Suzuki Boulevard C109

NOT SO MUCH

BASIC STATS
Engine: 1783cc four-stroke, fuel injected V-twin, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission: wet clutch, five speed, chain drive
Power/torque: 114hp @ 5000rpm
Weight: 357kg (claimed dry)
Fuel capacity: 19lt
Seat height: 705mm
Price: $17,990ORC

OVERVIEW
You can't accuse Suzuki of doing things by halves with its most recent tilt at the cruiser market. First we had the M109R -- a serious performance cruiser with something in the neighbourhood of 130 horses, and now we've scored the more sedate cruiser version, the C109R. While they share a powerplant, they are completely different animals.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
If you're in the market for a super-sized cruiser, the C109R is going to be very hard to look past. It's huge, has a decent size engine and represents a hell of a lot of metal for the money. An 1800 class motorcycle for $18k seems very sharp.

And it's not as though Suzuki could be accused of stinting on spec to keep the dollars low. It has all the bits you expect to see, plus one or two bonuses like shaft drive and a monster 240 section rear tyre.

DRIVETRAIN
The basics of the liquid cooled 1783cc powerplant remain the same as for the M109R, except for the tuning. Suzuki decided it wanted a bit more low end urge and was prepared to lose some peak power to achieve that. To that end it's running a heavier flywheel (up 15%) and different intake cam profiles.

The end result is not as lively as the M version, but still respectably fast. It hauls from down low and gets up to licence losing speed in short order. Power delivery feels reasonably linear, with the build-up in urge to the 5800rpm peak feeling entirely predictable.

There's a little vibration from the engine -enough to remind that there's a big lumbering twin on board, but it isn't intrusive. Throttle response is good.

Gear selection is slow but accurate, while the shaft drive is smooth and fuss-free.

CHASSIS
Among the alterations from the M is the fact this is a significantly longer motorcycle with quite different steering. In fact, I suspect it's one of the longest bikes on the market, comfortably dwarfing most conventional road bikes.

It's also one of three production machines running the big 240 section rear rubber - the other two are the M109R and Triumph's Rocket III. The M has the best steering of the three, followed by the Rocket, followed by the C109R. The latter is slow to turn and experiences some resistance to the lean from the back hoop. The latter also generates quite a bit of bump steer.

Suspension is competent and about what you'd expect from the class. Big bumps will unsettle it, but overall the ride was comfortable and the action was damped well enough to discourage any unnecessary pogo response to uneven roads.

At nearly 360 kilos dry, the C is one hell of a lump to haul up, but the linked brakes (three-piston jobs up front) were not super sharp, but the feel is fine and the retardation quite acceptable.

Doing a U-turn on the bike can take a little planning, thanks to its sheer length. It gets there, but make sure you have plenty of space.

PACKAGING
Overall finish and styling fit in with the rest of the class. It relies on sheer size to impress, which it does convincingly.

Visually and in reality, you're getting a lot of motorcycle for the money.

COMPETITORS
Competition is plentiful. The one which springs immediately to mind is Honda's VTX 1800, which is closer to the $20k mark. Harley is of course in the picture, albeit at a considerably higher price for anything with equivalent spec.

ON THE ROAD
Suzuki intended this to be a comfortable and amiable mount with a bit of road presence, and in that the company has succeeded. The handling has some built-in compromises, though I suspect this really isn't going to worry most potential owners, while the straight line performance is strong.

I prefer the M109R as a more distinctive and lively motorcycle, but there's no question this version, the C, will find a following, particularly at that price.