AI Damage2008 Suzuki Boulevard M109R reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M109R filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 82% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 18 complaints (82% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Motorcycle experiences extreme clutch shudder at low speeds and take off. In august 2011, I was at an intersection making a left turn when the motorcycle engine cut off due to clutch shudder in first and second gear causing the oncoming traffic to apply brakes and almost causing an accident.
The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v108000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 600.
The transmission is very hard to shift into 2nd the gear causing missed shifts sometimes that could cause stalling. Sometimes it will jump on the engagement dogs in and jump or slip as though hitting a patch of ice or oil giving a feeling of insecurity.
In the upper gears, bike has a grinding feel, somewhat comparable to having low oil. ( which is not my case, oil level is right on) after reading numerous reports on this problem, I am reluctant to bring it to an authorize suzuki dealer. Seems it will be a waste of time and money.
While driving at any speed, oil leaked from the air cleaner and would spill onto the rear tire. As a result, the rear tire would become slick and the vehicle would be difficult to maneuver. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure.
2008 c-50 suzuki trike motorcycle. When gas level drops to 2 gallons ( 4.1 gallon tank) engine dies upon making left hand turns. This happens without warning in heavy traffic and intersections. Very dangerous.
While riding after the repairs were made, the vehicle lost power and shut off. While en route to the dealer for a second repair, the contact heard a loud tearing sound. The dealer stated that the crank bearing scarred, as well as the cam bearing.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,533 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Boulevard M109R has 26 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 22, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M109R?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (18%), jerking, harsh shifts (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M109R?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M109R from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.