Suzuki Boulevard c50 - too big/powerful?

[stroykiller]

Hello everyone.
I take my msf course next month and am looking at getting a suzuki boulevard c50. I have read several articles that say it is a good mid range starter, but wanted a few informed opinions. I am 5'3" and am able to both pick it up and reach the ground ALMOST flat footed. I plan to modify the seat to lower it a little. I "tried on" quite a few bikes, and it felt really comfortable, both height and arm reach wise. whaddaya think?

[Dragonhawk]

Pretty big for a first bike. Bad idea to start with in my opinion.

Take the MSF class and see how you do. If you have any trepidation or difficulty in the course, get something smaller. That is an 800cc cruiser and it weighs over 500 pounds. It's gonna have torque like you've never experienced in your life.

Yes, it looks a LOT sexier than a smaller bike.

But trust me, you won't look sexy in traction if you wrap it around a telephone pole.

[stroykiller]

Thanks, Dragonhawk. I am WAY past the mindset of how "cool" I look. Just want to have safe fun.

[roscowgo]

I own an 05 c50.


They're heavy. The tank is wide. (too wide in my opinion.) The stock IRC's on mine turned to cupped pudding. and the ends of my bars hit my thighs when I make a tight turn and have something in the pockets of my pants.

Otherwise they are good bikes. I aint sure I would want it to be my FIRST bike.

It is however pretty comfy. (may have fixed this part, but I KNOW they have a big ol hump at the back of the pilots seat. Fine if you enjoy having hard plastic pressed against your tailbone.) Mine is bone stock, gets 150 miles almost exactly before the light comes on. 2.8 gallons fills me back up and I'm off for another 150.

Without a windshield and lowers (on me anyway) the wind tries to split me like a wishbone. And I can't really dig my knees in due to the huge tank, air filter on the right, and pair valve on the left. It's got oodles of bolt ons available. A good community over at www.volusiariders.com. It's geared a bit low for me. It really kinda whines at highway speeds. Fellow called djhillis at the before mentioned site offers modded c90 final drives that drop you 5-600 rpms. He's got a years worth of backorders at the very least. So far everyone who has tried it leaves little puddles of omg this thing rocks! behind em.

Comes with footboards. so you can move your feet around some. At least on the right board. The left has a heel/toe shifter that keeps me from shifting around too much. And I still occasionally press my left foot in too tight and bind the pivot for the shifter.

Controls are smooth, easy, so far haven't given me any trouble. Headlight leaves something to be desired. I'm fairly sure any big ol single bucket factory headlight leaves something out though. It starts (so far) every time I ask it to. I ride down into the low 20's on it.

Handles fairly well for a big ol cruiser type. I rode for quite a while by just renewing my learners every year. Took and passed the wv dmvs little road course with 1 point off on the 50 this year. It slaloms through cones and will go around a curve. I'm happy.

Good luck.

[Wrider]

Well I had the 01 version of it as my first bike, but I'm more-than-slightly bigger than you... lol 6'2" 300 lbs, and it was about right for me. So yeah, although you might want to look into the S40 or GZ250... Both also very good bikes.
Wrider

[NorthernPete]

Hmmm....time for my biased opinion.. Have you checked out the Kawasaki Vulcan 500? same engine as the ninja 500, 6 speed transmition, lighter dry weight by over 100lbs. on the down side, its seat hight is about a half inch higher. a bit smaller engine, but I havent had any problems on the highway up here.

[canuckerjay]

If you've taken rider training and will treat the bike with proper respect, I don't think it's big at all for a first ride.

My bud stored his C50 in my garage for a few months and I took it out for a boot once a week to circulate the juices.

The C50 is not very powerful, as it comes out of the box with 43-45 hp (to compare, my Vstar 1100 came with 51-52).

Having said that, the C50 does have plenty of power for the average cruiser. Most people won't complain about this bike's stones. It's also a beautiful bike to look at. My bud's is the two tone black and red. The red is truly a great colour that always looks wet. Don't get the bike in black. I've seen the all black up close at a bike show and it looks really cheap compared to the black used on my Vstar. The Suzuki black has blue flake in it -- a bit cheezy. (unless they've changed the paint since 2007)

The C50 is a comfortable ride -- it comes with floorboards, which are great. It's a dead smooth ride, and the bike is noticeably lighter than my Vstar. I can feel the difference when riding and when I'm pushing it into the garage. The C50 definitly takes less effort to ride than my Vstar. If you want a bike where you'll wonder where the last two kilometres went, the C50 is your style. The one beef I've got with its handling is that when I'm leaned over, the bike has a bit of wobble to it, wheras my Vstar is much more stable in the longer turns.

As for fit and finish, the C50 has a gas guage, four way flashers and a clock. The C50 is also fuel injected and liquid cooled. Everyone will have differing opinions on this. I prefer a carburated bike -- it's easier to tweak and get better performance out of it. Fuel injection makes it more difficult -- you can't just tweak the jets or replace them so easily. Having said this, it is great to hop on my buddy's bike, and start it not having to play with the choke and have it reving loudly for a couple minutes. Many hate liquid cooled bikes because that's one more system to take care of, and many deem it unecessary. Yet others swear by it, noting that it's bound to increase the longevity of your engine. I leave that to you. If you want a nice bike out of the box, and don't want to modify it much, then the C50 is more your style.

If I had the cash for a second cruiser, I'd park a C50 in the garage for the days I want to relax in a cushy ride to the cottage.

[Thumper]

Take the course before deciding on your bike; the C50 feels good now, when it's not in motion, but you add movement to that and you might be thinking a smaller bike would be a better idea. The bikes you ride in the BRC will give you a good idea of what being in control of a bike feels like, and what it's like to push 300+ pounds around.

You may still like the feel of the C50 when you're done, and you'll have a better idea of whether or not you can handle it. It's probably a fine beginner's cruiser, but the weight of it in a sticky situation might surprise you.

Similar bike but lighter is the S50; it's also 800cc but is pretty much the same weight as a Honda VLX, but the tank is narrower. It'll be more flickable than the C50, but it'll do everything you need a bike to do.

There are lots of good starter bikes out there, and the C50 isn't out of the realm of reasonable, but take the course first.

[stroykiller]

I want to thank everyone for the excellent, realistic advice. I am supposed to take the basic course on 2/13 - 2/14. IF I find that being in the drivers seat is for me, after the course I plan to buy a used bike somewhere between 250 and 400cc that fits me well in order to learn safely. After at least 6 months of frequent riding, maybe I'll move up if I am comfortable and capable. maybe! Thanks again.........................................................................

[MZ33]

I just bought a 2003 Yamaha V Star 650 custom for my first motorcycle, and I am so excited! I have an older scooter, but I am re-taking the MSF as soon as possible to review all the coordination aspects of clutching and braking. I am 5'4", weigh too much but am stronger than any of my female peers. I liked the C50 for its fit & finish & liquid-cooled, shaft-drive stuff, and it was low enough to the ground, but is really, really fat. Not phat, just fat. The S50 is much narrower and seemed like a better fit. Then I came across this V star, and it felt far better than the rest. It has a little heft compared to a 250, but not as much as the 800ccs. Having said all of this, I haven't actually had a chance to ride it yet. It's in storage at the moment, & I wonder if I should have sqeezed it into our garage so that I could at least sit on it, start it, and dream of warmer days.