Easy Take On Rider

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday April 30, 2008

writes Brent Davison

IN case you have not noticed, cruiser-style motorcycles are becoming more popular with riders as motorcycles themselves become generally more popular.

The reasons for cruiser popularity are many, but suggestions from some quarters are that nostalgia is playing its part in the choice of bike style for midlife-crisis baby boomers trying to identify with their youth.

It might be a bit of a long shot to suggest that, but even so, anyone with a yen to relive the Brando era could do worse than consider Suzuki's latest effort, the Boulevard C109R, a big V-twin descended from the M109R "muscle cruiser" and due to go on sale here in the next few weeks.

While the new Boulevard takes a lot of its style from the old one (it is hard, after all, to mess with good retro), much of the mechanical package is either new or heavily revised.

The 1783cc, double overhead camshaft, liquid-cooled twin has been reduced in size, courtesy of a new compact head design and a reconfigured sump, giving the bike a slightly lower centre of gravity. There is also a new two-stage cam drive unit said by Suzuki to be unique to help the compaction.

At the same time crank inertia is up by 20 per cent to increase bottom-end torque delivery while reducing V-twin vibrations across the rev range.

Twin spark plugs for each cylinder are claimed to promote combustion efficiency.

Suzuki has gone to great lengths to promote the engine's distinctive V-twin resonance, fitting a two-into-one-into-two exhaust system with a digitally controlled exhaust timing system. Compared to the M109R, power from the C109R's engine is down marginally, dropping from 91 kilowatts to 84 kilowatts.

This time around, the brakes for the 357-kilogram bike have come in for a rethink. There are twin 290mm-diameter front rotors clamped by three-piston calipers and a single 275mm rear disc with two-pot calipers, essentially carryovers from the GSX-R sports bike family.

A new feature, though, is the combined braking system that applies partial front brake pressure when the rear brake lever is operated as a means of giving the bike more balance.

To finish off the package the bike gets new 10-spoke alloy wheels with a big 16x8-inch unit on the rear carrying a massive 240mm-wide Dunlop tyre.

Boulevard will be sold in two colour choices, Pearl Black and Cherry Red, and will retail for $17,990 plus on-road costs.

Much of the mechanical package is either new or heavily revised.

DOWN-UNDER CADILLAC? PAGE 70

Brent Davison takes the latest Subaru WRX STI for a spin in Saturday Drive

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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