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
2006 Suzuki Boulevord Ml09R EII-F + a> - lTop left) Tokico rqdiol front broker ore GSX'R sportbikc fore. fhey do on ixielleni iob of houling the ponly MIO9R down from sPeed iusl or quickly or its sportbike courin. lroo riohrl lhe miohtv MIOSR v-lwin gerves up o distinctive rumble out oI i# t ri-i,iro-tal" ixtioust pipes. Rother thon d gdrurol burble, the sound is fightgr ond more refned --olmost whol you'd expett from o rocc engine. feels like there is a hole in the powerband. Dont plan on passing while in overdrive unless you're doing at least 85 mph, which probably isn't a good plan anyway. Then again, drop the M l09R into fourth gear, leave it there and rev the motor uP over five grand, and it's like you're on a completely different bike. The l''1109R's Sirth - Suzukiclaims 694 pounds - seems to dissipate and, even with its meaty 240mm Dunlop Sponmax .ear tread slapping the road underneath your backside, the M l09R's handling feels a lot more nimble. As the revs increase toward eight grand, the H l09R feels quick, powerful and. dare we say it, sporty - no doubt what Suzuki was going for in the flrst place. Running the engine up high in the power curve, closer to its 7500-rpm redline, is a bit more fre- netic, and you may not want to do it all the time, though you certainly can. Further enhancing the feelinS that the Ml09R can be ridden hard and put away wet are the chassis and suspension. Suzuki rubber-mounted the motor in a high-ten- sile steel chassis comPlete with a cast-alu- minum swingarm for increased rigidity. The front wheel of the M0l9R rides between 46mm inverted Kayaba cartridge fork that feel smooth and fairly rigid. Out back, a Kayaba damper that is adiustable for preload only does a Ereat job of taming road ripples. Overall, the suspension offers up a very firm, taut feel, which is Sreat when you decide to Eet aggressive. The combination of the chassis and suspension makes for a wiggle-free ride when Pressing the M0l9R through the corners at higher velocities. Feedba.k through the front end is more than sufficient to telegraph any potential problems with the 150/70R18 Dunlop Sportmax radial's contact patch. With this much go, you need to depend upon the stuff that helps you slow and the f4l09R comes up big in the stoppin8 depanment, thank! to more sportbike- spec hardware, Stopping is ac.omPlished via twin 3 lomm Tokico radial-moLrnt brakes pilfered straight from a GSX-Rl0@. The four-piston calipers deliver awesome feel at rhe lever, could probably stop a speeding frei8ht train, and are thus more than adequate for reining in the Ml09R. The twin-piston, 275mm rear brake alro offers plenty of assistance while maintain- in8 that same great feel. Overall, it's a har- monious system- The same could be said for the ergonomics on the M 109R, which should amply prove to other big-boy bike manu- facturers that we can all just get along and that short people do have at least one rea- son to live, The riding position of the Ml09R was pretty comfortable for both the inseam-challenged and NBA types alike. The hardlebars. which bend back and slightly downward, tend to force a slight forward bend to the torso for those of average arm length, Eiving the rider a better shot at bucking the wind. That huge Ionk-mounlcd onolog speedo wor eqsy to reod, bur rlrc some couldn't be soid for fte LCD noch on ths hondlebors. A drcgsrcr.rtyle \ onolog "monster" toch l would be more qpprgpriol.. jt Viewed os o ringle 5tyling elemenl. thc heodlighr foiring looks odd, but somehow it blends in nicely with the overoll look of the Mto9R, 46 MARCH 29,2cr],6 ' CYCLE NEWS V x ) I \ )i I 1,- ---- oo I r / L I , ( Y !,- a I t i 7 ,l 17 <