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
Curtiss V-8 motorcycle Motor Cycle", the first of over 100 books in the Tom Swift series, was published shortly after the V-8 record setting run. The record setting V-8 motorcycle is now in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Air and Space museum lent it to the Guggenheim for the 1998 "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition in New York. The Curtiss OX-5 aero engine, a successor of the V-8 motorcycle engine, powered several United States civilian and military aircraft. More than 10,000 were manufactured. Curtiss V-8 motorcycle The Curtiss V-8 motorcycle was a V8 engine-powered motorcycle designed and built by