My first bike

[Reyji]

Here in Canada it's called the Marauder. This one is an 08. It's a fun little bike to ride around town and the city. Feels nice when I get compliments from people on the street. Looks bigger than it looks some guy thought it was a 400 cc.

Thanks for looking :rawk:

http://www.buddhimudra.com/images/IMG_3386_sm.jpg


http://www.buddhimudra.com/images/IMG_3389_sm.jpg

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks good. Do you have any plans for bags and other farkles ?

[alantf]

Nice tread pattern on the front tyre. Looks like it's got good grip. :2tup:

[mole2]

Black! I like black. Can't ya tell? Ride safe.


:)

[Reyji]

Hello!

Thanks for your comments. Don't think I will be putting a saddlebag or a sissybar. Not really my thing although I'm tempted to put a custom muffler from ebay to improve the sound the stock muffler kinda sounds like an electric lawn mower. I'm also thinking of putting a 16T front sprocket. I like to ride fast most of the times and I find myself shifting more than I would like. I love that the front tire is fatter than other 250 cc's and yeah it grips pretty well. Black is the coolest color! I'm visualizing my next bike to be a Harley Iron 833. They look dark and mean. I'm content with a GZ being my first bike to gain confidence in my riding abilities and to improve my riding skills and weighing a buck twenty its a good size for me.

ROCK ON!

[ArizonaKev]

Good looking bike. I only weigh about 150 myself, and I totally agree - the wieght of the GZ is perfect for me. When I first got it, I too thought I might eventually get a bigger bike. But the longer I have and ride it, the more I like it, and the less I want a bigger bike : the gas mileage is unbeatable, the styling is great, has enough speed for what I need, very easy to manuever because of the light weight, and very cheap to work on.

When I bought mine (used) it came with saddlebags, and at first I didn't like them, so I took them off. But then I had to start wearing a backpack all the time, which made my back get WAY hot (I live in Phoenix, AZ, and it's pretty hot to begin with!). So I put them back on, and I actually like the way the bike looks with them on a lot better now. Seems to give it a little more "beef" and make it look more like a true cruiser.

Whichever way you choose to go, enjoy that new bike, and ride safe :2tup:


AZ Kev

[Reyji]

Hey Arizona,

It's a great feeling when you fill the tank with gas and its gonna cost less than 10 bucks and it's especially fun when you sneak your way through busy traffic in the city. The 250 cc definitely has its advantages. I bought a $10 backpack in walmart and of course it had to be black. A lot less cheaper than a saddlebag and the bracket that you need with it. Its summer now in Toronto and yeah my back sweats with the backpack on but you get used to it. I thought about putting a saddlebag at first but then I changed my mind kinda makes the bike looks like it has a fat ass. LOL. I prefer to have my bike on a diet but to each its own.

RIDE ON AND ROCK ON!

Cheers!

[Water Warrior 2]

Keep in mind a bike with a fat ass is more visible to others. Coming or going you need to be visible.

[cayuse]

hi Reyji, nice bike! the crash bars are a nice touch.
I wore a backpack for awhile and after getting too hot one day figured out a way to turn it into a tank bag. The waist strap loops through the frame ahead of the tank, the handle loop is tied into my seat bracket with velcro, and the shoulder straps are bungee'd to the frame just behind the engine. It's a Roots bag so it's a little too big, but is so handy, and swings out of the way in seconds for re-fueling.

[Reyji]

Oh sweet I'm trying to picture how that works for you but I must say its a pretty clever way to attach a backpack on to a bike. Dig your blue GZ bruddha!

Warrior bro point well taken thanks!

[cayuse]

I'll take some pictures of the tank bag and post them ASAP. Ride safe! :2tup:

[ArizonaKev]

Right on, I can appreciate your thoughts about it. That's what's great about it - we can each do "our own thang." I am curious though - you mention something about a 'bracket' being needed for the saddlebags.... I didn't need one for mine, simply took the back seat off and put 'em right on. What kind of bags were you looking at?

AZ Kev

[Reyji]

Suzuki sells brackets that holds their saddle bags but I guess you don't even need them becuz your way works just fine. I find suzuki's accessories much too expensive for my taste. A $10 backpack suits me just fine.

Cayuse, sweet video of your bike ride. I like the little twisties and the turns looks like fun. Where's your pic of your tank bag I may want to copy it. Thanks!

[Easy Rider]

I am curious though - you mention something about a 'bracket' being needed for the saddlebags.... I didn't need one for mine, simply took the back seat off and put 'em right on.

The brackets bolt to the rear fender supports and keep the bags OFF of the rear wheel and spokes. That is VERY important. If the bag hits the tire, it can fold IN and lock up the rear wheel .......maybe throwing you off in the process.

If you post a picture or two, we can all chime in with 14 conficting opinions and keep the thread going for MONTHS. :biggrin:

From your avatar, they look rather large and behind the springs; exactly where you don't want them to be......without the safety brackets.

[cayuse]

Reyji, here are a few pictures of my homemade tank bag. I call it 'the mother of all tank bags' since it's so big.

Here's what I did with the straps. A velcro loop around the shoulder straps to shorten them up, and a couple of bungees looped through the D-rings on the ends.
http://s1.postimage.org/9oWA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx9oWA)

Here you see how I threaded the waist strap through the frame under the front of the tank. I wrapped some padding around the buckle to protect the paint. I also have some spongy drawer liner material between the tank and bag to prevent scratching.
http://s4.postimage.org/7rQlS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV7rQlS)

Here you see I have a strap tied into my seat bracket and I put a loop of velcro through it and the backpack handle to stabilize that end.
http://s3.postimage.org/nhalS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqnhalS)

Here you see how the bungees hook onto the frame. I'm using plastic hooks so they don't scratch anything. The shoulder straps are adjusted so the buckles aren't contacting the tank. Believe it or not, the straps don't interfere with my legs.
http://s1.postimage.org/aIfi.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxaIfi)

Here's the whole thing. Yes, it's huge, but it's holding my jacket liner, a wind breaker, and my full-size coffee thermos, plus my sunglasses, garage door opener, camera, extra bungees, a towel, wipes, warm gloves, and some maps. And I can still see my speedo and I don't really notice it's there when I'm riding. It's very stable, too. To re-fuel, I rip off the rear velcro and unhook the left-hand bungees and loop them around the right mirror, which lifts the whole thing off the tank out of the way.
http://s3.postimage.org/ngMpr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqngMpr)

One day I'll get a cool Joe Rocket Manta but for now this works. :cool:

[Reyji]

Oh cool pretty ingenious way of devising a backpack on a bike. Great that it works for you perfectly! Im going to buy some bungee cords and find a way to place my camping gear on the back seat. You inspired me. Thanks for sharing the detailed pics that's pretty clever. :2tup:

[Mercutio57]

I always thought I'd get a bigger bike, and probably will someday. But everytime I take my GZ out for a ride I end up asking, "why?" It's quick, maneuverable, and stylish. Throw in economical, and it's a grand slam! Keep the shiny side up, brothers...

[cayuse]

Couldn't have said it better. :yes:

[Mercutio57]

For most of the world's population a 250cc bike is big. Untold thousands throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America use 100cc and 125cc machines for daily transportation, and do just fine. In Guatemala I've often seen families of 3 and even 4 getting around on a 125. Admittedly it's not the safest way to ride, but they get around!

The GZ is an excellent motorcycle for anyone who wants a cheap and reliable basic motorcycle that is easy to ride and maintain. It's not the best choice for long trips or highways, but apart from that it readily serves most purposes just fine.

The key to fully enjoying it is being secure and independent enough to not follow the crowd (or the ego) and get more than one really needs. I suspect that hospitals (and cemeteries) are filled with poor souls who allowed peer pressure or Freudian insecurities to push them onto machines that were far beyond their needs or their skills.

[Reyji]

That's awesome I really like what you wrote. In other countries like you mentioned the bikes tend to be smaller and they all serve a very practical purpose. In North America our society portrays motorcycles differently. The bigger, faster, shinier and louder the bike is the more valued it is. Nothing really wrong with that it's just the way it is. It's the ego I think is the problem. The ego believes that bigger and faster is better and to be honest sometimes I struggle with that because there are times I wish I was on a bigger bike. Its an ego thing I know but in my heart I am very content with my GZ its the perfect bike for me at this time. As a first year rider I really enjoy riding it and I am always excited about my next ride. Maybe because I am still a new rider and the excitement will probably wear off over time but for now my little GZ makes me happy and that's all that matters. I think its good for the soul and I can see myself riding and feeling the same kind of excitement for many more years to come. :)

ROCK ON AND RIDE ON! :rawk:

[ArizonaKev]

Reyji and Mercutio - I just want to echo your sentiments, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I too have thought about getting a bigger bike, so I could go "faster". Then when I thought about it, I realized that I would probably just end up getting speeding tickets or killing myself. I realized that my GZ is the PERFECT bike for the purpose intended : an economical means of transportation for commuting to and from work.

On top of that, I think the bike looks fanatastic, runs great, gets fabulous gas mileage, and is fun to ride. And the more I ride it, the less I want a bigger bike - the more happy I am on to be on my GZ. I look at people riding bigger bikes, and can honestly say I don't want one. I love my bike. When I referred to my bike being "just a little 250", my cousin in South Dakota said "Take pride in what you ride brother." And today, I do. I am proud to ride my GZ, and it's cool to see all these posts from other people who feel the same way :2tup:

GZ Pride - FEEL IT!


AZ Kev

[alantf]

my GZ its the perfect bike for me at this time. As a first year rider I really enjoy riding it and I am always excited about my next ride. Maybe because I am still a new rider and the excitement will probably wear off over time

Well........... I've been riding for over 45 years, & I've had my GZ for over 3 years now. Living as I do on a small island with a bad traffic problem, & most of the roads having a 50km/hr (30mph) speed limit, the GZ is the ideal bike, & I still love riding it as much as the first day I got it.

Note :- I even managed to get a speeding ticket with it. :biggrin: It cost me €100 ($150?) for going the equivalent of 6mph over the 30mph limit. :cool:

I sincerely hope that the excitement DOESN'T wear off for you. :2tup:

[Reyji]

Oh that sounds like fun riding a GZ on a small island and its the perfect mode of transportation too. Geez the law enforcement is pretty strict when it comes to speeding over where you are. Must be a nice feeling knowing that your GZ is one of the fastest vehicles on the road. :) On your island the GZ rules! I plan to be riding until I'm an old fart. Not saying that you are that at all. Glad to hear that you are still as excited to ride after 4 decades on the road. That's awesome! :2tup:

"Take pride in what you ride" - Beautiful! Thanks for sharing the love Brother, Happy Riding :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

In the real world a GZ will do most everything but compete with traffic on a multilane freeway. Riding the bike within it's capabilities is all you can ask of it. It is one of the best 1st bikes available and they are not so intimidating that new riders are afraid of them. Only time will tell if a GZ rider trades up. In Alantf's land of sunshine there is really no need for a big bike, by the time you hit top gear you may be in the Atlantic Ocean. :lol:

[Mercutio57]

My answer always is, "My GZ may be 'just' a 250, but it's NOT a cage. And that has made all the difference..."

[Reyji]

I like your quote! The feeling of freedom of riding with the wind is priceless. The advantages of riding a 250 GZ outweighs any negative ones that you may have: economical, easy to maneuver, not intimidating, cheap on insurance & gas, fun to ride, practical and I bet you will look back at your first bike with fond memories. I have developed a bond with my GZ and I sense that my little GZ is most happiest when its on the road. It's like my little dog Nikko whose as Shi-tzu and he is always excited about going out for walks no matter how many times I take him. My little GZ loves to go out for a ride! I know it sounds weird but its a vibe that I am getting and I can feel it too when I'm out riding with her on the road :)