SUZUKI M90: Cruising along on the Boulevard

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/08/2009 (6210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SUZUKI attributes much of the success of its M109R muscle cruiser to its styling. Indeed, though a gear head like me might revel in the aggressive nature of the 109’s GSX-R-like 1,783-cubic-centimetre V-twin, cruisers are all about illusion and style. Dressed up in its drag-race-me-now corset and suspenders, the M109R is as overt a statement about performance as you’ll likely get from anything in the cruiser segment.

It doesn’t take a marketing genius to figure out that, if it works for one model, then it deserves an entire lineup. Heck, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it would be a cardinal sin for Suzuki to allow the M109R’s success to go uncopied.

So we have the M90 Boulevard (along with an even smaller M50). In case you’re wondering about the designations, Suzuki’s new appellation system sees M standing for muscle bike, while the numeric part is the engine’s displacement in cubic inches (à la Harley-Davidson). So the M109’s name translates to those 1,783 cubic centimetres, while 90 works out to 1,462 cc.

If you’re thinking the M90’s 321-cc deficit means it lacks the power of the bigger 109 (designated an "R," one presumes, to evoke images of the GSX’s performance), you would be right. But before you get all dismissive of the M90, know that it does have some serious poke. Although it shares the same bore and stroke as well as displacement with the more pedestrian C90, the M90’s engine isn’t a simple transplant. There’s a new cylinder head with four valves per cylinder and dual spark plugs. The M90 also sports significantly increased compression and other performance tweaks. It may not be the tire shredder its bigger brother is, but neither is it a weakling.

Indeed, at low and mid-r.p.m., there’s not that much of a difference. The M90 has plenty of low-end torque and a fair mid-range punch as well. Where it loses out is above 5,000 r.p.m. — the M90’s long-stroke, cruiser-based V-twin doesn’t perform as well. While its larger, performance-oriented sibling seems to grow another set of lungs and scoots to 7,500 r.p.m. like a thundering version of the company’s iconic sport bikes, the M90 simply runs out of breath.

So, above 140 kilometres an hour, the M90 loses out to the M109. In practical, everyday riding, it’s not that much of a deficit because a) that kind of riding will get you in trouble with OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and b) the M riding position — low bars and feet-forward footpegs — doesn’t promote extended travel at speed. It may look Jesse James cool to have both your arms and legs splayed out in front of you, but it’s not the most comfortable position at speed. That’s my only complaint regarding the M90.

It handles better than anything measuring 1,690 millimetres between the axles has a right to, the suspension is almost sport bike firm and, despite having a stylishly huge 200/50-17 rear tire, it doesn’t handle low-speed turns like a truck with blown power steering. And even if the M90 lacks the sport bike-quality, radially disposed, four-piston front brakes of the M109R, its twin two-pot items are perfectly capable.

Someone more cynical than I might question Suzuki’s decision to put out a muscle bike that doesn’t have all the moxie of the original. Of course, an even greater cynic would simply point to the $3,000 savings and note there’s always a market for a less expensive version that offers the illusion of performance if not quite all the reality.

But since I am not at all cynical, I’ll just state that, while I would always opt for the more powerful version (especially such a potent beast as the 109), those with a more pragmatic bent would counter that the M90 has all the performance they will ever need.

— Canwest News Service