Suzuki Boulevard 400 or Yamaha DS4?

[Echelon]

Thinking of getting a bike and managed to narrow down to two models, have had my 2A about 19 years ago, have not been riding since the early 90's but thinking of getting a ride now for transpot between work + also miss riding, any recommendations for an oldy like me?

 

1. Suzuki Boulevard 400

2. Yamaha Dragstar 400 Classic

 

Between the two, I would like the advice of bros and seniors the pros and cons.

 

TIA.

[hamsterblur]

I bought my Boulevard 400 abt 3 months ago, so my opinions below are shaped by my tastes and preferences.

 

Boulevard 400

Likes: Muscular stance, Cruiser with a sporty interpretation, Blacked-out gearbox and chassis, Large double slashed pipes, Stylish handlebar-mounted instrument binnacle with fuel gauge, Sports Rims with Tubeless Tires, Inverted Front Fork, Hidden Rear Shock, LED rear lights, Shaft-Drive (v. impt for me to reduce maintenance effort)

 

Dislikes: Heavy weight for a 400cc (chassis was built for the US-bound 800cc), Average fuel consumption (22km/L if I'm aggressive, 26km/L if monk-like), Gearshifter clunky on downshift from 2nd to 1st, Few locally available accessories, Expensive for a 400cc cruiser, Exhaust sounds anaemic

 

As you can see, style and looks are high on my list. I wanted something edgy, but still identifiable as a cruiser. And when it comes to looks, one man's meat is another man's poison. Getting a cruiser is to identify with the "easy rider" lifestyle. The style of any cruiser is foremost in constructing its identity, hence the hot customising scene. If it's a toss-up mechanically between the yamaha and the suzuki, I would suggest going with the bike that feels the most "you".

 

The Boulevard has barely 3000km on it, so reliability is something that I'll have to wait to find out.

 

I haven't tried the Yamaha Dragstar so other bros might be able to help you on that.

 

The spec sheet for the Boulevard 400 is here, but in Japanese

http://www1.suzuki.co.jp/motor/boulevard/spec.html

 

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to take a look at the Boulevard outside of a showroom setting.

 

Happy Hunting!

[Echelon]

Thanks for the advice, just PM-ed you.

 

Looks great, this two are my choiced cruisers to choose from.