The Suzuki Boulevard C50T Classic is throwback cruiser that offers plenty of new-world technology. That’s an ideal recipe for anybody who wants a mix of both schools, especially if they can have them in one awesome package.
In terms of style, the Boulevard looks the part of a classic cruiser, complete with bold styling that stands out in a crowd. The huge body of the cruiser belies its long and low rigid-look frame. The design of the bike incorporates timeless laid-back style in the cruiser heritage, complete with rich paintwork, glittering chrome, and deep front and rear fenders with rounded ends. The bike also has a wide passenger seat that makes for comfortable two-up rides, especially for riders that like going on those long-distance joyrides.
At the heart of the Boulevard C50T Classic is a 805 cc four-stroke, SOHC V-Twin engine that comes with a compression ratio of 9.4:1 and mated to a wide-ratio five-speed transmission that features a high fifth gear ratio for relaxed highway cruising. A critical part of the engine is a 32-bit ECM that provides precise control of ignition timing and multi-hole-type injectors while ensuring quick starts and excellent drivability under all conditions. The bike also features Suzuki’s own Dual Throttle Valve (DTV) electronic fuel-injection system that maintains optimum air velocity in the intake tract for smooth low-to mid-RPM throttle response.
As far as handling is concerned, the Boulevard C50T Classic comes with a link-type rear suspension that has been shaped to mimic the hard-tail lines of a traditional cruiser, connecting a truss-style swing arm and a single shock absorber with 7-way spring preload adjustabililty providing 4.1" of smooth and response suspension travel.
As with most Suzuki cruisers, the Boulevard C50T Classic has the ideal blend of style, performance, and handling characteristics. All together, they lead to a bike that’s a cut above the rest in its own market.
Find out more about the Suzuki Boulevard C50T Classic after the jump.
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Deus Customs is a motorcycle tuning company based in Australia that specializes in building custom bikes for custom people. One of their recent creations is the French Connection, a custom-made bike that was built and designed specifically for Moto GP1 star, Randy De Puniet.
For this bike, De Puniet wanted something that could pass as a middleweight, 2-up, twin-type that is versatile enough to hit the city streets while having enough durability to last during those out-of-town trips.
To get the bike up-to-character, Deus painted the Kawasaki W650-based French Connection bike with an orange, white, and black paint finish. The tuning firm also dressed up the rims and hubs in a black satin film while fitting in a vintage style headlight that supports the tachometer.
Deus also tweaked the bike’s performance set-up, working around its 649cc engine and putting new K&N filters and a custom 2-into-2 system. The company also modified the forks before dressing up the front and rear guards in a pair of Firestone tires.
All in all, we think that Randy De Puniet enjoyed his new custom bike. As far as we’re concerned, the name by itself - the French Connection - is enough for us to notice it.
Few may have heard of the Tarantulas, a motorcycle custom garage based in the Portland, Oregon that specializes in bike restorations and custom builds. But with their skill and talent in building some pretty slick machines, due props have to be given out.
One of their creations that sparked some interest is called the Natural, a restored and modified 1976 Honda CB750F SS that drives home the classic touches mixed in with modern modifications.
According to the Tarantulas, the bike took a couple of years to make and started off as an abandoned bike that was eventually turned into a classic piece of steel and muscle. To give the bike the look of a neo-retro cruiser, the Tarantulas decided to give it a brushed metal treatment complemented by leather-looking vinyl, gum rubber, and Tarozzi rear seats that will be stripped down and powder-coated.
Other design details about the Natural include custom clip-ons, a new rear cowel with an oil tank and battery box, new headlight ears, levers and hard lines, all of which were built by James Crowe and his boys over at Crowe Customs.
The Suzuki Boulevard C50T differentiates itself from its brethren as a bike that offers luxurious levels of comfort and ergonomics while also boasting a powerfully tuned powertrain.
Comfortable seating has always been a trademark for Suzuki and the Boulevard C50T is no different. The wide, well-sculpted leather-textured spacious seat offers a low 27.6" seat height, and it comes with a matching touring-style backrest with unique pivoting backrest pad for increased comfort. Wide handlebars, forward-mounted floorboards, and foot controls provide a comfortable ride while large-capacity, textured-leather saddlebags with Boulevard emblems and convenient twist-lock fasteners offer plenty of storage capacity.
The Boulevard C50T is powered by a narrow 805cc, fuel injected, liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder, 45-degree V-twin engine that has been tuned for exceptional low RPM power and torque. A 32-bit ECM also comes as part of the set-up, providing precise control of ignition timing and multi-hole-type injectors ensuring quick starts and excellent driveability under all conditions. Another important element to the Boulevard’s C50T is Suzuki’s Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) electronic fuel-injection system. This allows the bike to maintain optimum air velocity in the intake tract for smooth low-to mid-RPM throttle response. Lastly, the Boulevard C50T comes with a wide-ratio five-speed transmission that features a high fifth gear ratio, enabling you to enjoy the cruiser’s unbridled power as you blast off into the open road.
As far as handling, the Boulevard C50T boasts of a cradle-type steel frame with telescopic forks that provide 5.5" of wheel travel. The forks also have polished aluminum sliders and polished stainless steel stanchion-tube covers for a distinct look. A link-type rear suspension is shaped to mimic the hard-tail lines of a traditional cruiser, connecting a truss-style swing arm and a single shock absorber with 7-way spring preload adjustability providing 4.1" of smooth and responsive suspension travel.
Find out more about the Suzuki Boulevard C50T after the jump.
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French bike builder, Lazareth, has come out with their latest creation, which not only raises eyebrows for its design, but also because of the power train it carries.
The vehicle is called the Wazuma V8F, a quad vehicle that looks the part of a trike, except that it actually has four wheels. The standard three-wheel configuration makes it confusing but upon further inspection, you’ll notice that it actually has a pair of rear tires attached closely together.
The curious design of the Wazuma V8F is one of many things that are peculiar about this vehicle. For a bike of its size, Lazareth put a lot of attention in adding some expensive parts, including the extensive use of carbon fiber that can be found all over the machine. On top of that, the Wazuma V8F also has a new set of modified 18" MOMO wheels to go with Brembo caliper brakes, and four horizontal shock absorbers specifically designed for the vehicle.
And then here’s where it gets really interesting. The Wazuma V8F has quite a power train inside of it, one that comes courtesy of a famous Italian automaker you’re probably familiar with. Yep, inside this intriguing quad lies a 3.0-liter Ferrari V8 engine that produces in excess of 250 horsepower and mated to a BMW M3-sourced six-speed sequential gearbox.
A Ferrari engine mated with a BMW gearbox and encased in this design? Yeah, that’s what makes the Lazareth Wazuma V8F a quad like no other.