Suzuki's Boulevard M50 cruiser carries into 2019 with more of that custom American style that made it popular ever since it evolved from the old Intruder. Low-slung good looks join the 42-horsepower, 805 cc V-twin and faux-rigid frame for a package that's meant to drive the imaginations of entry-level riders who might appreciate the style but be uninterested in worshiping at the Altar of Harley. Moderate power and a low seat height makes it appropriate for the young and/or inexperienced, and the lack of excessive electronic fandanglery makes it relatively easy to service and maintain, which is always a bonus for the uninitiated.

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Design

OK, let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room; yes, the Boulwvard M50 is a Softail knockoff, a total Charlie-Davidson in the flesh-Davidson in the flesh, and why not? It's been working for Suzuki just fine, and the hardtail look is more popular than ever. The factory sets the tone early with a beefy front tire, headlight nacelle, and inverted front forks for an interesting combination of old-school flavor and contemporary tech.

Clean lines rule the day without even the pretense of a flyscreen to clutter things up. The instrumentation comes tucked into the backside of the bullet-fairing-like headlight housing ahead of the rather tall pullback handlebar riser that puts the short-rise bars in a comfortable position that allows for a relaxed vertical riding posture. Forward controls put the rider into the windsock position, and I gotta admit that no matter how cool it looks, forward controls don't generally inspire much in the way of confidence, especially at interstate speeds and/or for shorter riders.

A nice looking blackout console adorns the 4.1-gallon tank, but that isn't enough to distract from the fact that Suzuki is still using an old-fashioned flanged tank using an old-fashioned flanged tank. Seriously guys, I know you're going for a dated look here, but don't you think it's time to, ya know, join the 21st century and relegate that stuff to the history books? Oh well, at least the tank has a nice teardrop shape that flows right into the deep-scoop seat.

A P-pad comes stock with flip-up passenger pegs that complete the package. An understated rear fender leaves little to the imagination at the rear end with the rear wheel and triangular swingarm truss well visible, especially from the left side. All-in-all it's not a bad looking bike really, but there's a few details that, if corrected, could make it a great looking ride.

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Chassis

Tubular steel members make up the classic double-downtube/double-cradle frame on the Boulevard M50, and the geometry of the frame rails feed right into the triangular swingarm that completes the optical illusion. Honestly, the exhaust almost completely screens the swingarm from view on the right side, but you don't even need to see it to get that hardtail vibe, the layout of rest of the frame gets there all by itself.

Inverted front forks add a touch of new to the faux-old and lend a strength to the front end that you just dont get from standard stems. Beyond that they're plain vanilla with nothing in the way of adjustability. The rear monoshock comes with the obligatory preload adjuster and 4.1 inches of travel, but that's it. We should be neither surprised nor disappointed, since that's pretty much standard for cruisers, especially American-style ones in this price range.

A 16-inch front hoop and 15-inch rear rounds out the rolling chassis, and surprisingly, Suzuki still clings to that old mechanical drum brake in back clings to that old mechanical drum brake in back that, while nostalgic, needs to go away. At least there's a juice-caliper up front that bites a 300 mm front disc, and after all, 70-percent of your stopping power is up front anyway. Also, the lack of ABS and linked brakes keeps the system simple with honest feedback.

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Drivetrain

Just like food is more than just something that keeps us alive, the engine adds more to the machine than simple propulsion. Suzuki got it right when it settled on the 45-degree V-twin for the Boulevard M50. Not only does it touch on the historical look of American-made mills, it falls right in line with current models from H-D and Indian. Blackout treatment on the cases and jugs tie in to the custom world with polished cooling-fin edges that keep the plant from disappearing into the black hole behind the downtube-mount radiator.

Unlike the aforementioned, Suzuki gave the M50 a short-stroke layout with an 83 mm bore and 74.4 mm stroke that adds up to 805 cc, or 50 cubic-inches, hence the ingeniously clever “M50” tag. At 5,900 rpm the engine develops a total of 42-horsepower, but the real scoop is in the bottom-end numbers with a generous 42 pound-feet of torque at 2,700 rpm and 43.7 pounds at 3,300 rpm. Curb weight measures in at 593 pounds, so yeah, it's not exactly a stoplight burner by any means with those power figures, but it is a calm and predictable mount a calm and predictable mount.

Suzuki doesn't go for the top-shelf gadgetry for this ride, but that doesn't mean it's completely devoid of modern technology. Suzuki's Idle Speed Control helps to stabilize the idle under all conditions, and it allows for choke-free cold starts. An electronic Engine Control Module and Suzuki's Dual Throttle Valve throttle body manages the induction with a 3-D mapped ignition curve that comes optimized for the bottom-end grunt.

In the interest of protecting the environment (or meeting emissions requirements, whatever) an air injector in the exhaust system helps burn off free hydrocarbons in the stream before they can exit the pipe. A standard clutch couples engine power to the five-speed transmission with a shaft final drive to put the power to the pavement.

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Pricing

MSRP is $8,699, which is up just a skosh from 2018. For 2019, Metallic Matte Fibroin Gray is the only colorway, at least in our market. Suzuki gives you a 12-month unlimited mileage limited warranty on your new M50.

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Competitors

It's clear by the M50's design that Suzuki looks to take on Harley-Davidson on its home turf; an ambitious project to say the least, and one doomed to failure against H-D's Softail-centric cruiser lineup. With that in mind, I had little choice but to tap another Charlie-Davidson for my head-to-head, and Kawasaki's Vulcan 900 Classic looks like a good choice.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic / Classic LT / Custom

Like the Boulevard, the Vulcan borrows heavily from classic American designs with a healthy dose of custom flavor. Wire wheels complete with gangster whitewalls roll with ample blackout treatment throughout the rest of the machine. Skirted front forks, whiskerbar-mount blinkers, and a cyclops headlight lead the way, and the teardrop fuel tank sports a panel that houses all of the instrumentation.

The overall geometry ties in with the old-school rigid frames, and like Suzuki, Kawi goes for broke with a proper triangular swingarm to really sell the look. Non-adjustable forks support the front end opposite a preload-adjustable rear shock to break even with the Boulevard's suspension components, so neither bike gains anything here.

If you're looking for ABS, it's absent across the board, but I have to gig Suzuki for using an antique drum brake against Kawi's all-around hydraulic discs. A 903 cc plant powers the Vulcan, and that size difference is apparent in the power numbers as the Kawi pumps out a total of 58.2 pounds o' grunt against Suzuki's 42 pound-feet for a difference that will definitely register on the old heinie dyno.

Read our full review of the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic / Classic LT / Custom.

He Said

“Softail-like designs are gaining in popularity, and that's liable to continue to be true in light of H-D's renewed focus on the family. Harley-Davidson's Softail-centric lineup leaves the Boulevard even further behind in the faux-hardtail category. Even though the M50 isn't a direct competitor for a piece of the action, there's no doubt that it will be entering a different market. I think the market shift will be a boon to these entry-level pseudo hardtails myself, and we won't have long to wait to find out for sure.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, "It definitely looks like a muscle bike, but maybe the world has moved on and left the M50 behind. It's not as muscular as plenty of other bikes in this mid-displacement range. Still it's an easy bike to ride -- not intimidating, not big or heavy -- and it is quite comfortable. One thing I hear repeated, and I do agree, is that it really needs a sixth gear to tackle the interstate if you're going more than a couple of exits."

Suzuki Boulevard M50 Specifications

Further Reading

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