5 Of The Most Popular Harley-Davidson Cruisers For Beginner Riders

There's a certain kind of romance associated with riding a motorcycle, particularly with the muscular cruisers of Harley-Davidson. It's one thing for a motorcycle to go fast and carry you around, but the epitome of the biker image is of a powerful, confident rider atop a roaring Harley-Davidson, surfing the highway for thrills and adventure. If you're looking to be a real renegade, you just can't beat a Harley.

All that said, the prodigious muscle of a Harley bike does mean that they're not quite as beginner-friendly as other bikes with smaller, simpler engines. There's a bit of a learning curve to these vehicles, on top of the existing process that comes with learning how to drive a motorcycle in general, so opting for a gigantic beast of a bike before you've even gotten your road legs isn't a great idea. Some of Harley's most powerful bikes are better suited to seasoned riders. That doesn't mean you can't ride a Harley-Davidson bike, though – the brand has a variety of smaller and calmer rides on offer that can help ease a newer or younger rider into the saddle and give them a feel for the kind of muscle they should expect from Harleys going forward, not to mention hopefully save a few bucks on their introductory vehicles.

If you're looking for a bike that evokes the classic Harley-Davidson silhouette but doesn't pack the raging muscle of an angry horse, the Softail series is a great place to start. The Softail series is made up of simple, stripped-down bobber bikes, with no bells, whistles, or frills. It's a nice, straightforward bike with a more reasonable dose of Harley's engine muscle to acquaint you.

Out of the Softail series, the Softail Slim is an especially excellent option for newer riders. The frame is a bit skinnier than the usual Softail body, giving riders both comfort and control over the vehicle. The seat's only 25.5 inches off the ground, a bit lower than other Harley bikes, making it nice for those who aren't quite used to just how high up a motorcycle seat can be. Combine that with a 107-cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight engine, and you have a vehicle that's designed to be as responsive as possible, whether you're accelerating or already at full speed, while still providing that crispy rumble that you want out of a Harley-Davidson cruiser. It also helps that the Softail Slim is lighter in weight than similar Harley bikes to help a new rider build up their tolerance for lifting hefty rides.

You can find a Softail Slim on the market for approximately $15,000 – $17,000.

One of the oldest, greatest bike series under Harley-Davidson's belt is the Sportster series, which has been continuously iterated upon as far back as the 1950s. Because the Sportster series has been one of the brand's pillars of excellence for so many years, it's also managed to spin off into a variety of other famous vehicles. One of the most enduring spin-offs from the Sportster line is the Iron 883, an offshoot of the '88 Sportster 883 that rose to prominence in 2009.

When you ask Harley-Davidson enthusiasts what the best cruiser is for an entry-level rider, there is a statistically significant chance they'll highlight the Iron 883. As the name implies, this classic cruiser packs an 883cc V-twin engine, providing a nice, manageable level of muscle without getting carried away with itself. The design of the bike is deliberately minimalist, with no extraneous features, though the bobber fenders and blacked-out engine still give it a bit of that intimidating pep you like to see in a Harley bike.

You can find a Harley-Davidson Iron 883 for prices starting at $12,999.

Originally introduced in 2007, the Harley-Davidson Nightster was a bold new aesthetic choice for the brand, featuring a bold black finish that turned it into a shadow flying through the night. The bike was temporarily discontinued in 2012 but made a comeback in 2022 with some reworks. In addition to its striking color palette, the Nightster was redesigned with comfort and convenience in mind for those long, nighttime treks.

To exemplify those comforts further, the brand released the Nightster Special. Both versions of the Nightster feature a Revolution Max 975T engine, providing plenty of raw speed without breaking your back with torque, and a low seat and wide handlebars to accommodate riders of all shapes and sizes. The Nightster Special, however, doubles down on creature comforts, including full Bluetooth compatibility, multiple swappable ride modes, full traction control, and tire pressure monitoring. If you've been driving a car your whole life before taking up the Harley path, the Nightster Special's extra features will help ease you into the riding lifestyle with nifty features that you might have gotten used to.

The Nightster Special is available from Harley-Davidson dealers starting at $13,499.

The Street series is one of Harley-Davidson's younger vehicle lines originally introduced in 2014. As the name implies, these bikes were designed primarily for cruising around urban roads with precision control and a healthy dose of speed. The Street series is pretty decent for beginner riders, but if you happen to be craving something with a little extra spunk, you can try one of the Street series' offshoots, the Street Rod.

The Street Rod features a beefy high-output 750 cc Revolution X engine, giving it slightly more torque than the regular Street models. Combine that with 40 degrees of cornering and an aggressive riding position, and you have a motorcycle that almost feels like an extension of your own body, one that can deftly weave through traffic and around corners. Suppose you've ridden other motorcycles before but want a taste of the Harley-Davidson power. In that case, the Street Rod is a good introduction to what to expect before you move on to something heavier.

The Street Rod is no longer in regular production, but there are plenty of available used units for prices ranging from $3,999 to $10,000.

The Street series has a handful of models and offshoots designed to appeal to all kinds of urban riders and cruisers. If you live in a city and want to ride a motorcycle, odds are good there's a Street cycle with your name on it. If, however, you live in an urban setting but want something a little more in line with a traditional Harley-Davidson bobber, there's a nice middle-ground for you in the form of the Street Bob. It's only two letters off from the Street Rod, but those two letters make a big difference.

The Street Bob features a Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin engine, offering a range of power that can handle both the hustle and bustle of city traffic and the raw speed of the open highway. The seat is nice and low at 25.8 inches off the ground for shorter riders, and it also features a built-in passenger seat and pegs for carting your friends around. If you want a bike that has both the reliable muscle of the Iron 883 and the precise control of the Street series, the Street Bob is a more than adequate compromise of design aesthetics.

The current model of Street Bob is available for prices starting at $16,999.