Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Inline 4-cylinder cruisers, 1985 kawasaki eliminator, honda magnas

Question
Does anyone make an inline 4-cylinder cruiser anymore? It seems like everywhere I look, all I see are V Twins. The only 4-cylinder bikes left are also V versions: Honda's 750 Magna and Yamaha's V-MAX.

Answer
Joe,

Thanks for the question. Unfortunately, there are no more inline-4 cruisers being offered from any major bike maker. While you and probably many other riders would like a good inline-4 cruiser, there is just not enough demand for them to warrant the expense of design, tooling, and production.

I'm sure you remember the early days of Japanese cruisers, when bikes like the Kawasaki KZ1000LTD, Honda CB750/900/1100C ("Custom") and many other inline-4 cruisers were just about all you could buy. But when Harley had their big resurgence in the early 80's, that pretty much cast the cruiser as a V-twin (if it wanted to be considered a "real" cruiser). As you say, the only real non-vtwin cruisers ended up being the Honda Valkyrie (Flat-6), Yamaha V-Max (V-4), Honda Magnas (V-4) and a few others.

However, things may be changing. Triumph is having good luck with the Bonneville America (a P-twin), and the Honda Rune may start a trend for "high-performance" cruisers that have engines other than V-twins. Triumph will also debut a cruiser with a 2300cc triple this fall.

But will the inline-four cruiser make a comeback? I doubt it. The inline-4 engine does not make "cruiser noises" like a V-twin or triple, and "the sound" is a big part of the sales package for a cruiser. Also, with newer high-performance V-twins coming out all the time (such as the Honda VTX), cruisers are now getting the power WITH the sound and look of a twin.

If you really want a cruiser with an inline-4, you will either have to build your own (not impossible) or snag a clean old one. My favorite (and one of the last inline-4 cruisers made) was the 1985 Kawasaki Eliminator 1000, also known as the ZL1000. Terrible name, but a great bike. Long and low, with tons of power and it sounded tough with some aftermarket pipes. They are still out there, try looking on Cycletrader.com or eBay Motors.

Good luck, ride safe, have fun.

William Roberson
www.greatoldbikes.com