Faults:

Not a thing.

General Comments:

My eyes were opened up to the sport of motorcycling in May of 2012 by my neighbor. Every time you turn around, he was bringing home a different bike. I really had no interest in the sport other than ooohing & ahhhing at whatever he drove up on. Being involved in a 2 wheel vs 4 wheel incident when I was a teenager, almost terrified of me being on the back of a bike as the driver would ultimately try to scare me, thinking it was funny. But one day, Dave shows up & tells me he bought a Yamaha Jog scooter for $250. I said, "I want it!" & I was hooked! He threw in a helmet, taught me how to ride & away I went! I had a buddy who lived right next door, that could handle most anything mechanically that came along.

Well weeks turned into months & I loved being on 2 wheel more than 4. But then I was itching to get something bigger, something faster, something stronger. So I sold the Jog for twice what I paid. Then with Dave's help, I landed a 1991 Honda Twinstar 200cc motorcycle. It was a new experience, clutching, shifting, going faster... All things I never felt I had the talent to accomplish. But there again, there was my buddy Dave, teaching me in the parking lot of Home Depot how to do all that, & within minutes I felt I had it down & was out on the road. Road, not freeway, as this bike could hit 56 top end with a tail wind & a cop chasing after me. A wonderful bike to learn the basics & take my test. I hated to trade it in...

Once again, weeks turned into months & I decided to step up to something bigger, faster, stronger... so I purchased a 2014 Suzuki S40 Boulevard. A wonderful bike! 650cc. I can plant my feet firmly on the ground when sitting at a light. A person that has never worked out a day in their life can pick it up out of sheer rage & frustration when it is dumped. So that's a nice feature. Nice & shiny, fast as all get out. When I am at a stop light (at the front of the line as I love lane sharing), as soon as the light changes, I am 1/2 a block down the street, as the 4 wheel folks are just crossing the intersection.

Not having a visible gas gauge other than looking in the tank, has led to the bike running out of gas 3 times since I purchased it. I really need to learn to locate the reserve fuel valve while driving. Gets very good gas mileage compared to my car. Fun to ride at 45 - 50 mph & OK at 75, but it does seem to put a strain on the 1 cylinder engine. Getting ready for my 4,000 mile check up & hope they can figure out a couple of things... it does seem to jerk a bit engine-wise when in 3rd gear doing about 25-30, & it whines & cries when sitting in the parking lot. I get on it in the morning & I hear this distinctive whine coming out of the gas tank. I am used to it, but it is really irritating at times. It's like I brought a kid with me.

I gave this bike mostly all 8s as I don't have much experience to rank it any higher or lower. I am really glad I bought this bike. It is great for all around town on surface streets for sure, but not for long hauls. That is why I am looking at an 86 Kawasaki Contours. 2 bikes are better than 1. I recently test drove a new Harley Street Bob & was not impressed. By the time I got up to 65, I thought I was going 85. At a light, it just vibrated like crazy. Then I cam back & test drove a V-Rod. Very nice bike! I would consider trading bike for bike for my Suzuki.

If you are looking for a great looking, real easy to handle fun like bike, I recommend the Suzuki, but ride the M50 first before you buy the S40.

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

Lovely little roadster, which brings back memories of my youth, exploring twisty country roads to the steady thump of a well tuned big single.

Rock solid and reliable, and the perfect size for the old fat guy such as myself who is arthritic and slow, but wants to remember how I felt 50 years ago.