2017 Honda Phantom or Suzuki M50 | GTAMotorcycle.com

2017 Honda Phantom or Suzuki M50

bigguy1

Well-known member
Hi,

Im looking at getting back into the cruiser market. I’ve looked around and have narrowed my search down to two bikes. The 2017 Phantom and the M50. I’m curious if anyone here drives either of these or knows of any issues.
I know these bikes are basically a shadow and C50, so if you drive one what are the pros and cons?
 
Good friend of mine got back into riding after (many years on a CBR1000 and similar until a bad crash in '14) and chose the '17 M50 and absolutely loves it. He hasn't found any issues with it. Nice looking bike IMO as well.
 
The Suzuki M50 Boulevard has been around forever - inexpensive to buy, lotsa parts and accessories.
Honda Phantom 750 - much newer design, initial purchase price may be higher but its a Honda.
Flip a coin, they're both good bikes.
 
Had the same decision to make a few years ago. A friend bought a Shadow, I didn't have a cruiser, tried them all and ended up with the M50.

We rode those bikes for about 40,000km in 2 years

Both bulletproof, tires and oilchanges were all they needed.
M50 was faster, sounded better, and handled better when riding aggressively.
Shadow is silky smooth - it's a Honda.
When we sold them, the Honda fetched less, despite being fully loaded with ABS.

I did notice M50 is a man's bike -- never saw a female riding front seat. Shadows are a little different, they are popular with female riders.

Personally I'd spend the extra $1000 on an Indian Scout 60. Up the cool factor, way up the performance, and you'll get it back at resale time.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. Still not sure what I’ll decide on but at least I’ll feel comfortable picking either one.
 
The Suzuki M50 Boulevard has been around forever - inexpensive to buy, lotsa parts and accessories.
Honda Phantom 750 - much newer design, initial purchase price may be higher but its a Honda.
Flip a coin, they're both good bikes.
If after market add ons are important to you then check them out before. I have a 2014 M50 which I absolutely love. However accessories , while freely available for earlier models, are not always available for my 2014.
 
As MadMike suggested, I'd at least take a look at the Scout 60. Its a different tax bracket but it sure looks fun. Brother has a 600 Shadow he's had for a decade, it will probably run another decade with only oil changes.
 
I had the M50, my wife had a Spirit 750.
- I liked the sound of the Spirit better
- M50 was faster
- Honda seat fit me better (I could barely stand after a trip to Sudbury on the M50)
- Preferred the Bars and Grips on the M50
- The M50 seemed all around smoother and more refined
*We sold them both and bought Adventure Touring bikes
 
I have a 17 Phantom, and I absolutely love it. It definitely has a meaner more bad *** look than the M50, while they're very similar bikes. I've made it a bit of a mission to get rid of any chrome that I can, since it was mostly black to begin with. But with a cobra exhaust, some black ebay mirrors(LED skeleton ones that I still haven't got wired to my signals yet), Honda accessories black backrest, it is already looking nice and sinister. When I wire the mirrors to the signals, I'm thinking of blacking out all but the middle fingers on them.

It rides like you'd expect from a 500lb metric cruiser. Smooth, not the tightest turns but still fun on a winding road. Pegs are a bit low on a cruiser for carving, the bolts on mine are down to 45 degree nubs. I averaged I think around 250km on a $12 tank last summer. Expect the M50 to probably not do as well as that, as it has an extra 50cc, and few extra lbs, but It carries a couple more litres of fuel too so it probably makes up similar range. I'm probably not going to beat an exotic car down the strip, but it feels like it has atleast muscle car performance, which is fun enough. The aftermarket exhaust definitely helps with the muscle feel of the bike, as they do sound a bit mild out of the crate.

On longer rides, I do wish I had a better saddle and forward controls, or atleast highway pegs. A 6" move is on the list of mods for this season, aswell as getting my seat redone.

BTW OP, I notice you're also in Hamilton. I bought mine at Sturgess and had an excellent experience with them.
 
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I have a 17 Phantom, and I absolutely love it. It definitely has a meaner more bad *** look than the M50, while they're very similar bikes. I've made it a bit of a mission to get rid of any chrome that I can, since it was mostly black to begin with. But with a cobra exhaust, some black ebay mirrors(LED skeleton ones that I still haven't got wired to my signals yet), Honda accessories black backrest, it is already looking nice and sinister. When I wire the mirrors to the signals, I'm thinking of blacking out all but the middle fingers on them.

It rides like you'd expect from a 500lb metric cruiser. Smooth, not the tightest turns but still fun on a winding road. Pegs are a bit low on a cruiser for carving, the bolts on mine are down to 45 degree nubs. I averaged I think around 250km on a $12 tank last summer. Expect the M50 to probably not do as well as that, as it has an extra 50cc, and few extra lbs, but It carries a couple more litres of fuel too so it probably makes up similar range. I'm probably not going to beat an exotic car down the strip, but it feels like it has atleast muscle car performance, which is fun enough. The aftermarket exhaust definitely helps with the muscle feel of the bike, as they do sound a bit mild out of the crate.

On longer rides, I do wish I had a better saddle and forward controls, or atleast highway pegs. A 6" move is on the list of mods for this season, aswell as getting my seat redone.

BTW OP, I notice you're also in Hamilton. I bought mine at Sturgess and had an excellent experience with them.


Thanks for for the great info. The only Phantom I could find around Hamilton was Dewildt Honda. Sturgess didn’t have much. At least not that I was into.
I’m thinking of going with the M50, as it’s seat is higher and felt more comfortable for me when I sat on it. It is also almost 2k cheaper in price. Not too concerned about aftermarket accessories or excess speed. I currently have an 86FJ 1200 that gets me into trouble, so I need to slow down and enjoy the wind.
 
When you go to Sturgess, make sure to talk to somebody, they have a warehouse. My bike wasn't on the floor, it was in a crate lol. The one at Dewildt may be the same one that made me want mine, but I ended up getting turned off of that store. Sturgess is a small store, but they usually have much more inventory than what you see. If you like the higher seat the M50 may be the way for you to go, I liked the low ride of the Honda. Actually, getting back on my maxim after riding the phantom, the Maxim felt like I was riding a giraffe lol.
 
Neither bike is going to blow your mind performance wise and both are going to be dependable trouble free bikes. I'd be basing this decision on comfort and looks, with the emphasis on comfort. Sounds like the M50 is the bike for you.

I do like the Indian Scout suggestion above though.
 
Its a tomato, tomotto sort of choice here. Both bikes have changed very little mechanically over the past decade and are well sorted out and bullet proof. Both bikes insurance premium will be based solely on their displacement, so no real difference there. Neither bike is going to impress you with their performance, unless you're comparing them to a smaller bike. Either bike will impress your non-riding friends or coworkers but neither bike will impress other riders. You may be the recipient of some teasing from others in the cruiser community because displacement is the most important thing in the cruiser world, ie: bigger is better and anything under 1000cc is often referred to as a "girl's bike". I never understood this as I've known lots of lady riders who ride Electra Glides and the like and I've known plenty of guys who happily ride 600-800cc cruisers.

If you are going to be happy with a bike with this level of performance and aren't going to be bothered by the occasional teasing (honestly who cares what anyone else thinks) then you can't go wrong with either bike. Pick the one you like the look of best and the one that feels the best when you sit on it. Those are really the only 2 criteria that matter.
 
One thing I forgot, the current M50's were dialed down in 2010 when they changed from the M50 specific engine to the C50 engine.

If you're reading reviews/comparisons on line, be sure to check the age. Prior to model year 2010, M50s had and additional 5 in HP and torque. I wrung an additional 12+hp with a V&H exhaust, Hypercharger intake and a Power Commander - you can't do that (easily) on the current M50.
 
Its a tomato, tomotto sort of choice here. Both bikes have changed very little mechanically over the past decade and are well sorted out and bullet proof. Both bikes insurance premium will be based solely on their displacement, so no real difference there. Neither bike is going to impress you with their performance, unless you're comparing them to a smaller bike. Either bike will impress your non-riding friends or coworkers but neither bike will impress other riders. You may be the recipient of some teasing from others in the cruiser community because displacement is the most important thing in the cruiser world, ie: bigger is better and anything under 1000cc is often referred to as a "girl's bike". I never understood this as I've known lots of lady riders who ride Electra Glides and the like and I've known plenty of guys who happily ride 600-800cc cruisers.

If you are going to be happy with a bike with this level of performance and aren't going to be bothered by the occasional teasing (honestly who cares what anyone else thinks) then you can't go wrong with either bike. Pick the one you like the look of best and the one that feels the best when you sit on it. Those are really the only 2 criteria that matter.

Some great info. Thanks. I’m Not concerned about teasing, as I don’t suffer from little di*k syndrome. I’m an old man who’s looking to slow down and enjoy things. I have no one to impress and do not really care who likes what. As long as I like it and will ride it. That’s all that matters to me. That, and I want to ensure the best bang for my buck, which is the reason for my original post. I do appreciate the warning though :)
 
Hey @bigguy1 keep us posted on the search

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Hey JB,

i actually pulled the the trigger on the M50 yesterday. There were a few reasons, the biggest is it just felt more comfortable sitting on it. The shadow has a lower seat height. Plus the M50 was almost 2k cheaper and comes with a $500.00 has card and 5 year warranty. Going to pick it up once the weather gets a bit warmer.
 
Hey JB,

i actually pulled the the trigger on the M50 yesterday. There were a few reasons, the biggest is it just felt more comfortable sitting on it. The shadow has a lower seat height. Plus the M50 was almost 2k cheaper and comes with a $500.00 has card and 5 year warranty. Going to pick it up once the weather gets a bit warmer.
Awesome! Congrats! Pics when you get a chance.


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