I took a look at a couple of pre-release articles on the new Boulevard Series. These bikes look like status quo in terms of cruisers. What a dissapointment. The 800 cc cruiser is almost 600 lbs dry!!! Come on Suzuki, bring us a 450 lb 800 cc cruiser with some guts. What's the point of changing the name if the bike is lame. I look forward to the test reveiws but I won't be buying if these bikes don't offer a performance and weight advantage. The EFI might add a few beans at least. Any other info on performance/weight? - coffeecat
Fat slow Boulevards?
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The Boulevard C50 is the exact same bike as the Intruder Volusia 800, which consistantly is rated the top bike in its catagory, only now with fuel injection. It was never meant to be a muscle bike, is is a custom cruiser, intentionally heavy to make the bike feel and ride more like a larger displacement cruiser. It is not only Suzuki's best selling cruiser, but the best selling cruiser in its class overall, so why on Earth would they change it? It is a great bike and they sell every one they make. It's just not what you are looking for if performance is more important than comfort and that classic custom style. Personally, I dislike ALL bikes with that fat-boy look, and ride a slender, chopper-like VS800 that will run circles around the Volusia and even the 1500 LC.
If you want a faster bike instead of a big, fat, custom cruiser, try the venerable Intruder VS 800 (now the Boulevard S50), which in last month's test proved to still be the fastest and best cornering mid-sized cruiser on the market.
Or the new Boulevard M50, an all-new fuel injected muscle bike due out in December.
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There will also be a 1700+cc version of it, the Boulevard M105, due out in about a year. Both are more of the lightweight, performance before comfort bike you sound like you want.
Suzuki has neglected their cruiser line for many years while they pushed for market share in the sport bike, four-wheeler, and scooter markets, but they are on the right track. That horrable Maurader 1600 died after just one year, and one new model will role out a year for the next 5-7 years, starting with the muscle cruisers you crave.
If you want a faster bike instead of a big, fat, custom cruiser, try the venerable Intruder VS 800 (now the Boulevard S50), which in last month's test proved to still be the fastest and best cornering mid-sized cruiser on the market.
Or the new Boulevard M50, an all-new fuel injected muscle bike due out in December.
There will also be a 1700+cc version of it, the Boulevard M105, due out in about a year. Both are more of the lightweight, performance before comfort bike you sound like you want.
Suzuki has neglected their cruiser line for many years while they pushed for market share in the sport bike, four-wheeler, and scooter markets, but they are on the right track. That horrable Maurader 1600 died after just one year, and one new model will role out a year for the next 5-7 years, starting with the muscle cruisers you crave.
Fat slow Boulevards? Ride one dude... 8) Not 600 pounds dry, more like 540 for the heaviest, the C50 and 443 pounds for the S50 - and both bikes have plenty of guts. I'm used to a 1000cc bike with 108hp that always wants to go 150mph, but the C50 feels great to me.
I picked up my new '05 Boulevard C50 today and put 60 very nice miles on it (I had to work too...) It's not a Gixxer, but it has plenty of get up and go. 53hp and lots of torque. Yeah, it's 540 pounds, but that weight equals a smoother freeway ride at 70mph, which is effortless on the C50. I love the new floorboards, heel-toe shifter - and thank goodness for fuel injection. The shaft drive is a big plus too, although not new for the Volusia. Suzuki makes different cruisers, the C50 (ex-Volusia) for those wanting a big substantial bike. The S50 (ex-Intruder) seems to handle the customers who like the style and light weight great power chopperesqe bike. The M50 (ex-Marauder will be out for those wanting to go with the muscle-cruiser style.
For my money, the C50 is the leader of the class in mid-size cruisers. No shortage of choices - I didn't think the Vulcan even came close.
Here's pictures:
http://home.adelphia.net/~tlwisner/C50/index.html
I picked up my new '05 Boulevard C50 today and put 60 very nice miles on it (I had to work too...) It's not a Gixxer, but it has plenty of get up and go. 53hp and lots of torque. Yeah, it's 540 pounds, but that weight equals a smoother freeway ride at 70mph, which is effortless on the C50. I love the new floorboards, heel-toe shifter - and thank goodness for fuel injection. The shaft drive is a big plus too, although not new for the Volusia. Suzuki makes different cruisers, the C50 (ex-Volusia) for those wanting a big substantial bike. The S50 (ex-Intruder) seems to handle the customers who like the style and light weight great power chopperesqe bike. The M50 (ex-Marauder will be out for those wanting to go with the muscle-cruiser style.
For my money, the C50 is the leader of the class in mid-size cruisers. No shortage of choices - I didn't think the Vulcan even came close.
Here's pictures:
http://home.adelphia.net/~tlwisner/C50/index.html
The dyno test that I read on the Volusia lists 39.9 rear wheel horsepower and 42.5 ft lbs of torque. (dyno tested) My 21 year old Honda VT500 lists 48hp and 32FT/lbs in it's specs.(knock off 10 - 15%) I love the look of the M50, the C50 ect. but I'm frustrated that a 2004 800 cc V twin has similar performance to a 21 year old 500 cc V-twin, both cruisers. I don't want a crotch rocket, but I do expect more power from an 800.
The certificate of origin lists the C50 as putting out 53hp. If you rely on magazine reviews, you are seriously limiting yourself. The C50 moves out - at least it did this morning when I rode it to work.coffeecat said:
Specs are wonderful and all, and statistics can say whatever somebody wants them to say. HP ratings on dyno tests done by magazines will vary quite a bit - many of those writers are weiner-heads. You need to figure out what you like, not what some magazine likes.
That said, Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine picked the Volusia 800 as the number one bike in it's class, compared to the Intruder 800, Vulcan 800 Classic, HD Sportster 883, V-Star 650 Classic, Triumph Speedmaster, and the Honda Aero 750. The Volusia was not the fastest bike, but it was one of the fastest. The Intruder smoked everything else for speed. If your main desire is light weight and performance, go check out the S50.
If you can find a better cruiser for the money, I don't know what bike you're talking about. I tried and failed to find a better bike at that price point.
I don't know what the bike's top speed is, but I know it is way faster than I want to go. Accelerating up to 75 and cruising on the freeway is very easy, and you have lots of power in reserve at 75 mph. If I wanted more power than that, I would have looked at bigger bikes - but that's the performance I was looking for. It is also the plush comfortable ride I was looking for. 8) I know that I am very happy with the bike. That works for me.
Although the demand for "performance" cruisers is on the rise this is not what most are asking for.
Want performance ? Then check out the Honda Magna.
V-Twins are not the best engines to produce power, the new Kawasaki 2000 only puts out 110 hp with two and a half times the size. The VTX 1800 puts out 100 hp. So 51 hp for the boulevard is very respectable and probably more than most riders even need.
The big difference would be the torque, C50 matches torque to horsepower 51ft/lbs. This will alllow you to launch the bike without using the throttle or to really get the bike moving off the line quickly.
If performance is your priority then I would definately look into more than two cylinders.
Want performance ? Then check out the Honda Magna.
V-Twins are not the best engines to produce power, the new Kawasaki 2000 only puts out 110 hp with two and a half times the size. The VTX 1800 puts out 100 hp. So 51 hp for the boulevard is very respectable and probably more than most riders even need.
The big difference would be the torque, C50 matches torque to horsepower 51ft/lbs. This will alllow you to launch the bike without using the throttle or to really get the bike moving off the line quickly.
If performance is your priority then I would definately look into more than two cylinders.
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And just what is so "horrable" about the 1600 Marauder?DrBob said:
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I'm sure YOU must be wrong. :wink:tlwisner said:
I'm hoping DrBob will enlighten us, since I was stupid enough to buy one.
Fat Slow Boulevards
I think Coffeecat made this post just to get Volusia/C50 owners to bragg about their bikes. He must be just joking. After all the bikes I considered and articles about bikes that I read before I bought my Volusia, I consider it the best Bike I could have bought for anywhere near the money I paid. Of course I could have paid $20000 for a HD or Gold Wing :roll:!
I think Coffeecat made this post just to get Volusia/C50 owners to bragg about their bikes. He must be just joking. After all the bikes I considered and articles about bikes that I read before I bought my Volusia, I consider it the best Bike I could have bought for anywhere near the money I paid. Of course I could have paid $20000 for a HD or Gold Wing :roll:!
I am wrong Kawazukirider? Please let me know what is so bad about your bike. All I can say right now is I would go with the VTX because of the great deals available...Kawazukirider said:I'm sure YOU must be wrong. :wink:tlwisner said:
I'm hoping DrBob will enlighten us, since I was stupid enough to buy one.
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No you are NOT wrong. Guess you missed the wink at the end of my post. I was being facetious. 8)tlwisner said:I am wrong Kawazukirider? Please let me know what is so bad about your bike. All I can say right now is I would go with the VTX because of the great deals available...Kawazukirider said:I'm sure YOU must be wrong. :wink:
I'm hoping DrBob will enlighten us, since I was stupid enough to buy one.
I really like my bike. It has plenty of power, handles great, low maintenance, and stops on a dime. It has all the good things the Mean Streak has plus a few additional cosmetic touches that are improvements over the Streak. Headlight shroud looks better and they have very nice air cleaner covers. I have seen the covers advertised for almost $200 for the Streak. The flaked paint job is also dynamite. The best part was the price....$2K below MSRP. :shock:
There are a lot of other little touches that are great, like self cancelling turn signals and adjustable levers.
I'm still waiting for DrBob to tell us what's so "horrable" about it. I have 1500 miles on it and still haven't figured it out. What a dim bulb I am. :wink:
Oh, BTW DrBob. Did you get permission to use Reaperware's T-Shirt saying in your signature line? :shock:
Didn't the Intruder place in 8th place out of 8 bikes in that test? Oh yeah, and the Volusia placed 1st - and in the new issue the same magazine says the new C50 is even better and would have dominated the tests.DrBob said:
When I feel like riding something that's really fast and corners far better than any cruiser, I'll ride my Concours. To me, the Intruder and the Vulcan 750 really have all the style of leg warmers and mullet hair cuts.
Ride what you like!
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What do they know? They actually ride them all. :wink: :wink:tlwisner said:
I'm off for a spin on my "horrable" 1600 Marauder. I'm gonna really concentrate and see if I can figure out what's so "horrable" about it, if I can stop smiling long enough. :lol: :lol:
Have a "horrable" ride, I hope you survive it! 8) I guess I'll go try to get my fat slow C50 to move. Maybe I could find a car and a rope so I could get the cow moving faster....Kawazukirider said:I'm off for a spin on my "horrable" 1600 Marauder. I'm gonna really concentrate and see if I can figure out what's so "horrable" about it, if I can stop smiling long enough. :lol: :lol:
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tlwisnertlwisner said:
Hi...had a nice ride, thanks. Beautiful morning.
Still can't figure it out what's "horrable". I was a little embarassed though. All these little kids kept running beside me, pointing and saying, what a "horrable" motorcycle. Even had coyotes nipping at me. :wink:
Forget the car. Just tie the cow to your "Fat slow Boulevard" and toss some hay out front. :lol: :lol: :lol:
KAW - lol, funny stuff!
One could note that it's not what you ride, but how you ride it. This thread reminded me of the idiots in their SUVs who think they are immortal in the snow...until they realize 4 wheel drive doesn't do *%[email protected] in the snow. I can keep my C50 in pace with my friend's Harley Low Rider (not the heavy FAT BOY)...I am quite pleased with the C50. It's a cruiser not a crotch rocket. Enjoy the ride & be safe.
One could note that it's not what you ride, but how you ride it. This thread reminded me of the idiots in their SUVs who think they are immortal in the snow...until they realize 4 wheel drive doesn't do *%[email protected] in the snow. I can keep my C50 in pace with my friend's Harley Low Rider (not the heavy FAT BOY)...I am quite pleased with the C50. It's a cruiser not a crotch rocket. Enjoy the ride & be safe.
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The C50 seems fine to me. I don't like the look of the M50 which is why I didn't buy one.
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Anybody got the heart to tell them???
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