Suzuki S40 CAFE RACER reviews

First bike. Handles very well and lots of clearance for tight corners. Enough power for highway riding and just plain looks nice. It gets lots of looks. Great mileage - 69 miles to the Canadian gallon. Show less

My first bike after 10 yrs. or better. Man I love it and yes it is simple but reliable. Still just breaking it in but you get a lot more than what you pay for. My girlfreind has an '06 Bandit 600 with an inline 4 dohc engine and I can keep up with no problem. Granted you won't be doing any street racing with the bike, but for those who just love to ride it's great, especially for beginners. It does vibrate a little at higher speeds but it isn't that noticeable. It does backfire per say but not like anyone would think. Since it's just a single cylinder engine it does trap exhaust in the muffler in between strokes and then pushes out to cause the backfire. Just an awesome bike and affordable too. Show less

Wanted a reliable, easy to handle, and easy to maintain bike for a daily commuter. No plans for long trips. First bike in 20+ years. This bike does it all and does it outstandingly. Would not want to go cross country on it routinely but for what I need it is perfect. It's a breeze to work on, been doing all the maintenance and mods myself. Would recommend it to anybody. Show less

I bought this bike from a dealer with 300 miles on it. I was looking to find an inexpensive bike to ride to work on that looked good and had enough power for highway riding if I needed it. The S40 fits all these needs nicely. The bike is very reliable, with plenty of get up and go for it's size. Sounds pretty good too when you gun the throttle. It corners well, and has enough torque and power to keep up with traffic. The only thing that annoys me is the constant backfiring, although I can live with it. Overall, good little bike for the money. Show less

I am just starting to ride after taking a MSF rider course. This is my first bike and I was looking for something easy yet able to handle traffic or a country road. I am not a planning on doing interstate riding or cross country. My buddies that ride said to get a big bike, but after doing a lot of shopping I felt the S40 was the best deal for a new rider. It definitely moves my butt down the road. Ain't just a chick bike!!! Maybe on day I'll own a Glide or Wing, but for now the S40 is just fine. Show less

Good rider comfort and very easy to handle. Had slight problem with backfiring. Started using high test gasoline and has pretty much stopped the backfiring. I Love Riding This Bike!!! Great looks, performance and plenty of power especially for a beginner as myself. If you're in the market for a well handling beginners bike or even an experienced rider's bike (if you're not trying to break the sound barrier when you ride) look no further, this is a very good choice for you, you won't regret making this decision. Show less

This is my first bike. I am a new rider (took MSF course and got MC license in April 2006), and was a little intimidated by my husband's larger and heavier 2001 Intruder VS800. The S40 was perfect for me - not too heavy, yet sturdy, fit my size just right, and has the power to take me down the highway and on weekend trips with my husband. The seat is a little uncomfortable on longer distances, but I plan to get an AirHawk seat cushion to solve that problem (as a nurse I know the cushion must be good - made by the Roho company which makes the hospital cushions/mattresses to prevent bedsores). The backfiring doesn't really bother me, although I had to get used to it (it usually just happens when I let off the throttle and decelerate). I find the lawnmower-like engine noise rather charming, and not as deafening as the Harley sound. The bike handles great on the mountain twisty roads. I have not had much trouble with wind, even though we get some serious gusts in El Paso. I have no trouble with speeds up to 70 mph, but I wouldn't want to go any faster than that anyway. I get about 60mpg on the highway, and 50mpg in the city. I have thought about eventually getting a bigger bike, but then I realize how much I enjoy this one. Show less

Just got the bike, so these are first impressions. The power delivery is smooth, the handling forgiving and the brakes are progressive and competent. The vibration at highway speed is less pronounced than I expected. The bike tracks straight and is easy to manage in cross winds and gusts. Comfort, thus far, no problem. The bike does have some sloppy welds and bad frame paint but the glossy bits aren't too bad. These things are acceptable on a bike at this price. Level of refinement and sparse equipment seem appropriate for the stripped down appearance (and low weight)of this little cruizer. Show less

I needed something that could keep pace with my husband's 1100yamaha but something that didn't weigh 500 to 600lbs. The S40 is perfect. It's a little smaller than most cruisers, but has plenty of power to get you where you need to go without to much effort. We ride alot of the two lane back roads on 200-300 miles trips and the S40 is exactly what I needed. It's comfortable to ride on a 300 mile trip, it handled good on the country roads and the power is there when you need it. So far my only complaint is it seems to vibrate a little more at 60-65mph but since the speed limit on most of the roads we ride is only 55mph, I know I'm speeding without even looking. It seems to get alot of attention too. Several people(men) asked me what cc it was, they seemed suprised to find out it was a 650 single with a belt drive. If I had to do it again I would buy another one Show less

This is my first motorcycle and it was so easy to learn on and very comfortable to ride. It has a lot of pep and keeps up with my friend's VTX 1300 just fine. Doesn't vibrate a lot at high speeds, and is just a lot of fun to ride. I'm so glad I chose this bike, it's perfect for me. Show less