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/128098
(Left) At just $6599, the new Suzuki is easier on the wallet than American-built iron. power. The Volusia hung right with the other big Harleys at Daytona, but not without having to pretend that it wasn't trying hard to do so. You just had to discretely open the throttle a bit more and rev it out a bit longer, and then the little Volusia would keep up and feel right at home rumbling alongside the other thousands of Harleys - though the Suzuki doesn't really "rumble" like the big boys. It sounds more like a pissed-off poodle in a room full of Rottweillers, but that's what aftermarket exhaust companies are for. At least the Volusia's staggered dual-exhaust system looks good. Even though the Volusia had to do some minor acting to appear as though it was keeping up with the Harleys and some of the other bigbore cruisers without trying too hard, the Vol usia looked completely natural within its surroundings. With its long and low styling, valanced fenders and hard-tail appearance (the single shock is cleverly hidden within the chaSSiS, behind the engine), the classic lines of the Volusia made the bike look right at home on the boulevard. If it weren't for the small "Suzuki" lettering on the Volusia's plastic side covers, one would be hard-press~d to tell that this bike wasn't made in America. Bike Week 2001 is now a few weeks behind us, and Vol usia County is far, far away from our offices in Costa Mesa, California, but that doesn't mean we have stopped riding the Volusia. Not long after we got back from Florida, Suzuki delivered us another Volusia to ride, and we've been riding it in the "real" world - the real world of busy freeways, commuting, city traffic and running around making errands. And not only did the Suzuki Volusia fit in quite well at Bike Week, but it also fit in quite well doing the usual day-to-day living stuff. Since the Volusia is fairly light (526 lbs.) compared to full-sized cruisers, the full-size-looking Volusia requires very little effort by its pilot to steer it through traffic or maneuver it around in parking lots. Even with its long 65.2-inch wheelbase, the Volusia is a quick handler and is eager to carry out its pilot's orders. It steers well and has decent cornering clearance; so getting it leaned over and through the corners quickly is easier than usual, when compared to many other low-slung cruisers. The bike is comfortable, too. The seat is wide and just soft enough for everyday use, and the fairly wide handlebars reach out to the rider. Even the forward-mounted footpegs are positioned just right, so hour-long commutes or long weekend rides on the Volusia aren't painful endeavors. Most of our riding in Daytona consisted of nothing more than secondand third-gear cruising but, back home in California, where getting from one place to another usually involves a freeway or two, the Volusia performs adequately. The bike doesn't strain too badly while humming along at 70 mph, while emitting little in the way of vibration. But it does take its sweet time getting there. The Volusia isn't a speed demon by any means, but it does have a nice, smooth and linear powerband. Determining just how fast you're going is kind of a pain, since the electronic speedometer is mounted to the fuel tank and requires you to tilt your head to see it, especially if you're wearing a full-face helmet. The Volusia's suspension actually works quite well for having just a few inches of wheel travel at both ends. The 41mm conventional-type forks are plush, and the single-shock rear suspension soaks up the bumps pretty well, too. It's no Cadillac, but the Volusia's suspension is tolerable. The Volusia uses a single 300mm, two-piston disc brake up front, and a 180mm drum brake in the rear, and they are plenty powerful enough and offer good feel - overall much better than some of the bigger cruisers. At $6599, the Volusia is the most expensive of Suzuki's three 800cc cruisers. It's $200 more than the Intruder and $600 more than the Marauder, but it's a bargain either way. It has the right look, handles well, and makes good power for a middleweight V -twin cruiser. And best of all, with the Intruder Volusia, you can enjoy Bike Week all year long without even leaving your neighborhood. eN (Above left) • bird's-eye view of the rider's cockpit, Including the tankmounted speedometer, and a worm'seye view (left) of the suspension linkage. (Above) It has to strain to keep up with larger, more-serious cruisers, but the Volusia holds Its own on surface streets and freeways alike. Specifications D[fiJGurn~@[? WGDrn0D5J. ~1] 0®® ~~@n~~ TYPE BORE STROKE DISPLACEMENT COJ'IIPRESSION RATIO CARBURETOR AIR CLEANER STARTER SYSTEM LUBRICATION SYSTEM TRANSMISSION CLUTCH GEARS PRIMARY RATIO GEAR RATIOS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th SECONDARY RATIO FINAL RATIO DRIVE SYSTEM liqUid-cooled, SOHC, TSCC, four-stroke, V-twin 83.0mm 74.4mm 805cc 9.4:1 Mikuni BDSR34 Fabric element Electric Wet Sump Wet multi-plate type 5-speed, constant mesh 1.690 (71/42) 2.461 1.631 1.227 1.000 0.814 1.133 3.503 Shaft (32/13) (31/19) (27/22) (25/25) (22/27) (30/30xI7/15) (15/l7x34/11) ~~~~n~ SUSPENSION FRONT Telescopic, oil damped Single shock, 7-way adjustable preload REAR WHEEL TRAVEL FRONT REAR RAKE TRAIL STEERlNG ANGLE TURNING RADIUS BRAKES FRONT REAR TIRES FRONT REAR ELECTRICAL IGNmONTYPE SPARK PLUG BATTERY GENERATOR HEADUGHT DIMENSIONS AND DRY MASS O/ALENGTH O/A WIDTH O/A HElGHT WHEELBASE GROUND CLEARANCE SEAT HEIGHT DRY WEIGHT FUEL CAPACITY GVWR COLOR MSRP 5.5 in. 4.1 in. 33-degree 20' 5.6 in. 40-degrees 9.8 ft. Disc Drum 130/90-16 in. 170/80-15 In. Digital transistorized NGK DPR7EA-9 12V 36 kC (1 OAh)/l OHR Three-phase A.C. genertor 12V 60/55w 98.8 in. 38.8 in. 43.7 in. 65.2 in. 5.5 in. 27.6 in. 526 Ibs. (claimed) 4.5 gal. (inclUding reserve) 9501bs. Black, Black/Red, Black/White, Blue/Blue $6599 cue' e n e _:os . APRIL 4. 2001 17