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/1542349
South By Southwes* Our test of the MIO9R took ploce on re outrkirls of Auslin, Texos. The qreo's mony bock-tounky lwo-lona tot lat ollowed us to strehh rhe Ml09Ri legs. The bi[e is most fun when you ride it neor the redline. I .G look as big as it is tough. That's because the overall package has been shrunk due to Suzuki's use of a trvo-stage cam-drive sys- tem whereby the crank is connected to intermediate shafts that rotate smaller chains and sprockets up in the heads. Soft of a ladder approach, the setup is similar to the system used in the Suzuki SVl000 sportbike. A dry-sump oiling system also eliminates the need for a deep sump or pan under the engine, further crunching the package. Those twin spark plugs frre a fuel mix- ture fed through wvin 56mm throttle bod- ies utilizing Suzuki's Dual Throftle Valve system - essentially the secondaD,, valve setup (hat is pan of all the cleaner-running systems in the market today. Spent gases are routed out to the atmosphere via a trvo-into-two exhaust system that features an exhaus! valve to enhance the l'1l09Rs low-end torque. Now why would such a big-inch cruiser need such a device? Maybe that has something to do with the l''l l09R's bore and stroke of I l2mm x - 90.5mm. The big-bore/short-stroke approach usually lends itself more toward power at higher revs than would a more common undersquaTe bore and stroke combo used on rnany cruisers today, the latter beinS preferred for its tremendous off-idle torque potential. But the dare-to-be-different MI09R follows the same approach as Suzuki's high-winding GSX-R supersport machines and RM-Z moroc.ossers. Maybe Suzuki was banking on the fact that, at l785cc, the 109 would have enough cubes to 8et the job done when 8oin8 from stoplight to stoplight? For the most part, it does. The M l09R is great when cruising about town- The motor's forged-aluminum pistons lope up ahd down on their steel connectin8 rods, providing enough of a lonS-arm feel to make the rider think that he's on a stump- pulling bruiset while at the same time the chassis is fairly light-steering, though you still feel like you're on a big bike, Clutch feel is excellent, though the five-speed gearbox on our test unit was a little on the notchy side. From a standin8 start, rewing up the Ml09R and dumpinS the clutch produces sufficient torque to melt the rear tire and/or leave a hole in the pave- ment. Fun stuff. But get out on the freeway and run at about 75 mph, and the motor tends to vibrate in such a way as to make you think that it's slightly overgeared. Roll hard on the throttle while in that overdrive fifth gear and you're met with a shudder from within the bowels of the engine. lt's rather disconcerting, even though the engine stays fairll smooth if you don't hammer it. ln most cases. makinS a pass at this speed requires that you downshift to fourth - very odd for an engine with as much dis- placement as the Ml09R boarts- lt just I CYCLE NEWS . MARCH 29, 2006 45 -7 -r! Qr-- - -lf-- !L-L./ \l ,5 I:T a w b-- \ l L FIFT ) a I N .\ ; I ) &. I ?f L a \-!- .bt-/ D. / [.^ \ r 4 1 \ t