Extended Forks

[Orpheus]

I recently found some 4" extended fork tubes for my GZ (not a chopper kit, just the forks). Anybody have any experience with anything like this? If I decide to do it, how do you think the response, handling, etc. will be? I've got an overall custom design that I'm planning on working toward with the bike, but I don't want to do anything that will affect the handling in a major way. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

[Jaime]

Here's a simulation of the bike's appearance. Couldn't ride it for obvious reasons...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/hellcracker/chop1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/hellcracker/chop2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/hellcracker/chop3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/hellcracker/chop5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/hellcracker/chop4.jpg


It'll be harder to turn and more unstable in bends.
Althought more stability will be gained in straight road, you won't notice at GZ's speeds.

[Orpheus]

I like it. Did you try sitting on it while you had it like that?

[Jaime]

Yeah. It felt strange and heavy to move...

[jonathan180iq]

Raising the tail the same amount might offset the problems but you'd also need a longer chain and it wouldn't look natural.

[mcintyre_aerospace]

Maybe if you could increase the angle out. I like the front tire to be closer to the bike, I never really have liked the chopper look. I rode my buddies chopper the other day, and its not a bile for normal riding. But loads of power, poor handling, and you have to stretch out too much to ride it with the tall handlebars. Im not short, at 5 foot 11 inches, so I shouldnt have a problem on it, but even my feat fall asleep stretched out to reach the foot pegs. All together, choppers may look flashy, but their not very reasonable.

[jonathan180iq]

The fork angle can't be changed without major modifications to the front end. The design of the GZ is supposed to low and lean. Making it taller or extending the forks just doesn't flow with the rest of the design.

I wouldn't mind the frame being a little bit longer to create extra leg room, but I'm relatively satisfied with the suspension the way that it is.

[mcintyre_aerospace]

Thats true, i have some long legs, and would prefer to be able to stretch out a little more. My knees make like an 80 degree angle ridint this thing, I sometimes ride allmost sitting on the back seat.

[jonathan180iq]

I think that an engine guard would at least offer some different angles to allow leg stretching on longer rides.

Since I don't have one, I have used the back seat as a temporary seat while I stretched.

[Easy Rider]

I think that an engine guard would at least offer some different angles to allow leg stretching on longer rides.


"Engine guard" from Suzuki:
I had one......for about 4 hours.....and that's about all it's good for (if you attach some extra pegs).
Took it back when I discovered that it is just BARELY wider than the fins, maybe by an inch.
Certainly not worth the outrageous price.

[jonathan180iq]

wow.

It seems like all of the accessories for this bike are "mini"

There's a European guard that I've seen that is significantly wider than what you are describing. I don't have any personal experience though.

[mcintyre_aerospace]

Ive seen some pictures of some case guards that look like they stick out quite a ways, i think there may be some pics on this site, I don't know though. I cant really ride for too long because my butt starts to go numb with the little vibration this bike puts out, i cant imagine what a harley would feel like after a while. Parts do seem to be really pricey for this bike, or all bikes for that matter. Id like a sissy bar but cant see spending hundreds of dollars for some bent metal I cant put much of anything on, plus this bike is a little small to haul people, so theres no real need for a rear backrest.

[Orpheus]

I've got one of the sissy bars and my girlfriend really likes it. I haven't had any problems riding 2-up at speeds under 75mph on flat ground, but hills really work the little engine. I'm still looking for an engine guard other than the Suzuki one, for the same reasons stated above.

[jonathan180iq]

When I bought my bike, the lady behind the counter asked me if I would like any accessories. I mentioned that I would like to have a backrest with the little rack on it but that it didn't really matter to me. Well, when I picked my bike up, it came with a backrest. I didn't officially ask for it. But hey, you can't beat free.

I've taken my wife for one ride on this bike and she appreciated the sissy-bar. (She would have ridden with me more often but we had just found out that we were pregnant.)

When I purchased my rear trunk, I needed a place to put it and that tiny excuse for a rear rack on the sissy bar wasn't enough space to mount the base due it's close proximity and the angle of the backrest. So, I just sawed the backrest flush with the rack and used the hinge area of the luggage box as a backrest. It works out quite well.

http://www.postimage.org/aV1i2DaA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1i2DaA)
It's hard to see in this photo but you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.

In this photo, you can see the pad on the hinged area of the luggage box that serves as a new backrest.


http://www.postimage.org/aV1i3nzi.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1i3nzi)

[Easy Rider]

I'm still looking for an engine guard other than the Suzuki one, for the same reasons stated above.

There are some members here from western Europe.

Hey, Amigos, what about that rumor that there is a different engine guard avaliable in your area ???

[jonathan180iq]

http://www.postimage.org/aV1iZdN0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1iZdN0)

Is this different from the factory? It's one that I found on the Marauderos website a long time ago.

[Jaime]

http://www.postimage.org/aV1iZdN0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1iZdN0)

Is this different from the factory? It's one that I found on the Marauderos website a long time ago.

Hey, that's my bike! :)

Those engine guards are made in Spain. There are some others for the GZ made in Germany, aswell.

[jonathan180iq]

Once I saw some other photos of your bike I thought that this might be yours.

Good to know. I'll give you credit in the future. I have several others from when you were trying out different handlebars.

[Easy Rider]

Is this different from the factory?

Just a bit! :)

Imagine eliminating the loop of pipe that sticks out to the side........and you would pretty much have the useless, WAY overpriced factory "thing".

Jaime: Since most of us don't speak Spanish.........are those still available somewhere ??

[Orpheus]

Okay, here's one from MC Enterprises (not a very good picture, so you can't really see how it looks): http://www.mcenterprisesusa.com/product ... chForm.cfm (http://www.mcenterprisesusa.com/products/search/dsp_searchForm.cfm)
(okay, my bad... that link only takes you to their search page, but you can find it from there)

here's one from Cobra (in the JC Whitney catalog); it's listed as a 2007 Marauder, but I was told by their customer service that that's what I should look under for GZ accessories: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Vehi ... 56/c-10111 (http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/VehicleBrowse/tf-VehicleBrowse/s-10101/N-111+2007+200730514+600014756/c-10111)

That's all I can find after a quick search, but I don't know how reliable either one would be, since you can't really see how it looks @ MC Enterprises and the one from Cobra isn't specifically described as being for a GZ.

[Easy Rider]

That's all I can find after a quick search, but I don't know how reliable either one would be, since you can't really see how it looks @ MC Enterprises and the one from Cobra isn't specifically described as being for a GZ.

Thanks! That's probably the right thing. I think the GZ is still known as a Maurader in Europe.

[Orpheus]

That's all I can find after a quick search, but I don't know how reliable either one would be, since you can't really see how it looks @ MC Enterprises and the one from Cobra isn't specifically described as being for a GZ.

Thanks! That's probably the right thing. I think the GZ is still known as a Maurader in Europe.

Are all the Suzuki cruisers called "Boulevard" now? My confusion about this is because there used to be a Suzuki Marauder that was like 800cc in the States, but I think concurrently there was a 250cc in other countries that bore the Marauder name; now, there is no American Marauder and the name only applies to the 250cc model outside America... Or something like that.

I'm also looking for a nice engine guard, but I'm worried about the hassle of ordering the wrong item.

Edit:
I also came across this page while looking around at Marauder stuff: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_GZ250_Marauder at the bottom of the page, there are a couple of links to accessory vendors, but they're both outside the US (and I don't hablo Espanol or spreche Deutsch), so I'm again hesitant to try to order anything. The Spaan catalog ( http://www.multispain.com/CATALOGOpdf/s ... go2007.pdf (http://www.multispain.com/CATALOGOpdf/spaan_catalogo2007.pdf) )has a bunch of stuff for a variety of (non-US) 250cc's, and they look like they've all got pretty much the same engine and frame, so it might be feasible to find quite a few accessories for the GZ that aren't specifically made for it.

[jonathan180iq]

I would not order anything from JC whitney under the Marauder name. The only US Marauder was the 800. Many Suzuki bulbs and lenses are carry-overs, but I would not trust large accessories to be the same.
JC whitney doesn't have a section specific to the GZ. I've surfed around on there quite a bit and never really felt comfortable that antyhing that they sell would fit the bike, aside from the universal stuff.

Actually, the majority of their stuff is universal and really isn't specific to a particular vehicle anyway. Of course you can search for custom fit stuff.

[Water Warrior 2]

The Canadian GZ 250 is called a Marauder.