Suzuki C 1500 T INTRUDER 2017 — Specifications

In the bagger segment, Harley-Davidson and Indian reign supreme across European dealerships. Yet Suzuki tried its luck with the C 1500 T Intruder, a custom tourer built to devour tarmac at an unhurried pace. The problem is that Euro4 regulations signed the death warrant for this machine on the Old Continent as early as 2017. A premature end for a bike that, on paper, had genuine arguments to make against the American heavyweights.

Derived from the defunct M 1500 Intruder, whose career was short-lived, the C 1500 T plays the discretion card. Dark bodywork, taut lines, no ostentatious chrome. It's a far cry from the bling of some competitors from across the Atlantic. Suzuki grafted onto this base a pair of hard saddlebags and a generous windshield that transform the custom into a true travel companion. The seat, low at 720 mm, welcomes the rider in a typically cruiser riding position: feet forward on wide floorboards, arms spread, back straight. The kind of posture that naturally dictates a leisurely pace. And that's exactly what this motorcycle asks for.

Beneath the 18-litre tank beats a 1,462 cc liquid-cooled 54-degree V-twin. The spec sheet announces 79 horsepower at 4,800 rpm, which is nothing to write home about. But on this type of machine, it's torque that matters. And here, the 128.5 Nm available from just 2,600 rpm changes the game. The long-stroke engine, with its 96 mm bore and 101 mm stroke and 4 valves per cylinder, favours low-end flexibility. The shaft drive and 5-speed gearbox complete a package designed for comfort, not performance. Top speed caps out at 180 km/h, which is more than enough for touring use.

The sore point is braking. What does a Suzuki C 1500 T Intruder weigh? No less than 363 kg wet. And to slow that mass, Suzuki provided only a single front disc with a two-piston calliper, and an identical setup at the rear. On a machine of this size, that's barely adequate. Competing Harleys, even entry-level ones, do better in this regard. The 200/60-16 rear tyre provides a comfortable footprint, but won't compensate for an undersized braking system during a loaded emergency stop.

Then there's Suzuki's knockout argument: the price. At €12,999, the C 1500 T Intruder positioned itself as the cheapest bagger on the market, well ahead of the prices charged by Milwaukee or Polaris. For a touring rider on a tight budget, drawn to the custom world without wanting to mortgage the house, it was a proposition hard to ignore. A shame that emissions regulations cut short this Intruder's European adventure. It was aimed at easy-going road riders, fans of Sunday rides and long weekends, who wanted the bagger look without the price tag that goes with it.