2006 Suzuki GZ250

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Strelok

If you know you're going down I recommend
trying to throw yourself away from the Bike rather than to let it crush you if you can.

"if you can" - thats the key! A coupla years back, when I got sideswiped by a SUV I was overtaking, it was all over in a fraction of a second. The bike went down. The "engine guard" got bent, but it was the ONLY thing that saved my leg from being trapped/burnt. If I'd have had chance to roll away from the bike, I would have been squashed by the vehicles coming towards me. O.k. - go for the "pretty one" but if you have an accident like I did, and get your leg trapped, don't forget that we have all been trying to help you. Whatever you might think, the so called "engine guards" are meant to protect YOU. People here, who have had experience of the flimsy Suzuki guards, Know what they're talking about, through experience. If you think you know better than people who have fitted them, then so be it. Actually, you come across as though you don't want to be shown as being wrong on anything. Oh well...........

[cayuse]

Cool down people! Seems like there's a lot of pent up hate about the OEM crash bars!
They are what they are..... not as sturdy as aftermarket. Let's leave it at that.
Should I even bring up the fact I have NO crash bars on my bike? Oops, now it's out! You can nail me to the cross, too!

Let's all enjoy the ride. I'm looking forward to photos of Strelok's goodies.

[Strelok]

Finally had some free time to install the Engine Guards and take some pictures:















I have no idea why the Suzuki Instructions said to remove the bolts
holding down the left exhaust flange. I ignored that part and got them
on fine. What was also funny was I guess someone had too much Sake
at lunch back at the Suzuki Factory in Japan. Inside the box were complete
instructions how to install the Suzuki Sissy Bar & Rack written only in Japanese.

:tongue:

[mole2]

Originally Posted by Strelok

Finally had some free time to install the Engine Guards and take some pictures:


I have no idea why the Suzuki Instructions said to remove the bolts
holding down the left exhaust flange. I ignored that part and got them
on fine. What was also funny was I guess someone had too much Sake
at lunch back at the Suzuki Factory in Japan. Inside the box were complete
instructions how to install the Suzuki Sissy Bar & Rack written only in Japanese.

:tongue:

Well, give them some slack on the instructions. All that radiation has to take a toll somewhere. Just kidding.

[cayuse]

lookin' good, Strelok! :2tup:

[cayuse]

lookin' good, Strelok! :2tup:

[savrip]

Hello everyone. Glad to be here among fellow owners. I was shopping craigslist for a Rebel, Virago, GZ250 type bike when I found a suitable GZ250 for $1500, 8k miles. This one came with some nylon-type saddlebags which I needed for hauling a few tools with me to work. It's nothing too fancy, but my intention was to get a bike for learning and transportation.

It turns out it's starting to be a little project. A week or so after I bought it I finally started to get some courage to take it on the road. After some close inspection I found a few broken spokes on the back wheel. The dealership wanted an astronomical fee for re-spoking so I thought I would give it a shot. Dealership $45 spokes + $255 (3hr) labor. I knew very little about what I was doing and had the wheel off, tire off, and respoked in about 2 hours. I could have done it even faster if I had realized the spokes had two different necks. I should have paid attention that they were in two different bags... I had a lot of fun doing that tonight and thanks to the service manual found here that job was a whole lot easier. While I have the wheel off I'm getting the tire replaced, it's a bit low on tread. It would have gotten me through the season, but I'd rather just have the wheel off once and get everything done. I'm trying to keep my total cost down on this bike so I can feel like I'm getting my money's worth if I turn it around in a year.

There was a worrisome noise coming from the engine last time I ran it for 10 miles. A ticking noise, which I know doesn't bode well. Starting it cold the other day I couldn't hear it. Any feedback would be appreciated on it. After the tire/wheel is back on I'll tackle that mess as well as cleaning the carborator and changing the oil. Basically I want to give it an tuneup to where I feel comfortable riding it. The last owner was a kid in his mid-20s that had it for 5 months. He probably wanted to turn it around before he had to buy a tire and fix the spokes.

I want to do a few things to spice it up. LED engine lights for night time visibility and probably a few more pieces of gear. The bike is very nice and a lot of my friends have commented on how much better it looks than the Rebel. I have to agree.

[Strelok]

savrip~

Welcome to the Forum!

I started out wanting a black GZ250 until I saw the blue you and I have.

Changing the Oil is a good idea and something I need to do myself.

I agree with you & friends it is so much better than the Rebel.

:2tup:

[savrip]

Originally Posted by Strelok

savrip~

Welcome to the Forum!

I started out wanting a black GZ250 until I saw the blue you and I have.

Changing the Oil is a good idea and something I need to do myself.

I agree with you & friends it is so much better than the Rebel.

:2tup:

Black doesn't do anything for me. It's a great accent color, but I like a bike with something to make it stand out. I passed on a 2006 Lifan 250 with 4 miles. It was black, that and the thought of a bike that hadn't been driven in 5 years kind of scared me.

[alantf]

Black ones are faster :whistle: :neener: