[BrowningBAR]

You can also find reviews of the bikes here:

M50:
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/suzuki/2005-suzuki-m50-boulevard-17923.html
(I don't know why the link title says it's for 2003 BMWs. It is for the M50)

V-Star 1100
http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/honda-shadow-ace-v-yamaha-vstar-1100-15563.html

 

[BrowningBAR]

"So there's no concern over the whole air cooled thing?"

No, none. I had a 650 v-star in Arizona. And the summers there tend to get a little warm.

Not directed at you personally, but why do people always get concerned about air-cooled bikes? I've always found them to be less troublesome. Less to go wrong. That's not to say I don't like water cooled bikes. I don't really have a preference, but it was more in defense of the air cooled option.

 

[BrowningBAR]

The M50 also looks like they cut corners on quality sometimes. The fenders and tank look more plastic looking. And it also has Suzuki's wonderful paint schemes...which usually cheapen up a bike. In all black it looks much better. But I guess that is the case with most bikes.

Doesn't the M50 have better ground clearance/lean angle, though? I thought I read that on an article somewhere that the M50 was more "sporty"...for a cruiser at least.

 

[BrowningBAR]

It's all in what you are comfortable doing. I've heard stories of people doing two up on a 250 virago across several states and "were quite comfortable the entire trip". Me? It would have annoyed the hell out of me. I took a virago on the highway once. Sure I got it up to an indicated 85mph, but I'll be damned if I thought it was a comfortable ride. It was screaming and vibrating. I felt like a Giraffe on a hopped-up unicycle stuck in the carpool lane.

Was I really going 85? Not sure. The speedometer was probably off by just a little bit.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I included the "off by just a little bit" as a bit of sarcasm as the Virago is kind of known for being...optimistic...about it's rate of travel

 

[BrowningBAR]

How is the Retro Duc? Better than you hoped? Or not?

I ask because I really want one.