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View Full Version : My GZ250 mod project


isaac
03-08-2013, 03:26 PM
This was my first bike, bought when my brother and I went in together on one because our dad had told us our whole lives that we could never have a motorcycle. So we bought it and hid it while we were in college so he wouldn't see it when he visited. Eventually he was forced to accept it.

I've had it probably 9-10 years now and despite all the other bikes I've owned I've never sold it. I decided it was time to make some changes. I've done this to the bike before because it's a great platform to mess around with. Type GZ250 cafe into google and the first two photos that show up are my bike in various stages of mockups (at one point I had a full Honda CBR954 monoshock conversion on the back with custom welded subframe, not pictured) that I either reversed later or added to. Either way, everything has happened to the same bike.

Anyway I decided to do this to it:

http://m9.i.pbase.com/g2/96/180096/2/149111039.BqWsyplD.jpg

http://m2.i.pbase.com/g2/96/180096/2/149111042.BwGXECDg.jpg

So I did that. I like it a lot. I'll be ditching the mirror for a bar end piece. Visually it's got a drag handlebar I cut and welded to my liking, including grinding cutouts so the forks could be raised into the triples to lower the front end 2". It's blacked out on the triples, bar, bar clamps, speedo housing, headlight housing, wheels and rear brake. Obviously both fenders are gone, though I'll probably replace them with tiny pieces for functionality (especially fork bracing). Removed all lighting except headlight and a single brake/running light on the left chainguard. Will likely add back in minimalist front turn signals, which I've already bought. Cut off rear of subframe beyond boltholes for rear fender so that I can attach a custom pillion seat. Hid all electrics on a tray under the swingarm. Cut and welded a custom battery holder that bolts to the front of the triangle behind the engine. Hid certain unsightly welds with whatever that goldish colored header wrap is. It's gradually darkening, which is fine by me. The bike as you see it runs and rides.

Mechanically It's jetted to a 138 main, raised needle, emgo pod air filter, exhaust drilled 1/2" in two spots on the inner ring of the end cap.
:hide:

rik05171981
03-08-2013, 03:30 PM
That looks nice man about what I plan to doing to my bike!

Water Warrior 2
03-08-2013, 04:07 PM
Looks like a fun bike to ride in sunshine. It must be noticeably peppier with less weight and the fenders no longer catching air.

blaine
03-08-2013, 04:40 PM
Looks good.I'll bet a real blast to ride> :)

jonathan180iq
03-08-2013, 05:04 PM
That's really rad looking, man.

I'm a fan of at least a partial rear fender. One wet ride and you'll see why.

isaac
04-05-2013, 12:42 PM
Made a baffled pipe out of some straight exhaust tubing, some adapters, copper pipe, steel sink crumb cups, steel wool, and a lot of welding. It's fairly loud now. We'll see if I can withstand it over time. Also added a bar end mirror while I was at it.

http://m3.i.pbase.com/g2/96/180096/2/149535173.iNJZSo9A.jpg

http://m5.i.pbase.com/g2/96/180096/2/149535175.vD9Bc3DV.jpg

http://m8.i.pbase.com/g2/96/180096/2/149535178.oFitnkci.jpg

northsidegz
04-10-2013, 05:13 PM
Looks nice! :)

Rookie Rider
04-10-2013, 11:38 PM
Very nice work.

isaac
04-21-2013, 05:19 PM
Thanks guys! I've uploaded a short video of it running so you get an idea of how it sounds. Hopefully I'll get a video of it on the roll soon so you can hear how good is sounds at full throttle. At WOT it has just the right thrum between the open intake pulses and the exhaust pulses where it sounds like a totally different engine.

Here's the video: http://youtu.be/uXLkWHQGy9g

isaac
04-26-2013, 04:23 PM
Added a video with much longer runtime so you can really hear it. Also painted the chain guard black.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKUSNuC_Y1c

Rookie Rider
04-26-2013, 04:51 PM
I always wear earplugs, even before i cut the muffler off my gz. I recently made a homemade baffle because long trips were brutal on my right ear. I was literally deaf for 2 days in my right ear more then once. Bike looks great tho.

alantf
04-27-2013, 05:56 AM
I always wear earplugs, even before i cut the muffler off my gz. I recently made a homemade baffle because long trips were brutal on my right ear. I was literally deaf for 2 days in my right ear more then once. Bike looks great tho.

Aw, c'mon guys. Why do you think that the noisier the bike, the cooler it sounds. That just annoys the hell out of ordinary folk, and gives bikers a bad name. I'm proud to say that I've had several compliments from my neighbours, about how quiet my bike is. I know I'm an old guy, but I've no idea why todays youngsters think that they need their bikes, music, etc so loud that they're forcing their taste on everyone else.

Rant over - but I needed to get that off my chest. :2tup:

The reason that I feel so strongly about this is that I'm partially deaf. There are certain frequencies that I can't hear. I have to wear hearing aids. Thing is, when I went for my first hearing test, the doctor said that, because of my hearing pattern, he thought that it was industrial deafness. Fifty years ago, when I started working, nobody thought about health & safety, nobody wore ear protectors, so we just accepted the noise levels. Even in the Air Force we weren't issued with ear protectors on the firing range. Then you calmly accept that the bike noise made you deaf for a couple of days. The only thing that exessive noise does is line the pockets of the hearing aid manufacturers. I just wish that I knew fifty years ago what I know now. I don't suppose for a moment that I've changed the minds of "the noisier the better" crowd, but From my own experience, I know which road I'd go down.

Water Warrior 2
04-27-2013, 02:04 PM
I have to agree with Alantf when it comes to noise levels whether they are bikes or industrial in nature. Excessive noise is destructive to each of us no matter what the source. I didn't always believe in quiet pipes on my cages but they were more of an annoyance as time went by. One loud bike was enough too.
Having permanent hearing loss from industrial sites is also part of my life. I won't go into loud music for fear of sounding like a complete idiot with the added hearing loss I created.

Rookie Rider
04-29-2013, 12:58 AM
I liked the sound at first but not so much anymore. Its a high pitch kinda sound. Got very annoying, and people did turn to me when riding down the block with a "WTF" face on, lol.