Hello From CA

[Water Warrior 2]

Yup, upkeep is pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things. Oil and oil filters mostly. An air filter when required and a spark plug now and again. Regular checks if you are riding everyday(for me) includes all lights functioning properly, give the tires a kick and properly check with a guage once a week. Oil check before daily start up. Gas ? Do you need to top up to complete the ride ? Also be sure that all the hand and foot controls are working smoothly. This is an easy routine and can easily make your day go a lot smoother with only and extra minute or 2 spent every morning.
Chain maintenance is a sometimes dirty job but must be done. Try to find some DuPont with Teflon spray for the chain. It is the best overall in my experience and very cost effective. Also the cleanest. Chain adjustment is part of the routine but you don't do it often so don't fret about it. The owners manual will give you the specs for chain adjustment, procedure and also chain lubing intervals under normal conditions. It is all pretty basic stuff but remember we will help with even a tiny wee question if one pops into your head. When it comes to motorcycles, their functions and your safety there is no such thing as a stupid question.

[JKilgore]

Thanks A TON Water Warrior, Last but not least, One more question...

Will this bike be ok cruising 65/70 for 4 or 5 hours at a time? and if so, how about full throttle for 10 miles or so??

Only reason I Ask, is because i want to make sure it can keep up with the flow of traffic on the freeway when needed.

If yes to either question then I will def. purchase this bike

[alantf]

Originally Posted by JKilgore

Will this bike be ok cruising 65/70 for 4 or 5 hours at a time? and if so, how about full throttle for 10 miles or so??

Reading what you want the bike for, I really think that a bigger bike (650cc?) is the way to go. As well as running the bike flat out for 4 or 5 hours (which is not a good thing for the bike) you'll find it very tiring as well. The GZ is a light bike, so you'll feel every bump on the highway, and you'll have to concentrate 110% on keeping the bike going. Also, you'll have no accelleration in hand if you need to get out of the way fast. Like we said, the GZ's a townbike. Running backroads for a couple of hours at 60mph would be fine, but 5 hours at 70mph is a completely different kettle of fish. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by JKilgore

Thanks A TON Water Warrior, Last but not least, One more question...

Will this bike be ok cruising 65/70 for 4 or 5 hours at a time? and if so, how about full throttle for 10 miles or so??

Only reason I Ask, is because i want to make sure it can keep up with the flow of traffic on the freeway when needed.

If yes to either question then I will def. purchase this bike

Mmmm...no to both questions. That is asking a lot from almost any 250 available to you. As Alantf said, you would find it very tiring to begin with and you probably should be looking for something bigger for your future needs. There are quite a few Japanese 500 to 750 V-twins out there that would be much more suitable. We don't want to burst your bubble but the GZ would be very underwhelming on a Cali freeway even for a short burst.
Something that helped me decide on my choice of bike was just lurking on various websites to get a general feeling for the bike and it's capabilities. This will give you a good idea if the bike is a rider or a frequent fixit machine. There are many bikes out there with one factory wart that is addressed by the aftermarket to make it a reliable rider. The internet is free and full of options so do your homework.

[blaine]

I agree with ww.A good bike that has lots of power for your needs,is good on fuel,(50 to 55 MPG),and is light and nimble,is the Vulcan 500.It has a vertical twin that is basically a sport bike engine (Ninja),in a cruiser frame.
:cool:

[mole2]

Welcome to the forum. From reading all the above postings I'd have to say look for something bigger. I can recommend the Yamaha V-Star 650 (classic or Custom - I prefer the Classic as the seat is better). It's heavier than the GZ250 and will hold the road better in wind. It's still light enough to learn on and still do 65 - 70 all day long while getting 55 mpg.

I take it you are not experienced with motorcycles. My advice would be to take the MSF BRC (Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course) BEFORE you make your purchase. This way you'll have some experience to make decisions with. Plus it's the best money spent for your safety. My opinion of jumping right in and riding freeways is a recipe for disaster if you haven't been riding a while. As WW said you have to learn to walk before you run. I'll add that you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. Don't rush anything as it's your health and safety that will be at risk. Good luck in whatever you choice you make. Ride safe.

[JWR]

I will agree with the others...the GZ will not hold the speeds you want to run.

Hills and wind are not kind to the GZ.

The Vulcan 500 will do what you want all day.

[Water Warrior 2]

After all that, if you are young, fairly strong and have longer legs you might want to look at a Vstrom 650. The strength part comes into play after you drop it. The bike carries a high center of gravity but handles nicely once moving. Check them out for yourself. The 2012 model is a 2nd generation model so there should be some good 1st generation(2004-2011) bikes on the used market for a while. They work well and don't break. No chrome to polish and look best when dirty. Kinda ugly but they grow on you.

[alanmcorcoran]

I don't think you are going to be happy with the GZ for very long. It's not an appropriate bike for CA Freeways, period. If you are some kind of genius mechanic and have perfect racing technique you might be able to get it to go 70, but realistically, 65 is it unless you have a tailwind or are going downhill. That's too slow for the freeway. I have a KLR650 (in addition to the Geezer)- goes lot better on the freeway and I got it for only a little more than I (over) paid for the GZ. (They've dropped a lot in price since then.)

Plus the GZ is very light. At 65 you are at full floggery and between the truck drafts, the scoring and freeway divots, etc you're gonna be bouncing all over the place. It won't kill you and you might even get used to it, but it's no fun. If you do a lot of freeway riding, bigger is better. You'll enjoy the ride a lot more on a heavier bike.

Are you buying a used bike?

[JKilgore]

Hello All

I won't be purchasing/financing this bike as i thought i would because I quit my second job , ( I held two "Physical demanding" jobs and it was to rough on my back) so I'm looking for another second job that's not so much physically demanding)

An Update, am trying to get a 1500 dollar loan (I have poor credit) because I have found 2 gz250's on CL for 1500, reason i'm trying to get a loan is because it would take me 2 months of Strict saving in order to save up, unless i get a second job which isn't likely.
I now have my permit which is a good thing and thought it over, I will be getting the GZ250, as I won't be using the freeways as much as i thought i would be doing, Just to and from work, home, store, errands, friends, beach, movies etc etc etc etc...

Thanks again