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Bike Review: 2005 Suzuki Boulevard M50 - From RoadBike September 2005
 2005 Suzuki Boulevard M50 Suzuki’s Mini Muscle Cruiser Delivers What It Promises By Jessica Prokup, Photos by Bob Feather
He said, “You’d better see for yourself.” I ambled down to the garage and took a look around. Staffers’ demo rides were lined up in the parking spaces, and I didn’t see the M50 right away. Then I spotted the stealthy little beast, nearly camouflaged among a group of Harleys. My jaw dropped. My knees shook. A solitary tear rolled down my cheek. There, holding its own among the slick Milwaukee machinery, was the best-looking Suzuki cruiser I’d ever seen. Man, did I feel like a jerk. First Impressions Way to go, Suzuki. In my mind, this is what a power cruiser should look like — lean and mean. And compared with the Suzuki cruisers I’ve seen so far, the M50 has much more curbside mojo than its brethren.
Our M50 Black has the added coolness of a blacked-out motor and minimal chrome. The pipes look better than on previous versions, though I think they’re a bit long for the bike; I’d have chopped them at least by the end of the fender. But I like the way they stand out against the black motor, which sort of highlights the general lack of chrome on the bike. Overall, the compact, no-nonsense styling gives the M50 a muscular stance. Looks aren’t everything, though, especially in the muscle cruiser market. If your bike’s got bark, it’d better have the bite to back it up. Hence, a very important modification to the M50 née Marauder: the addition of Suzuki’s Dual Throttle Valve System-equipped fuel injection, borrowed from the company’s GSX-R sportbike line. Thankfully, the new fuel injection begets a broad, smooth powerband with a crisp throttle response. Granted, with only 800cc at its disposal, the M50 is no giant in the company of the current megacruisers. But the bike acts like a power cruiser should, albeit one of smaller stature. Compared with Suzuki’s M95, the M50 is like a seriously bad-ass sidekick. On The Road I’ve lived with the bike for a good two months now, using it as my primary source of transportation. It was also my mount of choice for the trip to Americade, where I covered hundreds of miles of highways, byways, and back roads. The M50 is a capable, comfortable ride, whether on a run to the movie theater downtown or loaded with gear for an excursion upstate. It offers a great combination of light weight, decent power, and nice handling. When you thumb the starter, the bike fires up immediately, compliments of Suzuki’s Auto Fast Idle System, and the pipes give off a genuine, if subdued, V-twin rumble. Once moving, the motor pulls smoothly and strongly, thanks to the GSX-R-derived fuel injection. I was impressed with the quick throttle response and usable power, and I had no problems snaking around traffic on the highway. However, the shaft drive took some getting used to, requiring a very smooth hand on the throttle. Quick motions can have a disconcerting effect on the chassis, especially in turns. Sure, that’s true of most motorcycles, but it seemed even more so on the M50. Grabbing a handful of throttle at low rpm often led to a slight bobbing effect with a chirp from the rear wheel. For turns, it’s best to pick your line early and stay on the gas, as mid-corner throttle motions will also jog the rear a bit. The tranny shifts smoothly, with quick, satisfying clicks up and down the gears. Again, though, to avoid the jolting effect of the shaft drive, you’ll want to be careful to match the engine and rear wheel speeds when you downshift. The M50 handles really well overall, with light steering and better cornering clearance than bigger cruisers. Its sporty 41mm inverted forks, a first for this class, do a good job of providing feedback, holding a line, and absorbing irregularities in the road. Can’t quite say the same for the rear suspension, however, as the rear end is much rougher over bumps. While the front of the bike would track smoothly over, say, a giant crack in the highway, the rear would follow it with a hard jounce that’d send me flying out of the seat. The rear shock has a seven-way spring preload adjustment, but I really couldn’t make it soft enough to keep me planted in the saddle. The tires are fine but not impressively sticky, and, as Steve Lita points out, appear to be some sort of budget brand. I’d like to see how upgrading to a Dunlop or Metzeler would affect the bike’s handling. I love the fat look of the 130-series front tire, and it doesn’t seem to adversely affect the steering at all. The brakes are adequate, if somewhat outdated. There’s one 300mm rotor up front and a 180mm drum in the rear. But you don’t need much more stopping power than the current system provides — overall, the motor, brakes, and suspension work well as a package. Last Look
The switchgear is compact and attractive, and includes two nice features not found on a lot of cruisers: a European-style passing light and a hazard flasher. Suzuki also thoughtfully included a low-fuel light in the indicator package, which not all bikes are blessed with, even today. The handlebar-mounted speedo looks cool and is very easy to see while riding. There’s no tach, but on this bike you don’t need it anyway. The digital display shows an odometer and two trip meters. In general, the instruments transmit just enough information from bike to rider. “Just enough” seems to be the overall theme for the M50, as all the components are fine and there aren’t a lot of frills. I’ve really, truly enjoyed riding the bike. If I were going to buy it, I’d probably just find a better seat and tires, maybe some burly pipes, and be done with it. The M50, as is, is a fun package that will see you through miles of winding roads and open highway. At just $6,799 ($6,899 for the non-Black version), it offers excellent style and value, and is probably the perfect power cruiser for people of smaller stature or smaller wallets. Believe me, it’s more than worth the price. RB SIDE ANGLES Bob Feather Who said inverted forks are only for sportbikes and power cruisers? Finally, a cruiser with a beefy, rigid, raked-out fork that doesn’t flex like linguine when the bike is tossed into a fast turn. The M50’s handling is quick and precise and admittedly encourages some hooligan riding antics. A slimmer, more triangulated profile tire up front would greatly improve feel and confidence. Although the engine gets you up to speed fairly well, the power delivery feels flat and never really gives you any low-end grunt or top-end power rush. The engine is quite benign and not much like a V-twin at all. I’d love to see a bored-out version of the Bandit 600 engine in this chassis. Maybe 800cc, even. Yowza! With its great looks, great road feel, and comfy ergos the M50 makes a fine ride. I sure would like some more primal sensations from the engine department, though. Tricia Szulewski I’m tired of smaller-displacement cruisers trying to look like bigger bikes with their bulbous fenders, tanks, and wheels, when they don’t have the engine gumption to pull it off. The M50 rides exactly how it looks. I dare say that Suzuki finally “got it” with the M50 cruiser. The low seat height, forward footpegs and drag-style bars put the rider in an aggressive, yet comfortable riding position, which matches the bike’s styling. Don’t confuse this muscle bike with a power cruiser. As Bob and Steve point out, the engine isn’t going to blow you away. But it’s a light, strong, and easily maneuverable middleweight. The M50 is perfect for someone who wants a low-budget cruiser that they can have some fun with without a lot of wrenching involved. Simply jumping on the M50 and riding is what this bike is screaming for me to do. Steve Lita This bike has the look I like, and I wondered if it could back that up. I like the M50’s aggressive muscle-cruiser stance and evil blacked-out trim with just a bit of chrome. Some of the best features are the well-proportioned slash-cut pipes, the beefy tire profiles, the sportbike-style front fender, and the hi-po-looking inverted front end. The LED taillight is a nice touch, and the blacked-out wheels finish off the mean look. But as far as having the muscle to back up the look, the M50 is a mixed bag that doesn’t quite get the job done. It handles well, but the peg feelers hit a bit too soon on some turns. The tires look like a budget-minded brand, and I’d consider an upgrade when the first set wears out. The engine has good throttle response thanks to the new fuel injection, but overall it’s not a powerful package. And, unfortunately, the shaft drive won’t lend itself well to gearing hop-ups for quicker acceleration.
SPECS List Price: $6,899/$6,799 Engine: Liquid-cooled 45-degree V-twin Valvetrain: SOHC, four valves per cylinder Displacement: 819cc Bore x Stroke: 83 x 74.4mm Compression: 9.4:1 Fuel System: EFI Mfr HP Rating: N/A Mfr Torque Rating: N/A Transmission: Five-speed Final Drive: Shaft Overall Length: 93.3" Wheelbase: 65.2" Rake/Trail: N/A Seat Height: 27.6" Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gallons Dry Weight: 540 pounds 2005 Colors: Blue, Gray/Black |
Given my lukewarm affair with our tester Boulevard C90, I wasn’t sure what to expect from our second ’05 Suzuki cruiser, the M50 Black. When associate editor Steve Lita tossed the key on my desk and told me that the bike was waiting in our parking lot, I felt like the kid on Christmas morning who’d just unwrapped a pair of socks: just trying to be a good sport about it. I raised an eyebrow and said, “How’s it look?”
In its pre-Boulevard incarnation, the M50 was known as the Marauder 800. As part of its revamping for Suzuki’s introduction of the Boulevard line, the ’05 M50 received meatier pipes, a longer, curvier tank, a lower-profile seat (though the seat height remains the same), and black wheels. It’s also a bit wider, with a slightly longer wheelbase. The new headlight is much sleeker than before, and even the rear fender struts have a more stylish curve. In addition, the bobbed, softail-style rear fender now has an LED taillight tucked neatly beneath it (as opposed to being planted on the tail of the ’04 model).
The M50’s ergos suit me to a T, with a low seat, pull-back bars, and pegs that are not too far forward. Unfortunately, though, I didn’t find the seat very comfortable on the long ride to and from Lake George. It seems to slope slightly forward, and was not quite wide enough to suit even my small proportions. I found myself pushing back from the tank fairly often, trying to find a more comfortable perch.