Cruiser (motorcycle) Cruiser (motorcycle) A cruiser is a motorcycle in the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson. The riding position usually places the feet forward and the hands up, with the spine erect or leaning back slightly. Typical cruiser engines emphasize easy rideability and shifting, with plenty of low-end torque but not necessarily large amounts of horsepower, traditionally V-twins but inline engines have become more common. Cruisers with greater performance than usual, including more horsepower, stronger brakes and better suspension, are often called power cruisers. Japanese companies began
BSA unit twins new cycle parts, including the "oil-bearing frame". Apart from cosmetic items, the cycle parts were shared with the Triumph twins. (Triumph was a subsidiary of BSA). To produce a 750cc machine for AMA Class C racing, BSA lengthened the stroke of Lightening's crankshaft by 11mm to give a displacement of 751cc. 202 machines were produced to meet the minimum production requirements. All were exported to the US, most to the East Coast distributor in Baltimore. By 1972 BSA were in serious financial trouble and the Firebird Scrambler was discontinued in an attempt to reduce costs. With rival British motorcycle manufacturer,