RIDING IMPRESSION
P66
2013 SUZUKI BOULEVARD M90
Cruisin'
the Boulevard
Suzuki's M90 muscle cruiser offers both
good looks and performance
BY KIT PALMER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA WILSON
S
uzuki probably isn't one of the
first manufacturers that pops
into your head when it comes
to cruisers, but it should be. I was
again reminded just how good some
of Suzuki's cruisers really are after
logging a few miles on a couple of its
latest Boulevard models - the C90T
B.O.S.S. and M90.
Although the company has offered cruiser models in the past,
like the Marauder and Intruder, it really wasn't until the mid-2000s when
Suzuki really became a force in the
cruiser market. That's when Suzuki
overhauled its cruiser line, giving
them fuel injection, a more roughand-tumble look and a new name
– Boulevard. All of a sudden, the
new Boulevards made it a whole lot
easier to be seen while cruising on a
Suzuki. And, not to mention, easier
to be on them.
The M90, which bridges the gap
between the smaller M50 and the
monstrous and popular M109R Boulevards, took on a fairly major overall for the 2009 model year, just in
time for the economy and the entire
motorcycle industry to collapse.
Like many other motorcycle manufacturers, Suzuki suddenly found
itself with a warehouse full of bikes
it couldn't sell. As a result, Suzuki
put the M90 – and many of its other
models –on hold until it was safe for
them to come out again. And that
time is now.
The 2013 M90 picks up where
the 2009 M90 left off (there were
no official 2010-2012 models). It's
powered by a 1462cc (89.2 cubic
inch) 54-degree V-twin fuel-injected
motor, hung in a double-cradle steel
frame. It takes its "muscle" styling cue from its bigger and badder
M109R brother and you have to look
real hard to spot the differences, but
it's not really worth trying.
