I've joined the addiction.

[mithuth]

Here's a pic of my lil scooter bike I just picked up a few weeks back. It's my first bike, and I'm already starting to want something a bit bigger. Pictured behind it is my second bike (a 99 Marauder 800). I actually bought it before the 250, but due to some title issues, I took delivery afterwards.

The 250 was a bike used in the PA motorcycle safety program, so it's been dropped and beat up pretty good. The prev owner had a new tank put on and had the whole bike repainted, hence no decals. It had ~3100 miles on it when I bought it and now has around 3700 after only a few weeks.

Anyhow, howdy from northwestern PA.

[PimpS]

Welcome Mithuth!

Interesting, tell me about that second bike of yours, marauder 800, how do you like it? Do you recommend it for an upgrade from gz?

[blaine]

Welcome to the family.That's a nice looking pair of Marauders. :cool:

[mithuth]

ty blaine. They're ok I guess. The price was right on each of them, so I figured why not.

Originally Posted by PimpS

tell me about that second bike of yours, marauder 800, how do you like it? Do you recommend it for an upgrade from gz?

Here' a better pic.


I really enjoy the 800, for all the more I've been able to ride it. The first thing I did was remove that god awful windshield.
It's got a few issues I need to work out before really opening it up. The chain is a bit loose and needs adjusted, and there's an issue with the starter my buddy told me i should get fixed before riding it much. When I try to start the bike, the starter/solenoid just clicks but does not start the bike. If I put the bike in gear and rock it a bit with the clutch out, push the starter button and squeeze the clutch, it will fire right up. Apparently this is a common problem with some bikes and I need to take the starter apart and clean it/replace it or risk it grenading on me while at speed and possibly damage the bike or myself. So I haven't gotten much time on it to make a recommendation one way or the other. I do know the 50-so miles I've put on it were awesome.
It's got power on tap. The 250 tops out around 65 for me (5'11", 220#) and to pass someone doing 50 in a 55, it's a real struggle to muster the momentum to get around them in a safe and timely manner. The first time I cracked the throttle on the 800 already rolling at 50, I was at 70 before I realized it and had to back of pretty quickly so I didn't get myself into trouble. It was quite a rush.
The 800 is a great bike and I can hardly wait to get the little things wrapped up and take it out and really enjoy it.

Now to offset all the hype I've put on the 800. I still think the 250 (or equivalent) should be a staple in anyone's riding experience. I plan to keep mine for a long time and use it for around town driving. Being light and nimble, it's great for dodging and avoiding obstacles that pull out without looking.

[Water Warrior 2]

Welcome to the family. Like your choice of bikes. Lynda started with a GZ and later upgraded to a M-50. The 800cc engine is all you really need to travel around the planet.

[greatmaul]

Hi and welcome! That's a great pair of bikes! I've had the GZ for about 8 months now, and just got a Suzuki VX800. I think it may have the exact same engine as your Marauder. I know what you mean about the power. They make a great team, because like you said, the GZ is nimble and light weight, perfect for almost everything except high speed freeway rush hour traffic, and then I take the 800.

[Rionna]

Hello and welcome to the forum from Ohio! You have some great looking bikes. How long have you been riding?

[mithuth]

Originally Posted by Rionna

How long have you been riding?

About 3 weeks. lol

Ok, that's sort of wrong. I rode dirt bikes when I was a teen (about 20 years ago). On a whim decided I wanted to start riding again and bought these bikes within a week of each other.

[greatmaul]

Originally Posted by mithuth

I rode dirt bikes when I was a teen (about 20 years ago). On a whim decided I wanted to start riding again and bought these bikes within a week of each other.

That's cool. A lot of the research shows that people with previous dirt bike riding experience are much better riders on the street. They're better able to control the bike and don't freak out if it starts sliding and such.

[Water Warrior 2]

Dirt riding: the most fun you can have with your clothes on. :lol: