Suzuki GZ250 Comments Please??

[Python423]

I bought a Suzuki GZ250 for my wife to learn on, anyone have any commnets on these? and any known windshields that will work. Was hoping memphis shades fork mount shields would work, but they dont list the gz250 in the application guides. any help greatly appreciated. thanks.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by Python423

I bought a Suzuki GZ250 for my wife to learn on, anyone have any commnets on these? and any known windshields that will work. Was hoping memphis shades fork mount shields would work, but they dont list the gz250 in the application guides. any help greatly appreciated. thanks.

Suzuki makes a windshield for the GZ 250 that looks nicer than the little one that I got on my GZ250. You can find it on Suzuki's website, follow the accessories link on this page: http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GZ250K4/

I guess I'm stuck with my little generic windshield for now, it looks like this: http://home.adelphia.net/~tlwisner/Bike/index.html

[Faxxxy]

I bought my little brother a green 2000 GZ250 last year..

I bought it wrecked with the tank bashed in and the handlebars bent up like a pretzel.. The turn signals were destroyed and the exhaust was scratched up badly..

We got rid of the stock handlebars and have added drag bars to it..
We got rid of the back turnsignals and cut the back underfender completely off until all that was left was a taillight and a tag hanging under it.. The new "low profile, clear lens" turn signals are drilled directly into the painted part of the back fender.. We are talking about moving his tag to a vertical mount on the side later this summer. That seems to be an expensive mod though..

The screws that hold his tag on have LEDs in them.. The top two are jumbo red LEDs hooked into his brake lights.. The bottom two are super bright green LEDs that come on with the key.. All of this makes the rear of his bike much more obvious to a car behind him..

He runs it with the back seat off to get that "saddle" look.. (I don't allow him to have a rider anyway until he starts paying his own insurance)..
We bought some tiny saddle bags from www.bikerleather.com just big enough for a couple school books.. Then, instead of having that leather strap over the back fender, we zip tied his saddle bags directly to his supports (25 bucks off of ebay the another 10 bucks worth of harware to make them "custom") giving him a sporty look.. This makes the rear of his bike look much larger then it is..

He is taking it to a buddys house this week to have the exhaust pipe drilled out to get a better sound, and possibly 2 or 3 more horses..

I have plans to do a custom paint job on it this summer.. Since he is such a big Texas fan I imagine we will go burnt orange with some kind of flames or tribal graphics..

What I am getting at here, is there is so much that can be done to those little bikes and so inexpensivly.. They are great first bike learners too and there will always be a teenager ready to buy it when you are done with it..

The only real problem I have had with it, is that when I went to change the spark plug the first time, the hole had been cross threaded and I had to install a heli-coil.. Just be VERY careful changing spark plugs..

Its also rev limited to 75 MPH.. (A fact that seriously dissapoints my little brother).. So if you dont plan to go over 75, you are gold..

I have pictures of what we have done so far if you are interested..
Faxxxy!

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by Faxxxy

I have pictures of what we have done so far if you are interested..
Faxxxy!

Yes. Please post a link or pictures. I'd like to see them.

Thanks for the saddlebag source. Looks like a good deal so I ordered some.

Thanks!

[Faxxxy]

Sorry guys, rolled in late last night so no pictures.. I will try and get them posted tonight for ya'll..

Faxxxy!

[Faxxxy]

Alright, I have pictures.. But unfortunatly I didnt get the ones I wanted...
These are a bit older, but in one youcan see the saddle bags, and in the another you can see the custom handlebars.. The last picture is just the change I made to the saddle bag supports to make them work like they are supposed to..
I will be returning to my mothers house and will be taking current pictures this week..








And lastly,, for those 350 pound men out there thinking they will save a few bucks and buy a 250.. Here is how silly you will look..



I will update these pictures ASAP.. the bike is so much cooler now!

Faxxxy!

[Faxxxy]

Sorry to make you guys wait so long...
Here are the pictures of my little brothers GZ250 completed...











Let me know if you have any questions..

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by Faxxxy

Sorry to make you guys wait so long...
Here are the pictures of my little brothers GZ250 completed...

Very nice rebuild job. That bike will give a lot of enjoyment!

[Faxxxy]

Originally Posted by tlwisner

Very nice rebuild job. That bike will give a lot of enjoyment!

Thank you so much for the nice compliment!

He is getting offers on it daily..
What you cant see is the "under the tank" LED kit..
It works off of a remote control key fob.. He can be sitting in McDonalds and when some one starts admiring his bike, he can snap the lights on from his table..

Its SWEEEET..
We were going to put ghost flames in the clear coat and it just didnt work out.. We ran out of time and decided that we didnt want to do a halfway job.. We will go back someday and do the flames..

The guy from "the Ride" magazine took a bunch of pictures of it last wednesday at a function in Tulsa Oklahoma.. I am hopeing to see it make it into the mag!..

Once again.. Thanks for the compliment!

[Metal Man]

He is taking it to a buddys house this week to have the exhaust pipe drilled out to get a better sound, and possibly 2 or 3 more horses.

Did you do this?Did you have to rejet?
I would like to make mine a little louder and since I can't find an aftermarket exhaust I may have to resort to drilling.

[Faxxxy]

Originally Posted by Metal Man

Did you do this?Did you have to rejet?
I would like to make mine a little louder and since I can't find an aftermarket exhaust I may have to resort to drilling.

We did do it..
Did not have to rejet..
Did not really see any real improvement in sound or performance..

Now, we only made four 3/8s holes in a perfect pattern in the back plate around the pipe opening.. It does have a mean sound on decel, (as mean as a single cylinder can sound) But nothing to write home about.. I think we may try drilling out to the same 15/32 holes that I drilled my VTX to.. I'm thinking a larger hole may release lower frequency tones and give us a better sound..

I also dropped his idle as low as it would go without stalling at lights.. That gave it a cool sound at idle, but I have had to adjust it several times to keep it reliable for him.. I think its about back to factory spec..

I too have joined the hunt for a better pipe system.. His right saddle bag now has a big hole in it where the pipe has burned through.. I need to find a way to get that pipe down so the bag can hang freely without riding on that pipe anymore.. (Who knew leather would burn like that )

[Faxxxy]

I would like to put risers on it to take the slack back out of the cables..
When I put those custom bars on there instead of the mini apes that were on it itleft the cables really loose.. A nice 6 inch riser would make all the difference.. Risers are just really expensive..

[Metal Man]

Here's a Yahoo group with some good GZ 250 info.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/GZ250/

[wsharp]

Wow, nice looking bike Faxxxy. You guys did a great job on it and I bet brother is real happy.

Congratulations and happy riding!

Will

[Faxxxy]

Originally Posted by wsharp

Wow, nice looking bike Faxxxy. You guys did a great job on it and I bet brother is real happy.

Congratulations and happy riding!

Will

Hey thanks so much..
He is getting offers on the bike everywhere he goes..
Took it on a 4 hour round tip to Oklahoma City the other day..
Bike ran like a top all the way there and all the way back..

Faxxxy!

[maniacmedia]

Gotta say, I've enjoyed my GZ250 since I got it 900 miles ago. I will be upgrading next year (that Boulevard C50 is calling my name), but I'll always have fond memories of the bike that got me back on 2 wheels again.

It's a shame that Suzuki seemingly has decided to abandon the 250 cruiser market to the other models out there. But they made a great bike while it lasted.

[Faxxxy]

Yes, its very sad that there is no 2005 GZ250.
I guess the Rebel is just so legendary that the new GZ just couldn't compete..

[Faxxxy]

Hold that thought...
Just got an e-mail from a dealer who said Suzuki plans to release the 2005 GZ late this year.. Says its a marketing ploy to pimp the new boulevards(sp?)..

I hope he is right..
I love the little bike.. Its simple, has plenty of power for a 250 and is so easy to work on..

I plan on trying to find a couple more wrecked ones for winter projects this winter..

Faxxxy!

[maniacmedia]

I'm glad as it's been a great little workhorse. Plus, the entry level is a much better place with a GZ250. Maybe it'll be the Boulevard C15 or something to that effect.

[gzisme]

Originally Posted by Python423

I bought a Suzuki GZ250 for my wife to learn on, anyone have any commnets on these? and any known windshields that will work. Was hoping memphis shades fork mount shields would work, but they dont list the gz250 in the application guides. any help greatly appreciated. thanks.

GREAT BIKE BOUGHT MY SECOND NEW ONE YESTERDAY A BLACK 06.CANT KILL THEM AND THEY MOVE.AND I HAVE OWNED EVERYTHING IN THE PAST 30 YEARS OF RIDING.GREAT LOOKER TOO.AND FAST.YOU MIGHT TRY JC WHITNEY FOR WINDSHIELD.