New owner of a gz250

[spuriousgrowth]

This morning I was reading the merits and reviews of the various 250s on the market. The day prior I had test-driven a used GZ250 that someone in my neighborhood was selling (for a song), and although the bike seemed reasonable at the time, the numbers and comparisons were beginning to cloud my vision. The GZ250 with it's single cylinder, was the lowest performer in most reviews, but usually being credited with having a 'bullet proof' engine. I had to continue to remind myself that, as a begining rider, I didn't really have much of a perspective on the performance or merits of a particular vehicle. The majority of my riding to start out with will be at neighbourhood speeds, with the potential necessity for higher speeds at longer distances. That the reason for me for getting this bike was to really learn how to ride. When I test rode this bike, I liked the ride. I'm tall, mostly arms and legs, and was thinking that this bike was going to be uncomfortably small. It wasn't. I had originally thought that the styling of the bike was kitschy in an attempt to look _classic_. I had liked the looks of the TU250 or the older GZs -- more Spartan. Looking out the window at it now, I couldn't be happier. The more I look at the styling, the less I see it as being overdone and flashy, and more as being functional comfortable, without being covered in excess plastic. As for power, it happily pulled away from traffic heading over a railroad bridge. Top speed? Well, I haven't gotten there yet, so no complaints from me. So here's to not listening to the reviews and being very satisfied with my new bike.

Regards,
SG

[adrianinflorida]

Welcome, hope you enjoy the bike and you, like most of us, have your impresions of the great bike validated the more you ride it.

[mr. softie]

Yes, welcome to the GZ250 forum. The GZ is a really fun bike to ride, and perfect for honing your riding skills. It is also very dependable and inexpensive to own. Have fun and ride safe!

[Blackbird]

Welcome from me too! There are several options for add on accessories that make this a great little bike. Lots of good ideas from members here. Enjoy ...

[Shell]

HI, I bought a "one-owner used" GZ250 ('03) last summer and began my riding career. I'm extremely hooked and love the bike. I would like to get more acquainted with fixing/repairing/upkeeping myself and thankfully this site has the complete owner's manual which I quickly downloaded as the bike didn't come with one. It is so terrific to have a site like this to get help when needed. Here's to a great season of riding, for us northerners (WI)!

[KingstonSpeeders]

Hey man,

You'll have to come up to the NW and visit us up here. I'm hoping more riders out of the westcoast come out of the wood-work. Great to have you around! Also about the reviews.... did you happen to check this one out?

"....After living with these bikes for awhile, we'd choose either the Yamaha Virago or Suzuki GZ250. Both of these bikes were rated highly by the testers and offer the widest pallet of options for riding skills development. Smaller riders may want to consider the Rebel. The compact package that confounded the long-legged set make the Honda a good choice for petite folks."

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/beginner_motorcycles_comparison/index.html)

OC

[David Bo]

Welcome to the forum! Don't be fooled about the GZ's engine. With a few modifications (that can be found on this website), your single cylinder "bullet-proof" engine will be able to keep up with most of the big boys!

[Zorrander]

Hi! I`m not a GZ 250 owner! But I have a China copy of GZ - "BM Classic".

About myself - I`m 27 years old. Police detective from Russia. That`s why you`ll never seen my photo there.

[burkbuilds]

You made a good choice for a first bike! You'll find that it handles well, drinks slowly and is a lot of fun to ride. It also doesn't seem to have any real mechanical problems. I've put over 10,000 miles on mine since last Summer and it's doing great! Lots of good advice on here about how to do your own maintenance and what pitfalls to watch out for. I don't think any of the bikes you were considering would have been a bad choice, I haven't really heard anything bad about any of them, but I really like my GZ! As far as big motors go, the only real difference is in the acceleration time. Once you reach cruising speed 55 mph is the same on any bike in my opinion. I've ridden bigger bikes and personally I wouldn't want to have anything bigger than about 750cc's. I wish they still made some bikes in the 350-500 range, but that seems to be a range that has disappeared from production at most companies.
Enjoy your riding, and if you haven't already done so, I highly recommend taking a weekend course in riding and safety.

[alantf]

I see from the photo that you have the same style of engine guard as me. The Americans don't seem to be able to get that style, & I know from experience that it really protects the tank when the bike goes over. Mine's a SPAAN. What make is yours?

[Zorrander]

Mine's a SPAAN. It`s cool :rawk: , but my engine guard is native. Just China, not more. And it saved my legs a couple of times! :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Mine's a SPAAN. It`s cool :rawk: , but my engine guard is native. Just China, not more. And it saved my legs a couple of times! :2tup:
That is a very sturdy looking engine guard. Not like the shiney decoration suzuki sells.

[Zorrander]

That is a very sturdy looking engine guard. Not like the shiney decoration suzuki sells.

I strengthed mine anchorages with welding. It`s really were too weak and just for decoration.

[alantf]

Yeah, I've never had much faith in Chinese since my ultra bad experience with a Chinese bike (see other posts) Mine looks the same, but is solid as a rock. I think the problem with chinese is that they're more concerned with getting their quota out of the factory, than quality.

[spuriousgrowth]

Thanks for the replies and the encouragement. I'm thoroughly enjoying the bike. The only complaint is that I don't get to ride it more.

SG