Mailman’s Suzuki C50 Boulevard

Mailman

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I’m starting a new thread for my Suzuki, anything I do to it from now on will be posted here. I made an interesting discovery today, I knew the bike had emissions equipment on it, like air injection and catalytic converters, but I was surprised to find that my bike is a California only model, meaning it gets extra stuff that the rest of the country doesn’t have, such as an evaporative canister system and this one really surprised me…dual spark plug heads.

I want to make the bike more comfortable for longer rides and also wanted to give it a little luggage carrying ability. I really wasn’t interested in the whole saddlebag , passenger backrest, and barn door windshield , cruiser look. I was interested in a quick release windshield , I like riding without one when I’m just buzzing around the neighborhood, then just pop it on when I want to go for a longer ride.

So I bought a National Cycle Switchblade Chopped windshield, the installation could not be simpler, the quick release mounts attach to the upper forks with two stainless steel bands…..and that’s it! After that you can just snap the windshield on and off in seconds. The Chopped windshield is 15” from the headlight cut out to the top of the screen, most full size cruiser shields are 21-22”. I have a nice clear view over the top of the shield and the wind coming over the top just hits the top of my helmet, with minimal buffeting. The shield is very solid and does not move or rattle when you ride.
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Looking good! I really like that quick detach system. Very low profile. Do you plan on removing the emissions equipment? Not sure what the rules are like in your location. When I had my KTM I removed all my emissions stuff and besides it feeling more responsive, it made accessing parts of the bike MUCH easier without having to move the evap canister and 1000 hoses.
 
Gorgeous.
'TT'

Thanks!

They make an aftermarket air filter? :wink2:

Like something really big?? 😆 By the way, there is an air flow sensor for the fuel injection ECU inside that box.

Looking good! I really like that quick detach system. Very low profile. Do you plan on removing the emissions equipment? Not sure what the rules are like in your location. When I had my KTM I removed all my emissions stuff and besides it feeling more responsive, it made accessing parts of the bike MUCH easier without having to move the evap canister and 1000 hoses.

I might look into it. That sort of thing has to be done carefully, there are sensors everywhere.
 
Thats a slick setup
I at first thought that the shield was mounted on existing mounts that came on the bike when you bought it
Looks good
 
Missed the opportunity to pickup the M50 version of this for cheap several years ago. Thought it would be nice to have as a spare mount for visiting friends or family.
 
As long as the grips aren’t heated and their ain’t a radio, it’s all good in my book.

Ps. Doesn’t California just make every vehicle funner! 😂

That is the rumor that California bikes are very careful about peoples interests Just not the Motorcyclist s
XS 650 s with lean mixtures
Triumphs with lean mixtures ..getting the headers blue from the shop home before being able to add fuel
Now this can have changed and adjusting can be illegal at some places
And have warranty issues
But what I have heard right or wrong of California bikes is that everyone re jets ..perhaps even in California
The carburetor experts know more and perhaps chime in
Even though this is not a carburetor machine
 
Thats a slick setup
I at first thought that the shield was mounted on existing mounts that came on the bike when you bought it
Looks good

Thanks! I had considered a factory Suzuki windshield, I thought it would probably be the best engineered to fit well, but it was one of those plexiglass barn doors that you have to look through, and the mounting system was ridiculously complex. You had to take a bunch of stuff apart on the front of the bike and relocate the turn signals, about a 90 minute job to take on or off.
Missed the opportunity to pickup the M50 version of this for cheap several years ago. Thought it would be nice to have as a spare mount for visiting friends or family.

You know to be honest, it didn’t really make much financial sense for me to buy a new one, there were so many nice , low mileage examples of this model Suzuki and the Kawasaki 900’s that I could’ve picked up for peanuts.
I was just being indulgent in getting a new one.
 
With a road going motorcycle it’s not really a problem (beyond maybe it may void your warrantee). Worked a few years at a shop and we would derestrict bikes the day they were sold.

We don’t have to have our bikes smog checked like we do cars.

Off road bikes it’s a quite a bit stricter. Ranger sees an exhaust that’s aftermarket and you get a ticket (possibly impounded).
 
I was surprised to find that my bike is a California only model, meaning it gets extra stuff that the rest of the country doesn’t have, such as an evaporative canister system and this one really surprised me…dual spark plug heads.

I was doing some digging last night, turns out the dual plug head was actually added to the whole model range
some years ago. I had downloaded a repair manual online that came out before that was done, and it said ( back then) that that was just a California thing.
Do you plan on removing the emissions equipment?

I’m still researching this, I for sure can’t do it during the first year without voiding my warranty. There is not a lot of information out there on how to do it. This bike runs well even with all that crap in place and most guys never bother with it. And I also read an article last night , where a guy said he removed the evap system and air injection and now his bike wouldn’t idle right and it kept dying on him. Somewhere he had to have disconnected a sensor or done something that affected one, that impacted his fuel injection.
 
Unless you know or read someone with a proven track record on de-smogging that particular model.... I'd jus' let it be. No tellin' how many cans of worms there are in there.
If it's fast enough for your needs, gets good enough mileage and is nice and trackable.... ain't no point to it really....
My :twocents:
 
Unless you know or read someone with a proven track record on de-smogging that particular model.... I'd jus' let it be. No tellin' how many cans of worms there are in there.
If it's fast enough for your needs, gets good enough mileage and is nice and trackable.... ain't no point to it really....
My :twocents:

I’m inclined to agree, as long as that stuff is just performing invisibly in the background , I don’t think I see a need for potentially creating a problem.
 
I would agree at this point. Once I mentioned it yesterday I went down a rabbit hole looking at this for your bike. It would appear mods of that nature are few and far between. Not sure if it's a matter of there's just too many problems trying to get it done, the fact it's not a fire breathing dragon being choked up, or both. Leave and ride. Safe bet
 
I have fuel injection on my Honda Fireblade and it is amazing how well it works even if it is the first generation
and gets criticism for being ON / OFF ..
It is a system with a lot of sensors that affects many parts in the system. Signals that enters the Black box
Once that is dialed in it is an excellent possibility " Sitting on ones hands "

I made a big mistake ..when I made service on it I should install the cam chain tensioner and could not get one screw in.
I dont have big hands but it is tight.
Above it was one sensor that I took out and installed everything afterwards.
And then when I should start the machine there was some mysterious error code ----Error code .. ?? ?? what is that ...never heard of it on old motorcycles.
Turned out there was a register to read out like a computer
And then I found that the code was related to some was it " Throttle Position sensor "
The one I had taken out ..

That was factory set and adjusted .. nothing to buy online and no setting instructions in a service manual since it should not come out
Finally found some setting Voltages and needed 2 Voltmeters to set the sensor right
Ans managed to get it right Pure Luck

So this being a cruiser and new ..It can wait a while and let the pros deal with it if it stumbles which it probably wont
 
You know to be honest, it didn’t really make much financial sense for me to buy a new one, there were so many nice , low mileage examples of this model Suzuki and the Kawasaki 900’s that I could’ve picked up for peanuts.
I was just being indulgent in getting a new one.

Didn't read, or realize you had bought a new one, why it's so clean n shiney.
I had purchased a used wreck Kaw 900 Vulcan Custom a few years ago partly to help out a friend of my wife who had bought it for her son who wrecked it then didn't turn in on insurance because he had been drinking, and with the thought of rebuilding it for my wife to replace her 750 Shadow.
Took a couple years of off/on ebay and Kaw forum work to get the replacement parts, get the paint matched to the used two tone tank I bought, seat reupholster, and go through it doing all maintenance and service so that it was Right.
In the end she didn't like the ergos so I sold it to a young Mexican guy who was happy to get it. Probably didn't break even but felt good about the finished product. Decent running cruiser and sounded well even with stock pipes.

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