Thanks to many iconic movies throughout American cinema, the motorcycle has become extremely popular for drivers who like to live life on the edge. Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been dominating the roads for quite some time, but a few brands have begun to make their way into American society.
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Indian Motorcycle – Spirit Lake, Iowa
For quite some time in motorcycle history, the Indian motorcycle was at one point the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. The manufacturing of this motorcycle focuses on big bobbers, baggers, tourers, and cruisers, which makes it a great alternative to the infamous Harley. The newest model is the Indian FTR S, which is a flat track bike with a focus on driving on the street. Despite being quick and nimble, it offers a 1203cc V-twin with 120 horsepower.
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Buell Motorcycles from East Troy, Wisconsin
As Buell’s motorcycles incorporated the Harley engines for its bikes, Harley Davidson easily took a majority stake in 1998, and eventually stopped making the bikes in 2009. It was at that point that Erik Buell founded Erik Buell Racing and focused on racing and sport bikes and was sold of to Australia’s BRP. It most recently was revived under new ownership in 2021. The most recent model is the Hammerhead 1190, which boasts a 72-degree V-Twin engine with 185 horsepower and 102 lb-ft of torque. Furthermore, the bike will be made with aluminum fuel-in-frame chassis and a single perimeter front braking system.
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Arch Motorcycles from Hawthorne, California
One of the more recently founded companies by Keanu Reeves in 2011, which focuses on cutting-edge technology, radical designs, and hand-craftsmanship. A majority of the bike is made from billet aluminum and carbon fiber to go along with custom suspension bits. The most impressive current model is the 1S, with a powerful 120-horsepower V-twin engine, a single rear swing arm, carbon fiber wheels, and a hinged billet aluminum fuel cap cover. Couple that with the impressive ISR braking systems, and the 1S is quite the impressive bike. The price tag for this vehicle is relatively average for motorcycles, coming in at $9,200.
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Lightning Motorcycle Corporation from San Jose, California
The LMC in San Jose was founded by Richard Hatfield in 2006, turned away from gas powered motorcycles by developing a lithium battery to power its motorcycles. The Lightning SuperBike, built in 2011, was the first electric motorcycle, and even set land speed records at Bonneville. The company went on to beat that record the following year by reaching 216 mph over two runs. The newest and latest model, the LS-218, which actually won the Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds in Colorado. The impressive top speed of 218 mph, makes it the fastest production motorcycle in production today thanks to the liquid cooled 150kW motor which produces 200 horsepower. This impressively powered bike is able to accelerate to an impressive 62 mph in 2.2 seconds, and has a range of 180 miles on a full charge. Unfortunately the company is only accepting reservations for this bike, so it is not currently available for sale. However, when it is available for purchase, the prices comes with a high tag at $38,388.
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Zero Motorcycles from Scotts Valley, California
Continuing with electric motorcycles, the Zero Motorcycles Inc. leads the way for electric bikes. The motorcycles have continued to expand its line and improve their existing models with more range and bigger batteries. It even offers the Cypher II Operating System that can manage the motor, battery, ABS calibration, and the rider experience from the mobile app. The most highly anticipated model today is the DSR/X, which offers a more upright riding position, longer wheelbase, strengthened frame, and the biggest battery that has a capability of 200 miles of range in normal trail riding conditions. The DSR/X comes with a Bosch traction/ABS/stability control system that manages the power and control at quick rates.
While many people opt for the typical Harley-Davidson when purchasing a motorcycle, there are also a number of American brands that people can choose from. Many of these brands offer many different advantages to choosing that brand, whether it be immense power, a smooth ride, and even electric bikes, there are many advantages to choosing from this list of bikes as opposed to Harley-Davidson. A majority of these brands have been in business for many years, which puts the consumers at ease as they are purchasing their bikes from a reputable company.
