Suddenly, people began hacking apart their bikes, tacking on different pieces and bolting on ape hangers and sissy bars.Īs Motorcycle Cruiser writes, this was a prime opportunity for then AMF-owned Harley-Davidson. Then, Easy Rider hit the silver screen in 1969, leading to a surge of interest in choppers and custom motorcycles that departed from the design norms of the era. Instead, the bikes that look a bit like today’s cruisers were often considered customs or choppers.Īt the time, the market for motorcycles like those was reportedly small. However, as Motorcycle Cruiser notes, the cruiser as we see them today wasn’t as popular. In 1968, England was the largest producer of big motorcycles while affordable imports eroded the market shares of established marques in the United Kingdom and the United States. Norton Commando Hi Rider – Mecum AuctionsĪs Motorcycle Cruiser writes, the late 1960s further changed the market for the motorcycle enthusiast. Then, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers hit the scene with affordable small displacement machines, starting a revolution. Lots of people chose Harley-Davidson and those who didn’t may have gone with a European marque like Triumph, Norton, or BMW. As the Los Angeles Times writes, in the era before the 1960s, American riders enjoyed swinging a leg over chunky motorcycles with equally thick engines. This is the R 1200 C, and it looks like nothing else on the road.Īmerica has been obsessed with the cruiser for decades. When I searched “BMW R,” I got plenty of vintage German iron, but also a couple of examples of BMW’s weird effort to sway buyers from the cruiser establishment to BMW. Through these searches, I was reminded about the Honda Gold Wing’s origins. Who knows, maybe I might find something I didn’t know existed. When I search for vehicles to buy for myself, I enter in somewhat vague search terms to cast a wide net. Here’s the story about an obscure point in BMW Motorrad history.Īs I’ve mentioned in another piece, I’m shopping for a motorcycle to replace the 1999 Triumph Tiger I recently sold. The boxer-powered cruiser had enough character for James Bond, but perhaps not enough for the Americans it targeted. Dubbed “the BMW of cruisers,” it was BMW Motorrad’s first production cruiser, and it sure was a weird one. Back in the late 1990s, BMW rolled the R 1200 C out onto the market. Cruisers have been immensely popular in America for decades, so it makes sense for brands not typically associated with the style to try their hands at making a cruiser. Produced from an original OEM Ford decal stripe kit, they are manufactured to original OEM specifications, just like original.For years, many motorcycle manufacturers have attempted to replicate the success enjoyed by the likes of Harley-Davidson. Stripes have the correct tapering that you cannot get with standard issue stripe. All 9 Orange Pin Stripes are correct color, dimension, contoured and have the correctly cut end-tips. We include templating for perfect placement. Our stripe kit takes the guesswork out of stripe lengths, type of tips, width and locational placement. With only 8,197 vehicles manufactured, this is sure to be a collector truck. It is tough, durable and sponsored by another great name Harley Davidson. J10 Truck (Honcho, Laredo, Golden Eagle)Ģ000 Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition Truck could pickup anything.Chevrolet & GMC Truck Tailgate/Bedside Names.
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