THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE FRANCIS- Barnett Cruiser 91 Sports – apart from its somewhat ludicrous name – is how out of character it was for AMC to produce it. Francis-Barnett specialised in producing rather worthy, straightforward motorcycles for everyman. Its lightweight two-stroke bikes weren’t exciting to look at, and the company’s own advertising would eschew the usual dramatic images of high-speed riding for pictures of sensible men in sensible shoes, performing mundane ride-to-work tasks. It seems AMC didn’t consider that excitement was part of the experience of Francis-Barnett ownership.
Cruiser had been Francis-Barnett’s name for its top-of-the-range machines since the 1930s. By 1961, the Cruiser 89 was the brand’s luxury lightweight, with a top speed of just over 70mph. The Cruiser was –
