I don't have a motorcycle, YET!

[dentheman]

Hello, i just joined, though I have been lurking for a while. I have no experience with motorcycles so I am researching to find the one best suited for me. This site has already answered several questions I have had in my search for the best bike. Right now I am leaning toward the GZ 250, but also considering the v-star 250 and Rebel. I will be taking the MSF course in Sept. or Oct. You have a great site here (I have not found a similar v star 250 or Rebel site), and I hope to have some meaningful participation in the next few months; To help me decide!

[music man]

Hello, i just joined, though I have been lurking for a while. I have no experience with motorcycles so I am researching to find the one best suited for me. This site has already answered several questions I have had in my search for the best bike. Right now I am leaning toward the GZ 250, but also considering the v-star 250 and Rebel. I will be taking the MSF course in Sept. or Oct. You have a great site here (I have not found a similar v star 250 or Rebel site), and I hope to have some meaningful participation in the next few months; To help me decide!



Welcome to the site. :2tup: . First important conversation, how tall are you? because that can make a big difference in which one of those bikes you want.

[dentheman]

Thanks, I am 5' 10", from what I have read in reviews I think that rules out the Rebel, but I have not had the chance to try (or even sit on) any motorcycle.

[music man]

Maybe not. You might want to sit on one and find out, I am 6'1"ish and I have sat on a Rebel, and it is quite cramped, but I have never ridden one, (actually I have, but I was about 16 and it was a rebel 450, wish I had one of those.)

[blaine]

Welcome,good luck with whatever bike you choose.The G.Z. is easier to maintain because of it being a single cylinder.

[dentheman]

Yes, that is one reason I am leaning toward the GZ. Lower maintenance and less maintenance and operation cost. Another thing is that the v star takes premium gas while the GZ runs fine on regular, from what I have read.

[Water Warrior 2]

The GZ is the biggest physically for a rider to get comfy on. The Rebel has the GZ beat in shear numbers but also has a factory bug built into the tranny that shows up in most of them. Lynda had one during her rider training and developed a real hatred for the tranny. The one thing that really makes me wonder about the Rebel is the fact that there is no oil filter to change. Strikes me as less than Stone Age technology but that is the corporate dicision from Honda. Not knocking Honda because they do build good bikes but really there should be a couple improvements to make the bike really bullet proof.
The baby Virago is okay, I did ride one during our training. I would imagine(speculation here)the little V-twin would be a bit more to maintain than the Rebel or GZ. It also has a smallish tank so a longer ride might involve more gas stops.
All 3 bikes are great starter bikes and ideal for anyone not wanting or needing to go bigger. Whatever you get we are glad to have you join us and say hello.

[Easy Rider]

Yes, that is one reason I am leaning toward the GZ.

And don't overlook the TU 250.....which has the same engine as the GZ but with fuel injection and a "standard" riding posture instead of the cruiser style of the GZ.

Used will probably be pretty much non-existent for a while as they just became available in North America last year.

[MLGTIB]

Welcome to the group. I have had my GZ since September and when i first got it i put regular gas in it and it rode weird. I took it to the shop and they told me to use only premium in a bike. Since I started using the premium I have never had a problem. The GZ is my first bike and I love it. Good luck with what ever you decide on.

[alantf]

I have had my GZ since September and when i first got it i put regular gas in it and it rode weird. I took it to the shop and they told me to use only premium in a bike.

Very strange! Doesn't the shop know anything about high compression engines versus low compression engines? The GZ is the latter, and as such is designed to run on the cheapest fuel. All the premium (& therefore more expensive) fuel does is to contain a retarder, which is needed on high compression engines, to stop premature ignition, due to the high compression. This is making no sense to me at all, so perhaps someone with much more expertise than me can jump in & explain why the premium fuel makes the bike run better.( Thought - "could there be a problem with the ignition timing of the bike?") :??:

[Sarris]

Placebo effect. The GeeZer requires regular unleaded only.

Octane is a burn retarder used to keep high compression engines from detonation (ping).

:plus1: To Alan's comments. Premium in a GeeZer is a total waste of money.

MLGTIB, you probably had a bit of varnish in the carb that has since washed clean. Go back to regular.

:2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

If the bike sat for any length of time it probably would want to run weird for anyone. After a few tanks of any fresh gas and some riding it probably corrected itself. Just try the cheapest top tier gas and see what happens.

[dentheman]

Easy Rider - The TU 250 is really my first choice, but apparently they were only imported for 1 year and my dealer can't get a new one. I could possibly find a used one but being new to motorcycles I don't want to risk getting one with a mechanical problem, so whatever I get, it will be new. To the rest of you - Thanks for the inputs. What I read here and elsewhere on the forum is giving me some good motorcycle knowledge. ADDED: I really appreciate that I can download the owner's manual, maintenance manual, etc. (even before joining!) I haven't found that great feature on other sites!

[Easy Rider]

Easy Rider - The TU 250 is really my first choice, but apparently they were only imported for 1 year and my dealer can't get a new one. I could possibly find a used one but being new to motorcycles I don't want to risk getting one with a mechanical problem, so whatever I get, it will be new.

If there is more than one Zuki dealer in your area, I'd double check that "1 year" story; it sounds fishy to me. Probably really means that he doesn't want to spend any time getting one because his margin is too low.

As for the used thing, your logic is all backwards. A lightly used, late model vehicle (of any kind) is LESS likely to have a major problem than a new one......because somebody else has broken it in for you. They have also eaten the initial depreciation hit.....which can be substantial.

You need to be careful and ask the right questions (Has it been wrecked? Any major mechanical failures? Who was the last owner? Can I SEE the present title?) but a low mileage used bike is by FAR the best value.....money AND service wise.

Of course, if money is no object, then go for new every time. :whistle:

[burkbuilds]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with whichever one of the mentioned bikes you decide on. Those are all good bikes and I haven't really heard a lot of bad things about any of them. I'm 6'1" and I haven't ridden on a V-star 250, but my daughter has a Rebel 250 and it looks and feels a lot smaller than my GZ did. I've ridden both and both are good bikes, the Honda may have a little bit more pep, but I like the GZ's simple design and easy maintenance better, and I think it looks a lot more like a full size cruiser than the Rebel does.

[dentheman]

Easy Rider - The TU 250 is really my first choice, but apparently they were only imported for 1 year and my dealer can't get a new one. I could possibly find a used one but being new to motorcycles I don't want to risk getting one with a mechanical problem, so whatever I get, it will be new.

If there is more than one Zuki dealer in your area, I'd double check that "1 year" story; it sounds fishy to me. Probably really means that he doesn't want to spend any time getting one because his margin is too low.

As for the used thing, your logic is all backwards. A lightly used, late model vehicle (of any kind) is LESS likely to have a major problem than a new one......because somebody else has broken it in for you. They have also eaten the initial depreciation hit.....which can be substantial.

You need to be careful and ask the right questions (Has it been wrecked? Any major mechanical failures? Who was the last owner? Can I SEE the present title?) but a low mileage used bike is by FAR the best value.....money AND service wise.

Of course, if money is no object, then go for new every time. :whistle:The TU also doesn't show up with the 2010 models on the Suzuki site, so I took the dealer's word for it. It will be some time before I purchase a motorcycle, so i will see what is available then.

[SuziQ07]

Hello, i just joined, though I have been lurking for a while. I have no experience with motorcycles so I am researching to find the one best suited for me. This site has already answered several questions I have had in my search for the best bike. Right now I am leaning toward the GZ 250, but also considering the v-star 250 and Rebel. I will be taking the MSF course in Sept. or Oct. You have a great site here (I have not found a similar v star 250 or Rebel site), and I hope to have some meaningful participation in the next few months; To help me decide!

I'm just a newbie myself but after a lot of research and studying I finally decided to purchase a 2007 used GZ250 about a month ago. I think the three bikes are all rather comparable and you'll find many reviews online that say so. I personally in the end decided that I liked the looks of the GZ better...bigger tank and fenders etc. The used Yamaha Virago I looked at had such a small tank. I also thought the GZ tailpipe looked a little more bad girl!

[Sarris]

As I understand it from my dealer contact, Suzuki is so buried in unsold 2007, 2008, & 2009 models that they are only sending a few 2010 models to the states (shown on the website) and are limiting the production of 2010 models worldwide.

:tdown:

[dentheman]

As I understand it from my dealer contact, Suzuki is so buried in unsold 2007, 2008, & 2009 models that they are only sending a few 2010 models to the states (shown on the website) and are limiting the production of 2010 models worldwide.

:tdown:
I'm not sure I understand. Does this mean i could order a brand new LAST YEARS model through my dealer? Or even a 2008? Or is it just that dealers still have older bikes in stock?

[SuziQ07]

As I understand it from my dealer contact, Suzuki is so buried in unsold 2007, 2008, & 2009 models that they are only sending a few 2010 models to the states (shown on the website) and are limiting the production of 2010 models worldwide.

:tdown:

I heard the same thing...Suzuki stopped production of it's 2010 models due to the bad economy??

[Sarris]

No ordering "new" old models, just what is in stock (a shitload of unsold bikes).

:)

[burkbuilds]

I've heard similar things about some Kawasaki models, specifically the 2009 Vulcan 500. Kawasaki openly declared the 2009 Vulcan 500 to be the last year of production for that model, but if you start checking on line, there are a lot of dealers still selling plenty of brand new 2009 Vulcan 500's. On one Kawasaki Vulcan forum a member posted that they made a really large production run of the 09's and just warehoused them and will be selling 09's out of stock for a long time, thus circumventing the tougher emission restrictions that were placed on 2010 models. Not sure if that's true, but there does not seem to be a shortage of new 09's on dealer showroom floors right now.

[Easy Rider]

I'm not sure I understand. Does this mean i could order a brand new LAST YEARS model through my dealer? Or even a 2008? Or is it just that dealers still have older bikes in stock?

Mostly what's just in stock......but a dealer who really wants to make a few bucks would call other dealers and try to find what you want. Car dealers do that ALL the time; bike dealers, almost never, at least in my experience; I have no idea why the difference.

Search the web, do "dealer locate" at Mfg's sites and call dealers within 100 miles or so.
There are some KILLER deals out there but you have to really look for them.

[dentheman]

This doesn't sound good for Suzuki; are the other manufacturers in the same boat?

[Easy Rider]

This doesn't sound good for Suzuki; are the other manufacturers in the same boat?

Yes, pretty much. My local multi-brand dealer has almost NO 2010 models on the floor......except for a few "first year" ones.
Plenty of bikes.....all left over from last year.

[Water Warrior 2]

All the bike dealers have new old stock or have access to it. There is probably a few warehouses full of new old bikes on both coasts. The other day I wandered through a dealer and there were 08's, 09's and a few 2010's on the floor. What made me do a double take was a GS 500 twin for only $200 more than a GZ 250.

[dentheman]

The GZ is the biggest physically for a rider to get comfy on. The Rebel has the GZ beat in shear numbers but also has a factory bug built into the tranny that shows up in most of them. Lynda had one during her rider training and developed a real hatred for the tranny. The one thing that really makes me wonder about the Rebel is the fact that there is no oil filter to change. Strikes me as less than Stone Age technology but that is the corporate dicision from Honda. Not knocking Honda because they do build good bikes but really there should be a couple improvements to make the bike really bullet proof.
The baby Virago is okay, I did ride one during our training. I would imagine(speculation here)the little V-twin would be a bit more to maintain than the Rebel or GZ. It also has a smallish tank so a longer ride might involve more gas stops.
All 3 bikes are great starter bikes and ideal for anyone not wanting or needing to go bigger. Whatever you get we are glad to have you join us and say hello.
"The biggest physically for a rider to get comfy on". That's what I am looking for! Along with low maintenance, good gas mileage and using regular, the GZ seems like the best bet of my choices.

[alanmcorcoran]

I bought my "new" 2007 Yamaha in January of 2009. Not sure what the typical negotiations are on higher priced models but it was a substantially better deal percentage (and bullshit)-wise than what I did on the GZ. Maybe there was a mini bubble on bikes in '08 when gas prices spiked that has flooded the market with slightly used bikes selling privately from people that decided to go back to their cars. Hahm Motorsports, one of the big Anaheim Dealers, isn't selling bikes of any kind anymore (closed their showroom, just sell parts.) That was the place that "made a mistake" and refused to honor the price they originally quoted for my Yamaha. (I bought it for the "mistake" price at another dealer.)

[BillInGA]

When I was researching my first bike 4 years ago I was looking at the Virago, Rebel and GZ250. I was only looking at used bikes. The Viragos (now V-star, I presume) were comparatively more expensive. I read that the Rebels were a tight fit; once I sat on one I was in complete agreement.

Ultimately, I settled on the GZ250 because of the following factors:
- Lowest comparative price
- It felt like a bigger bike
- Larger fuel tank

The only concern I had was that is was a single-cylinder engine. Seems everyone is taught to want a twin. But after 4 years and 7,000 miles, I very happy with my little thumper.

[patrick_777]

The single-piston makes for a very reliable engine.

[blaine]

When I was researching my first bike 4 years ago I was looking at the Virago, Rebel and GZ250. I was only looking at used bikes. The Viragos (now V-star, I presume) were comparatively more expensive. I read that the Rebels were a tight fit; once I sat on one I was in complete agreement.

Ultimately, I settled on the GZ250 because of the following factors:
- Lowest comparative price
- It felt like a bigger bike
- Larger fuel tank

The only concern I had was that is was a single-cylinder engine. Seems everyone is taught to want a twin. But after 4 years and 7,000 miles, I very happy with my little thumper.


I have 38000 kms on my G.Z. no problems.just normal maintenance'

[JWR]

I traded my GZ for a Virago 250.
Plus and minus for both bikes.

If the GZ had the V twin motor it would be the best 250 on the market.

JMHO

[Water Warrior 2]

I traded my GZ for a Virago 250.
Plus and minus for both bikes.

If the GZ had the V twin motor it would be the best 250 on the market.

JMHO
Wait for it, your wish could come true. Actually Suzuki does or did make a V-twin 250 but it never made it to North America. IIRC they were available in Australia but quite pricey. A search of Suzuki Global might turn up one for you to see.

[JWR]

Yes, I have seen pictures on the net of these, but I believe they are no longer in production.

The Virago motor is a very different from the GZ.


Edit: VL 250 LC Intruder at 24hp. This is what we should have had.

[Easy Rider]

If the GZ had the V twin motor it would be the best 250 on the market.


Or even the parallel twin which it LOOKS like !!!
Faked me out on the show room floor for sure.

[JWR]

The Virago will pull in 5th gear from 15 mph to 85.
It really does best from 35 and up, no need to down shift. It is easier to ride at a slow speed also.
The same roads that I had to down shift the GZ, it will gain speed going up in 5th.

The Virago is not as comfortable as the GZ, and it has no storage.
A lot of little things on the GZ I liked better, but the performance is night and day different.

[alantf]

Suzuki does or did make a V-twin 250

IIRC it's the "intruder"

[Mercutio57]

I first looked at the Rebel, but after checking various online reviews (especially those of the 2000 GZ250 on Epinions.com) the GZ began to look like the better choice for me. What clinched it, quite frankly, was actually seeing in at the dealer's. In photographs the GZ250 didn't impress me; in "person" I found it very appealing. In fact, I told the salesman that if it fit when I sat on it, he had a sale. It did, and he did.

This was a 2009 model, by the way, for which he mistakenly quoted me the 2008 price. His manager honored the mistake, so I got a nice deal.

By all accounts the Rebel would feel too cramped for me, and the idea of a 250cc v-twin struck me as being too "when I grow up I want a Harley," which I don't. A small displacement thumper, on the other hand, calls to mind the classic BSA machines of my youth & childhood.

Besides, thumpers have that, well, "thump" when they idle!

A successful road test and some 4000+ trouble free miles later, I'd say that the GZ was a good choice. It starts up every time, comfortably goes as fast as I'm willing to take it, handles like a dream, and sips gasoline. If I were to venture out onto multi-lane highways I would of course need something bigger, to be sure, but for in town and local roads it is just about perfect.

[Mercutio57]

PS: Because everyone where I live rides either an enormous v-twin or a crotch rocket, my little thumper is an anomaly and hence attracts a fair amount of attention!

[Easy Rider]

It starts up every time, comfortably goes as fast as I'm willing to take it, handles like a dream, and sips gasoline.

If you read through the mountain of posts here, you will find that the only re-occurring complaint is about the carb gumming up. You can prevent that (probably) by giving it a shot of carb cleaner in the gas every 5 or 6 tankfulls during the riding season and the recommended amount of Stabil or Seafoam during storage.

The top ranked "mod" is the 16 tooth front sprocket.

[dentheman]

PS: Because everyone where I live rides either an enormous v-twin or a crotch rocket, my little thumper is an anomaly and hence attracts a fair amount of attention!
Where I live, we all get pretty annoyed when a crotch rocket or Harley, or any motorcycle for that matter, comes whining or roaring through the neighborhood, so I think a quiet GZ would be welcome and get positive attention. That is if I don't ride it stupidly! EDIT: For some reason they all have loud mufflers and are speeding.

[Mercutio57]

Yes, the GZ is a motorcycle the neighbors will love!

[mole2]

If you read through the mountain of posts here, you will find that the only re-occurring complaint is about the carb gumming up. You can prevent that (probably) by giving it a shot of carb cleaner in the gas every 5 or 6 tankfulls during the riding season and the recommended amount of Stabil or Seafoam during storage.

The top ranked "mod" is the 16 tooth front sprocket.

In addition to the carb cleaner, put Stabil in every fill up. It only takes one ounce and if the bike should wind up being laid up for some reason life throws at you it won't gum up.


:)

[patrick_777]

That's the first time I've ever heard of putting Stabil in EVERY TANK. That's just wasteful and seems kinda...(for lack of a better word) dumb. Not only will it affect your mileage negatively, it could have even more negative effects on your engine internals.

Where did you get that "idea" from?

[blaine]

That's the first time I've ever heard of putting Stabil in EVERY TANK. That's just wasteful and seems kinda...(for lack of a better word) dumb. Not only will it affect your mileage negatively, it could have even more negative effects on your engine internals.

Where did you get that "idea" from?
dtddo,not a good idea. :??: :??: :plus1: :plus1:

[alantf]

IIRC they were available in Australia but quite pricey.

According to my mate in Australia this does not equate to Suzuki prices, but Australian prices. He reckons that EVERYTHING in Australia is expensive when compared to Europe/America.

[Easy Rider]

Where did you get that "idea" from?

That was my first reaction too BUT..........

It seems that Stabil is getting on the Seafoam "bandwagon" as I think it now claims some "cleaning" properties too with the recent "reformulation".

While 1 OZ in ~3 gal. won't hurt anything, it's unlikely to really help anything either and I do believe it's a total waste IF you are also going to give it a shot of cleaner periodically.

A bike doesn't often end up just sitting by accident so you can give it a shot of stabilizer if and when a situation like that actually crops up.

[mole2]

That's the first time I've ever heard of putting Stabil in EVERY TANK. That's just wasteful and seems kinda...(for lack of a better word) dumb. Not only will it affect your mileage negatively, it could have even more negative effects on your engine internals.

Where did you get that "idea" from?

I've been doing that for about 15 years in all my power equipment, boats, and now my motorcycle. It's never affected running, engine internals, nor mileage. It will help preserve Ethenol which has a relatively short shelf life in that it starts to break down in three months. Ethanol attracts water (like the alcohol you used to put in as Dry Gas to prevent water freeze up in fuel) and will cause tanks to corrode. Stabil will prevent those harmful affects of Ethanol. As an ex auto mechanic (15 years) I don't see a problem with it. All it does is prevent the breakdown of the fuel. It doesn't clean as far as I'm aware.


:)