The Saga Begins...

The story begins with a boy, a girl, a motorcycle, and an idea. It started with a search for a bike to replace my 2006 Ninja 500r entry-level sportbike. I like the Ninja but I wanted something a little bigger and suitable for some long-distance touring with a passenger.

After months of searching, pestering sales people, sitting on bikes, hemming and hawing, I discovered that being only 30 inches in the inseam was going to prove a problem. I wanted something that I felt was comfortable enough to take a passenger out on a ride and standing on my tiptoes was not going to do it.

I started the search for a cruiser, low slung, plenty of low end torque, just what I had in mind. So after more research I found the Suzuki Boulevard C50. I figured, I'll just pop down to the local dealer and check one out...I was wholly unprepared for the experience.

I talked to one of the salesmen that I'd been bugging for months while trying to find the right bike. "I'd like to take a look at your C50s." He led me to the row of Suzuki cruisers and there she was...draped in candy-apple red and black metal flake paint, all dipped in chrome (red and black has always been my favorite color scheme and matches my Ninja). She was a vision of two-wheeled mechanical sex glistening in the lights of the showroom. It was instant attraction...I don't know why...but I had to have it on a visceral level.

"S" kept saying the right bike would come and there it was. The deal was struck (a steal of a deal) and I scheduled to pick up my bike the next Friday.

"S" brought me to the dealership after work on Friday and while the final paperwork was signed we shopped for helmets. After about an hour of window shopping she looked at me with concern and said..."Well aren't you gonna ride?" I just chuckled and said I will in a little while...you could tell she was excited with the prospect of picking up the new bike and possibly starting our new adventures. So we headed out to the parking lot.

I mounted up and thumbed the starter. The bike sprang to life and sat beneath me at idle thumping away. Wow! That’s a nice deep tone...I goosed the throttle and it rumbled a little filling me with anticipation. I tested the clutch engagement, checked the turns and pulled out onto the road. It was a completely different experience than my Ninja. This thing pulled like a tractor and was solid as a rolling rock. A "Barcalounger" with power and tons of low end torque...I'm gonna like this one.

The next day my buddy Robert and I cruised down to Babalu's on Austin's Sixth street for cigars and coffee. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/babalus-cigar-and-coffee-austin) I highly recommend this place.

He pulled up to me on his Hayabusa while we were in slow traffic on the IH-35 upper deck and said..."Hey rev it a little!" I cranked the throttle and I could see the grin behind his helmet visor. "Sounds pretty good!" he said.

For the next week I rode it to work, the whole time "S" poked me with a stick..."When can I ride?"