Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127929
d esert city of Tu cson , Arizona, to one of the most notorious tow ns in old western folklore, Tombstone, located a little more than 120 miles southeast. It's easy to get accus tomed to the LC's layo ut. Jus t climb on, tum the key located un der the seat on the left (just behind th e rea r cylinder), pull th e cl utch a nd thu m b th e starter. For co ld st arts, th e cho ke can be found just above the ignition switch. You are greeted with a somewha t m u ted but g u tty-s ou nd ing lowpitched rumble as the exha us t resonates fro m the twin stagge red mufflers. After a . brief wa rmup, you can pull in the clu tch an d snick the tranny into low . Bu t letting the clutch ou t is a real letdown, The actuation is buttery smooth, b ut the hyd rauli c unit only engages, in light-switch fashion, during the last inch or so of lever travel. Using the four-posit io n lev er ad jus te r yie ld s n o cha nge w ha tsoe ve r. Frankly, it' s a grim cond ition tha t could make the bike extrem ely una tt rac tiv e, es pecia lly between s to pligh ts. Maybe LC sho uld stand for Lame Clu tch? It's a shame, really, because if you can ge t past the poor 'clutch action, the rest of th e attribu tes tha t com prise the Intruder LC mak e it qu ite a joy to ride. The eng ine d eli v ers it s promis e o f Titanic-s ty le torque rig ht off the bottom, tha nks to the clean carbu retion provided by the twi n Mikuni BDSR36. The igni tion plays a big pa rt in the power d elivery, as Suzuki has seen fit to equ ip the sys tem w ith throttleposition sensors mou nted on the carburetors, whic h advances the tim ing for bet"ter power delivery. Continue rolling on the thro ttle, and the 'Zook still pulls, bu t with continually less au tho rity until it bo unces off the 6000-rp m rev limiter. Our numbers, gleaned from the White Brothers Dyn ojet 150 dynam ometer, bo re this out, as the Intruder' s 79.5 ft./lbs. of peak to rqu e register ed in at 2250 rpm. Peak horsepower was 58.1 at 4250 rp m. Going through the gears gives a feel that is decidedly remin iscent of rid ing a Harley-David son . TI,e Intruder LC mo re o r les s ka-cllIlI1ks its way fro m 'gea r to (Above) Ins trumentation is sparse but easy to read . The fuel gauge located on the handlebar is a Suzuki accessory item, one of several designed for the Le, and will be available through dealers. (Above) Genero us ly updated , the mammoth 1463cc twin features new throttle-position s enso rs linked to the ignition for increased pe rformanc e. Hydraulic lifters and s haft drive will keep maintenace to a minimum, but plan on removing the rear part of the rights ide case to get to the oil filler. (Right) The 41mm forks offer a firm bu1 compliant·6.3 inches of trave l. The s ing le 300mm disc with twln-pl sten pucks offers decent st opping power. The new castaluminum wheels greatly enhance the bike's look. Suzuki VL1500 Intruder LC Specifications Eng ine Valv e gear Bore" stroke Displa cement Compression ratio Carburetion Ig nitio n Hors epower Torque Transmis s ion Frame Wheelba s e Ra ke / trail Seat heigh t Air/oil-eooled V-twin SOHC. 3 valves per cylinder 96 x 101mm 1462cc 8.5:1 ,(2) Mikuni 36mm D igital transi st orized 58.1 @ 45 00 rpm 79.5 ft-Ib. @ 2250 rpm 5 speed .Double-cradle tubular steel 66.9 in. 32· / 138mm 27.6 in. S us pensio n Front Rea r Tires Front Rea r Brakes Front -.. .41 mm oil-damped co nventional fork w/ 6.3-in. travel: nonadjustable Unk-type single shock w I 4.1-in. travel: five-way preloadadjustable 150/8 0· 16 Bridgestone G703 180/70·15 Bridgestone G702 Single 300mm disc hydraulic w I 2-piston caliper Rear Single 180mm disc hydraulic w/ 2-piston caliper Claimed dry weight 644 Ibs. Fuel capacity .4.1 gal. Average fuel economy 33 mpg Price $9899 gear - a far cry fro m a sm oo th-shifting sport bike, bu t well wi th in the acceptable limits of cru iserdom. We do like the heelkick shifter, w hich is flush with the left floorboard , adding to the comfort factor. Th e high gearing ensures tha t you won 't even need fifth unless you plan to ride at least 55 mph. Braki ng is also on par wit h the American competition, the single 300mm roto r and twi n piston caliper up front requi rin g fa irly hi gh effo rt, bu t a d eq u a tely stoppi ng the Intruder when used in concert with th e solid 180mm rea r d isc, which also gets clamped by two pistons . Out on the open road, thin gs ge l even better, as the bike exhibits excellent man ners. Th e Intruder's steering suprisingly falls on the lighter side, and is neutral by cru ising standards. The bike remains stable and straight as an arrow at speed, the flas hy cast-aluininum wheels shod with Brid geston e G703 fro nt and G702 re ar treads delivering excellent feel. While we w ouldn't suggest thro w ing it into th e curves, the Intruder' s cornering cleara nce is as good as the rest of the bikes in the class - and much bet ter than , s a y , a Yamaha Royal Star. . Suspensio n actio n is a bit of a mixed ba g, as the Intruder LC's 41mm forks and sing le-shock link-type rear end soak up the ro llers that mark the high ways and byways of our Sou thern California home with a p lo m b . Bu t on the co bb ly tw olan es of th e So nora n d e se r t, w e d id no tice a rather harsh fee ling fro m th e rear , w hich we believe could be han dled with a touch less rebou nd damping. The rear s ho ck o n ly off e rs five- w a y adjustable preload . Still, ou r grea test impression of th e Intruder LC comes from the ove ra ll ride, whi ch is unb eli evab ly comfo rta b le either solo or two-up. The ergos and handl ing allow yo u to rumble all day, th e mons trou s twin hummi ng along u nd erneath you like a San te Fe freig ht locomotive. After ou r 250-mile rou nd trip to and from Tombstone, we were still fresh in the sad dle, and could have rid den eve n fu rther. With th e accessory wi ndscreen and sadd lebags that are sure to come, the LC might even make a fantas tic choice as a minimalist touring rig. O f cou rse, fuel mileage mig ht dict ate o therwise, as the LC delivers around 33 to 35 mpg on the highway. We fou nd ou rselves ge tti ng aro u nd 128 miles before the low-fuel light began blinking, sig nify ing th at th er e was .7 of a ga llo n left in th e 4,1-ga llon fuel ce ll. Th a t' s about average. But o n th e w ho le, we' d hav e to say tha t what Suzuki has here is a motorcycle that - infuriating clu tch actuation asid e e vo ke s th e "cr-uisin g ts p iri t" in e very se nse of th e term , a n d offers a hug e bonus in the form of su prising ly excellent long-ra nge comfort. And with a $9899 asking price, the Intruder LC is not only a contender for the heavyweigh t cruiser champions hip belt, but it should also be a to p cho ice fo r th e budget-mi nd ed in search of a competent big-bore bou leva rd brawler. just -th e th ing for hop p ing down to your favorite burger joint. Even it it happens to be in Tombstone. (~ B ~ I 17