Retro article #1 - This is the first of several articles that I will be porting over to The M50 Blog. It has been adapted from my original post(s) on the Marauder/M50 Secret Hideaway forum (22 FEB 2009).
Parts Costs:
- http://www.fuelmotousa.com/ - $670.00 (including shipping)
- Vance & Hines Cruzers
- Power Commander USB III
- K & N Air Filter
- Local Suzuki Dealer - $15.00
- Two Suzuki Boulevard M50 Exhaust Gaskets
Labor Costs:
- Vance & Hines Cruzers - $0.00 (DIY install)
- Power Commander USB III & K & N Air Filter - $ 97.50
- Dyno Tune - $297.50
Total Cost: $1,080.00
Necessary Tools:
- METRIC allen wrenches, wrenches, and a socket set (you could probably do most of the work without the socket set, but there were instances where it really would have been tough with only regular wrenches).
- One tool that was particularly handy: a #6 allen wrench socket combined with a socket extension bar. This really helped to get into a couple of deep header bracket bolts that would have been almost impossible to get to with a regular set of allen wrenches. Anyone with a socket set should already have the ratchet and extension bar, and you can pick up the #6 allen wrench socket for like $3 at Sears.
Well, I've finally gotten the time to get everything installed and to take some pictures/video of the end result. The first thing I did was to install the Vance & Hines Cruzer pipes. Myself and a friend were able to install these in about an hour. If you have experience installing motorcycle pipes this mod can probably be completed solo, but I would still recommend having an extra set of hands to assist. The second person, if for nothing else, would be very helpful in insuring that the pipes don't slip and get scratched. If you do attempt the install alone, I would put down like two layers of towels under the whole area where you're working to ensure that you don't scuff those babies up before you even get them on the bike.
- Tip: If you've never installed a set of pipes before, you should know that two exhaust gaskets (often also referred to as "crush" gaskets, because they form a seal by being crushed) will be required for installation - these are not included with the pipes. You'll have to pick these up from your local Suzuki dealer. I posted a picture of the part# you'd need below. These gaskets form a seal between the pipe's header bracket and the actual engine header to prevent an exhaust leak. Your bike has them stock, but they're only good for one use (because they get "crushed"). Therefore, if you try to reuse the old exhaust gaskets they will not work and you'll probably end up with an exhaust leak. Don't worry though, they're not too expensive. I think my dealer set me up with two of them for around $15. Just call ahead to ensure that they have them (this is something you would think they would keep plenty on hand, but when I picked up mine the dealer told me that I was buying the last two he had back in his parts room).
- Nitpick: You'll notice that the heat shield on the Cruzers doesn't seem to extend all the way up to the exhaust header bracket. To me, this is a little annoying because you can see a little bit of blueing pipe through that small gap between the heat shield and header bracket. However, others who have Vance & Hines Cruzers have confirmed that this is normal and not a defect.
A few weeks after installing the pipes, I had the Power Commander/K & N Air Filter installed by Judd @ Judd's Custom Creations in Hinesville, GA. Finally, I was able to get it dyno tuned by Kevin Hunt @ KWS Motorsports in North Charleston, SC.
The best dyno run returned a max of 49.7 SAE HP & 48 SAE ft-lbs torque (see attached dyno charts). Which is an increase of 5.61 HP and 5.17 ft-lbs of torque from the stock configuration. I never did a dyno run with the stock configuration, so those numbers are coming from an article written on the M50 back in 2005 by Motorcycle.com (the Motorcycle.com dyno chart for the stock bike is attached). This should be relatively accurate, as to my knowledge there were no engine changes between the 2005 model and my 2008.
Fuel Moto pre-loads the Power Commander with an approximate map based upon your bike model, the pipes you choose, and the type of air intake/filter being utilized. It turns out this worked pretty well. I just went ahead and had it dyno tuned so that I knew it was operating to it's full potential. The map Fuel Moto had loaded on my power commander had been built on a C50, with V & H Cruzers, and a K & N Air Filter. As you can see in my bike's initial run it turned out 48.4 HP and about 47 ft-lb torque. So, for the money spent on dyno tuning, I gained a little over one HP and 1 ft-lb torque...probably not worth it unless you're super anal like me. Honestly, the only thing I noticed after dyno tuning was that it seemed like the bike ran a little smoother through the entire RPM range, which I suppose makes it somewhat worth it.
For anyone else who wants to install a set of Vance & Hines Cruzers on their M50, I have created a video on YouTube showing the finished product along with a few tips. It can be seen at the following URL: YouTube - Suzuki Boulevard M50 - Vance & Hines Cruzers - Power Commander - K & N Air Filter.
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