Originally Posted by
Big Dave
It’s sure got some hurry up.
When they ship me off to the great Jay Leno Garage in the Sky I’m going to ask for a motorcycle like the Suzuki M109R Boulevard to be included thanks.
One of these babies in the shed is a mighty easy treat to live with.
All those subtly conniving digs around the KR office that our mate Stretch’s riding skill was being wasted testing cruiser after cruiser paid off.
He was happily wheelie-ing off into the distance on a sports bike and my lucky bum ended up aboard Suzuki’s latest, sharp looking piece of heavy equipment.
Sharp looking and bling plus in fact.
‘A 2 wheeled Lexus’ one of the boys commented. It’s not a bad analogy either: luxury, good quality and value from a Japanese manufacturer ‘evolving’ a style of vehicle.
Just like some Lexus’ are hard to tell from a Merc at a distance, you don’t have to look too closely at the silver M109R to see a lot of Milwaukee.
That’s one of the nay Sayers argument with the bike. American hard-core cronies gave me the angle that a bike of this style should be exclusively American.
My answer was: It’s $19,995, accelerates like a Hyabusa in second gear as stock and…just look at it!
Others give me the ‘it’s form over function’ line, and while nobody can argue that cruisers sacrifice out and out handling performance for style, I can confirm Vege wasn’t wrong when he chucked me the keys and said ‘It’s got some hurry up!’
But Cruisers are just as much about looks and comfort too. If you like making an entrance, you can do much worse than parking this beastie in the front door.
It is in fact a more effective head turner with your Joe Average Non Motorcyclist than anything else I’ve ridden.
Seriously. I noticed more heads turning its way than on many of the big Hogs or Euros.
Non-riders think that it’s a $70,000 unit off the Discovery Channel biker shows.
The styling is quite ‘different’, integrated, with its big headlight nacelle and sweeping lines - of which it has plenty. There is lots of infill bodywork, around the headstock and tank and radiator that works really well and the rear quarter angle is a peach. The fit and finish overall appeared top notch. The chrome looks deep and the paint lustrous. Even the castings on the brake reservoir lid are impeccable. It’s a sharp looking thing.
Perhaps it’s the very integrated style with the silver paint that fits with the acres of chrome, some of it chromed plated plastic, but it’s all bling nonetheless.
A rather dishy office babe about my vintage stopped for a chat about the bike and to pay it a compliment on College Hill when I was out solo. (I suspect a single man would have successfully invited her for a spin), a wagon full of hoodied Subaru-sters made approving grins and thumbs up gestures on the Manakau off ramp, even the well inked truckie on the Newmarket flyover gave it a honk and thumbs up of approval.
It’s also amazingly comfortable for the rider. Low slung, with feet forward and a saddle as wide as a lounge bar cubicle.
Coupled with the high, pull back risers and downward angled, tapered drag bars put the grips to hand with wrists in a completely neutral position - It’s just a delight to spend hours whiling away NZ an smelling the roses – city or country.
The passenger is not nearly as well catered for with Co-pilot rating the pillion offering ‘below average’. As she has done with every bike we have tested in this class. It’s a solo unit for all but a quick cruise or a stoic bird.
However a solo jaunt is close to the optimum in opulent ergonomic comfort. A little more rear suspension travel would make it ‘lounge chair’.
Some of the bikes attraction is also the deep throated and quite tasty rumble from 1,783cc of 112mm bore x 90.5mm stroke as it exits the large, (yet more) chrome exhaust system.
‘No substitute for Cubic Inches, Davey boy’ The Publisher once told me, ‘Particularly to the way it sounds.’
It kinda sounds like a V8 muscle car when you give it a handful.
I didn’t worry too much about fuel consumption figures – because it was too much fun riding it in a gear (or two) lower than the torque monster needs. Not raucously loud, but wicking it up and letting it run down to the traffic lights just had me grinning like an idiot’ how cool’s that!’
Engine breaking on the open road is a sound it behold too – in spite of how well the Radial 4 Pot front and twin pot rear brakes wash off the speed that the bike can acquire very rapidly. Just let it run down to the bends.
It has a large, flat tank that takes about 17litres from the warning light coming on. An LCD fuel gauge is in the tank mounted instrument cluster.
Tank range is about average. If mpg is a key criteria – an 1800 isn’t for you anyway.
The first time I went to back it out of the KR car park I was surprised at how lightweight it felt. When I checked that it was in fact 315kg dry I was quite surprised. The weight is low down in the bike and it is well balanced – this gorilla found it pretty easy to manoeuvre with feet down. The low saddle height of 700mm helps and puts in the manageable range for most people.
That said, there are a few things you have to ride around on all big cruisers – ground clearance for starters. Forward controls and a low-slung seat and frame means foot pegs on tarmac is a reasonably regular occurrence. Nothing to worry about - just the M109’s way of letting you know that there is still a bit to go before the frame digs in.
You also have to make allowances for the phat – yes PHAT, 240 section and super low profile rear Tyre. It looks fabulous (what it’s supposed to do) and puts the power to the ground impressively, but you need to have the bike facing the right direction somewhat before giving it the full herbs away from a standstill – over 20kph and you can just nail it and it is a most rewarding surge. Turning right across Remuera road at the lights is more than a simple flick of the hips. Get it lined up first and it’s all good.
The Big Dave Cruiser ‘Scritch’ Index rated the Zook ahead of a Fat Boy and about par with a Rocket III.
On the open road and in good conditions you can comfortably put it through the bends at anything up to 15kph over the advisory signs without contact. Getting between the bends compensates.
Opening up the throttle sees the big vee have a big old shake and get very rapid very quickly – a quite intoxicating surge, in virtually any gear and it pulls quickly and steadily to the 7,000rpm redline. Yeah! 1800cc, 56mm EFI, Water cooled, 4 valves per cylinder, running 10.5:1 compression in it’s 54º Twin and it pulls 7,000rpm! – Launching it from the lights and overtaking is a joyous surge.
And Grunt. Pile driver grunt. Sitting at the traffic lights the motor thumps out the rhythmic thump of a construction site with a pile driver working in the distance.
Yet it’s impressively smooth – it’s only under heavy load and giving it a real handful that the engine’s vibes reminding you that there is 1.8litres down there. The rest of the time, cruising or puttering around town it’s as smooth as a multi. But then 60 to 100kph takes about 6 cycles of the engine and a blink of the eye – even in top gear.
Front forks are USD oil damped units and the whole front end works well – the bike is solid and well balanced on the open road and it all complements the relaxed ergonomics. It’s very easy to roll away the ks.
Final drive is by a tidy shaft with very little slap or free play. The Gearbox must be getting close to tractor size and can give a quite agricultural clunk form first to second when giving it the business, but it’s more the size of the components than any fault.
The tank-mounted speedo is analogue with digital odometer and usual array of trip gauges and warning lights. The tacho is LCD and mounted above the drag bars in it’s own integrated housing. Pretty neat effect.
Overall that’s what I though about the M109R: Pretty neat and great, grunty, bucket loads of shoot-you-out-of-a-cannon-feet-first fun.
Whatever handling sacrifices the cruiser makes in the pursuit of out and out style and comfort are compensated for by how good it looks and a solid dose of feel good.
It turns heads, looks a million bucks, has some very tidy lines, is as comfortable as the day is long, has great style and is wonderful fun to ride around doing about the speed limit - and not taking very long at all to reach it.
‘It’s sure got some hurry up!’
so here goes... dude.....?? its a Honda.
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