Two types of bikes dominate the market and the competition; cruiser and touring. Harley Davidson is the downright champion in both these categories. But which one is better, Harley Cruiser vs. Touring?
If you have been trying to find the answer to this question for a long time, you have come to the right place. In this brief guide, we will discuss some significant differences when comparing Harley Cruiser vs. Touring.
These bikes are great for riding the extensive highways and, of course, enjoying the sights while doing so in style. So, if you plan a long trip or like to cruise along the streets on your weekends, the information coming up will be pretty useful for you in making your decision.
Let’s ride!
Comparison Chart
| Feature | Harley Cruiser Bike | Harley Touring Bike |
| Purpose | Great for riding with attitude and style. | Best suited for packing your gear and stuff. |
| Suitability | Suitable for shorter distances | Suitable for longer distances. |
| Horsepower | High horsepower | Low horsepower |
| Customization | Plenty of customization available | Not many customization options available |
| Sitting position | Features front-feet sitting position | Comes with traditional sitting positions. |
| Engine | Powerful engine built for speed | Powerful engine built for taking uploads |
Harley Cruiser vs. Touring – An Overview
What Are Cruiser Bikes?
A cruiser motorcycle has the style and looks of a ride from the era of 1the 930s to the 1960s. These bikes come with a riding position that will place your feet forward, and your hands will be up. You will have your spine erect, or it will be leaning back slightly based on the model and its design.
But cruiser bikes not only allow you to enjoy the ride, but they also enable you to pick up the pace when you need it. This feature is not there in a touring bike, and it is another central differentiating point between these two types of bikes.
One of the most significant advantages of riding these bikes is comfort. These bikes are beginner-friendly, and you don’t need any special skills to ride them apart from balancing the huge weight of the bulky bike and yourself on it.
These bikes come with slower acceleration, but they are not meant for speeds. Maneuverability and handling can be tough, usually because of the massive size of the bike. But you will get plenty of entertainment options available on these bikes with various audio features and other accessories. These bikes are not built for racing because they provide you with the joy of the ride itself.
What are Touring Bikes?
Touring bikes are essentially very close to their overall performance and look similar to a cruiser bike when you compare them head-to-head. These bikes will place you in a position where your feet will be underneath your body, and your arms are extending in front of you. Your spine here will be in an erect position as well.
These bikes are great for exploring the vast plains on those highways, and they feature complete sets of saddlebags or those panniers which now distinctly are present on touring bikes. Originally, they were used on cruiser bikes.
But as cruiser bikes allow speed, any additional storage can halt it from achieving better road performance and reduce its speed. So, this feature was bestowed to touring bikes that are slower than other cruiser counterparts.
Touring bikes are even heavier than cruiser bikes, and maneuverability becomes a bit of an issue if you don’t have some riding experience under your belt. These bikes also come with multiple accessories and audio features, and you can use the storage compartments to fit in your stuff that you will need on your ride. These bikes are just like cars but have two wheels instead.
Similarities between Harley Cruiser vs. Touring
From a common person’s perspective, there is not much difference between these two rides. They both are pretty heavy and experience rides, and they come with plenty of accessories that will make your riding experience a pleasant one.
Both these machines are great for asphalt and are not designed for off-road conditions. And due to their heavy size, they both are certainly not made to do any stunt. Maneuvering can be a huge mess with both these bikes because they are not sleek by any stretch of the imagination. And they both are designed for some serious road performance on long journeys and even the shorter ones.
Harley Cruiser Vs. Touring – The Difference
Engine
Let’s talk about the engine first in this comparison of Harley Cruiser vs. Touring. Cruisers are equipped with a massive V-twin engine, and this is what you will be more accustomed to seeing in the movies. These engines are pretty heavy and pack power.
This is precisely why cruisers can handle the weight and build up speed pretty in no time. This bike has an approach of better looking than feeling good. Therefore, these bikes are better suited for shorter rides, and you can use them on the streets and highways. Consequently, they are much more versatile in this perspective.
On the other hand, touring bikes are made for long journeys and even patrolling. Therefore, these bikes don’t come with a massive engine. But they can certainly handle a lot of load on them. This is why you can carry a lot of stuff on your trip. These engines are sturdier in terms of reliability and performance and are not built for high speeds, but they can take heavy loads.
Style & comfort
Now let’s talk about the style and comfort in this comparison of Harley Cruiser vs. Touring. If you are looking for more style and looks than anything else, then you need to go for a cruiser bike for sure. With a feet-forward sitting position, you will ride with an attitude. This is something that is not there when it comes to a touring bike.
However, touring bikes are better in terms of riding comfort if you compare them with cruisers. Your feet will be under your body, and you will have a traditional bike riding position which your body is much more accustomed to.
Cruiser bikes are better suited for shorter journeys with a lot of aura. Simultaneously, touring bikes are better used for longer journeys and better carry some load with you.
Riding position
It’s time to talk about the riding position in this comparison of Harley Cruiser vs. Touring. Cruiser bikes are more for style and are best for short-distance traveling. Therefore, you will have your feet forward with a more leaned back spine and hands up. This riding position will give you a lot of attitude and pleasure in your riding experience, which is what a cruiser bike all about.
In comparison, a touring bike allows you to sit traditionally with your feet underneath your body and your arms extending in front of you. This sitting position is ideally suitable for longer trips with comfort, which is a touring bike specialty. Therefore, if you are looking for an ultimate ride experience in comfort, you need to go for a touring bike. But for the style and class, you should consider going for a cruiser.
Storage
This is where a touring bike wins by flying colors because it is designed to carry a lot of load on your trips. You can conveniently pack all your stuff in it and set yourself for a long-distance journey. These bikes also come with a large fuel tank in them, so you don’t have to pull over now and then refuel.
Whereas cruiser bikes are great for some additional features and accessories, they will not allow you to carry much luggage. Of course, their engine can handle the load, but their style and design don’t feature many storage compartments to pack your stuff in and go for a long-distance journey.
Price
Cruiser bikes are expensive because of all the features and riding comfort, but they are not pricier than touring bikes. Touring bikes allow you to carry all your stuff with you, and they are pretty bulky in size with a powerful engine to handle all the weight effortlessly.
Cruisers are pretty experienced too, but this is because of the riding comfort they provide you with and the engine size built for high speeds. You can easily see a cruiser going past a car very comfortably, and it’s a regular sight on the street or even on the highways.
Touring bikes can pack all your stuff with you, and they can carry it for you to use later on. It functions as a small car, but they are pretty slow to gain speed due to other heavy and bulky sizes. And this is only possible when you are riding on a touring bike on a long highway.
FAQ – Harley Cruiser vs. Touring
Can I use a cruiser bike for long-distance journeys?
You can use this bike for long-distance journeys as well, but they do come with relatively small fuel tanks, and there are not many storage compartments to fit your stuff in. So, you will feel pretty inconvenient when riding a cruiser for long-distance journeys.
Are touring bikes any good for riding on the streets?
Touring bikes are meant for riding the highways. They are huge machines, so you will find them a bit difficult to maneuver on the streets, especially with the tight corners. They are also pretty heavy, so handling becomes extremely difficult in such a scenario. You will feel a lot more comfortable when riding the streets with your cruiser because they are built in this way. And they are a lot easier to handle too.
Conclusion
When comparing Harley Cruiser vs. Touring, there is no winner because they are geared towards achieving different purposes. Cruisers are better suited for shorter distances, and they are speedy. While touring bikes are better for long-distance rides and store a lot of stuff, you will use them later on.
