2009 Suzuki Boulevard M90 First Ride

New Models

2009 Suzuki Boulevard M90 First Ride

Suzuki introduces its newest mid-sized power cruiser, the 2009 M90, which has all the styling chops of its popular M109R in a more user-friendly package.

Bryan Harley | http://www.motorcycle-usa.com | Posted December 12, 2008 Eugene, Oregon

The 2009 Suzuki M90 has all the styling cues of the popular M109R in a slightly smaller package that is lighter and easier to handle. But don't think it's any less fun to ride.

Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away.

Otis Redding is stuck in my head as I sit in Monterey on a picture-perfect day about to ride the 2009 Suzuki M90. The bike looks every bit as sharp as its big brother, the M109R, as the early morning sun demonstrates that Suzuki has been careful to make sure the motorcycle has its share of shiny chrome bits. The big slash-cut pipes stand out the most in the bike’s first once-over.

Rolling through Monterey’s Cannery Row, the bike garners its share of stares. In a touristy, family-friendly area, nobody seems to be put off by the rumble of the exhaust of a dozen M90s in emission-conscious California, a testament to the job of Suzuki’s ability to temper its exhaust note to acceptable auditory levels.

Fans of Suzuki’s M-class of cruisers will be glad to know the M90 has all the styling chops of the popular M109R. A double cradle steel frame housing a 54-degree V-Twin is central to both. The nacelles vary only in a little chrome trim, but the signature trait of the cruiser is intact. You’d have to look close to realize small changes in the layout of the bodywork, little things like switching the layout of the seat lock key from the left to right side, or to notice changes to the rear brake and the moving of its fluid reservoir. When you look at it you think M109R, and I believe that this is the effect Suzuki intended.

Hiking a leg over the motorcycle for the first time I almost felt big at six-feet tall. Sure, the M90 is 2.4-inches shorter in overall length than the M109R, but that wasn’t it. Maybe it’s the fact that the drag-style handlebars are 0.8-inches closer, and the forward-mounted foot controls have been moved in 1.1-inches. And despite the fact that the M90’s seat is actually 0.4-inches higher, it has been retailored and is a little longer than the M109Rs to give riders a little more leeway while shifting around. Unlike the way the M109R's bars stretch you out far-forward, the riding position on the M90 benefits from the reconfigured ergos in a more spine-friendly upright position.

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