Just got back in from a 3-day, 230 mile round trip to the family mountain house at Flat Rock, NC. This was first ride I've made over 50 miles on my new-to-me 2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50. I have to say, it seems to be all I was looking for in a light touring bike. Going up the Saluda Grade on I-26 the bike not only took the climb without even breathing hard, but led the pack up the mountain. Some buffeting on my helmet had been greatly reduced the day before by raising the windshield to its highest setting, then "engineering" a method to take a few degrees of rake off, making it a bit more upright. Even at 75, the buffet was mild and escapable by either ducking or stretching my head up slightly. I have a set of lowers to install, and they should eliminate the problem entirely.
The ride was smooth and comfortable. I took a non-stop 2.25 hour route coming home, and honestly felt my butt would have held up without a break for another hour. As I normally stop once every 60 to 90 minutes even in a car, this is great! One item I have added is a driver's backrest, and I am sure it gets part of the credit for comfort. I was pleased with the gas mileage, too. Overall the average was 45.7 MPG.
Only two "problems" -- when I rested my right foot on the highway peg I felt the crash bars shift a fraction of an inch; one of the bolts had gotten slightly loose, and 2 minutes with a 17mm wrench cured that. Then, the retaining nut for the left rear turn signal backed off, leaving the signal dangling and the nut trapped on the wire. A danged awkward little thing to confront, and I finally just made a field-expedient "fix" with a bit of Gorilla tape. Worked fine all the way home.
Overall, I am happy with the experience, and am planning many more!
The ride was smooth and comfortable. I took a non-stop 2.25 hour route coming home, and honestly felt my butt would have held up without a break for another hour. As I normally stop once every 60 to 90 minutes even in a car, this is great! One item I have added is a driver's backrest, and I am sure it gets part of the credit for comfort. I was pleased with the gas mileage, too. Overall the average was 45.7 MPG.
Only two "problems" -- when I rested my right foot on the highway peg I felt the crash bars shift a fraction of an inch; one of the bolts had gotten slightly loose, and 2 minutes with a 17mm wrench cured that. Then, the retaining nut for the left rear turn signal backed off, leaving the signal dangling and the nut trapped on the wire. A danged awkward little thing to confront, and I finally just made a field-expedient "fix" with a bit of Gorilla tape. Worked fine all the way home.
Overall, I am happy with the experience, and am planning many more!
