29. The best reasons for riding a cruiser with a disability

It's been a little over six weeks since I picked up Bert, the Indian 101 Scout and I haven't stopped grinning since. The return to my passion for motorcycling is well and truly back and I feel like my old self again, maybe even a better version. Definitely a better version.

With just over one thousand kilometers on the dial I have had plenty of time to reflect and one of those reflections is just how right I got it choosing to go with a cruiser.

If you haven't read any of my story and don't know about why I am here, please scroll to the bottom and click on Post No.1. Then come back if you haven't vomited up your breakfast.

I had plenty of time to consider all kinds of motorcycles and I have ridden all kinds of motorcycles from hooligan Supermotards to Hypersports bikes and minibikes. I am one of those guys six foot two and owned a Honda Grom for a few years as a commuter, in fact I used to ride it to work as a Postie and did stoppies and skids at almost every traffic light on the way, it was ridiculous fun.

But with a fused (partially) ankle and next to no feeling in my left foot when it came to choosing what bike to go with, I had a new reality to deal with. Changing gears.

After window shopping excursions to almost every dealer in Victoria, Australia, I realised something. I was going to have to go Automatic. That did limit my choices, so I expanded upon that to include just about anything with the addition of the Kliktronic Push Button gear shift mod. This meant I didn't have to limit myself to factory autos which are now becoming dime a dozen.

So, I really broadened my thinking about what was going to work for me. My balance is affected by Multiple Sclerosis as well as my ankle fusion leaving me with poor core balance because of the weakness in my left ankle. I jumped on the Honda Africa Twin, the Honda NT 1100, the Yamaha MT-09A and the BMW GS1300A and I quickly realised that holding up a big, tall upright bike was not going to be a good choice.

If I have to stick my left leg out one more time and it connects hard with anything, it's gonna snap and it WILL BE amputation next time. My surgeon has emphasised that in great detail. "There is nothing left to work with, we will take your left leg off below the knee", he blatantly declared. I wish surgeons would work on their bedside manner but that's a different story for a different day.

So, talking it through with one of my best mates who rides a Harley Nightrod (that sounds like hell when unleashed) he suggested that a cruiser makes a lot of sense for me. Lower to the ground, feet out in front, easy to maneuver at idle and a low center of gravity. He is in his 60s now and has had a lot of experience from Racing to touring and has taught me so much about how to ride fast and do it safely, so naturally I listen to him.

At first it sounded preposterous to me. A cruiser. Fuck off Bear! I ain't that guy I thought to myself. But I started looking and with my discoveries about tall top-heavy bikes I started to see immediately that he had a point.

A cruiser has a super low seat height which spreads the load on your legs when it comes to balancing at idle at the stop lights or pulling into your garage. Your feet are up and forward, even with mid controls when compared to a standard sports bike.

And I had some unfinished business with a brand that was new to me but one of Americas oldest brands, Indian Motorcycles because I had to make the decision a few years ago to sell my FTR for financial freedom from ongoing unused registration and insurance costs and fuck I LOVED that bike.

Let me get this out of the way too, I love big stonking V Twin engines. Love them. Cannot go past one or hear one go past without turning on a dime to look at it, identify it, drool over it. There is something about torque vs outright speed that ticks so many of my boxes. I don't need to hit 260kmh anymore, I don't wanna go to the track anymore, I just want to rip from the front of the stop lights and leave all the cagers behind me where I can be safest from their deluded ideas about motorcyclists.

1. Seat Height

   1. For anyone with a disability this is going to be crucial to get right. Sit on or in as many bikes as you can before you make your choice. I am quite tall but with my injuries and health issues a low seat height became my number one priority.

2. Centre of gravity

   1. This is all about where the weight sits once you hold it up off the kickstand. You want that piece of mind that if you do feel it is tipping to one side or the other for whatever reason a lower center of gravity is easier to manage.

3. Balance

   1. Balance, ergonomics, weight, it's all kind of wrapped up under balance for me and the way to consider how this feels without riding one which was impossible for me because I had to do the mods prior to being able to ride the Scout, is just sit on the bike. Put the kickstand in and holding it with your feet out, tip gently left and right, sway a little it and feel where the weight sits. It becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly if you can manage the weight of whatever ride you choose.

4. Ease of operation

   1. Again, depending on your disability, you may not like the crazy array of buttons on a Honda AT or a BMW GS. As I have gotten older, I am returning to more a pure motorcycle experience whereas before I loved my GS1200 and the crazy wheel to select options on the dash, but not I just want a simple experience. The Indian has found that blend of technology and functionality in my mind. It has super easy cruise control and a digital dash that can be changed to suit your preferences. Choose a motorcycle that has the functionality that you need, not one that may have a ridiculous amount of tech that you may never use.

5. Maneuverability

   1. Get out into the bike shops and try wheel one around if you can manage it. You are going to have to do this for several reasons, for me it was a condition I needed to meet for my license that I could maneuver the bike well without it being running. You might be tight on garage space so think about that. Can you reverse it? Can you push it whilst sitting down and stationery? How is the turning circle once running? How is the kickstand positioned for you? If you are looking at Trikes (I did but cut them out because of the lack of being able to filter and, well, car tyres) then does it have reverse? That could be a deal breaker for you.

      
      

This will clearly depend on your budget!

I recently went to a National Event competing in Sports Pistol and because of my disabilities I was competing in the class World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) where I met new para-athletes for the first time.

One guy had one arm and one leg. Another guy only had one functioning arm, and we got to talking and all three of us fucked ourselves up royally riding motorcycles! I shit you not. But guess what? All three of us have modified motorcycles and still ride!

There is always a way. The guy with one arm and one leg rides a highly modified Harley Trike he operates almost entirely by one hand. He is a truly inspirational guy, and he also kicked my arse in competition!

So, consider your budget and take a look at a few of these options remembering that you can change gears by hand, you can use a heel toe shifter, you can change your rear brake to a thumb brake on either side of the bars, and you can get a wide variety of automatic motorcycles right now anywhere in the world.

Most scooters are twist-and-go too, but I needed the full V Twin thumping experience, so I discounted that (for now).

I am just gonna get this out the way, Harley Davidson.

Most Harleys will be considered a cruiser so if you like American Muscle, can deal with the weight and have deep pockets then go get one, it's perhaps the most obvious choice. They are not in my top list of cruisers for no other reason than weight and affordability.

If they were, I would choose a Breakout (a 300kg rocket that handles well, kind of once you get used to scraping your pegs).

Harley Davidson Breakout

...or a Low Rider ST. Pure horn. They also weigh over 315kgs!

Indian 101 Scout

More affordable than the above Harleys, handles brilliantly, sounds incredible, stops even better and has all the good bits - just shy of 250kg but feels super balanced and is very easy to ride.

The Scout comes in many different formats to suit a wide range of styles and tastes and yup they are also American, expensive and highly customisable. You don't have to go top of the line 101 Scout either if budget is your issue.

I am reliably told that the other models are just as fun and customisable and easy to ride. My top choice!

Indian Sport Scout

Quite a few thousand dollars cheaper than the 101 with less of the good bits but still a menacing vibe, just shy of 240kg and looks great murdered out for that Outlaw Motorcycle Gang vibe.

Honda CMX 500 - MY various

The Honda CMX500 at 187kg is also a solid choice for a starter.

Not entirely sure if they still make these brand new and there is also a thumping big twin version in the CMX1100 that sound absolutely MINT on the gas, but to me just have zero visual appeal... that is until you put a rider on top of one and then they look more complete.

Big tick for reliability and don't they say you meet the nicest people on a Honda? Not sure about that myself but a great choice with endless custom options that would work for a variety of different mods, depending on your disability.

Kawasaki Vulcan EN 650

If you are a team green kinda guy or gal then you can't not check out the Vulcan.

A touch under $12k AUD at time of writing and you get that cruiser vibe with the Kawasaki punch. Getting on the heavier side of things at 226kgs for a 650cc though so needs careful consideration depending on your confidence and disability needs.

CFMOTO 250 CL-C MY2025

Now, I am not a huge fan of the Chinese made motorcycles for no particular reason but of late they are building some quality looking kit and if budget is your top priority for getting back on two wheels, then look no further.

Less than $7k AUD at the time of writing this is ready for whatever you need to do to make it work for you at a very reasonable price. And this one being a 250cc only weighs 165kg so very manageable for every kind of rider.

I went with the 101 Scout and the aforementioned Kliktronic because I could afford it and I loved it the minute I locked eyes onto it. Once the guy in the showroom fired it up with the S&S pipe installed I slammed down a deposit so fast there was no looking back!

Summary

By no means an exhaustive list and I didn't touch on Royal Enfield, CanAms or a handful of other brands too, but my premise for this post is to inspire you into action no matter what your disability or price point, there are so many options.

If you are in a shit place, maybe in hospital after an accident and you stumbled across this post and your Mrs. or Mr. whatever has said you will never ride again, just like me 4+ years ago, let me just say don't ever give up.

Motorcycles have been in my life since my dad wooed my mum one day in the 1950s on a Red Indian, and there was no way I was ever going to not ride again.

Sure there were times I thought it was over, but with hard work, lifestyle changes, commitment and resilience I got there.

You can too. Don't give up.

If you ride a modified bike because of a disability I would love to hear from you! Drop me a comment below.