After I returned the V-Strom, SuzukiSA offered me the Boulevard M50 Cruiser which has an 800cc V-twin motor. Here I need to split my review between the actual machine and the cruiser riding style. So first to the machine. Suzuki’s legendary smooth-as-butter gearbox is installed in this cruiser and although the bike had a whopping ONE kilometre on the clock when I picked it up, it didn’t disappoint once. It has the typical factory-issue exhausts and was extremely quiet, a bit too quiet for the sweet sound a V-twin normally generates. I think I surprised quite a few motorists with my sudden and stealthy appearance next to them!
Apart from the gearbox’s performance, the engine was ready to do my bidding and was no slouch when it came to the open road. It doesn’t have the racehorse start that a super bike has – with a bit of a lag as you drop the clutch in first gear – but once up and running it has plenty under the right hand. I marshalled the Midnight Cruiser Run with this bike and had no problem with keeping up with the other bikes when we did the pre-ride sweep. The dipped headlight does a good job and I only once used the high-beam setting.
Being a V-twin, it dislikes traffic riding and by the end of half-an-hour’s commuting, I could feel the heat of the motor right through the seat.
Although the bike is pretty heavy, weighing in at 265kg, it is well balanced and the seat being only 700mm high, I had no problem reaching the ground. This alone inspires confidence to ride a bike that weighs around 60kg more than a sports bike and for the more vertically challenged, I would recommend this ride.
I was a bit disappointed in the brakes but put it down to the bike being so new – it hadn’t had its first service yet. The front brake wasn’t sharp enough to stop the weight in normal traffic riding and I had to adjust my stopping distances very quickly. I gave up on using the back brake as it was spongy and I had to pump it a few times to get any kind of reaction from it. I hope that it will be sorted out with the first service.
Now, for the cruiser style of riding. I tried hard to put my prejudices about cruiser riding aside but by the end of 500km on this bike, I have not changed my mind. Apart from constantly looking for the foot pegs in the “correct” position, the handle bars made my arms and shoulders very tired and it not having a windscreen, my body caught the full force of the wind. The handlebars could probably be sorted out by a slight tilt at the boss, but it won’t change the width, which is far too wide for long distance or traffic riding. The first things I would change on this bike is to put on a screen; install some foot pegs or running boards to alleviate the cramps in my legs after 10 minutes of sitting in an armchair position; and fit thinner grips. As with most bikes on the market today, this one is also not made with female riders in mind. The handlebar grips are far too thick for comfort and my trusty throttle rocker did its duty in keeping my hand comfortable.
The cruiser style of riding is certainly not my thing, but should I be pushed to recommend a cruiser to either male or female, I would have no problem in recommending this particular model to them. It is well priced at around R100 000 (but add the modifications mentioned) and, being a Suzuki, will give many miles of pleasurable riding.
If bike manufacturers want to sell their products to the female market, they need to do proper R&D and not assume that the female physique is the same as that of a male’s. Our shoulders are narrower which means that the handlebars should be narrower; our hands are smaller so thinner grips will be appreciated; our arms are shorter so the handlebars should be closer to the rider OR it needs an easier mechanism to adjust the tilt.
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