2013 Suzuki Boulevard C50 SE – Review

Japan’s Big Four have been fierce competitors for decades, and they’ve all been making cruisers geared toward the American market since the Reagan era. Suzuki gave its cruisers menacing names like Intruder, Marauder and Savage, as well as Volusia—named for the Florida county that encompasses Daytona Beach (the first Volusia was unveiled at Bike Week in 2001). For 2005, Suzuki wiped the slate clean, putting all of its cruisers under the Boulevard banner and renaming them with letters—C for Custom, M for Muscle—and numbers corresponding to cubic inches of displacement.

Like the Honda, the Suzuki has plenty of chrome. Non-SE base model is black and has spoked wheels.
Like the Honda, the Suzuki has plenty of chrome. Non-SE base model is black and has spoked wheels.

The middleweight Boulevard C50 is powered by a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 803cc 45-degree V-twin with an offset dual-pin crankshaft and shaft drive. It is offered as a black-only base model ($8,399), as the special edition tested here ($8,799), which adds two-tone paint and cast instead of wire-spoke wheels, and as a touring model ($9,599), with a windshield, saddlebags, passenger backrest and two-tone paint.

Whereas the Kawasaki Vulcan and Star V Star are dressed in black, the Honda Shadow is the Suzuki’s stylistic cousin, sharing its affinity for full fenders, chrome and white/silver livery. The Honda and Suzuki are also the only bikes here with rear drum brakes—a cost concession that’s a real blast from the past!

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The Suzuki’s V-twin is slightly larger than the Honda’s—803cc vs. 745cc—which helps it put more power to the ground. Jett Tuning’s dyno recorded 45.4 lb-ft of peak torque, with more than 40 lb-ft available between 2,600 and 6,000 rpm. The Boulevard C50 is the only bike here that makes more horsepower than torque—46.4 at 6,000 rpm.

In terms of fuel economy, the Suzuki is at the bottom of the heap—an average of 41.4 mpg compared to 44.5-51.5 mpg on the others. With 4.1 gallons of fuel capacity, range is just 170 miles.

2013 Suzuki Boulevard C50 SE Review
Base Price: $8,399
Price as Tested: $8,799 (Special Edition)
Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles
Website: suzukicycles.com

Chrome tanktop console includes a speedometer and LCD displays for fuel, gear position, clock and odometer/dual tripmeter.
Chrome tanktop console includes a speedometer and LCD displays for fuel, gear position, clock and odometer/dual tripmeter.

Engine
Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 45-degree V-twin
Displacement: 805cc
Bore x Stroke: 83.0 x 74.4mm
Compression Ratio: 9.4:1
Valve Train: SOHC, 4 valves per cyl.
Valve Adj. Interval: 7,500 miles
Fuel Delivery: EFI w/ 34mm throttle bodies x 2
Lubrication System: Wet sump, 3.2-qt. cap.
Transmission: 5-speed, cable-actuated wet clutch
Final Drive: Shaft

Electrical
Ignition: Electronic transistorized
Charging Output: 375 watts max.
Battery: 12V 10AH

Chassis
Frame: Tubular-steel double cradle w/ steel swingarmWheelbase: 65.2 in.
Rake/Trail: 33 degrees/5.5 in.
Seat Height: 27.6 in.
Suspension, Front: 41mm stanchions, no adj., 5.5-in. travel
Rear: Link-type single shock, adj. for spring preload, 4.1-in. travel
Brakes, Front: Single disc w/ 2-piston pin-slide caliper
Rear: Drum Wheels, Front: Cast, 3.00 x 16 in.
Rear: Cast, 4.00 x 15 in.
Tires, Front: 130/90-16
Rear: 170/80-15
Wet Weight: 608 lbs.
Load Capacity: 472 lbs.
GVWR: 1,080 lbs.

Performance
Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gals., warning light on last 1.0 gal.
MPG: 87 PON min. (high/avg/low) 57.1/41.4/36.4
Estimated Range: 170 miles
Indicated RPM at 60 MPH: NA

* This article Rumble & Roll was part of a four-motorcycle comparison titled Main Street Middleweights which was published in the June 2013 issue of Rider magazine. To read the individual bike reviews, click on the links below:

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