Photography by Kevin Wing...
The riding positions fit all our testers, too, and the C50's floorboards give additional flexibility. The C50's bar is a bit wider, but the windshield eliminates wind pressure. There's more wind pressure on the M50 despite its lower, narrower bar. Both bars offered a natural, comfortable riding position for all our testers.
Suzuki invented 800cc cruiser V-twins in the early 1990s when it bumped its Intruder 750 to 805cc. And Suzuki has maintained a staunch commitment to this V-twin displacement category. While other manufacturers have dropped in and out of the class that has recently become the fastest-selling niche in motorcycling or simply left tired models to stagnate, Suzuki has consistently expanded and updated its 800cc offerings. In 1997, it added the Marauder 800, and a few years later the Volusia joined the lineup.
By adding bags and a windshield...
By adding bags and a windshield to the base-model C50, Suzuki has created the first middleweight bagger in the Boulevard C50T.
For '05, Suzuki has relaunched its cruisers under the Boulevard banner. Its existing 800s were given facelifts as well as new designations, with the displacement in cubic inches and a letter specifying style. The slim, chopperish Intruder-style 800s thus become the S50. The classically styled Volusia morphs into the C50, and the all-new M50 replaces the Marauder. There is also a new fourth model, the C50T, which adds touring accoutrements to the C50. The labels are a bit lame; the motorcycles are anything but.
The Volusia has been our favorite 800 the last two times we compared 800s, so we were curious about how the two new models, the M50 and C50T—both of which are based on it—work. Although the two motorcycles look quite different from each other, they share many components, including a single-shock frame and drivetrain. They also have the same 4.1-gallon fuel tank, same-size wheels and tires and staggered exhaust systems with dual slash-cut mufflers.
The all-new Boulevard M50...
The all-new Boulevard M50 replaces the old Marauder. It's better a better motorcycle is almost every way.
There are minor differences in the engine. The newer M50 has slightly different rocker-arm shafts, which necessitate different breather covers, which in turn require small cylinder-head changes. It also uses split crankshaft bearings that slightly change the crankcase, which is painted black. The two bikes have different airboxes, and the M50 has a smaller radiator that nonetheless cools a bit better because of additional finning on the core. The airboxes are a cosmetic touch we are surprised more manufacturers haven't used to distinguish different models using the same engine.
Unlike larger cruisers, the 800 class is fairly price-sensitive, so manufacturers tend to be a bit stingy about including features and technology. That makes it somewhat surprising that Suzuki included fuel injection on all its 800 twins except the S50. Similar to the system used in GSX-R sportbikes, the EFI employs the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve system (the SDTV acronym makes it sound like a home-entertainment system, though) to maintain intake velocity for crisp throttle response and a 32-bit ECM for precise control of ignition timing and fuel injection. The change to EFI from the Volusia's carburetion sacrifices 0.4 gallons of fuel capacity and doubtlessly contributes to the C50's $200 additional MSRP compared to the Volusia.
A black finish and teardrop...
A black finish and teardrop airbox distinguish the M50's engine, which has a smaller, more efficient radiator. Cost considerations mandate visible lower tank seams. The newer M50 has a few minor engine refinements.
However, the transition from Marauder 800 to M50 involved much more than adding sophisticated induction technology. The displacement and basic design of the liquid-cooled 45-degree SOHC eight-valve 805cc V-twin engine are the same, but the chassis is completely different from the Marauder's. It also replaces the Marauder's messy chain final drive with a quiet, reliable, low-maintenance shaft like the rest of Suzuki's 50s. The M50 is completely restyled. Its wheels and tires are the same sizes as the C50's, but it gets black-painted cast wheels instead of the wire-spokes on the C50 and C50T. The bobtail-style rear fender makes it look longer and fuller. The front end is all its own, with an inverted 41mm fork straddling an abbreviated fender and a brake disc that's a different style but the same size as the C50's. Atop the fork, a big speedo crowns a low-rise bar on pullback risers. The warning lights nestle in a chrome housing on the tank.
Our other test subject, the C50T, expands on the basic C50 with a height-adjustable cruiser-style windshield, full-sized leather-textured saddlebags with box-type lids, a large pivoting passenger backrest and studs on the spacious saddle, backrest pad and saddlebags. Also new this year are rider floorboards with heel-toe shifting, unique in the class. It has a white-faced tank-top speedo and gets whitewall tires.Some might think loading up an 800cc twin with touring gear will produce a doggy, cramped parody of a traveling bike, but that definitely isn't the case here. The 805cc Suzuki makes plenty of power and is roomier than some bigger bikes. You have to rev it a bit more than larger V-twins, but even with a passenger and luggage, the C50T has lots of motivation out on the highway. You'll want to downshift once or twice to get by that truck laboring up a hill quickly, but if you are willing to use some rpm, the C50T has enough power to perform out on wide-open fast-moving interstates. It still has performance in reserve at 80 mph with a passenger. With almost 30 fewer pounds to propel and the same engine under the tank, the M50 is a bit quicker to accelerate, making it zippier around town. The engines are torquey by 800-class standards, so you don't have to shift frequently unless you are in a hurry.
The M50's speedometer isn't...
The M50's speedometer isn't as readable as the item on the C50, but the M50's is closer to the rider. Both instrument arrays include the same features, though the warning lights on the M50 are harder to see at a glance.
Fuel injection enables both bikes to start readily (there are no choke levers, just an automatic fast idle for cold starts). Throttle response is crisp at all speeds with no flat spots. We also got respectable mileage, topping 50 mpg on the open road. With the EFI, there is no reserve system, just warning lights that signal when you are working on your last gallon or so. There were no complaints about the rest of the drivetrain, which offers a smooth clutch with a light pull, sure shifts and little lash or shaft jacking.
The engine is also respectably smooth. Suzuki offsets its 800s' crankpins by 45 degrees, which in conjunction with the 45-degree V-angle gives it vibration characteristics similar to a 90-degree V-twin, the smoothest V-twin configuration. This doesn't provide the classic cadence of a 45-degree V-twin, but it makes for a vibe-free engine without the use of power-sucking counterbalancers. However, at highway speeds there was some vibration in the C50T's handlebar, which we believe was caused by windshield buffeting. It wasn't intense enough to fatigue us, but our M50 had no comparable buzz.
When you get out on the highway headed for the next horizon, the C50T coddles you. With a wheelbase longer than any 800's except the Triumph Bonneville America (the same 65.2 inches) and any 1100 or 1200 cruiser's and many big twins', the C50s and M50 have plenty of room for a rider and passenger. The saddles, especially the C50/C50T's wider, flatter seat, provide room to squirm and adjust your position, but we found that wasn't necessary for a couple of hours on the M50 and even longer on the C50T because the saddles were so comfortably shaped and padded. Bigger riders wished for slightly firmer padding on the C50T but still gave its shape high marks.
 With the same front brake...  With the same front brake disc and caliper as the bagger, this M50 offers more assured stops than the heavier C50T. This newer-tech inverted-style fork is a better fit with the musclebike character of the M50. |  Each of the new Boulevard...  Each of the new Boulevard 50s gets its own distinct airbox style, and all but the S50 now inhale via fuel injection. The 805cc engine packs sufficient punch to propel the C50T at interstate speeds with a passenger and some power in reserve. |  Like the plain C50 upon which...  Like the plain C50 upon which it's based, the C50T has a classically styled speedometer atop the fuel tank that you must look away from the road to consult. It includes an LCD clock and two tripmeters operated by big buttons below it. |
 s single, two-piston-caliper...  s single, two-piston-caliper front brake is not quite adequate for a fully loaded C50T at high speeds or when braking downhill. We also wish that the whitewalls had more dependable tubeless tires rather than using inner tubes. |  Both the C50 and M50 are roomier...  Both the C50 and M50 are roomier than other 800s and have better than average power for V-twins of this displacement class. They are also the only fuel-injected bikes in this range. | |