3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 73
ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
leaning sport bikes.Footpegs are below the
rider and handlebars are high enough to not
force the rider to reach too far forward, placing
the shoulders above the ips in a natural position.
Because of their flexibility, lower costs,
and moderate engine output, standards are
particularly suited to motorcycle beginners.
Standards usually do not come with fairings
or windscreens, or if they have them, they are
relatively small.Standard is often a synonym for
naked bike, a term that became popular in the
1990s in response to the proliferation of fully
faired sport bikes. The standard seemed to have
disappeared, fueling nostalgia for the return of
the Universal Japanese Motorcycle, which were
admired for their simplicity, quality, and versatility.
Muscle bike is a nickname for a motorcycle
type, derived from either a standard or
sport bike design, that puts a disproportionately
high priority on engine power. Roadster is
equivalent to standard or naked.
Cruiser
Cruisers are styled after American machines
from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those
Vol 4 | Issue 2 |Mar - Apr 2019
made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-
Henderson. Harley-Davidsons largely define the
cruiser category, and large-displacement V-twin
engines are the norm, although other engine
configurations
and
small
to
medium
displacements also exist. Their engines are
tuned for low-end torque, making them less
demanding to ride because it is not necessary
to shift as frequently to accelerate or maintain
control.
The riding position places the feet forward and
the hands are up relatively high, so that the
spine is erect or leaning back slightly. At low to
moderate
speeds,
cruisers
are
more
comfortable than other styles, but riding for long
periods at freeway speeds can lead to fatigue
from pulling back on the handlebars to resist
the force of the wind against the rider’s chest.
Cruisers have limited cornering ability due to a
lack of ground clearance.
Choppers are a type of cruiser, so called because
they are a “chopped”, or cut-down, version of a
production cruiser. Choppers are usually custom
projects that result in a bike modified to suit the
owner’s ideals, and, as such, are a source of
pride and accomplishment. Stereotypically, a
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