New 2010 M50 Info and Pictures

[Pinhead78]

Man, I cannot believe the negativity towards the natural progression of the M50. I can't believe you guys don't like that thing! It's awesome looking!!

(I stand on the stage while the Secret Hideaway crowd throws various rotten vegetables at me)

Ok, ok, ok, you are right, that thing stinks!!

I do like the mirrors though. Unfortunately, that's all I like about it.

Although, I don't think the picture of our 05-09 M50 on the Suzuki website really do the bike justice. Agreed? The stock photos' make the M look kinda stretched and awkward. In person though, it is a totally different story. I think I'll reserve my final judgment until I see the 2010 M50 in person. I don't want to completely condemn the 2010 just by one photo.

[DrBob]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaRoller

If Kawasaki can put a 6-speed transmission in the $5000.00 Vulcan 500, don't tell me Suzuki couldn't figure out how to put one in the M50.

That's because the Vulcan 500 motor is an off the shelf unit lifted from a sportbike, and was not designed specifically for this inexpensive bike. In this case, it would have cost a lot more to develop a new 5-speed than to just recycle the ninja 500 parallel twin/ 6-speed unit. Suzuki does not have a v-twin with a 6 speed, so there would be substantial development and retooling costs to create a new one for the M50. While these might be acceptable in a higher-priced bike like the C109T, the extra few hundred dollars per bike would kill sales of their mid-priced cruisers. AS 5-speeds are still the standard for a non-Harley v-twin, I don't think we will see 6 speeds from Japanese cruisers for a few more years. Hell, Suzuki kept the 4-speed in the Intruder 1400 for a decade after Harley went to a 5 speed.

The M50 is always only going to attract a certain relatively small segment of the riding public. No Harley riders are going to be interested in it at all and only cruiser riders that want a little sportier look and mid size power are going to want it. So you might as well get feedback from them since there the ones who are going to purchase them.

That's the whole point: the M50 can not survive if it has limited appeal. It is not a high priced, high profit bike, so if Suzuki is going to continue to sell it they need to move more units than they have been. They really want to kill off the S50, which is a legacy model that does not meet current EPA standards and thus brings down the company average; has build costs that are disproportional because it uses a slew of unique parts; and makes very little per-unit profit because Suzuki simply can not raise the price anymore without loosing sales. So they redesigned the M50 to have broader appeal. The M50 is cheaper to build, sharing a lot of parts with the best-selling C50 and being assembled on the same production line, so if sales can be boosted then Suzuki stands to make a lot more profit than they do off the slow-selling current M50 and the low-profit S50 combined.

Getting feedback from the 2000 people a year who like it enough to buy it, already own one, and like it the way it is would only narrow the appeal. But getting feedback from the approximately 1 million motorcycle buyers a year who bought something else, and changing the M50 to appeal to them, has the potential to increase sales tremendously. Most mid-sized cruiser buyers do not replace their existing bike with another of the same model anyways, usually trading up to a larger model when they outgrow their current one or wear it out, so repeat sales of the M50 are almost zero anyways. How many M50 owners on this site have traded their M50 in on another M50, compared to the numbers who have traded it on another model, or the number who love it and simply plan to keep it? So making the bike more attractive to current M50 owners would not sell very many bikes anyways. But changing it to appear to a broader audience has the potential to increase sales dramatically.

I feel your pain though, even though I agree with the marketing move. I loved the S83 and the S50, but Suzuki killed one and is about to kill the other, in favor of bikes like the M90 and new M50, both of which I hate. Intruder owners have been asking for years for fuel injection and some minor updates, but Suzuki decided to go another way and left us all without a bike in their lineup I would consider owning. But Suzuki in unconcerned with loosing my business, as the M90 sells a LOT better than the S83, so for every guy like me they loose they add three who would normally not buy a Suzuki. It sucks, but that’s the way the business works.

[atweibel]

Ya know... if we'd have wanted an M109... we'd have bought an M109. Where did all the distinct character go?

[GeorgiaRoller]

Originally Posted by DrBob

It sucks, but that’s the way the business works.

I'm sure your dead on accurate about the business part of this decision. I don't doubt that at all. But I think Suzuki got this one wrong and it wouldn't surprise me that they end up just killing the M50 all together in the next few years and just have the C50 as their 800cc cruiser offering. 90% of us bought the M50 because of it's unique looks and curb appeal and were wanting a mid-size cruiser either because it was our first bike or because we didn't want a bigger, heavier bike. Alot do trade up on this bike but I think alot trade up in general from mid-size cruisers anyway. There's always the next batch of buyers wanting to jump into the mid-size cruiser class.

I think this M50 forum has spoken and it aint' looking pretty. The new M50 is just plain ugly. I'd much rather have the Kaw 900 if I was in the market for a mid-size bike in 2010.

I think I'll ride my M for another year or two and then think about getting something else. I've really enjoyed this bike so far. It's just a fun, cool, good looking bike to ride.

[amvince]

Originally Posted by atweibel

Ya know... if we'd have wanted an M109... we'd have bought an M109. Where did all the distinct character go?

So lets pretend the the M109 and M50 were on the showroom floor, same price and the overall ergonomics were acceptable on both bikes, you would have bought the M50 anyway?

[shaunmark]

Originally Posted by amvince

So lets pretend the the M109 and M50 were on the showroom floor, same price and the overall ergonomics were acceptable on both bikes, you would have bought the M50 anyway?

In that case the M50 would never exist. If you mean, could you get an M109 for the same price, hell yeah!!! Then I could sell it back at a profit, buy the M50, and have a bunch of money left over

[05HDRAM]

Originally Posted by amvince

So lets pretend the the M109 and M50 were on the showroom floor, same price and the overall ergonomics were acceptable on both bikes, you would have bought the M50 anyway?

Let me guess, you would be the guy that buys a new Camaro or Challenger and get's the 6cyl. The 109 has the power to backup the freakishly different look. The 50 should not be made to look like a rocketship, it should remain the stylish cruiser that it is.

[Danthedawgfan]

Damn, it looks as though all of the M50 threads as of late have resulted in bashing one another. This is starting to look like a yahoo chat room...

[Copronymous]

I don't feel like we're bashing one another. Just each others ideas regarding the new M

[Danthedawgfan]

Thing is, it's not just this thread, but a few others in here as well... I'm all for everyone expressing their opinions on the new M50, but it'd be nice to see it done a little more civil than some are doing.

Hey here's a question. Those of you (us) that have looked into changing out the rear fender out for either a custom or say the C50 fender, how do you like the new fender? I like it, but I wanna hear your feedback. I do think that the headlight cowl could have been a little better thought out...

[GeorgiaRoller]

Originally Posted by Danthedawgfan

Hey here's a question. Those of you (us) that have looked into changing out the rear fender out for either a custom or say the C50 fender, how do you like the new fender? I like it, but I wanna hear your feedback. I do think that the headlight cowl could have been a little better thought out...

Here's part of the problem. If this was just another Suzuki bike offering I don't think you see the backlash that your witnessing on this thread. However it isn't just another Suzuki, its the M50. The M50 was unique unto itself. Now it's the bastard step child of the ho-hum M90.

If I was forced at gunpoint to purchase this bike and in response to your question about the rear fender, I would immediately shave all the plastic crap off the back (plate holder & turn signals) so that you can actually see the rear fender. That would at least be an improvement.

While I was at it I'd change the pipes, air cleaner & headlight. Then I'd black out the rims, lower the rear end 3", debadge it, add forward controls and change the seat.

Then I'd be happy with it!............................Man I'm tired already just thinking about it.

[Danthedawgfan]

Hmm... Ok I guess that's a way of answering it. So I guess you don't like the rear fender. lol

[shaunmark]

Originally Posted by Danthedawgfan

Thing is, it's not just this thread, but a few others in here as well... I'm all for everyone expressing their opinions on the new M50, but it'd be nice to see it done a little more civil than some are doing.

Hey here's a question. Those of you (us) that have looked into changing out the rear fender out for either a custom or say the C50 fender, how do you like the new fender? I like it, but I wanna hear your feedback. I do think that the headlight cowl could have been a little better thought out...

It's not as cool looking as the C50 fender or the current M50 fender, it just kinda looks...well, boring. Just like the headlight... it looks like something they would've came up with in the 80's... I do think the mirrors are way better looking than the squares

[M50METAL]

It comes as no surprise everyone here doesn't like the new look...we bought our M50's because we like the current version. I'll reserve judgment until I see the bike in person...but I'll bet it will look kinda cool with the rear seat cover on.

I'm afraid the the C50/M50 have lost their luster as of late. When they 1st came out in 05/06 I thought they set the bar for the 800 class...but I think the Star 950 blows them away. It will be interesting to see if Honda will have the balls to do something worth while with the Shadow.

[NorCalM50]

I like the front....the rear is weak though...

[NoMoreLs1]

I can see their logic in doing this but don't like their execution. There will probably be alot of people that like the look of the M109 or M90 but won't/can't shell out the money and settle on the M50.

[Davecm203]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaRoller

While I was at it I'd change the pipes, air cleaner & headlight. Then I'd black out the rims, lower the rear end 3", debadge it, add forward controls and change the seat.

Then I'd be happy with it!............................Man I'm tired already just thinking about it.

Soooo,...you would do to it what you would/have done to your bike. From what I see and read, those are changes that just about every cruiser rider makes or wants to make to their bikes that they love. So, what is the difference?

[ghostriderchuck]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaRoller

I think I'll ride my M for another year or two and then think about getting something else. I've really enjoyed this bike so far. It's just a fun, cool, good looking bike to ride.

[Don M50limited]

Originally Posted by Danthedawgfan

Damn, it looks as though all of the M50 threads as of late have resulted in bashing one another. This is starting to look like a yahoo chat room...

Yeah, this thread isn't bad......but I definitely agree about some of the "conversations" taking place lately in other threads.

[amvince]

Originally Posted by 05HDRAM

Let me guess, you would be the guy that buys a new Camaro or Challenger and get's the 6cyl. The 109 has the power to backup the freakishly different look. The 50 should not be made to look like a rocketship, it should remain the stylish cruiser that it is.

If you look I have an M50 and M90 now so I guess I would by the 6 cyl version if th eprice were right. Anyway, If they kept the M50 it the same they wouldn't sell many more bikes. It has looked the same for 4 years. We may all like the way the current model looks but obviously the sales numbers warrant a change. It may be a change for the worse in your opinion (and mine) but it is a change.

By the way using the 6 cyl Camaro & Challenger theory Suzuki is making a great move. The 6 cyl versions always outsell the 8's. Had to throw that in.