Suzuki Boulevard S83 reviews

I bought a new leftover 2008 S83 in late summer 2009 at a great price - last one in the store. I got it for under $6,000. I had done a lot of research before I bought it. I wanted a lean, lighter weight, bigger displacement V-twin cruiser for under $10K. I was aware of the criticisms of the bike - squeaky brakes, grabby clutch, floppy low speed handling, uncomfortable seat, cramped riding position. Like a lot of 1980's vintage bikes, the S83 has a few quirks, but I think they add to the bike's character. The clutch is a little grabby coming off a stop and the brakes do squeak from time to time - so what, you get used to it. I found the other complaints to be nonissues. I find the midmount footpegs and original seat to be very comfortable, and I think that the bike handles just fine. The S83 has nice low end torque and plenty of power for passing on the highway. I only gave the S83 a 4 of 5 in performance, but my last bike was a HD V-rod that really scooted. My fuel economy was a little low at first (35-40 mpg.), but it really started to improve after about 2K miles on the odometer. Now I get 45-49 on the highway and 40-43 in mixed city-highway riding. Other than the clutch being a little grabby, my only complaint is the lean tuning out of the factory (to meet EPA standards). The bike does take a while to warm up and it hesitates a little on the low end when you first hit the throttle. I'm planning on a carb rejet at 4-5K miles - from what I hear, that should make the low end acceleration a lot crisper. The gas tank is only 3.6 gallons, but refueling every 100-120 miles is not a problem for me. The look of the bike is subjective - I love the narrow 1980's chopperesque look of the bike, and I do get a lot of compliments on its looks. My bike has the gold paint job - very nice looking. All in all, I'm very happy with the bike and I would buy it again without any hestitation.

I just bought my s83 a month ago. Paid $800 with no problems with it. It's been over 25 years I've been on a bike and omg I love it. I see people saying there's a toolbox on the bike but yet I'm guessing it's gone. The breather is missing and there's a dent in my tank but as for the ride its smothe and I love it. The seat dont seem that bad like others say but I've only put 150 miles on it. The chrome is beautiful and after checking it all out it seems like there's no leaks and it dont smoke.

Bought this bike in april of 2009. I put on 5300 km and am loving the bike. This was my first chooper style bike. I like it a lot better than my 1999 gsxr 750 I owned previous to this bike. This bike handles awesome and is a great starter bike. It's a 1400cc and hauls when you hit the throttle. Love it. Nice, sharp looking bike.

What a great choice for my beginner bike. Smooth ride and plenty of power. Gas mileage could be a little better, but with the 1400cc's, it's understandable. Very nicely put together and great sport look.

I had not ridden in 20 years yet have owned 20 bikes. For the money this is the best one. Easy to ride- great for doubles- dependable- An eye catcher- I would definitely reccomend.

After sampling different makes and sizes of bikes for the last year, once I hopped on the S83, there was no turning back. I love everything about this bike. It's very powerful, comfortable on short and medium rides, corners great, reliable and catches everybody's eye. The S83 kills my last bike in every way. don't allow anybody to talk you out of buying this one; just be sure to hold on tight! It's not a good bike for beginners, though.

Bought off the show room floor in October 06. Bike is a wonderful upgrade from my 77 XS650 Yamaha. Just went on a 1100 mile ride here in Pennsylvania and was nice to have such a dependable ride that was so comfortable. This bike is a perfect ride for the hills here in PA.

Hey, I recently bought a pristine condition 2000 Intruder 1400 (same as s83). My immediate first impression was the fantastic and so right for me seating position. Next was the simplified beauty it carries. Next - POWER, that is comfort power, not the often high reving type. Two weeks ago I left Maryland on it at 4 am, bound for Atlanta Georgia, (no waterproofs). I rode I-66 for a bit and then took Route 29 south for some 300 miles before joining I-85. All I can say is that it was a wonderful and surprisingly comfortable ride. This bike has power to stay in the low rev range and just incredible acceleration especially for the first 1/8 mile or so. My only slight annoyance is with the choke system. The cable, even though new, seems to drag and results in the plastic rotating knob wearing and breaking. Otherwise, just a great bike. If you get one you will probably love it! Stay safe.

Just bought the 2006, left over from last year. Before I bought it I was loooking for reviews and I could not find many and now I know that it is because the owners are all out riding. I have put 170 miles on in only 2 days, I would have had more but it has been raining too hard for riding to be fun. So far I have found it to be a very comfortable and powerful ride, the engine is still new so I have not pushed it hard yet but I can feel that there is still a lot of power that is just waiting for the chance to run free. I will write again once I have more miles to evaluate but so far I am in love.

Well after 2 years on my S83 I think I can give a final review of the bike. This has become a great bike for me. I say become because in stock form there are some things that just have to be changed. The first is the stock seat. Which should be outlawed by the Geneva Convention. Even moderately long rides can turn into total torture on the stock seat with it's plastic waffle textured surface. I replaced it with a saddlemen gel seat and all is good. Also with my height the stock footpeg placement was no good. A set of Jardine forward controls fixed that. The only other thing are the mirrors. Suzuki should have replaced the mirrors when they went to drag bars. The stock ones are only good for looking at your own shoulders. I rigged up a bar end mirror on the left and that is adequate. Also the signals are cheap and plastic looking. Still overall the bike rides and handles great with real excellent power. The brakes are noisy as hell but that makes up for the weak horn. It has all the important stuff and the rest can be fixed. For the money it's been an awesome bike for me. And with a new seat and mufflers and billet mirrors it gets compliments all the time.