joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

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Hi, I'm a long time reader of this forum and thought I would post my bike on here since I like the bike as much as this forum(just kidding - more). I found this site about a year ago and it helped me decide which bike to purchase, how to change the oil and a variety of other things including where to get the best accessories. I bought an '06 last April with 207 miles and currently have almost 1,600. This bike has been a blast, although I hate to admit I had a little spill in a parking lot due to gravel at around 300 miles (Tough lesson that really shook me up. I fixed the bike up and it looks like new with parts from cheapcycleparts.com, except for a small ding in the tank I can't seem to get all the way out with even a dingking). I just drove through a downpour last week and didn't seem to have any problems except getting very wet - despite every effort from my cheap and useless rain gear... time to upgrade. My future plan is to buy a V-Star 650, but I'm in no hurry. This plan will most likely end up on hold though, since I will be getting married next spring. I'd like to thank everyone for their useful information in these forums - it has really helped me out a lot! My favorite thread is the one from seventigers, who converted his gz into a bobber. That is really cool! BTW, I always wear a helmet- I am just posing for the picture. I know how you guys are, so I thought I'd throw that out there.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Welcome to the forum.Have fun.Ride safe.
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Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Well it is about time you showed up in person. We could sense you lurking in the background with your sidekick GZ. Welcome and glad to have another member.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Welcome aboard Joel! Glad you found the forum and the GZ.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Hi there.

Just a thought............... If you're trying to save money (& who isn't, these days?) whyy not try the camping/hiking stores. I bought my waterproofs in a camping store in England. It's a two piece, designed for hikers. Totally waterproof, & MUCH cheaper than anything I could find at the bike shops. I just give it a spray with waterproofer every year, & it's small enough to carry, rolled up in a saddle bag. :2tup:

BTW. Love the saddlebags. They look as though they can hold MUCH more than mine, & the design really appeals to me. :)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Nice post! Good to see the forum has value and even better to see someone acknowledge its help.

I like your saddlebags better than mine.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Another good place for rain gear is a workwear store.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Welcome aboard and ride safe! I like the bike.


:)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Welcome aboard indeed! Always great to have another GZ rider out there. I too took a spill on a bike in some loose dirt/gravel when I first started riding many years ago, and it was a big learning experience for me too. And I'm glad to hear that you always wear a helmet. My buddy calls them "donor cycles" when people ride with no protective gear, and I tend to agree.

Oh, and I agree with what alan and some other people suggested on the rain gear - you might have better luck at an outdoor outfitter or camping store.

In any case, enjoy that bike and ride safe amigo! :2tup:

AZ Kev

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Thanks for all the replies! Actually I'm looking for gear online for a nice price and stumbled on this link: http://www.leatherup.com/p/Motorcycle-R ... 90903.html

The price seems reasonable. What do you guys think?

And I really like my saddlebags - THANKS for noticing :cool: (found them on the forum).. only downside is that since they are so large it is easy to put something in one bag that throws the balance off on the bike, which can make it kinda sticky. Seems if I put to much weight on the side without the exhaust - it makes stopping kind of wonky. That seems to not be the issue if it is vice versa though. Odd.... O_o

My gz also seems to have the front brake squealing issue when pressed to a certain amount and then when I press harder it goes away. That is the one and only issue that I dislike and wish I could solve. Anyone else experience this? (It has done this since about mile 400 on the bike). I'm not hard on the bike so I don't feel it is anything self inflicted. I read in one forum at least one rider with this issue, but is it REALLY common?

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Oh I forgot to mention that just the other day I was riding home from work and ran across a street that had been torn up the day before for repaving and it had about an inch or two of gravel on the top. I have to say I was intimidated, but I just took it slow and easy. I feel I have a good understanding of how to move and react when dealing with it so I was pretty happy to overcome that. Just thought I would share since it took my down when I was younger and less experienced several months ago! ha Thanks all

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Yes, I think so. I had forgotten that mine did that; I just learned to "tune it out" and then one day realized that it wasn't doing that anymore. A thousand or so miles later it needed new pads.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Hi Joel, glad to have you ACTIVELY with us now, not just lurking in the background :) . I think we both got our saddle bags from the same source, they look just like the ones on my Vulcan 500, originally made somewhere in Pakistan. It's good to know they have something to export from Pakistan that isn't a controlled substance :tongue: Somebody teased me about them being made of "Ass of Yak", but whatever it is, it is tough leather. I've put over 18,000 miles on my bike since installing them and I've ridden in lots of downpours and they have held up well and kept my stuff dry.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

I totally agree about quality. I bought an "interstate leather" jacket (that's a company out of Milwaukee - yes, we can get American products over here) When I got it home, I noticed the "made in Pakistan" label. It's been one of the most hardwearing, well made, jackets I've ever had. :2tup:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

is it the original suzuki pads that do it? Does anyone know if I buy replacement pads is there a particular brand that is less likely to create the squeal?

Yeah I found the bags and instantly knew they were perfect after seeing them on a red bike. A vulcan sounds about right. Good to know that they are long lasting. They had to be adjusted several times because when I would put stuff in them they would scoot to close for comfort to my exhaust. I am much happier with this purchase than the spitfire windshield. It is WAY TO SMALL and blows the wind right at my face.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Brake pads: Yes, the OEM ones. IIRC, my second set didn't do that nearly as much.
I assume the dealer used Suzuki "standard" replacements but I don't know that for sure.

Windshield: At the risk of suggesting something you have tried already............
Move the whole shield up higher and stand it up straighter.

[edit] Just looked at your picture and you can't move the shield UP any more probably but it can (and should) be quite a bit more vertical to get max. benefit. To prevent instability at speed, you need a slight rake at the top......but just an inch or two. Looks like you are maybe 8-10 inches off vertical now.

BUT.....over a lot of years and a LOT of different shields,I found that the only ones I am really happy with are the biggest ones I can find......tall and wide. That did present a slight problem with the GZ though as it caused more wind drag and not less.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

I live in the mountains, so every ride starts with a long ride downhill with a 30mph limit.
The mileage I've got out of the pads is 1984, 2863, 1365, 1842, 1235. (I've converted kilometers to miles)
1984 is Suzuki, 2863 is a black pad (don't know the name), 1365, 1842, 1235 are the red pads that the bike shop uses now. So it seems like there IS variable quality between pads. Problem is, even if I bought them from another source, I still wouldn't know which were the longest lasting, until I'd tried them. :cry:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Yeah I want a bigger windshield, but that will come with my bigger bike when I decide to upgrade. It's funny because I used to have it slightly more vertical, but the wind always moves it on its own no matter how tight I make it. But thanks for the suggestion - I look at it everyday so I didn't even notice it was like that. I may try it again and see if I can get it to stay.

And thanks for any and all feedback on the brakes!!

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

If the clamps are rotating on the bars, you might try some double-sided carpet tape.
I had one once like that and the tape worked wonders. Was a bitch to re-adjust though. :cry:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Great appreciate the detailed information regarding your pad replacements. It gives me a good idea as to how long they last, since my mileage is about 1750 right now with original pads. That is REALLY good to know.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

I used the SPITFIRE windshield,a total POS.I now use a "National Cycle" Street Shield, a much better quality shield for very little more money.It has four mounting points rather than two like the SPITFIRE.Your shield should be on about the same angle as your forks.
:2tup: :rawk:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Get a yellow or orange rainsuit instead of that gray/black. It's hard enough to be seen in the rain, you don't want to make yourself invisible, you want to be even more noticed in bad weather.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Joel, I have the same windshield and I have the brackets mounted MUCH higher on the bars. They are as high as they can be without interfering with my brake line. I've tilted mine so it is roughly parallel to the forks and works pretty well for me there.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

That's always a good place to start.....and often it will be fine right there......but if you aren't getting enough "lift" to the air stream and it hits you right in the face, then standing it up more vertical will often help solve that problem (and, oddly enough, might help a "lower" problem too).

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Yes, you definitely have to play with it a bit and pay close attention to the airflow. Small changes to the windshield position will yield very different results so make small adjustments. I don't claim I have tuned mine as well as it could be, and my settings will probably not match yours because of differences in body size, posture, etc.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Joel, just for the fun of it try this. Mount the shield as low as possible. Right down almost touching the headlight bucket. Then tilt it to match the front forks. The wind you are getting is probably coming from underneath the shield so it needs to be lower. Shields are normally looked over top of not through. Experiment with the tilt a little so you find the best air flow over your head and hopefully there will not be too much wind noise which is a given with most shields. Ear plugs work in most cases.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

You guys are all over the place with the windshield - from up higher to down lower (I would have never thought of lower.. maybe worth a shot). BBBBBUT I agree about the angle - I need to adjust it. I'll post my results as soon as I have a chance to fiddle with it.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

hey Joel, I didn't mean to move your windshield up high, just the brackets. i think that may allow you to correct the angle.
My brackets are up high but my windshield is JUST over the headlight.
I'll try to post a picture tonight :)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

That would be awesome. Visuals are my best friend. :rawk:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Maybe these pics will help a bit. I lucked out and put the Spitfire on the right way the first time so Lynda had very little to complain about.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Oops!! Sorry Joel, I meant I mount my windshield just above the speedo! If I could mount it higher I would. When I crouch down a little in the saddle the wind noise is diminished so I'm sure it's caused by the wind spilling over the top, not underneath. I'm still playing with the angle to see if I can improve it. Can't say I'm very impressed with the mounting brackets, they tend to loosen up on the 'struts' when I go over too many bumps. I'm going to replace the winghead screws with lock nuts. Anyway, here's my setup. YMMV
Good luck!
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Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Just put a drop of loctite on the threads.mine never moved after the loctite.Had my shield in the same position as yours.

:smallrawk: :tup:

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

I think you need a bigger shield.

While what you say is logical and probably is true, there IS a point where the offending air shifts from top to bottom and it is not always easy to recognize when that happens.

The bottom air sometimes hits your chest at just the right angle to run up your body and beat on your helmet........and leaning forward (and down) a bit disrupts that perfect angle......in a fashion very similar to dropping your head out of the top stream.

I post this not to dispute your analysis of the situation but to just point out what has happened to ME and LOTS of other ridres too when trying to adjust shields. It took me YEARS and lots of people beating it into my head before I finally "got it". (Yes, thick headed !!)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

IMHO, windshields work best (at least for me) when close to the headlight, as wide as functionally possible, and at the same angle as the forks.

The added width seems to stop most side buffeting.

There are differing opinions as to whether to look over or through it. Most folks (as far as I can tell), as well as myself, look over the windshield.

Most folks do agree that the Spitfire and similar two point mounted windshields are too small, poorly mounted, and marginally effective at best.

I have a fork mounted police style windshield as shown below and I wish it was 1-1/2" to 2" taller.

I bought the tallest available (15") and it's about 85% efficient for my need but is more than adequate.

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Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Have you actually tried to move it up an inch or two ??
With the built-in lowers, it looks to me like you could afford to do that without creating a lower problem.

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

If I move it up, it leaks too much air around the headlight & looks kinda goofy.

:)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

I hear what you're saying, Easy; no arguments here. A bigger shield would be better for me. It's not annoying me too much so I'll just keep playing with it. :)

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

Sounds like something my ex-wife used to say to me all the time! LOL!!! :lol:


AZ Kev

Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

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Ok! Above are pictures of what my windshield looks like after tinkering with it as much as I will allow myself to. I know it isn't perfect, but it gets to a point where I will just be adjusting it forever and never be satisfied. I went for a short ride after and brought it up to speed. It actually blocks the wind from hitting my face directly and instead I have a steady stream of air hitting the top of my face evenly, but not the usual force that pushes you backwards. It does make the shield work harder, since the wind is pushed slightly upwards versus flush with the forks. This makes me worry that I may have to constantly readjust it. Remains to be seen.

On a side note, I dropped my helmet from the top of my bike to the pavement several times and I no longer felt comfortable riding with it, so I picked up the same model helmet in black... and I picked up a really nice Scorpion jacket and thought I'd show it off. I love it. :2tup:
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Re: joel procrastinated about 4 months, then posted his bike
 

At first I had my shield up were your is,after some experimenting I had It about half way down on the speedometer, resting tightly against the speedometer.Made the shield much more stable.The angle is better too as the wind goes over your head.The new jacket is awesome.
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