I have a 2009 c50t. I'm 64 and I've rode most my life. $2300 and it passed inspection. I love that ride. I have many country roads to ride on...all the way to Mount Washington NH.
I have the same year and model, love the bike! Hopefully I will still be riding it when I'm 64...that's only 2 more years. If not, I probably pulled the trigger on a C90T???
Pretty impressive for a little over $10 K. Shaft drive, 4 gallons of gas, floorboards, and a single rear shock instead of the antique two shock setup stuck on each side of the swingarm. Looks like a real value. The first bike I ever owned with enough H.P. to have a windshield was a '73 Suzuki 750 "Water Buffalo". Just a great bike. Suzuki quality is second to no one. Very good video.
Got my used C50 2006 5 years ago and love it. Put a set of good tires on and a small windshield. I like tooling country roads, hitting favorite burger joints and just enjoying a great bike. I like slow runs 50mph or less. More time on the bike and enjoy the scenery. I would like a 6th gear though, it has the power for it. Pretty much the same bike that first rolled out years ago as a new one. If it ain't broke don't fix it applies.
I had a c50T, older version that I had to trade for a C90T. Traded it because the RPM was crazy on the highway. The c90 was 10 times the bike. You don’t need a 6 speed. You just need the top gear to be tall enough to run on the highway at low rpm. The c90 was a 5 speed and ran along the highway at half the rpm of the c50
@@ssstryker6136 - Suzuki has made it very clear. Both bikes are meant for cruising only (under 70mph). The bags are merely for convenience, not for touring.
Really enjoyed my 2010 C50T. I see with the new model, Suzuki does not include the pillion sissy bar and pillion backrest as standard equipment. Safe Travels.
Love my 2005 C50T. Bought it used shortly after retiring. Simple and extremely reliable. Great bike for older riders who still want a cruiser that is on the lighter side and not faster than we want to go.
It's a great mid-sized bike as I too owned one and road it for 3 years and like robm3357 I upgraded to a C90. I do wish Suzuki would update the C50 with a rear disk brake and eliminate the drum brake and offer ABS even if it's an upgrade. Ideally, I wish Suzuki would design a new boulevard model a bit larger than the C50 or bring back the C90 with dual disks, ABS, Cruise control.
@ricmiller484 - It's a beginner bike. It's priced for people who are getting into motorcycling or people who are looking to downsize and want something small to get around town in. Maintenance wise, it's a straightforward when it comes to doing oil, coolant, and spark plug changes and the clutch lasts about 20k miles. It doesn't have the ECU issue of running too lean, meaning either having to pay extra to have the ECU flashed or installing a Fuel Commander, which then means having to move up from running regular to premium gas. Once a person learns what they desire on their "perfect" bike, they move up to the next level. Suzuki kinda knows a segment of Americans are looking at Harley Davidson and will come up with the money to obtain one no matter what they put on their Boulevards.
Excellent review. I stumbled upon a pristine, barn-find 2004 Volusia with 3700 miles and I'm now prepping it for a bucket-list solo trip down Route 66. Been riding everything from Harleys to Ducatis for 32 years. Love this bike.
Absolutely beautiful bike - I would be seen on that ! I rock my 2008 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 every good weather day. Given more $$$ & garage space, I'll be seriously considering a C50T or C90T in future.
I've viewed several YT videos on this model since my 21 year old son feels ready to upgrade from his '06 Blvd S40 thumper. While many of the vloggers brand the C50 as a beginner bike, many of the comment makers identify as older returning or retread riders. Of course that doesn't mean that the C50 can't be both! Kudos to Suzuki, they got it both coming and going! And Kudos to Road Rider for a stylish, succinct, but thoroughly informative video. I liked so much I subscribed!
Excellent review… 😃 Love the Shaft drive and decent sized gas tank 🤘🏻 What approximately is the most comfortable cruising speed on the C50T? Can it do like 80 mph all day long? Ty in advance 👍🏻
I'd say yes - on a standard VL800 (like a T model, but a.o. without a windshield), I once rode 300+ miles (Innsbruck, AT to Bratislava, SK) at some 85+ mph. The bike was fine. I realized I was physically tired, but after I parked and got myself two short beers - so no big deal. From experience, 75 mph is THE comfortable highway speed (again, without windshield - of course, unless it's VERY windy a/o raining heavily), with 80+ mph being used only to speed up overtaking trucks and slower cars. The bike could handle that without issue, and so could I.
@T-003 - Yes. When I had my 2018, I made six 500 mile interstate speed travels. The only issues were buffering, the whining sound of the engine due to not having a 6th gear, and lacking cruise control. I added an engine guard to allow me to attach highway pegs, swapped out to larger Viking bags for more space, removed the windshield for a TKY fairing to address some of the buffering and hand protection, and changed from a stock to Mustang seats. The TKY did take care of some of the buffering issues, but in reality, the bike was designed for backroad and highway traveling nothing greater than 70mph; not to be a poor man's Road Glide. I eventually traded it in for a true poor man's Road Glide, a Kawasaki Vaquero.
Well I absolutely love the C50 I had one a few years ago did several modifications to mine put a Batwing fairing on it and hard bags also swaped the rear end with a 1400 older intruder which gave me approximately 13% taller gears which made a huge difference and gave me longer legs throughout that being said I did ride that bike about 600 miles on one trip it was extremely comfortable but I felt like it was at home around 75 mph it would run 80 no problem 85 but I really felt like between 75 and 80 is where it belonged and that is after I did the rear end upgrade before that the bike seem to be a little short legged and I don't think it would have like 75 all day
I bought my c50 new in 2010. Still have it and its been an amazing bike. The only thing that I have done regarding maintenance is change the oil once a year and grease the shaft splines once every couple of years. Engine is bullet proof. The only negative with these bikes is that the shaft splines are not lubricated enough from factory which causes the splines to strip out if you don't lube them up with something like moly grease. Other than that, these bikes last forever.
It's not the smallest bike out there, but it is on the smaller size considering what many cruisers weigh. For the right person, this could make a great bike for a beginner.
It definitely is - if you're into cruisers 🙂- it delivers on daily commuting and easy cruising levels without a hitch, and is also more than adequate to bring you from A to B via highway. As I rode a 2009 VL800(C) model from 2009 till 2019 (had to sell it in 2020) both solo and with GF (= really fully packed), you may consider this the voice of seasoned experience. Also, earlier this year I bought a 2003 VL800 Volusia model (which is carbureted, but otherwise it is +/- the same bike), which the two of us rode for some 2 months, before I gave it to her, so she could ride by herself and not just as a co-rider. And indeed, she handles it very well, with visible improvements in riding technique, bike handling and her own overall confidence on the bike being there on a one-ride-to-another basis. Considering she had her first ride only a week ago, it's quite impressive on her part - and it also speaks volumes about the bike, especially how easy it is to handle as such. BTW I very seriously considered getting just another VL800 for myself (when I gave the 2003 one to my GF), but as we're used to going for 2 or 3 weeks of vacation on a single bike almost every year (typically, exploring mountain passes in Austrian and Slovenian Alps -yes, that is a major portion of those trips), I opted to upgrade to 2007 C90T, just for the two of us to have the extra power and comfort on highway, when trying to get closer to those mountains and do it as swiftly and comfortably as possible. Personally, despite my praise for her riding, I'd say it would be yet hazardous to let my GF try e.g. Grossglockner or Nockalmstrasse on her own, but maybe by next season, she's already gonna be up to the task - in which case I'll re-think if I want to a/o really need to stay with the C90T. Yes, the Intruder VL800 is such a brilliant bike, that not only it delivers in regards to my GF, but even I would be perfectly OK to switch back to it. LbnL it is also worth mentioning, that maintenance of the VL800 / C50(T) is more or less limited to mandatory checks according to regular service intervals defined by Suzuki - which by themselves are very easy to perform, take little time (2 hours max) and are surprisingly cheap. To sum it up - if you want a big-looking bike, which is actually quite light, easy to handle, comfy to ride and cheap to maintain, my answer is YES, don't hesitate and go ahead with the VL800 / C50. Ride hard & ride safe 🙂
My father had an earlier model but sold it due to what seemed like an engine vibration somewhere in the 50-60mph range. Did you encounter anything like that with this one?
I owned this bike for 1 season and got rid of it. The bike has no power, and still has a disk brake on the back wheel (seriously?). If I had a passenger, It's very hard to stop with 1 disk brake. Also, the passenger foot pegs are literally 2 inches away from the rear bags. A passenger has to put the edge of their heal on the pegs (great engineering there). Still a 5-speed, unbelievable. Might want to check out a 900 Vulcan. Worst bike I've owned.
There hasn’t been a solid update to this since 2009. May as well buy a used bike for $3000-$4000. If you’re buying new there are better bikes out there for the price.
I have a 2009 c50t. I'm 64 and I've rode most my life. $2300 and it passed inspection. I love that ride. I have many country roads to ride on...all the way to Mount Washington NH.
I have the same year and model, love the bike! Hopefully I will still be riding it when I'm 64...that's only 2 more years. If not, I probably pulled the trigger on a C90T???
@@RobC41 I am considering the C90 also. Twice the power....vroooom !!!
Pretty impressive for a little over $10 K. Shaft drive, 4 gallons of gas, floorboards, and a single rear shock instead of the antique two shock setup stuck on each side of the swingarm. Looks like a real value. The first bike I ever owned with enough H.P. to have a windshield was a '73 Suzuki 750 "Water Buffalo". Just a great bike. Suzuki quality is second to no one. Very good video.
Ditto on the video!
Suzuki's reliability really is stellar.
Got my used C50 2006 5 years ago and love it. Put a set of good tires on and a small windshield. I like tooling country roads, hitting favorite burger joints and just enjoying a great bike. I like slow runs 50mph or less. More time on the bike and enjoy the scenery. I would like a 6th gear though, it has the power for it. Pretty much the same bike that first rolled out years ago as a new one. If it ain't broke don't fix it applies.
In my experience, it’s a bike you love more the longer you own it.
I think I’ll ride mine until I’m incapable of riding.
Rider fits that bike really well! Considering this over a used Harley
I had a c50T, older version that I had to trade for a C90T. Traded it because the RPM was crazy on the highway.
The c90 was 10 times the bike. You don’t need a 6 speed. You just need the top gear to be tall enough to run on the highway at low rpm. The c90 was a 5 speed and ran along the highway at half the rpm of the c50
A differential swap solved that, but now I want that disc break. Super reliable just watch the oil level.
@@ssstryker6136 -
Suzuki has made it very clear. Both bikes are meant for cruising only (under 70mph). The bags are merely for convenience, not for touring.
Really enjoyed my 2010 C50T. I see with the new model, Suzuki does not include the pillion sissy bar and pillion backrest as standard equipment. Safe Travels.
Love my 2005 C50T. Bought it used shortly after retiring. Simple and extremely reliable. Great bike for older riders who still want a cruiser that is on the lighter side and not faster than we want to go.
My boulevard c50 2021
No Abs?
Thats too much.
My first bike I've been riding my 2012 c50t now for about 3 years and love it. I have the sissy bar the old lady hops right on and loves it.
My 2023 ready in the showroom
I will get it by next week Oct 25😎
These bikes are great beginner bikes and for older riders that do not want to lug around a heavy bike
Kill the music-noise. Gotta exit out because ruined it
The 800 C50 makes 50 odd hp at 4500rpm
Specs not alwats shown
58hp at 5300rpm
61hp at 6000rpm
Limiter stops throttle at 8k
Shame it does not exist in Europe, i would buy this bike
I wish they still made the C90T - I'm a bigger guy and would like the extra power for this style.
It's a great mid-sized bike as I too owned one and road it for 3 years and like robm3357 I upgraded to a C90. I do wish Suzuki would update the C50 with a rear disk brake and eliminate the drum brake and offer ABS even if it's an upgrade. Ideally, I wish Suzuki would design a new boulevard model a bit larger than the C50 or bring back the C90 with dual disks, ABS, Cruise control.
@ricmiller484 -
It's a beginner bike. It's priced for people who are getting into motorcycling or people who are looking to downsize and want something small to get around town in. Maintenance wise, it's a straightforward when it comes to doing oil, coolant, and spark plug changes and the clutch lasts about 20k miles. It doesn't have the ECU issue of running too lean, meaning either having to pay extra to have the ECU flashed or installing a Fuel Commander, which then means having to move up from running regular to premium gas.
Once a person learns what they desire on their "perfect" bike, they move up to the next level. Suzuki kinda knows a segment of Americans are looking at Harley Davidson and will come up with the money to obtain one no matter what they put on their Boulevards.
Great looking bikes..easy maintenance, But "Desperately" needs a 6th gear (or taller 5th). Thx for video
Excellent review. I stumbled upon a pristine, barn-find 2004 Volusia with 3700 miles and I'm now prepping it for a bucket-list solo trip down Route 66. Been riding everything from Harleys to Ducatis for 32 years. Love this bike.
Absolutely beautiful bike - I would be seen on that !
I rock my 2008 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 every good weather day.
Given more $$$ & garage space, I'll be seriously considering a C50T or C90T in future.
I've viewed several YT videos on this model since my 21 year old son feels ready to upgrade from his '06 Blvd S40 thumper. While many of the vloggers brand the C50 as a beginner bike, many of the comment makers identify as older returning or retread riders. Of course that doesn't mean that the C50 can't be both! Kudos to Suzuki, they got it both coming and going! And Kudos to Road Rider for a stylish, succinct, but thoroughly informative video. I liked so much I subscribed!
I like it. To me not having all that electronic crap is a big plus.
Pretty important "crap" that you'd cry over without it in your car
My car doesn't have that crap either.
You speak my mind.. All those electronic gadgets are distracting and don't support developing and maintaing good riding habbits.
Excellent review… 😃 Love the Shaft drive and decent sized gas tank 🤘🏻 What approximately is the most comfortable cruising speed on the C50T? Can it do like 80 mph all day long? Ty in advance 👍🏻
I'd say yes - on a standard VL800 (like a T model, but a.o. without a windshield), I once rode 300+ miles (Innsbruck, AT to Bratislava, SK) at some 85+ mph. The bike was fine. I realized I was physically tired, but after I parked and got myself two short beers - so no big deal. From experience, 75 mph is THE comfortable highway speed (again, without windshield - of course, unless it's VERY windy a/o raining heavily), with 80+ mph being used only to speed up overtaking trucks and slower cars. The bike could handle that without issue, and so could I.
@T-003 -
Yes. When I had my 2018, I made six 500 mile interstate speed travels. The only issues were buffering, the whining sound of the engine due to not having a 6th gear, and lacking cruise control. I added an engine guard to allow me to attach highway pegs, swapped out to larger Viking bags for more space, removed the windshield for a TKY fairing to address some of the buffering and hand protection, and changed from a stock to Mustang seats.
The TKY did take care of some of the buffering issues, but in reality, the bike was designed for backroad and highway traveling nothing greater than 70mph; not to be a poor man's Road Glide. I eventually traded it in for a true poor man's Road Glide, a Kawasaki Vaquero.
Well I absolutely love the C50 I had one a few years ago did several modifications to mine put a Batwing fairing on it and hard bags also swaped the rear end with a 1400 older intruder which gave me approximately 13% taller gears which made a huge difference and gave me longer legs throughout that being said I did ride that bike about 600 miles on one trip it was extremely comfortable but I felt like it was at home around 75 mph it would run 80 no problem 85 but I really felt like between 75 and 80 is where it belonged and that is after I did the rear end upgrade before that the bike seem to be a little short legged and I don't think it would have like 75 all day
@@TheHillrat4wd How tall are you, if I may ask?
@@buffalodebill7986 6ft 235lb
I bought my c50 new in 2010. Still have it and its been an amazing bike. The only thing that I have done regarding maintenance is change the oil once a year and grease the shaft splines once every couple of years. Engine is bullet proof. The only negative with these bikes is that the shaft splines are not lubricated enough from factory which causes the splines to strip out if you don't lube them up with something like moly grease. Other than that, these bikes last forever.
Would this be a good beginner bike?
It's not the smallest bike out there, but it is on the smaller size considering what many cruisers weigh. For the right person, this could make a great bike for a beginner.
It definitely is - if you're into cruisers 🙂- it delivers on daily commuting and easy cruising levels without a hitch, and is also more than adequate to bring you from A to B via highway. As I rode a 2009 VL800(C) model from 2009 till 2019 (had to sell it in 2020) both solo and with GF (= really fully packed), you may consider this the voice of seasoned experience.
Also, earlier this year I bought a 2003 VL800 Volusia model (which is carbureted, but otherwise it is +/- the same bike), which the two of us rode for some 2 months, before I gave it to her, so she could ride by herself and not just as a co-rider. And indeed, she handles it very well, with visible improvements in riding technique, bike handling and her own overall confidence on the bike being there on a one-ride-to-another basis. Considering she had her first ride only a week ago, it's quite impressive on her part - and it also speaks volumes about the bike, especially how easy it is to handle as such.
BTW I very seriously considered getting just another VL800 for myself (when I gave the 2003 one to my GF), but as we're used to going for 2 or 3 weeks of vacation on a single bike almost every year (typically, exploring mountain passes in Austrian and Slovenian Alps -yes, that is a major portion of those trips), I opted to upgrade to 2007 C90T, just for the two of us to have the extra power and comfort on highway, when trying to get closer to those mountains and do it as swiftly and comfortably as possible.
Personally, despite my praise for her riding, I'd say it would be yet hazardous to let my GF try e.g. Grossglockner or Nockalmstrasse on her own, but maybe by next season, she's already gonna be up to the task - in which case I'll re-think if I want to a/o really need to stay with the C90T.
Yes, the Intruder VL800 is such a brilliant bike, that not only it delivers in regards to my GF, but even I would be perfectly OK to switch back to it.
LbnL it is also worth mentioning, that maintenance of the VL800 / C50(T) is more or less limited to mandatory checks according to regular service intervals defined by Suzuki - which by themselves are very easy to perform, take little time (2 hours max) and are surprisingly cheap.
To sum it up - if you want a big-looking bike, which is actually quite light, easy to handle, comfy to ride and cheap to maintain, my answer is YES, don't hesitate and go ahead with the VL800 / C50.
Ride hard & ride safe 🙂
My father had an earlier model but sold it due to what seemed like an engine vibration somewhere in the 50-60mph range. Did you encounter anything like that with this one?
Not on this one! Only good vibrations.
It's 2023 and they still have a rear drum brake. That's ridiculous. I would never buy this bike given the better options out there.
Don't fix what's not broke I love my c50 engine is a tank if maintained properly great Gas mileage easy let me say that again easy to.fix
I owned this bike for 1 season and got rid of it. The bike has no power, and still has a disk brake on the back wheel (seriously?). If I had a passenger, It's very hard to stop with 1 disk brake. Also, the passenger foot pegs are literally 2 inches away from the rear bags. A passenger has to put the edge of their heal on the pegs (great engineering there). Still a 5-speed, unbelievable. Might want to check out a 900 Vulcan. Worst bike I've owned.
There hasn’t been a solid update to this since 2009. May as well buy a used bike for $3000-$4000. If you’re buying new there are better bikes out there for the price.
*Outstanding and informative review. Thanks. BikeSanooK! greetings from sunny tropical THAILAND*