26th May 2007, 19:36
I am a new rider who is thinking of purchasing the S50. Many of you have mentioned the low seat height works great for some of the shorter riders. I stand 6 feet, and am concerned that I might feel cramped up on the bike. How do you think the bike would suit someone of my height and weight. I'm about 6 feet and 175 lbs. Thanks.
28th May 2007, 11:15
I have had my 2005 Suzuki S50 for 2 years now. I purchased it in March 2005. I have not replaced the seat yet. I will as soon as I finish paying off the bike, in August.
I am 5'10" and 220lbs and the bike is an decent fit for me. I use the highway pegs I installed quite often on the freeway. I would say a new more comfortable seat is a very good idea, and if you are tall, you might want a slightly larger bike.
I have no regrets with the S50. I think it is one of the best looking bikes around. And it has all the power I could ever need.
They say the valves should be adjusted at 4000 miles. Well the shop wants over $300 to do it. I attempted it myself and gave up. I do not have the proper tools or patience. I have heard some people say the adjustment is not necessary, and others say it HAS to be done.?? I only have 3500 miles on the bike, and I am confused about the valve adjustment. Wish the bike had hydraulic valves!
Otherwise I highly recommend the S50.
24th Jul 2007, 09:34
I bought a 2005 S50 this year and I love it. At 5'2" I had the seat lowered about 2" and had a gel pad inserted. That seemed to fix the hard seat problem. The bike came with Jardine pipes, that sound fantastic.
My only problem now is I think I need the handlebars back a couple of inches. Has anyone replaced the handlebars? How involved is that? What type do you recommend to pullback the bars a couple of inches?
5th Sep 2007, 16:33
I am looking at buying a 2006 S50 for my first bike. I am 5'9 and 175lbs. By the sounds of the previous comments, this bike should be ideal for me. I was wondering what this bike is like to handle??
7th Sep 2007, 00:15
I am 5'10" and 195, and like so many others here, I love my 2005 s50. At 43, it is my first bike. Picked it up in June 2005 and have just now passed 18,000 miles. Never a problem from the bike, the problem has usually been me. It is my first bike. So, I have made some mistakes, like dropping it in the parking lot, getting too close in lane splitting and clipping the clutch handle on another car's rear view mirror, losing a key, etc.
I commute my 13 miles one way on a So Cal freeway, splitting lanes and laughing the whole time at the bumper to bumper car and truck drivers. The S50 is so nimble in splitting on the narrow, construction filled, crowded freeway. I don't think I could split as well with a bigger, wider bike like the Harleys, which are so prevalent.
I too put on a windshield pretty quickly, and that has been my only modification. I love cruising at 75 mph on the weekends on the freeway, but by 40 to 50 miles at most, I need to rest from seat strain and vibration.
I love looking at it parked in the parking lot right outside my office window. Even more, I like washing and polishing and staring at it. It's my first bike. I love it!
When the dealer adjusted the valves last October, it was such a delicious feel for the next 300 miles. Gonna take it in for its next service and its first new tire next week. I look forward to these; it's now averaging about six months for 4,000 miles between services. I think that will continue to be its pattern.
I get 45 to 50 mph depending on how fast I ride. I had hoped for a little more, but it is oh such fun to accelerate hard from 45 to 75/80, that I find myself doing it whenever the opportunity presents.
1st Oct 2008, 21:25
I will be glad to agree to your terms.
I am 70 and just bought a 2005 S50. Over the past 50 years I have owned 10 bikes from Whizzers, Bonneville, and my latest buy, the S50.
When I first rode the S50, I was very uncomfortable with the location of the foot pegs. My knees didn't like it and it felt a little squirrely to me.
I heard that MAPAM made a forward control kit. I found the kit at Bikertoys on eBay. I received them in about 4 days, installed the new pedals, which was very easy and only took about two hours(and the MAPAM quality was superb. I must say that it made the S50 a totally different bike. It 100% easier to ride and it feels so much more stable in turns. If you are over 5' 5'10 I would say that installing the forward controls is the best mod you could ever make. It turns a good bike into a great handling bike.
Like others, I felt the seat was just too hard for my 210 pounds. I ordered the Suzuki Gel seat and at first I didn't see much difference in the feel until I went on a 100 mile ride. "Wow", it did make a difference in the comfort level. Mine stall sputters and spits when it's cold, but after a few miles it settles in and runs great.
The engine seems a little noisy, but I have never heard another S50 to judge. If you have a S50, a comment on the noise would be appreciated.
Best regards,
DR.
4th May 2009, 00:12
I just bought my 2005 Suzuki Boulevard S50 VS800. I love it. I am 6 foot 5.
The seat is very uncomfortable and I will change it too very soon.
I heard someone saying that the bike is noisy. Yes it is and that is its normal noise.
It's my first bike and the power and acceleration is very good. It's a very good looking bike. Everywhere I go, heads turn around at traffic lights to have a look at the bike. The only thing I changed or added to the bike where the handlebars with flame grips, a chrome flame cover for the radiator and foot pegs, windshield and a crash bar.
I FULLY recommend this bike for beginners and reliability.
Be safe on the roads!!
21st May 2007, 04:46
If you are getting 40 mpg average, I'd say that something is wrong with your bike. I get 55 average, and I'd seen 60 on long trips done at a leisurely pace doing a steady 50 to 55 mph. Last year I was past tune up intervals, but even then it did 48 mpg average. That was with old spark plugs and 3 year old air filters. These Suzuki engines are renowned for the low consumption, and I'd say you should at least average 55 mpg.