Thinking about buying a GZ250

[LavonTB]

Hey guys,

So I am thinking of buying a Suzuki GZ250, I have never rode a bike in my life. I have always liked the idea of riding on a cruiser more than any other bike. The engine in my truck blew a few months ago and will cost roughly $2,000 to fix. My problem is I don't want to fix it because it was a piece of junk that got maybe 12 MPG. Between driving to my Junior College and when I worked paying for gas was killing me. I've been asking a friend about helping me find a bike that would be right for me, and he is a big Suzuki fan and he pointed me to the GZ250. I really like the bike and I am able to get a loan from my College for roughly $2,200 so I was thinking instead of fixing my horrible truck I would try and find a used GZ250 for sale. So I have some usual, basic concerns about this bike in particular.

1.) How much does insurance run on usually run on motorcycles? I am not too worried about this since my father pays for my insurance but it is still something that would be nice to know.

2.) I am a pretty big guy, 6'6, roughly 280, is this little 250 going to be able to support me? Or should I try to get something with a bigger motor?

3.) What sites or other means would you guys recommend for buying a used bike? I am hitting up E-bay and looking through classifieds to try and find something that will help me out.

May I just say, that whatever help anyone can shed on this is greatly appreciated. :roll:

[bonehead]

Just going on your size, I would say that the GZ would be too small for you. Now, with that said, it will haul you but I really feel you would be cramped riding it. You are big enough to start out on a bigger bike. IMHO if I were you, I would try to find a deal on a 650 or something in that range.

[New GZ250]

I'm a six footer, and I am pushing the comfort level! Forget a Honda Rebel they are even tighter.
Good luck!
Welcome on board
Bonehead is right!
:??:

[Sarris]

I'm 6'-1 280# and it ain't comfy for far or long. It has enough capacity to haul you, no problem. It's my second bike and I use it for errands, short jaunts and as a spare.

That being said, it's about as reliable and economical as you can get, but is still a fun little bike to ride, and I ride it often.

I like the Yama V-star 650, most of the Kawi Vulcan midsized stuff, as well as the Suzuki's Intruder 800 (S-50). IMO, properly maintained, these are all good used bike buys.

Good luck and keep us up to date on your decision.

:chop:

[bonehead]

I'm sorry, I did'nt answer your ins. question. In TX. I pay 100.00 a year. That covers the bike and I. It also covers liability on any bike I ride.

[dannylightning]

I'm sorry, I did'nt answer your ins. question. In TX. I pay 100.00 a year. That covers the bike and I. It also covers liability on any bike I ride.

my insurance in the gz was right around 80.00 a year. im 5 foot 6 and 150 lbs and i think that little bike felt a little small. if you can get a good deal on a honda shadow 750 i would probably go the rout. super comfortable bikes really well balanced, the yamaha 650 is a nice bike also

a guy your size should have no problem starting out on a bigger bike. for a guy like myself i think the gz was the right bike to start out on.


cons about the gz, it's kind of slow (i got bored with it fast) , not the best bike for any highway riding, its so light the wind can blow you around like crazy the rpm's start to get kind of high around 60-65mph. most people say their top speed is around 70 ish, probably not the best bike for tall people

pro's of the gz, its great on gas, its great to learn on, and its well balanced and feels a little bigger and more stable compared to the other 250cc bikes, for around town driving it's perfect,

that is my opinion on the gz

[New GZ250]

Come on guys, this is his first bike, and he has never ridden? A 650 or 750???????????
:crash:

[Water Warrior 2]

You need a physically larger bike. At your height you will be like a bear riding a tricycle in the circus. You need a bike with more room to move around on and allow your body to be stretched out more. Start looking at dual sport bikes and have a few test sits. Bigger is not always better for a new rider but in your case I would suggest something roomier with a tad more power. The GZ would be a safety liability. Imagine tight manuevers in a parking lot and your knees hitting the handlebars. You will drop it for sure. Or you just can't turn sharp enough so you grab the brakes..........down you go. A proper fitting bike is a pleasure to ride and is far safer. Please keep us in the loop with your bike choice.

[dannylightning]

Come on guys, this is his first bike, and he has never ridden? A 650 or 750???????????
:crash:

true but his is a big guy. when i got my 800 i thought it was crazy fast for about a week and than i realized its not all that powerful. its really just the perfect amount of power for a bike unless your one of those guys that really has a need for speed. those 650 yamaha v stars and the 500cc inline 4 vulcans are also reconized as great beginner bikes. the 600 honda shadow vlx would probably be a good beginner bike for a big guy also.

if he does decide to get a bigger bike my advice is that bike is only going to go as fast as you make it go. be extremely easy on the throttle untill you get the hang of it. so if he is a strong guy and is good with a clutch he probably wont have any trouble starting out on something like a smaller displacent bike any where between a 600 and 750

question here for the guy thinking about getting the gz, are you a strong guy and how good are you at driving something with a clutch, if you are not familiar with driving something with a clutch a bigger bike might not be the best idea unless you can set on that bike and pretty much throw it around like its nothing. what i mean by that if it starts to tip to one side for any reason how hard is it going to be for you to keep it from falling over. if you can man handle the weight of the bike and have exp with a clutch there should be no problem

first time i ever got on a bike i was in the grass, i gave it some gas (probably to much) i popped the clutch and did a burn out and bike went down, that was on a dirt bike witch is made to take a beating so no harm was done to the bike. this was when i was 15 or 16 years old and had no experience with a clutch. im sure being in the grass did not help. and the fact that it was a super fast dirt bike tuned for racing probably did not help either.

but on the other hand my friend kathren is about 5 foot tall and is not even close to being strong. she went out and bought her self a yamaha vstar 650 as a first bike, she had no problems starting out on that with absolutely no motorcycle experience besides the saftey class, and she handles it quite well.

now if he was trying to start off with a crotch rocket or something i would say definately dont do it. you would probably have a similar exp as i did on the super fast dirt bike or much worse.

[Sarris]

Hell yeah!! I'd even recommend a Harley Sportster 883 Iron

Look at this bad mofo: HD Iron 883 (http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/2010_Motorcycles/2010_motorcycles.html?HDCWPSession=wjFsKwpPkTQlSqc 07gnKB7yRqhJZ0KBtcVqqykfsfJQWFJQV2Lvg!-1035542443!-1983606816&locale=en_US&locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US&nickname=Mark#/model/xl883n/gallery)

THAT'S a starter bike!!

:skull: :skull:

[dannylightning]

Hell yeah!! I'd even recommend a Harley Sportster 883 Iron

Look at this bad mofo: HD Iron 883 (http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/2010_Motorcycles/2010_motorcycles.html?HDCWPSession=wjFsKwpPkTQlSqc 07gnKB7yRqhJZ0KBtcVqqykfsfJQWFJQV2Lvg!-1035542443!-1983606816&locale=en_US&locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US&nickname=Mark#/model/xl883n/gallery)

THAT'S a starter bike!!

:skull: :skull:

that is the bike i wanted but could not afford. but you know what, now im really glad i got this suzuki instead. i absolutely love it

after looking at that picture of the iron again tho im thinking thats one of the best looking stock rides you can get, :cry:

[New GZ250]

:crutches: :crutches: :crutches: :crutches: :crutches:

You guys win!

[alantf]

my insurance in the gz was right around 80.00 a year.

Bloody hell! My insurance (Spanish) is € 214 (around $ 270) & that doesn't cover theft, even, or me riding other bikes. Just public liability, and for some strange reason, fire. I dread to think what it'd cost me for a 650 or 800. :cry:

[dannylightning]

my insurance in the gz was right around 80.00 a year.

Bloody hell! My insurance (Spanish) is € 214 (around $ 270) & that doesn't cover theft, even, or me riding other bikes. Just public liability, and for some strange reason, fire. I dread to think what it'd cost me for a 650 or 800. :cry:

do you have a bad driving record?? speeding tickets and such, here when they ask you if you are going to use the bike for pleasure or commuting. if you tell them commuting im sure the insurance would cost more. the 800cc cost me 110.00 a year. if i want full coverage it would cost right about 200.00 a year.

that is lousy it cost you that much to insure a motorcycle.

[Easy Rider]

Come on guys, this is his first bike, and he has never ridden? A 650 or 750???????????

I am usually the first one to say that but..........he IS a BIG guy......and we aren't recommending sport bikes with an R in the name. :roll:

For somebody his size, there would be nothing at all wrong with a cruiser or standard in the 500 to 800 cc range.

If he gets a bike that is not reasonably comfortable, he might STOP riding before he even gets a good start. :cry:

[Moedad]

I'm going to agree with the "bigger bike" group in this case. There should be a decent selection of good used bikes in that price range.

[Water Warrior 2]

For all the folks feeling raped by insurance companies.................my monthly cost is more than your yearly cost. My Vstrom is a 650 and not classified as a sport bike either. Canada is a insurer's paradise and the gov. in where specified is even worse. I pay $2500 a year for a Ranger pick up and a 650 Vstrom. And I haven't even had so much as a parking ticket in 30 years either. With a much shorter riding season in some or most parts of Canada the rates should be a lot lower. With little opportunity to ride during the winter months this makes for some expensive riding but still worthwhile and really refreshing to body and soul.

[dannylightning]

For all the folks feeling raped by insurance companies.................my monthly cost is more than your yearly cost. My Vstrom is a 650 and not classified as a sport bike either. Canada is a insurer's paradise and the gov. in where specified is even worse. I pay $2500 a year for a Ranger pick up and a 650 Vstrom. And I haven't even had so much as a parking ticket in 30 years either. With a much shorter riding season in some or most parts of Canada the rates should be a lot lower. With little opportunity to ride during the winter months this makes for some expensive riding but still worthwhile and really refreshing to body and soul.

my god i would move out of canada if i were you.. that is complete crap. my yearly insurance cost is about 350.00 a year thats for my vehicle and my motorcycle. it is probably gonna go up a little bit since i moved back to ohio, still need to call and change it over. it will probably cost me another 100-200 dolors a year, if i remember insurance in ohio is a little more expensive now that im over 30 it may not be as expensive im hoping.

sorry they rape you on the insurance there in canada that is just not right. and it really pisses me off they are doing that.

[macnifico]

[quote="New GZ250":38hm1mxd]Come on guys, this is his first bike, and he has never ridden? A 650 or 750???????????

I am usually the first one to say that but..........he IS a BIG guy......and we aren't recommending sport bikes with an R in the name. :roll:

For somebody his size, there would be nothing at all wrong with a cruiser or standard in the 500 to 800 cc range.

If he gets a bike that is not reasonably comfortable, he might STOP riding before he even gets a good start. :cry:[/quote:38hm1mxd]





I'm exactly 1.83m (6 ft) and 104 Kg (230 pounds) and feel a little cramped on the GZ250.
I have a Yamaha XJ750 from 1982 that it is VERY comfortable, but still too much for me.
I bought the GZ250 to learn and get experience, and it is fun to ride, but... yes, after an hour I feel the need to stop and walk a little bit. :biggrin:
Saludos desde Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
macnifico
...
..
.

[alantf]

do you have a bad driving record?? speeding tickets and such,

Nope! 45 accident free years in England. Two accidents over here (After I got the insurance) Both down to the other driver, so their insurance paid up. One speeding ticket (around 10 years ago, in England) but about which the insurers never asked me, & one over here (6mph over the limit!) a couple of months ago. I think the cost is so high because the Spanish level of driving ability is so low that the insurers EXPECT to have to pay out. It's rare to see a car over here that hasn't got dints & scratches.