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Review of the 2006 Suzuki Boulevard C90T:Love my C90T. Thank you Suzuki |
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Author: Keith Paget, 2008-03-07, viewed 403 times. | ||||||
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I purchased my C90T in late Oct 2006 and have approx. 8,000 km or 5,000 miles of enjoyable western Canadian prairie and mountain riding on it to date. So far the bike has been trouble free and the further I travel, the smoother it rides. | ||||||
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This machine had most everything I was looking for: looks, power, electronic fuel injection, hydraulic lifters, shaft drive, disc brakes front and rear, windshield, floor boards, crash bar, light bar, etc. It was a pretty complete package for a cruiser and well priced in the market. My only complaint at purchase time was the saddlebags being too small and not lockable. This almost crashed the deal, as I was looking for lockable bags and in the end decided I would look for a better set later, others may not. Even with dual pipes on the same side, the saddlebags could have been better and seem to be just something thrown on at the last second without much thought. For a machine accessorized so well, it is a shame. For a saddlebag to be right for me it must be able to hold an open faced shorty helmet as a minimum plus space to spare. I hate having to tie helmets on a bike, leaving them in plain view when stopped or worse yet drag both along with me, yet I always want to have a spare along as I never know when it will be needed. Aftermarket solutions are available if one searches the internet and reads enough biker magazines, however Suzuki might wish to listen to comments their riders have and complete their factory add-on lineup with a few more items. It was interesting to note at a recent bike show here in Calgary, Canada that Suzuki Canada reps. did not know of the extensive factory accessories available for the C90 that Suzuki US had listed on their web site. Even our Calgary dealers were first looking at aftermarket accessories when most everything (except decent saddlebags) was available from Suzuki US. After riding for a full Canadian season, there were only a few things I found in my opinion that can be improved on this exceptional machine and many good things that I found to appreciate more than ever. The low center of gravity by having the gas tank below the seat feels great. As I have had the chance to ride my buddies bikes during some travels, I always notice the top heavy gas tanks, and they immediately notice the difference as well and comment about the great feel. All the women like the idea that the bike feels lighter that it really is. It handles well at low speeds, turns great and is a pleasure to ride in the city and on the highway. On windy days, it holds the road well. I especially noticed that meeting oncoming semi-trailers with a cross wind is not a chore and this bike hardly wants to move across the road at all. Up mountain roads, the power is there to do whatever you want and head winds do not make it work hard at all. Vibration in the throttle hand, a small gas tank and small saddlebags are my issues. However every bike cannot be perfect. It is nice not to do anything else other than basically change the oil. I like to spend my time riding, not do or wait for repairs. At 200 km/hr (125 m/hr) the bike rides straight and true, not even a hint of a wobble. This is fast enough for me and I can say I have done it, although I confess my stupidity and will say I probably will not be riding that fast again. The C90 loves to cruise at 130 km/hr (80m/hr) and has a lot more to offer when passing other vehicles but needs a lower wind fairing to be truly enjoyable at this speed in the regular seating position with your feet on the floorboards. At 100 km/hr or 60 m/hr it is virtually idling in 5th gear. At this speed you can gear down to pass or stay in 5th, the choice is yours. I do miss a tachometer and I am thinking about adding one, just because I have had one in all my other past and present vehicles. I have added a set of highway pegs to the front crash bar and have found that when my feet are up on these, the wind buffeting coming up off the legs at the higher speeds disappears. In cold weather you can also now press your legs closer to the engine and actually warm up somewhat. My right hand would go numb trying to hold the throttle steady after 30 minutes or so. I added a throttle lock ´Cruise Control by BrakeAway´ in June 2007 and was very pleased to discover when it is locked on, all vibrations are gone and I can ride for hours with no numbness (this was true bliss). Going up and down hills, you simply twist the throttle as needed and the throttle stays where you put it. Touch the thumb release or the front brake and it releases. Now I was happy again and ready for long hauls. Throttle lock or cruise control should be on every cruiser or touring bike, why is this not standard¿ The saddle is comfortable and I have added a driver backrest to aid by back. My last 6 hr ride was a joy. For the small gas tank, I believe there is a solution out there by ´Gman Industries´. They offer a second tank installation with an extra 2 gallons down below the original tank. The drawback is we need to get rid of the stock exhaust system because the tank fits right where some environmental exhaust parts are. So if we want to stay legal, this solution will not work. Maybe I will do this is the future, until then I will have to plan my gas stops when out in the country. Traveling at 130km/hr or 80 m/hr, I still get 230 km (143 miles) between fills which has been sufficient to date. At a leisurely pace I do better, depends where I am going and what there is to see. Suzuki should adjust this on future models, just another ½ gal please, more would be better. It would be nice to be able to cruise for 3 hrs before stopping. I have found a cold idle issue. It goes away in about 30 seconds, so when I first start up, I know I need to hold the throttle for 30 seconds or so. If this is as bad as it gets, I can take it. Travel safely. Love the internet. |
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