I rarely wash my car so I guess when I say I'm not sure if I made the right  choice in buying a cruiser, it is because I feel left out by not having the  desire to add more chrome or drill out my pipes. Obviously I'm in the minority.  Happy chrome shopping.