October 11, 2005 The Suzuki M109 is intended for the power cruiser marketplace – the market begun and dominated by Harley Davidson that has attracted competitors from Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and latterly, the only truly original contender in the field since the Harley itself, Triumph. In this market, brutal torque is the currency, so bigger is better when it comes to engine size and the original Harley V-twins which seemed ginormous at 1280cc have been trumped and countertrumped all the way to 1700cc by Yamaha, 1800cc by Honda and 2000cc by Kawasaki – the largest V-twin motorcycle engine in the world. Then there’s Triumph’s 2300cc Rocket III, but that’s another story entirely. Currently, the Suzuki is the runt of the pack with a capacity of 1.6 litres, but quite soon we’ll see a newer, meaner and much higher revving Suzuki contender – the M109 gets its name from the cubic inches it packs – 109 of them.
The piston is one of the largest on the road at 112mm and the stroke of 90.5mm indicates the engine will be of a different character to its contemporaries, with short skirt pistons, and four large valves feeding fuel injected mixtures from the beefy 56mm throttle bodies – in short, we expect the M109 (112.0 x 90.5mm) will rev much freer than the long stroke engines of the Kawasaki (103.0 x 123.2 mm), Yamaha (97.0 x 113.0) or Honda (101 x 112mm)
Though the engine is 54-degree v-twin , Suzuki has offset the crankpins so the engine indeed fires as if it were a 90 degree v-twin. There’s a lot of nice detail on the bike, including the 46mm inverted forks, the same stoppers as the GSX-R1000 and a shaft drive.
How it all fits together will be interesting – character is as important as looks in this marketplace as too is what the bike sounds like with a set of politically incorrect mufflers.
New Engine
New 1783cc, 4-valve DOHC, 54 degree, liquid-cooled, fuel injected V-twin engine designed for strong throttle response and quick accelerationMassive 112mm bore and 90.5mm stroke utilizing huge 112mm forged aluminum alloy pistons with short skirts, and cut away sides riding on chrome moly steel connecting rodsUnique new two-stage cam drive system creates a compact cylinder head design and reduces overall engine height and creates a lower center of gravityEach bore is lined with Suzuki's race proven SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material) for optimum heat transfer, tighter piston-to-cylinder clearances and reduced weightA compact dry sump lubrication system SASS (Suzuki Advanced Sump System) provides reduced engine height, a lower crankshaft position and lower center of gravityFive speed transmission features carefully selected gear ratios for comfortable cruising in a variety of riding situationsThree piece airbox uses dual intakes with 9.5 liters of internal volume working through a pleated fabric air cleaner elementThe 2-into1-into2 stainless steel chromed exhaust system features Suzuki's digitally controlled SET (Suzuki Exhaust Tuning) system for optimum engine performance and powerful v-twin soundElectronic fuel injection system features the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve system (SDTV) with 56mm throttle bodies - maintains optium air velocity for smooth low-to-mid range throttle responseA new Idle Speed Control (ISC) system improves cold starting and stabilizes engine idle speed in various conditionsDual spark plug per cylinder ignition system is controlled by the powerful 32 bit ECM for improved combustion effeciency and reduced exhaust emissionsRace proven front brake system includes radial mounted four piston front calipers and 310mm front brake rotors. Rear brake system includes a dual piston caliper and 275mm rear disc
New Chassis
- High-tensile double cradle steel frame is built to comfortably handle all the power and torque while delivering agile handling and a plush smooth ride
- Spiral spoke cast aluminum alloy wheels measure a 3.50 x 18 inch up front and a massive 8.50 x 18 inch rear tire wearing a huge 240mm rear Dunlop radial tire
- The M109R features a muscular, innovative and stylish new look of high performance with long sleek flowing lines and a powerful V-twin engine
- A sleek wide fuel tank with 5.1 gallon fuel capacity that flows into integrated side covers, a comfortable low seat and stylish radiator cowl.
- A streamlined headlight cover carrying a unique trapezoidal shaped multi reflector H4 halogen headlight and a maintanance free LED tail light built into the tailsection
- A handlebar mounted digital tachometer and LED indicator lights flow nicely with the tank mounted analog speedometer and LCD odometer, dual tripmeters, fuel gauge and clock
- Inverted cartridge forks with 46mm stanchion tubes proved an aggressive front end look with 5.12 inches of wheel travel
- A cast aluminum alloy swingarm works with a progressive shock linkage and a preload adjustable single rear shock delivering 4.66 inches of wheel travel working through a shaft drive system
SpecsEngine:1783cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, V-twin, DOHC, 4-valvesBore Stroke:112.0mm x 90.5mmCompression Ratio:10.5:1Fuel System:Fuel injectionLubrication:Semi-Dry SumpIgnition:Digital/transistorizedTransmission:5-speedFinal Drive:ShaftOverall Length:2460mm (96.8 in.)Overall Width:940mm (37.0 in.)Overall Height:1180mm (46.5 in.)Seat Height:700mm (27.6 in.)Ground Clearance:135mm (5.31 in.)Wheelbase:1715mm (67.5 in.)Dry Weight:315kg* (695 lbs.)Suspension Front:Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil dampedSuspension Rear:Link type, coil spring, oil damped, 7 way adjustable spring pre-loadBrakes Front:Dual hydraulic discBrakes Rear:Single hydraulic discTires Front:130/70R18 M/C 63VTires Rear:240/40R18 M/C 79VFuel Tank Capacity:19 liter (5.0 gal.)Color:Black, Silver, Violet Blue
