No one knocked the Boulevard's looks, but they simply weren't as carefully drawn as the 900's. Its components and overall style simply don't flow as smoothly. Take the saddles as a microcosm of the overall style: The Vulcan's seat swoops across the bike as a single unit, while the Suzuki's seat consists of two obviously separate pads. You see the same effect repeated on the pipes and other components, and you'll find a few extra concessions to C50's price point-the fenders, side covers and airboxes are plastic, not metal (which saves weight as well as money). Like the Vulcan's, the Boulevard's fuel tank has a visible lower seam, but the styling is otherwise well done, with details such as carefully routed wires and cables. Both bikes have tank-mounted speedometers with LCD odometer/tripmeter and clocks. The Kawasaki's instrument pod wears a slick chrome trim, which can turn into a mirror that reflects glare into the rider's face at high noon. The low-profile LED taillight adds a touch of big-bike style to the Vulcan.
Most listeners also fancied the Vulcan's exhaust note, which has the traditional single-crankpin cadence and a deeper, louder note. Only our resident old fogy preferred the Boulevard's quieter, smoother exhaust beat.
The Suzuki runs the way it feels and was slightly smoother at highway speeds than the Kawasaki, though the Vulcan doesn't vibrate enough to actually annoy even the most vibrophobic rider. The difference in smoothness of their rides is much more pronounced. Bumps of all sizes and shapes roll under the C50 with less commotion and shock at the rider's station than with the Vulcan, which occasionally bottomed hard in potholes. The C50's suspension is simply more sophisticated and better sorted than the VN900's. In particular, the 900's rear suspension feels soft and under-damped.
Shorter riders voiced a slight preference for the Vulcan's ergonomic layout and saddle shape, while bigger riders seemed to have an even less-pronounced preference for the Boulevard's. Some of this was due the saddle shape. The lower, narrower saddle of the Kawasaki made it easier for shorter inseams to obtain a solid flat-footed stance at a stop, while taller riders had more room to move on the flatter Suzuki seat. The wider, deeper Suzuki seat also provides more room and support for taller, heavier riders, especially those who are a bit broad in the beam. Passengers enjoy more room front-to-rear on the Kawasaki.
Both bikes offer adjustable brake levers, wide bars, forward-mounted floorboards and foot controls with heel-toe shifters, usually standard only on bigger bikes. Overall, except for suspension compliance, the two are closely matched in comfort and superior to other cruisers in this displacement range. In fact, some riders said the Vulcan 900 and Boulevard C50 were more comfortable for them on long rides than the same companies' mega-twins we tested for our last issue. Riders taller than six feet might disagree, but we suspect that many riders of lesser length will discover that these two middleweights offer much more comfort than they anticipated from this displacement class.
Of course, after we spent a few weeks with those hefty two-liter V-twins, the C50 and 900 seemed to handle like sportbikes by comparison. Both respond nimbly and precisely, offering predictable steering and easy control at all speeds. The C50 is a bit more nimble, bending into turns more quickly and with less effort than the 900, which was certainly no truck, even by comparison.
The Suzuki increases its handling advantage with its superior suspension and noticeably better cornering clearance than the Kawasaki (and most other cruisers). Both are steady and easy to manage at walking speeds, though the Kawasaki's low seat height may give some riders a bit more confidence.
At the other end of the speed spectrum, you enjoy reassuring stability from both these bikes when motoring along above the speed limit on the highway. Both resist crosswinds well, and giving either bike's handlebar a hard shake at 80 mph revealed no hint of unsteadiness. Both also held lines well through corners, although the Suzuki's better suspension and greater cornering clearance gave it an edge when chasing down a twisting road.
Both have single-disc front brakes with two-piston calipers. But while the Suzuki's 11.8-inch front disc is bigger than the Kawasaki's 10.8-incher, the Kawasaki's is a bit more powerful. Judging from the spec sheet, the Vulcan's disc rear brake should perform better than the Boulevard's drum as well, but it isn't particularly powerful. Both motorcycles require extra pressure to lock the rear wheel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since riders tend to overbrake the rear in a panic stop. Good brake control, which can be improved by personalizing the handlebar levers' position with thumbwheel adjusters, is heightened by solid traction from both motorcycles' tires. Unfortunately, both bikes use tube-type tires because of their wire-spoke wheels. We'd prefer cast wheels and tubeless tires, especially on the touring versions of these bikes.