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Bike Review: Back To The Boulevard - From RoadBike October 2005 Back To The Boulevard Improving The Handling With New Fork Springs And Tires By Bob Feather I am one lucky son of an expletive. Being on staff here at RoadBike lets me pursue one of my favorite pastimes: riding big bikes across the country! When it came time to return our long-term Suzuki Boulevard C90 tester, I quickly volunteered to ride it back to California — purely in the interest of science, of course.
To prepare for the trip, I first needed to address a few of the handling issues I’d mentioned in our review of the bike (May ’05). On the super slab, the C90 feels rock solid and can really tear through the miles with an open road and a full day ahead. But take it out on the back roads, and that plush ride makes for some rather tense moments, as the suspension’s shortcomings raise the clench factor to new heights.
Since we felt the C90 had great potential hiding beneath its stock tires and soft forks, we decided to make a few changes to see if we could improve the bike’s handling. New fork springs and tires were the answer — Progressive Suspension and Pirelli to the rescue! We took the springs and tires to our friends at Stamford Motorsports in Stamford, Connecticut, where Kevin Jasmin took care of the wrenching. First, we installed Progressive’s 11-1126 fork spring kit. The company did a good job arriving at a spring rate that improves the C90’s handling without giving up that plush ride. With the Progressive kit installed, the bike is more stable in fast turns, yet still retains the compliant, comfortable ride of a cruiser. The fork no longer bottoms out from the centrifugal force of cornering, so I can ride a bit more aggressively. At speed on a winding road, the improved front end really shows. With the new springs installed, the handling is much more precise. The bike is less prone to wallowing or pushing its front end through turns, and the front suspension is now better matched to the rear.
We also mounted a set of Pirelli MT66s of the same size and profile as the stock tires. Once I scuffed the new tires in, leaning the bike was a lot more fun. The Pirellis steer with less effort, and the C90 holds a tighter line without having to push so hard on the inside bar. In addition, its tendency to stand up while braking into a turn is greatly reduced. However, these handling benefits come at a price. The Pirellis serve up a slightly stiffer ride than the Bridgestones, most noticeably with the rear tire. The ride is never harsh, but it’s tauter with the Pirellis, which may help explain the better cornering characteristics. These two simple modifications have made a welcome change to the C90. The bike with the sluggish steering and mushy front end now steers more quickly and holds a line on fast canyon runs without giving up its plush cruiser ride. My next mission was to bolt on some touring accessories to get the bike ready for my cross-country trip. Next month, we’ll show you those additions and wrap up the story with my 3,000-mile ride review. RB
MT66 front $74.95 and up Progressive Rate Fork Spring Kit |
The stock fork springs are very soft, allowing some of the fork travel to be consumed simply by the weight of the bike. Add a rider of medium to large build, and you’ve got about 1" of compression travel left. This can translate into frequent bottoming and a vague feeling while cornering. And while the stock Bridgestone tires offer excellent wear and straight-line stability, they seemed lacking in the handling department, partly because a 150/80-16 front tire can make any cruiser’s front end feel heavy while cornering. Finally, when trailing the front brake deep into a turn, the bike had a pronounced tendency to stand up, and required a heavy hand on the inside bar to hold its line.