honda shadow vs. suzuki boulevard

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stephen85858585 · Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:03 am

I want a powerful and good looking bike for a beginner bike. Which would u guys suggest a honda shadow or a suzuki boulevard, and which models would u guys suggest, i want something with atleast 750cc. i like lots of power
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ofblong · #2 Unread post by **ofblong** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:57 am

I have a honda shadow and its an awesome bike. I have the deluxe vlx so its only 600 cc but it gets up and goes. I finally (after 3 weeks of riding it) got enough courage to finally pass someone and man going from 45 to 70 in like no time flat is an awesome feeling. it is low to the ground so I can flat foot it and still have some distance to flat foot if I needed to. honeslty I dont like the look of the suzuki. I think they are kinda ugly.

flw · #3 Unread post by **flw** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:14 am

Vulcan 750 best bang for the buck.

earwig · #4 Unread post by **earwig** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 4:13 pm

both are great bikes... but far from "powerful"... good for a beginner though.

Scott58 · #5 Unread post by **Scott58** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:36 pm

Liking lots of power and handleing it are 2 different things. I'm going to assume ("O Ring"-u-me) here that you want to go pretty fast once you get used to it. If that is the case you'll probably want something light and nimble. The S50 will smoke the other bikes mentioned here, however you'll pay a price in comfort. You don't mention your size or weight here so it's hard to say. The lighter you are in body weight the faster you will go also. Power isn't necessarily the key to a quick bike as much as the power to weight ratio, gearing etc. Shaft drive will limit what you can do with gearing to zero. You get what you get and that's it. Ask yourself how much weight you want to throw around with the bike you get. Also the more weight you have the more you need to think about stopping power in an emergency braking situation. The heavier your ride is the better your brakes need to be. You may want to also consider what aftermarket "more power" addons may be available. For under $500 I could probably shave another second off my S50's 1/4 mile time. Although i'm not interested in doing that, you might be.

BAJACRUISER · Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:47 pm

You need to see the other post in this forum about choosing M50 or another bikes.... There is a lot of information about this bikes....

M50 is Fuel injected, Shaft Drive, Liquid cooled and is 800 cc, thats why I choosed it.

The prices are similar, test all the bikes that you can, and make a good desicion.....

Candy750 · #7 Unread post by **Candy750** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:22 am

"Shaft drive will limit what you can do with gearing to zero. "

what does this mean?

I have the Shadow Aero 750. Had the VLX 600. Like the extra weight. Also, the rake angle is 1 degree less on the Aero. Does it handle better, or is it me??

The boulevards are just ok looking. Except for the biggest one (which I'll never be able to ride).

Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:29 am

Something to consider with the Boulevard S versus the C or M is that the S is carburated. Also, the new C's and M's have a fuel gauge and tach which the S still doesn't have.

Don't get me wrong, I have an S and love it but, some people may want the fuel injection and gadgets.

stephen85858585 · Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:17 am

so the suzuki series of bikes are faster than the shadow series?? and could some one clearly state the differences between the S C and M suzukies??
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Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:53 am

Boulevard Series.....

C = Classic
M = Muscle
S = Sport

The C & M are "basically" just cosmetically different BUT, there are also design differences. The easiest way to see the differences is to look at them in person but, here goes...

The C has the new "fat" profile with 130/90-16 front and 160/90-15 rear tires. Long fenders. Dual exhaust on the right side. Weight is 542 lbs. Fuel Injected. 4.1 gal tank.

The M shares the fat profile with the C but the rear tire is wider at 170/80-15. Short, bobbed fenders. Same exhaust as C. Weight is 544. Fuel Injected. 4.1 gal tank.

The S has a narrower profile including narrower tires (100/90-19 front & 140/90-15 rear). High, bobbed rear fender. Dual exhaust with one on each side. Weight is 443. Carburated. 3.2 gal tank.

Stats in inches....
Length: C=98.8, M=93.3, S=88.6
Width: C=38.2, M=36.2, S=30.1
Height: C=43.5, M=44.5, S=44.3
Wheel Base: C=65.2, M=65.2, S=61.4
Seat Height: All=27.6

Suzuki Boulevard Homepage
Total Motorcycle 2007 Suzuki Models Report