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/137546
VOL. 50 ISSUE 24 JUNE 18, 2013 P71 SPECIFICATIONS It didn't surprise me that the big, heavy and long M90 is very stable at speed, but I was a bit caught off guard by how well it performed at slow speeds. The front end doesn't automatically want to flop over when making big steering cuts at a walking pace, which isn't always the case with long and low bikes like the M90. Thankfully, the M90 is fitted with strong brakes. The dual 290mm front disc brakes with twin-piston calipers are sufficient enough to get the job done alone with a hefty squeeze on the lever, but with assistance from the single 275mm disc in the back, getting the big bike hauled in is never an issue. I averaged about 40 mpg on the M90, which included mostly open-highway riding, and I found the bike's ergos to fit my 6'1" frame perfectly. I didn't feel as though I was reaching for the bars, and the pegs weren't positioned too far forward for a muscle-style bike. And the seat couldn't be much better. My hour-plus commutes on the M90 left me feeling still pretty fresh at my destinations. I also liked the positioning of the crescent-shaped instrument cluster, which is located above the handlebars inside the headlight cowl. It's all in plain sight, whereas you have to look straight down, forcing you to take your eyes off the road, to read the tank-mounted instruments on the C90T. (It's not so bad while wearing an open-face helmet, though.) Overall, the M90 is a performer. But perhaps most important, it's also a looker. Having both traits is not always the case when it comes to cruisers, where often times looks take precedence over performance, but not with the M90. It certainly has both. But what stands out in my mind after living with the M90 for a while is its ultra-smooth and pow- Suzuki Boulevard M90 ENGINE:............Liquid-cooled, 54-degree V-twin DISPLACEMENT:.............................1462cc BORE X STROKE:....96.0mm x 101.0.mm COMPRESSION RATIO:.......................9.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM:..................... Fuel-injection TRANSMISSION:...........5-speed constant mesh FINAL DRIVE:......................................Shaft FRAME:.............Split double-cradle, steel FRONT SUSPENSION:...................Inverted telescopic, non-adj. REAR SUSPENSION:........... Single shock, link-type, non-adj. FRONT BRAKE:.............Dual 290mm disc w/2-piston calipers REAR BRAKE:............ Single 275mm disc w/2-piston caliper FRONT TIRE:................... 120/70ZR-18 in. REAR TIRE: 200/50ZR-17-in. FUEL CAPACITY:............................ 4.7 gal. O/A LENGTH:..................................94.1 in. O/A WIDTH:...................................34.3 in. WHEELBASE:..................................66.5 in. GROUND CLEARANCE:......................5.7 in. SEAT HEIGHT:................................28.2 in. CURB WEIGHT:.............................. 723 lbs. COLOR:......... Metallic Thunder Gray and Sparkle Black WARRANTY:...............12-month unlimited mileage, limited warranty MSRP:............................................. $11,199 erful motor. It's also torquey and extremely easy to manage, and it even sounds good. And you get it all for a reasonable $11,199. If Suzuki keeps pumping out cruisers like the M90, it will indeed be a company synonymous with cruising. CN