Six Great American Motorcycles You Can Buy Today

RideApart Staff
Updated

Six Great American Motorcycles You Can Buy Today

If you want to go with a bike from the Land of the Free, you can't go wrong with these choices

Hey friends, Managing Editor Jason here. This article was originally published way back in 2013 and, as you can imagine, a lot of things have changed since then in the motorcycle business. So, since half the companies listed in the old article don't even exist anymore, we decided to freshen up this selection of fine American iron for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

WE GOT: Cheap Thrills - Six Great Bikes for Under $6,000

This may come as a shock to some of you, but there are more American motorcycle companies out there than Harley and Indian. It's true! From rugged off-roaders to niche sport tourers to hyper-expensive custom cruisers, there's something for every taste and budget made here in the States. So, in an effort to show off these other marques and hopefully broaden your horizons a bit, we've put together a list of some of the best American bikes on the market today.

Cleveland CycleWerks Misfit Gen II

CCW makes some rad little bikes in the best location in the nation.
CCW makes some rad little bikes in the best location in the nation.

Yeah, yeah. We're quite aware that including a CCW bike here is stretching the definition of "American", but we don't care. The little bike company that could, CCW was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2009 by three dudes from Northeast Ohio with a big dream—to provide affordable and stylish small-displacement bikes to the masses. Since then, the company has churned out a ton of very stylish, American engineered bikes built with parts from all over the world. The second generation Misfit is probably the company's most well-known bike, but CCW offers a pretty comprehensive lineup of standards, factory customs, and even dirt bikes and ADV machines.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide

There's no mistaking the Road Glide.
There's no mistaking the Road Glide.

The Road Glide is kind of the red-headed step-child of Harley's lineup. It's not quite a touring bike and not quite a bagger, but a weird amalgam of both with its unique bug-eyed fixed fairing and bagger-like storage. It also happens to be one of Managing Editor Jason's favorite bikes. It's instantly recognizable, infinitely customizable (like all Harleys), is comfortable, has long legs for the highway, and will never be mistaken for another bike in a lineup. It even comes in a number of different trim levels and includes a high-po CVO option! So, if you want an American-made, long-range touring bike that'll stand out from all the Electra Glides and Gold Wings and Chieftains out there, you can't go wrong with the Road Glide.

OPINIONS: Five Great Used Cruisers for Under $5,000

Indian Scout

The Scout has both form and function in spades.
The Scout has both form and function in spades.

The new Indian Motorcycle has only been on the scene for a couple years, but in that short amount of time the Polaris-owned company has been eating everyone's lunch—especially Harley's. From the terrifying, unstoppable Wrecking Crew flat track team to a fantastic lineup of bikes to seriously impressive sales numbers in an otherwise depressed bike market, Indian seems to be making all the right moves. The Scout is our favorite Indian right now, and one of the best middleweight cruisers out there. Powered by a stout 1,130cc, water-cooled, 60-degree V-twin, the scout looks cool and goes down the road fast and easy. Since its release in 2015, the base Scout has been joined by the factory custom Scout Bobber and the smaller Scout 60, both excellent bikes in their own right. We're sticking with the standard Scout though, give it a try.

Motus MST

The only V4-powered American-made sport touring motorcycle.
The only V4-powered American-made sport touring motorcycle.

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Motus Motorcycles makes amazing, high-end sport tourers powered by bespoke, longitudinally-mounted V4 engines designed by Pratt and Miller. The company has been around since the early teens, and has racked up an impressive number of accolades from both motorcycle journalists and the general public. The bikes are a bit on the pricey side, the base level MST will set you back a cool $31,000, but if you want an all-American, high-po, sport touring bike that you can pass down to future generations Motus has you covered.

Rokon Trail Breaker

The little bike that could.
The little bike that could.

This little workhorse can go almost anywhere, thanks to its two-wheel drive and hollow wheels that allow it to float in water. The New Hampshire company has been quietly producing the Trail Breaker since 1963. Trail Breakers have even ridden through the Darien Gap, where no other vehicle is capable of travelling and invaded foreign countries in the hands of US special forces soldiers? What's more American than that?

Zero S

Fast, powerful, and silent, the Zero S is as much a spaceship as it is a motorcycle.
Fast, powerful, and silent, the Zero S is as much a spaceship as it is a motorcycle.

Electric motorcycles have improved a lot in the past five years. Nowhere is this more evident than in the success of Zero Motorcycles. Zero's S model is the company's standard, for various metrics of "standard", naked street bike. With its vaguely futuristic styling, powerful electric motor, respectable range, and fast and easy charging, the S is a seriously impressive machine. We reckon that if you want to get in on electric motorcycles, and why wouldn't you, the Zero S is a great place to start.

Honorable Mention: Arch KRGT-1

The KRGT-1 is a masterpiece, but a largely unobtainable one.
The KRGT-1 is a masterpiece, but a largely unobtainable one.

Okay, so, we need to have a talk about Arch. The brainchild of Keanu "The Nicest Dude In Hollywood" Reeves, the Arch Motorcycle Company is a boutique marque that builds high-end, eye-wateringly expensive machines, incredibly stylish machines. The company fabricates most of its own parts, does its design and assembly in house by hand, and churns out only a small handful of bikes a year. This eye for detail and attention to quality definitely shows in the bikes, and is the reason they're so pricey. The KRGT-1 is Arch's performance cruiser, and probably the most common model the company makes. It can be tailor fit to a customer, and is one of the most impressive bikes we've seen. So, why is it on the honorable mention list? Well, two reasons. One, it's super rare. Two, the aforementioned price which runs in the low six-figure range. Technically you can go buy an Arch right now, but would you? Could you? It definitely belongs on the list here, but its exclusivity puts it in a league all of its own.

ON BIKES: Five Used Sportbikes for Under $5,000

So there you have it, six of our current favorite American bikes. What says the commentariat? What do you guys think? Did we miss anything? What American bikes do you like? Let us know.

Original story published July 25, 2013