Suzuki Boulevard C50

The Suzuki Boulevard C50 comes with an 805cc V-twin engine with Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) electronic fuel injection. It has a five speed transmission, a 65.2 inch wheelbase with a 33 ° rake and 5.5 inches of suspension travel. The Suzuki Boulevard C50 has wide handlebars, a wide passenger seat and forward mounted floorboards that allow for a more comfortable ride while the low 27.6 inch seat height allows you to keep your feet flat on the ground at stops.

Design

Much like its big brothers, the C50 and C50T models emulate the look of the old rigid frames that have (thankfully) long since been consigned to history. The choice of fat front forks with a triangular, hardtail-looking frame dates the design to the late '40s to mid' 50s, an iconic and defining era in American motorcycle culture, not a bad choice for a bike family meant to garner greenbacks from redbloods.

Laced wheels complete the rolling chassis in period style, and flares on the trailing edge of the front fender and full rear fender give it a custom touch. Naturally, the V-twin engine plays right into the genre; 'Cause let's face it, nothing else looks quite right. Everything from the tank console to the bucket-shaped saddle and forward foot controls complete with floorboards screams American cruiser, cricket, -first, m'kay?

While the C50 comes somewhat stripped down, the tour-tastic C50T boasts a windshield, passenger backrest and chrome-studded leather saddlebags, all for his and her touring pleasure. It will not be quite as capable as a fully dressed tour bike, but for causal touring / weekend trips it should be prove to be comfortable enough.

Chassis

It's hard to beat a faux-rigid frame for classic good looks and curb appeal. The genius of this design lies with the triangular swingarm that appears to be an uninterrupted extension of the frame members, but actually articulates like a traditional, yoke-type swingarm so you get the sweet vibe without the harsh ride.

Suzuki mellows the swingarm action with a single shock tucked away out of sight so it does not spoil the deception, and it comes with a seven-position, spring-preload adjuster and provides 4.1 inches of wheel travel. Tubular steel members make up the double-downtube, double-cradle frame, which is the only configuration that will look right to be honest.

The steering head angle holds the forks out with a whopping 33 degrees of rake that pushes the wheelbase out to 65.2 inches for a 98.4-inch overall length. Front suspension components come sans any sort of adjustments, but this is not unusual, even on cruisers much heavier and pricier than the C50s. Make no mistake, this is a full-size chassis on par with the benchmark Softail models they most closely resemble, and at over 600 pounds should have much the same feel.

Overall, the brakes are rather unimpressive. Sure, the front carries a large, 300 mm disc, but only gets a two-pot caliper to bind it, and the rear tire apparently does not even a 180 mm drum. I can not give Suzuki a bye on this one. Drums are OK, even expected, on scooters and the smallest-displacement UJM models, but to find a drum on a full-size bike like this is criminal enough.

Needless to say, ABS is not available for the C50 / T models. Both roll on a 130 / 90-16 front hoop and a 170 / 80-15 rear. The C50T sports broad whitewalls in keeping with its overall panache, while the C50 base model mounts the whitewalls to the inside for a more modest finish.

Drivetrain

As per Suzuki's naming conventions, the C50 mill measures out at 50 cubic-inches. Well, 49.1 cubes (805 cc) to be exact. Much like its larger engines, the factory chucked in a fistful of its alphabet-soup acronyms, so let's dig right in.

The 45-degree V configuration is somewhat unusual amongst Indians, Harley-Davidson, and the now defunctVictory, and I have to give Suzuki credit for going to the trouble for what amounts to aesthetics at the end of the day.

The single over-head cams eliminate the external pushrods and the crankpin designs for the second firming order. Liquid cooling is a mixed blessing. On the one hand it's an efficient method to remove waste heat and the water jacket dampens mechanical noises from the engine, but it also complicates things, and it's a great deal of radiator to deal with. But it is what it is, and it is water cooled.

A throttle body with electronic fuel injection manages the induction with the help of the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve that helps maintain smooth power deliver through the use of a computer-controlled, secondary butterfly valve. An Auto Fast Idle System (AFIS) monitors engine temperature and opens the throttle automatically to aid with cold starts and stabilizes the idle after the same. The dual exhaust system uses Suzuki's Pulsed-secondary air-injection system (PAIR) that pumps fresh water into the exhaust stream to help burn off any excess free hydrocarbons. Like I said, alphabet soup.

Power is comparable to other similarly-sized power plants with 53 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and a maximum of 50.9 pounds-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. The five-speed transmission comes with an extra-tall top gear to keep the revs reasonable at speed, and within a putt-putt cruiser range around town. A shaft final drive makes the connection to the rear wheel, and comes set up to resist shaft-jacking and the effects of backtorque.

Specifications

Year	2015
Manufacturer	Suzuki
Model	C50
Engine Type	Four-stroke, two cylinder, SOHC, 45° V-twin
Engine Displacement	805cc
Bore Stroke	83 mm x 74.4 mm
Cooling	Liquid-Cooled
Compression Ratio	9.4 : 1
Fuel System	Suzuki Fuel Injection
Ignition	Electronic ignition (Transistorized)
Starting System	Electric
Transmission	Five-speed constant mesh
Final Drive	Shaft
Rake Trail	33° / NA
Seat Height	27.6 in.
Wheelbase	65.2 in.
Front Suspension	Telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Rear Suspension	Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Front Brake	Disc brake
Rear Brake	Drum brake
Front Tire	130/90-16M/C 67H, tube type
Rear Tire	170/80-15M/C 77H, tube type
Fuel Capacity	4.1 gal.
Dry Weight	611 lbs. (Wet)

Pricing

Seeing how the '17 is a direct carryover from last year, which is a direct carryover from '15, its not surprising to see the same pricing as well. Suzuki expanded the available paint packages last year for the C50, so you can score one in Glass Sparkle Black or Pearl Glacier White this year for $ 8,199.