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"   MORE MOTORCYCLE MANIA STORIES \u2022 TEST DRIVE: Honda Ridgeline Pickup vs. Honda CRF230L Dirtbike    \u2022 PLUS: Inside the Extreme World of Motorcycle Trials Riding    DESERT LODGE, CA \u2014 Fuel Crunch? What fuel crunch? Suzuki&amp;#039;s new C109R is an unapologetically mammoth-engined motorcycle with a 1,783cc V-twin that, according to Suzuki, prides itself on having the largest cylinders of any road-going gasoline-powered vehicle. A dry weight of 787 lbs makes the C109R about as close to a two-wheeled Hummer as you&amp;#039;re going to get. But in a nation that&amp;#039;s been obsessed with heavyweight Harleys and all things double-XL, the C109R still fits right in. And this cruiser&amp;#039;s $13,799 price tag ($14,999 for the touring-ready C109RT) is a relative bargain compared to some Milwaukee-bred American bikes that cost nearly twice as much. To see how it stacks up against those established Midwest players, we rode the plus-sized, muscle bike through the empty roads of the wide-open California desert. \u2014Basem Wasef  The Specs  The C109 comes in two varieties: the cruising-focused C109R, and the touring-oriented C109RT, which adds a windscreen, passenger backrest, and saddlebags.   The chassis cradles the engine with three rubber-cushioned mounts. Large 49-mm front forks are shrouded in even larger 90-mm fork tube covers, and a single-shock Showa rear damper has 7-way preload adjustability\u2014helpful when conditions range from a lone rider to a two-up with saddlebags full scenario. The Suzuki uses linked brakes, so applying the front brake lever triggers only two of the three front calipers. But when only the rear brake is applied, all three rear calipers are activated, as well as two of the front calipers. When both front and rear brakes are applied, all six calipers provide stopping power.   At the heart of this bike is a 109 cubic inch V-twin derived from Suzuki&amp;#039;s M109R power cruiser. The re-tuned engine puts out 117 hp and even more torque than the M109R, opting for improved low-end grunt over high-revving power. The result is smoother but slightly slower acceleration. A smaller bore diameter within the dual throttle valve system enhances low-to-mid range power delivery. Also aiding low-end torque is a valve fitted into the exhaust system, which switches at a designated engine rpm to offers a smooth, mellow note.  The Ride  There&amp;#039;s no avoiding the C109R&amp;#039;s heft when you climb aboard. Lift the bike off its sidestand, and it takes a serious push to bring this nearly 800 lb monster to vertical. On the other hand, its large, cushy seat sits only 27.8 inches above the ground\u2014so the rider doesn&amp;#039;t have too far to lift.   Even at idle, the engine produces enough torque that you don&amp;#039;t need to twist the throttle in order to accelerate off the line. Just give the right grip a tiny nudge, and the resulting acceleration is so strong that it&amp;#039;s difficult to keep from breaking the speed limit. The C109 is a surprisingly swift ride. Thankfully, once at speed, the bike becomes more manageable. Turning still requires a swing of momentum, a bit of lean angle, and a whole lot of forethought. So this ain&amp;#039;t a sport bike.   Clutch effort is relatively light, in contrast to the shifter, which can be clunky. It takes a bit more lever effort to invoke the brakes. But then again it was also next to impossible to lock them up intentionally, due to the linked system. However, we still would have liked to see an ABS option on the C109; all it takes is a panic braking situation on a rain-slicked road for a bike to slide, and even Harley-Davidson has recently sourced anti-lock Brembo stoppers on a good portion of its lineup.   At the end of a long day riding the C109R and C109RT, we felt little fatigue and no saddle soreness-though we would have appreciated more wind protection from the RT&amp;#039;s windscreen. In spite of the weight you feel during low-speed maneuvers, planning your apexes in advance results in smooth, poised handling. It&amp;#039;s a testament to Suzuki and modern shock technology that a bike so heavy can move so deftly.  The Bottom Line  Fuel-sipping scooters and mid-sized cruisers are the rage these days. Despite that, its still sometimes fun to ride a massive cruiser with cylinders the size of beer kegs. There may be no substitute for Milwaukee-built Hogs, but if you&amp;#039;re in the market for a heavyweight cruiser that handles its heft well, it&amp;#039;s hard to beat the C109.   RELATED STORIES \u2022 TEST DRIVE: Honda Ridgeline Pickup vs. Honda CRF230L Dirtbike  \u2022 Q&amp;amp;amp;A: Inside the Extreme World of Trials Motorcycle Riding  \u2022 ROAD TEST: 7 Power Cruiser Motorcycles  \u2022 MyBIKE: Join PM&amp;#039;s User Powered Rider Community   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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