Suzuki M50 - What's not to like?

I loved my Bandit, I loved my Katana, but I didn't love my comfort level as time marched on. I knew that to keep riding, I'd have to find something more comfortable for me. I had just about forgotten about daily riding until the gas price spiked.



I went into the showroom to see what I could get f...or my Katana and figured I would get a big scooter for gas mileage and comfort. I sat on a couple big cruisers and wondered how anyone could have fun on these big ponderous bikes. Oh well different strokes for different folks I guessed.

Then a bumblebee caught my eye. It was a cruiser, but it looked, well, sporty. It was a Suzuki M50. I sat on it and it was like settling into a favorite chair. Feet forward was different for me, but it felt nice. I talked to the salesman about a few of the bikes and scooters and he suggested the M50 after discussing my riding style.

It had reportedly good gas mileage, not better than the scooter, but it was fuel injected. That would make for easier and quicker starts in the morning. It also had shaft drive, which would be great, I I had often let my chain maintenance slip, preferring to ride, over working on a bike.

I traded in the Katana and rode out on the M50. It was a little awkward for the first few miles, riding feet forward. But the bike was so well balanced that quickly dissipated. I was so surprised at how well the bike handled and how much I could lean it. I had always assumed that cruisers were big slow handling boats on the road, the M50 was NOT shaping up that way.

The power delivery was smooth and even and although the M50 has about 1/4 the power of my previous bikes, it in no ways leaves me feeling flat. In fact the power is just about perfect, I can loaf along, or I can squirt out of traffic. On the back roads, which have always been my favorite, this bike really shines. It is very stable and yet with the nice wide handlebars and low center of gravity can really be tossed into turns. It's hard to describe how it feels, I guess riding in on back roads with lots of twists and turns, the bike feels secure, safe and exhilarating all at once.

As with any bike there are a few items I would change:

The seat could be more comfortable if you are a person who scoots way back. There's a right angle under the cushion that hits some people in a not so sweet spot, but it's not bad for a couple hours. There's a cheap home-fix for that or you can get a pad, or another seat.

The key is on the right side and anything attached to it scuffs the area around the ignition when riding.

The headlight is a bit on the weak side, the high beam being worse than the low beam. However, it has a pull trigger pass switch which shines the low and high at the same time. This is what I wish the high beam was, but you can pull that with the low beam on and get great illumination.

I wish the wires were hidden, I wish there were no visible seams anywhere. But overall this bike is a LOT more than the sum of its parts. It is a fantastic package and coming in just under 7K, it is a great value! I have gotten more compliments on this bike than on all my other bikes together, and I've had this only a handful of months. Not that I really care about what people think of my bike, I just want to ride. But still, it feels nice to have people pull up and compliment it.

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Good Bike, but needs improvement

I've been riding for the better part of 20 years now. My first bike ever was a suzuki 125, then I upgraded to a Honda CB 900, and had several 750's and 800's since. This bike leaves them all in the dust. It's quick throttle response and high end torque is superior to all other bikes I've ever own...ed. At 65 or 70, a hand full of throttle quickly propels the bike to 90 mph I do believe that the front brakes leave more to be desired as they don't not adequately stop the bike in highspeed emergency situations, but experience on a bike will more than make up for that. While this is a smaller cruiser, I wouldn't recommend it as a first bike for the inexperienced rider. Read Full Review

Great Bike

Having ridden for 30 plus years I have to say the M50 is a great bike to ride every day or for a long haul. the ride position is comfortable, the handling is great and the power is more than sufficient for anything I can ask of it. the seat leaves a little to be desired but a high quality lambs woo...l seat cover has helped. The noise level is subjective I guess and I am happy with not having to listen to a "droan" while cruising at a constant speed for miles on and.

It is a bike that has helped renew a passion for riding and has also invoked a great sense of pride in owning it. Strange?? Maybe but perhaps that is just because I love riding it. Read Full Review

Nice entry level cruiser.

Good performing cruiser, decent power, shaft drive, fuel injection. Good looking bike, got more comments/questions from people regarding it than my Harley Davidson. Gas mileage could stand to improve, gets about 41-42 mpg. Shaft drive performs well, especially in engine breaking, you'll need it seei...ng as the front rotor and rear drum seem insufficient for stopping this thing adequately from high speeds. Stock pipes don't sound very good, it's a quiet cruiser, but swap them out for some vance and hines straightshots or cruzers and it looks/sounds great. Photo is a little awkward because of angle. Great stability at high speeds, stopping can be awkward at first due to it's weight, experienced riders should have no problem. Good low seat height, forward controls as well, I'm a 5'1 female and ride on it comfortably. Read Full Review

Great Bike

I just got the M50 two weeks ago and can only say WOW, I am a new rider and feels great. I am six three and 275 lb and the bike fits great. I will upgrade to the M109 as soon as I get some more experience. I rode 200 miles this weekend and I will change seat during my 600 mile service, bike is quite... for the look. I was at a light with the Vespa and I could hear the Vespa over my bike. Over all and for the money love my bike. Read Full Review