Trading in my almost new C50??

A

Ali F0 $ho :]

New member
I purchased a C50T, the bike is just over 3 months old and I have just logged over 5000 miles. I picked this model for seat height, weight, comfort, etc. although I had never owned a cruiser, as I was always a sport bike/dirt bike kinda gal.

Anyway, my question/comment is this. I feel it is slightly underpowered for what I want. I am seriously looking at the Vulcan 900LT not to mention the hideous engine noise coming out of this bike. It started right after buying it and has only gotten worse. The Suzuki shop says no worries that it is normal but the slap/clanging is really worrisome to me. It is not a valve type noise but more of a piston/rod type slapping or clanging. Anyone else have any insight on this? I have seen in other forums where this might be an ongoing issue. I really want to make a trade or get this handled right away and any input would be appreciated.
 
dont know what the noise is you are talking about but if you want more power put a power comander on it then it will light up but mine has no noise as you said
 
you think the 900 will have more power over the 800??
if you're a sport type person.. why not stick with sport or sport touring?

at any rate, nothing should be clanking about. your dealer may just suck.
 
Check with another dealer.
I have 21,000 miles and no problems.

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In the garage section there is a thread to do with injectors, intake and exhaust.
If you check GMan industries they have a adjustable FI system called the "Bully" combined with a K&N Air Cleaner that will improve your performance.

None of the comparisons of the C50 and the Kawi 900 show a reason to switch.

Remember also the C50 revs a little higher than most cruisers.
 
Power wise, when considering weight to hp/torque numbers, which I feel is the most realistic comparison, the C50 is pretty much on par with the 900, 1100 and 1300 models. For instance, the vulcan 900 puts out 53 hp and 60 ft. lbs. torque which is slightly more than the C50 but weighs 20 pounds more. The honda vtx 1300 is 56hp and 70 ft. lbs. torque, which is a good bit more torque than the C50, but the 1300 weighs 100 pounds more than a C50.

To me, it's all pretty much even. I'm looking at getting a vtx 1300. I don't plan on seeing any performance gain at all over my M50. With my M50s FI, custom airbox, Fi200R and V&H pipes, I might actually lose some performance. Especially so in the twisties. But I'm a mod guy and I like the steel fenders and the handlebar/riser setup on the vtx. I see some great mod potential at the cost of a little performance.
 
The Vulcan 900 is indeed faster 0-60 and in the quarter mile, but not enough to be worth trading your C50 for. Most people will not really notice the difference, so it will certainly not satisfy your craving for power.
There are several power cruisers on the market designed to appeal to younger riders coming off sportbikes. The Suzuki M109r, Yamaha Warrior, Honda 1800 VTX, and Harley V-rod will run past your C50 like it is chained to a tree.
But those bikes are all expensive also, a d you are going to take an absolute beating if you trade your C50 after only a few months.
One other bike you might look at is the Suzuki S50. It is WAY faster than the C50 both 0-60 and in the quarter mile, thanks to having a high compression, high-perfornane, twin-carbed motor and more aggressive gearing. The bike's light weight, narrow style, and snappy acceleration make it popular with ex dirt and sport riders.
But some mods would be cheaper than a new bike- try pipes, air filters, and a power commander to improve your C50's performance noticably.
As for the engine noise, try another dealer. This does not sound normal, and should be a warranty item.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I went to a dealer today that has most brands to chose from and I have definately changed my line of thinking from the C50 to the Vulcan which would barely make a change worthwhile not to mention an expensive ooops.

I think my biggest fear in keeping the C50 is that in our local papers, Criag's list, etc. there are a lot of them for sale with rebuilt motors and super low miles. I viewed that as a reason to possibly be more concerned than necessary about these engine noises.

I have decided that I will definately be stepping up but making a much more noticeable change when doing so. I am really having a hard time deciding between three models all of which I really like and they are very different. The 2008 V-star 1300, the 2008 warrior and the 2008 M109R. Not what I was thinking about previously but now I am really torn.

Anyway, thanks again for all the replies and hopefully I will be able to settle on a new bike soon and have some input for other people in the future.
 
Maybe there is somebody in your area that specializes in rebuilding suzuki bikes. Maybe they are salvage.

I've been looking for C50s on craiglist in my area and they are very rare. I see 25 HDs, 15 Honda ACE/Spirits, 10 Yamaha V-Stars and 5 Kawasaki Mean Streaks for every C50 I find.

I've been looking cause I would love to find a used C50 and put some apes on it. Gotta find a C50 first, though.
 
Not sure about that.
The VMax is pushing 200hp, the Yamaha Raider is around 130 and the Suzuki C109 and M109 are in the neighborhood of 120 with 120ft lbs of torque. Both Triumph and Victory are pushing higher HP cruisers to keep up too.

I wouldn't consider the Vmax to be a cruiser so to speak tho.....
 
Of the three, the v star is the poorest choice, as it is it lacks the accerleration and raw power the other two have, and does not corner as well. The other two are very fast, with snappy acceleration and good handling. The M109 is a fatter styled bike, so the two are quite different when you ride them and most people find it easy to choose one or the other depending on their tastes.
The C50/ Volusia has been the best selling mid-sized cruiser for many years, so there are more of them than othe models available used also. Same goes for Harley- 80 percent of all cruisers sold in the US are Harleys, so they outnumber all other makes on the secondary market also.
 
Not much of an upgrade to lose money on, and you will lose money big time if you only had it for 3 months. Look into DJ drives. It is a C90 drive modified to put on a C50. Several posts on the forum if you do a search.

What ever is making that noise could also be why performance it not where you want it.
 
Ha ha. After all that I said about the Vulcan 900... I very well may be picking up an '07 Vulcan 900 on Saturday. Too good of a deal to pass up.
 
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