[BlutoBodine]

Lucky enough to be working Sat, Sun and Mon on this Labor Day weekend - bored and thinking about future bike choices. Test rode Yamaha Raider and Roadliner recently and really liked them. Most recently I rode a church buddy's 2009 M109 around the church parking lot a couple of times. Have at least a half a dozen other bikes in mind also...but for some reason, I still seem to prefer Suzuki cruisers over everything else I've seen. M109 was awesome :twisted: but I think the C90 would fit my lazy riding style and runtish stature a bit better. For those owners that have been on both the C50 and C90 for any length of time, how do they compare as a daily commuter bike? Weight, balance, handling, braking, highway cruising rpm's...etc...? Would appreciate any information and opinions on the C90. Thanks.

 

[Lightwield]

I wish I could get my hands on a 2008 C109 with low miles... I don't like the looks of the Muscle 50, 90 or 109

 

[Chedell]

There is one on ebay right now, mine.

 

[BearBait]

PM member DCinCT, who has a whole lot of on-point experience.

 

[olfart]

I wish I could get my hands on a 2008 C109 with low miles... I don't like the looks of the Muscle 50, 90 or 109

2008 Suzuki VLR1800 C109RT

 

[Midnight]

I loved my Vol but I love my C90 more. I'm 5'7" and the height and balance are great just like the Vol. It's got lots of power for 2-up and solo riding whether for passing speed or for the slab. I like cruising vs tearing it up, and country twisties vs super slab and it's a perfect bike for that. It handles superbly in tight cornering and quick turns, very responsive and easy to maneouver. Braking is better IMHO because of the dual disc brakes up front and the disc brake on the rear tire. The heavier bike is more stable on the slab and in windy conditions. Some people complain about the smaller tank - 14Litres - but I still get up to 285km/175 miles per tank and can easily ride for 3 hours before stopping for a stretch break and to get gas. You can easily buy a Gman auxiliary tank if you really want to stretch out your miles between fillups. Some earlier C90s had a stator burnout problem, but if you throw a R/R 602 onto it you've virtually eliminated any potential problem - simple and relatively cheap. Heat build up is a main source of the problem so riding style and location are definitely contributing factors. My bike is at 47000+km/29000+miles and there's no indication of any stator problem. My wife says that she is much more comfortable on the C90 than on the Vol, and that's the biggest plus for me. oh ya, that and no more valve adjustments.

 

[BlutoBodine]

I loved my Vol but I love my C90 more. I'm 5'7" and the height and balance are great just like the Vol. It's got lots of power for 2-up and solo riding whether for passing speed or for the slab. I like cruising vs tearing it up, and country twisties vs super slab and it's a perfect bike for that. It handles superbly in tight cornering and quick turns, very responsive and easy to maneouver. Braking is better IMHO because of the dual disc brakes up front and the disc brake on the rear tire. The heavier bike is more stable on the slab and in windy conditions. Some people complain about the smaller tank - 14Litres - but I still get up to 285km/175 miles per tank and can easily ride for 3 hours before stopping for a stretch break and to get gas. You can easily buy a Gman auxiliary tank if you really want to stretch out your miles between fillups. Some earlier C90s had a stator burnout problem, but if you throw a R/R 602 onto it you've virtually eliminated any potential problem - simple and relatively cheap. Heat build up is a main source of the problem so riding style and location are definitely contributing factors. My bike is at 47000+km/29000+miles and there's no indication of any stator problem. My wife says that she is much more comfortable on the C90 than on the Vol, and that's the biggest plus for me.

Thanks for the info. Main thing I was worried about was overall handling and balance of bike with the extra weight. Only real negative comments I've heard were about the stator and small gas tank. Nothing that would really bother me.

oh ya, that and no more valve adjustments.

Sold. :applause: