Suzuki Boulevard S50
At the same time that Kawasaki was preparing its first V-twin cruiser, which would roll out as the Vulcan 700, Suzuki was getting ready to launch a 700 V-twin of its own. However, unlike Kawasaki, which took a very Japanese approach to its new V-twin, Suzuki had Americans style its new bike, which would be called the Intruder.
The Intruder had virtually none of the handy bells and whistles of the Vulcan, but it had something no other Japanese cruiser had ever had: looks. Suzuki had really looked at the customs American riders had been building and actually understood and incorporated their appeal. It was doubly shocking because the Intruder would be sharing showrooms with Suzuki's V-four Maduras, possibly the ugliest cruisers ever. That the same company could make such different motorcycles in such rapid succession seemed incredible. The 1200 and 700 Maduras quickly vanished from the lineup and very nearly from memory. The Intruders are still here, though they are now called Boulevard S models.
Suzuki's Intruder design team created a bike with extremely streetwise style. It was long, low and exceptionally narrow. In 1985, the Intruder was simply the cleanest production bike ever. The designers went all-out to hide wires, cables, fasteners and other ugly bits that didn't need to be on display to do their jobs. To keep it narrow and clean, Suzuki uses different 36mm Mikuni carburetors tucked away out of view. The front four-valve cylinder head feeds from a downdraft carb hidden up under the 3.2-gallon tank, while the rear cylinder inhales from a side-draft carb in the frame behind it. The shaft final drive meant there was no chain to oil up the rear end. There was lots of chrome, and it was exceptionally smooth and deep-looking. Despite being liquid-cooled, the engine was beautifully finned, and the tall, narrow radiator tucked neatly in front of the engine. When we rode our first test bike around that year, other riders kept asking, "That's a Suzuki? Really? A Suzuki?" It may have been the greatest motorcycle styling coup of all time. It certainly was the greatest styling leap by a motorcycle manufacturer.
If the Intruder retained any old-school ideas, it was that a motorcycle should perform. Later cruisers in the 800 class would become less cammy and more torquey, but the Intruder liked to accelerate. And with each increase in displacement, first to 750cc in 1988 and then to 805cc in 1992, the Intruder got stronger. By 1992, the only riders of big V-twin cruisers that could be sure of staying ahead of the Intruder 800 were on Intruder 1400s. Even a Kawasaki 1500 pilot who was too slow to shift could find himself watching the Intruder 800's taillight recede.
The liquid-cooled 805cc motor has respectable low-end power, but it's happiest if you get the rpm up a bit. The rest of the shaft-drive powertrain is ready to go along with whatever mode you adopt. The clutch is light and predictable, the five-speed gearbox shifts smoothly and solidly. While the C and M models got fuel injection when they became Boulevards, the S models are still carbureted, which leads to our biggest complaint about the S50-its cold-bloodedness. It took a few minutes before it would run smoothly after starting from cold and was cantankerous until then.
The switch from Intruder 800 to Boulevard S50 did bring some changes, however. A new faux airbox on the right side of the engine now houses the toolbox instead of the passenger backrest, which was discarded with the switch to a recontoured, slightly wider seat with a new cover material. The pullback handlebar was replaced by a 29.2-inch-wide flat bar on 7-inch risers, similar to the bar of the original Intruder 700. The changes improve both the looks (especially with the elimination of the backrest) as well as the ergonomics. The S50 is a bit roomier and nicer to sit on than the Intruder 800. The handlebar change slightly reduces the effort needed to hang on against wind pressure at speed, and the seat's shape, surface and width extend the period you can comfortably sit on it.
Suzuki uses offset crankpins to counter vibration in the S50 and S83, and the result isn't quite as smooth as the Kawasaki Vulcan 750's counterbalancers, but the Boulevard S50 is not buzzy, by any means. The same applies to the suspension compliance, which is adequate but not as good as the Kawasaki's (or that of the S50's Boulevard stablemate, the C50). The brakes too are simply good enough. The single disc up front and the drum rear brake provide unexceptional power with good feel.
Handling is more predictable and requires significantly less effort than the 1400. Bumpy corners overwork the suspension and unsettle the bike. Though it steers nicely, ground clearance is only fair. That's important because what drags first is the footpeg bracket, which is mounted well forward, has little give and is relatively close to the bike's centerline. As a result, when you drag the bracket, it's likely to lever the front wheel off the ground, causing bad things to happen. We wish that Suzuki would change the footpeg mounting system or install some sort of noisy drag point that yields a bit to warn you that you are close to dragging.
As choppers have returned to fashion, the narrow, stretched profile of the Intruder 800/Boulevard S50 may see new life in an 800 class dominated by wide, classically styled cruisers, including two other Boulevards. Those other bikes are a bit more comfortable than the S50, but the Boulevard S50 is more aggressively eye-catching and accelerates harder.
Specifications
Suzuki Boulevard S50
Suggested Base Price: $6499
Engine Type: Liquid-Cooled 45-Degreetandem V-Twin
Valve Arrangement: SOHC; 2 Intake, 2 Exhaust Valves, Screw-Type Adjusters
Displacement, Bore X Stroke: 805cc, 83 X 74.4mm
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Minimum Fuel Grade: 87 Octane
Transmission: Wet Multiplate Clutch; 5 Speeds
Final Drive: Shaft
Wheels: Wire-Spoke, 19 X 2.15 Front, 15 X 3.00 Rear
Front Tire: 100/90-19 Bridgestone Exedra Tube-Type
Rear Tire: 140/90-15 Bridgestone Exedra Tube-Type
Front Brake: 2-Piston Caliper, 11.6-In. Disc
Rear Brake: Drum, Rod-Operated
Front Suspension: 37mm Stanchions, 5.1 In. Travel
Rear Suspension: Dual Dampers, 3.5 In. Travel, Adjustments For Spring Preload
Handlebar Width: 29.2 In.
Fuel Capacity: 3.2 Gal