America had hundreds of motorcycle manufacturers in the early 20th century. But only a few survive to the present day. The motorcycle industry in the U.S. is a rich melting pot of design and engineering innovation experience throughout the journey. However, much of it is largely forgotten as only the Harley-Davidson and the Indian still churn out the same motorcycles with the same engineering techniques to maintain a cutting-edge in the market. Our list of the most significant motorcycle brands in USA in 2023.
List of 10 Best American-Made Motorcycle Brands in 2023
1. Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson is the longest-running and the most successful motorcycle manufacturer of the American brand today. However, most of their products have been stuck in a pothole regarding engineering. And some lines have also lagged in terms of technology, But then things are slowly changing. The Pan America and the Livewire electric motorcycle roll-out were a huge surprise to the world of motorcycling. Moreover, H-D has also successfully managed to address the problem of an aging customer base for its classical range of motorbikes. The brand eventually realized that it needed to diversify to survive and thrive in an intensely competitive international motorcycle market.
2023 Harley-Davidson Motorcycles with Prices
| Sport | Cruiser | Touring | Adventure Touring | Trike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightster Special – $14,999 | LOW RIDER S – $18,199 | Street Glide Special – $27,999 | Pan America 1250 Special – $20,399 | Tri Glide Ultra – $36,499 |
| Sportster S – $16,399 | Heritage Classic – $21,199 | Street Glide – $21,999 | Pan America 1250 – $17,699 | Road Glide 3 – $32,999 |
| Nightster – $13,499 | Fat Boy 114 – $20,199 | Road Glide – $21,999 | Freewheeler – $29,999 | |
| Breakout 117 – $20,999 | Street Glide ST – $29,999 | |||
| Fat Bob 114 – $18,899 | Road Glide ST – $29,999 | |||
| Softail Standard – $14,399 | Ultra Limited – $29,799 | |||
| Street Bob 114 – $16,599 | Road King Special – $23,999 | |||
| Low Rider ST – $22,199 | Road Glide Limited – $29,399 | |||
| Road Glide Special – $27,999 |
2. Indian Motorcycle Company
Indian Motorcycle Company existed between 1901 and 1953. What we witness today has nothing to do with the original. The Polaris Industry, which took over, resurrected the brand. However, it still complies with the template laid down by the original company in prime time. It maintains features like the large displacement and V twin engines that are typically common to American motorcycles. Then there are past model names that have been brought back to life. The Chief, the Roadmaster, and the Scout provide a link to the past. Quite a few styling cues also survived modernization. Moreover, the swirly Indian logo has remained the same throughout its two lives.
2023 Indian Motorcycle with Prices
| Standard | Cruiser | Bagger | Touring | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTR – $13,499 | Scout – $10,749 | Super Chief – $18,999 | Roadmaster – $31,499 | Chieftain Elite – $32,999 |
| Chief – $14,999 | Indian Springfield – $22,499 | Indian Pursuit – $30,999 | Indian Challenger Elite – $35,999 | |
| Chieftain – $22,999 | ||||
| Indian Challenger – $24,999 |
3. Arch Motorcycle
Arch Motorcycle company can be construed as just another vanity project by a celebrity. It was formed way back in 2011 by the co-founder Keanu Reeves. His passion was the real deal, and the motorcycles they design are impressive pieces of American engineering. The foundations of ARCH were laid when Reeves approached Gard Hollinger. Enthusiastic about the build-up, Reeves made it a point to put the idea to work for private buyers immediately. Producing a custom motorcycle, you can ride was a concise statement Reeves made to Hollinger when they first planned and designed the ARCH model. The elegant design, fit, and finish of the first order live up to the day and retain as much American flavor as possible.
2023 Arch Motorcycle with Prices
4. Cleveland CycleWerks
Headquartered in Ohio, Cleveland Cyclewerks is a privately held manufacturer. It designs and assembles small displacement retro style café racers and bobbers. But then, Cleveland Cyclewerks extensively relies on offshore manufacturing companies in China by CPI Motor Company of Taiwan for most of the components required. Even the frames and the Honda-derived engines used on all models come from offshore resources. Founded by Scott Colosimo, Jarrod Streng, and Curtis Ray in 2009, Cleveland Cyclewerks sought partner factories in China after being turned away by US parts suppliers. The company aspires to fill in the gap in the motorcycle marketplace for modest, stylish, technologically sound motorbikes that require no maintenance.
2023 Cleveland CycleWerks Motorcycle with Prices
5. Zero Motorcycles
Zero Electric Motorcycles has been around since 2006 for the longest period and seems to have the firmest hold on the American market. It was called Electricross at that time. The battery range and motor power have increased alongside the model range since then. The biggest barrier to electric bike acceptance is the range, recharge time, and price. These elements have improved over time and it will surely not be long before Zero can boast of a 200-mile range and recharge in minutes. The price will also come down, although it might take some time. Like it or not, Zero is in the best position to take advantage of electricity as a motive power.
2023 Zero Motorcycles with Prices
Street
- SR/S: $23,995
- SR/F: $23,795
- SR: $19,995
- S: $12,995
- FXE: $ 12,995
Dual Sport
- DSR/X: $24,495
- DSR: $17,995
- DS: $12,995
- FX: $12,995
6. Lightning Motorcycle
The move to Electric Motorcycles is encouraging. We now have more radical designs for urban transportation. Lightning Motorcycles from the outset emphasized pure performance. The late Carlin Dunne took the Lightning Superbike up the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. This ride clocked the fastest motorcycle time. And it became the first electric motorcycle to beat its petrol-powered adversaries. Regardless of motive power, the LS-218 is one of the fastest motorcycles in production now, with a top speed of 218mph. And Strike, the next classic, proved to be a fully-faired sports model with a top speed of 150mph. It combined a range of 150 miles and a quick recharge time of 35 minutes. The future of electric motorcycling will certainly not be lifeless with Lightning.
2023 Lightning Motorcycles with Prices
- Lightning LS-218: Starting at $38,888
- Lightning Strike: Starting at $19,998
7. Boss Hoss Cycles
American excess is at its finest with Boss Hoss! You had to be mad or genius to stuff an enormous 5.7-liter Chevy V8 into a cruiser-style motorcycle chassis. Formed by Monte Warne in 1990, there is nothing subtle about a Boss Hoss. Riding a bike with a minimum of 350 horsepower and well over 400 pound-feet of torque is mind-boggling. The engineering to achieve this requires effectively harnessing that amount of power. The Boss Hoss has full vehicle-type approval for Europe. And this is reflected well in the fact that a Boss Hoss is wieldy, manageable, and safe. Boss Hoss is a brilliant product. It can effortlessly go around corners with just as much poise and safety. And is quite capable of tearing up the tarmac in a straight line.
8. Fischer Motor Company
This company is a US-based sport motorcycle manufacturer. The Fischer MRX 650 is a popular sport bike built by the company. It is bound around a V-twin engine and goes along with a one-piece, twin-spar, aluminum perimeter frame. It is the most important new American motorcycle in generations. Daniel Fischer, the founder, developed this first motorcycle for mass production. Fischer did not intend to reinvent the wheel with any radical design concepts. It just took the existing technology available then and fine-tuned the outcome. Fischer Motor Company also had plans to enter the Indian motorcycle market a decade back with its new MRX 150 motorbikes. But then, we are yet to hear any progress on this front.
9. Brammo Electric Motorcycles
Now part of Polaris Industries, Brammo Inc. developed and sold a range of electric motorcycles through its website and motorcycle dealers throughout the United States, European Union, and Asia. Eight years back, Polaris Industries announced that it had purchased the entire electric motorcycle business from Brammo. And that Cummins will acquire the remaining assets of the company. From a timeless motorcycle brand to a revolutionary stance it takes now with the new 3-wheeled roadster, Polaris electric vehicles on the road stand out from the crowd.
10. Motus Motorcycles
Motus Motorcycles company is located in Birmingham, Alabama. It was the newest motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S. back then. The Motus MST was originally a sport-touring motorcycle. It was extensively produced from 2014 to 2018. Motus partnered with the race car manufacturer Pratt & Miller in developing the MST. They were credited with product engineering, development, testing, and validation for the motorbike. It was powered by a longitudinally mounted V4 engine with its crankshaft aligned end long. The prototype was first shown and appreciated by the public at Daytona Beach Bike Week in March 2011. The production started then, and the MSTR bike took off and never looked back.
Due to a lack of investments, Motus Motorcycles closed its operations in 2018.
Set It Right
The U.S. motorcycle market is sturdy, and the unit sales are expected to reach 599.20k in 2027. California is one of the states with the highest number of motorcycles. It is also the most populous state in the country, representing almost 12 percent of the total population.
