I killed my bike today

[turbo chicken]

No I didn't crash!

-I ride my GZ hard. I run 70mph on the way to and from work and where ever i go on the weekends. Often i exceed 70.
-Well today, on the way to work, i was going about 70ish maybe a little more ... the engine just gave out... i could tell immediately that it threw the rod ...
-I just changed the oil and filter 2 weeks ago. i checked the oil this weekend before my sunday drive ...
-I've been sooo meticulous about taking care of the thing i didn't think it could happen.

not sure why the failure at this point... but i'd recon it's cause i ride the piss out of the thing.

running your littl GZ at WOT or almost 90% of the time... eventually... is no bueno.

Now to find a donor engine or just rebuild the thing... i got to figure out what's more cheap.

One good thing did come out of this... My wife decided she want's to learn to ride. Said after i fix the bike she wants it to learn on... in the mean time i get to get another bike!!! :2tup:

anyway's ... a year and 5000 miles later ... she's out of commission for a couple weeks...

[burkbuilds]

Sorry to hear about your bike. I don't think anything runs well for very long when it's run WOT most of the time. You are the second person I've heard of doing this. This is one of the reasons I decided recently that I was going to need something a little bigger to run the highway between my house and Atlanta on a regular weekly basis. Don't get me wrong, the GZ is a great bike, but it is not designed to run WOT day in and out. I don't really think anything is designed to run at its maximum limit most of the time.
Rebuild or replace the GZ for your wife to ride, that sounds great, but you probably need to consider getting something that can handle 70+ with ease. I recently bought an 09 Kawasaki Vulcan 500, and I think you'd like it too. It's not that much larger than the GZ, and it handles just as easily to me, maybe even a little easier actually. It also has plenty of top end, and can handle the speeds you seem to prefer with easy. It still gets great mileage too, I've only put a little over 300 miles on it since last Tuesday, but I've gotten over 60 mpg with both fill ups, and that's for around town driving. The one thing you probably won't like is that they recommend that you break it in by going less than 50 mph for the first 500 miles, and then less than 72 for the next 500. After that, you can let her run.
Easy rider recently went to a Honda Shadow , I think a 600, and he seems to like it a lot too. I think the 09 Shadows don't come any smaller than 750 cc's if you are thinking of brand new models, but the 600 was made at least until a couple of years ago.

Well, I'm sorry again about the GZ, but at least you didn't seize her up and lose control and wreck! Good luck with whatever you decide.

[turbo chicken]

I remember reading a thread here last year when i joined about how fast we run our bikes. a few people including myself posted that we run in the upper 60's and even lower 70's a lot and had no issues.

The message i wanted to get across to say really that ... it's okay for short spouts... but it's just not made to "cruise" at those types of speeds all the time ...

Just a little more background info
- i travel 38 miles round trip to an from work
-30 of those miles are above 65mph most of the time
-I got 5000 miles out of the bike riding it very very hard ... dare i say i abused it.
-I changed the oil at the recommended intervals

I've been secretly looking at Savages/S40's for the past couple weeks :twisted: .... tomorrow i go to the bank to get a small loan :2tup: cause it doesn't look like ill be selling the GZ anytime soon now.

Im soo stoked my wife wants to ride!!!

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by turbo chicken

not sure why the failure at this point... but i'd recon it's cause i ride the piss out of the thing.

I think your recon'ing skill is pretty sharp. Too bad it didn't kick in a little sooner! :roll:
You are the second rider to report a similar fate........and a similar riding "style".
Hope it all turns out OK.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by burkbuilds

Easy rider recently went to a Honda Shadow , I think a 600, and he seems to like it a lot too.

I do like it a lot; I would like it even MORE if the shop or PO hadn't messed a couple of things up. Slowly getting those little things squared away. Preliminary MPG is 50......but I am still addicted to the torque and the growl with exuberant throttle operation!! :whistle:

I'm guessing a top of 55 mpg when cruising on the highway. I seldom get out of 3rd in town.