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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542349
headlamp up front
helps,
too, acting as a
sort of wind deflector
to
get
the air blast
up and over
your
helmet-
The forward-
mount footpeSs
also feel a
touch higher
and not quite
as far out front
as
you're
likely
!o encounter
on many cruisers,
and
this
helps to keep you
in
place
and also
reduces
the chances
of scraping a
peg
when
really
bliEing
the back roads on
the
Ml09R-
Oh, and another
thing
-
the
Ml09R's seat
ls
properly
dished and,
combined with
lhe chassis narrow
waist,
very comfortable indeed.
Speaking
of the headlamp nacelle,
it'5
probably
the one
sq/ling cue that sets the
M l09R apart from
the
pack
further
than
any other
single item. lt's hard to
say what
Suzuki
was going
for there. Number
plate?
Aardvark? Whatever,
at least
it
works in
concert with the radiator
shroud
to
give
the 14l09R
somewhat of an aero-
dynamic appearance. Flowing
iust
as nice-
ly
within the
theme are the handlebar
ris-
ers. 4.9-gallon
fuel tank,
27.6-inch seat
height, rear
seat cowl and rear fender,
giv-
ing
the M l09R
a
rather
seamless, long
irnd
low appearance.
That
big twin engine
sports tasty chrome touches,
as does
the
exhaust syrtem.
The wide, l8-inch
cast-
alloy wheels
are srylish. There's
lots to
see here.
Gripes? Hey, gotta
have one, though
it's less of a complaint
about function
as it
is
about form. While shaft-drive
cnrisers
are
cool for the guy
who might be into the
scene
,ust
to hang
out with hi'
pals
and
go
on
the occasional ride, shaft
drive has no
place
on a cruiser
that is supposed to be
the flagship of anyone's
lineup. Who
cares
about
all that maintenance-free ya ya
that
the manufacturers
tout about their shaft
systems? Tell it to the guy
looking
to find a
variety
of wheels to
personalize
his
M 109R. With
the ruggedness
and reliabil-
ity
of modern belt systems,
there ir
iust
no reason
that
the Pl l09R should have a
shaft setup- Okay,
the sermon's
over.
At rhe
end of the
day, determining
whether
or not the
Suzuki Eoulevard
M
l09R
js
for you has
a lot more to do
with knowing
who
you
are and what you
want out
of a cruiser. With all of its high-
tech
performance
and
good
looks,
the
M I09R is not
a cruiser for everyone, 6ven
though its pricetag
of
$12,399
makes
it
one
affordable
boulevard brawler
Ultimately,
what
we have here is a
machine
that is a product
of Suzuki's engi-
neers'towing
the
line
on a concept until it
reached its logical
conclusion. The idea
was to
build a
power
cruiser chock-full
of
the same
trickery used in its sportier
machines with
the
performance
to match.
Suzuki
succeeded, but in doinS so it prob-
ably created
a bike that will appeal
more
to
a sportbike
guy
- maybe someone
who
already
owns a Hayabusa or GSX-R
- who
wants
to
go
for a slow ride
but have the
option of
getting
there really
quickiy.
lf
you're
that kind of rider,
the M l09R
is
the cruiser for
you.
Cl{
"Flowing
just
as nicely
within the
[styting]
theme are the
handlebar
risers,luel
tank,
seat,
seat cowl
and rear
fender,
giving
the
M109R
a
ComerirE
on lhe MIO9R wos
solid, ttqnks
b fie diff rhossi:
7
ond loul
suspension,
Ground
clcqrqn