LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

You are not likely to find any parts to help you with that. You are probably going to have to find someone who can fabricate you some parts to do that with. In case you haven't already noticed, there really isn't ANY aftermarket parts for the GZ250.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

And the seat is already so low that there would be virtually no demand for such products.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

It would be pretty easy to take an inch of padding out of the seat; that would be about half of it. If you have sufficient "natural padding" and you don't do a lot of LONG trips, that might work out OK.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

This shouldn't be that big a deal without messing with the seat. Some one here said S-40 shocks were a bit shorter and might fit. Check with your local dealer for length and diameter. Or just look at other small bikes with a tape measure in hand. As for the front, easy no cost lowering. Just raise the front forks in their clamps the same amount you lower the rear. One inch shorter shocks equal one inch rise in the forks. This will lower the bike equally at both ends without upsetting steering angles and dynamics. The side stand will keep the bike in a more upright position but that can be cured by grinding down the side stand stop or filing a little to retain the proper angle of lean. The aftermarket will no doubt have better prices for shocks than a dealer. Also an easy job at home with a minimum of tools.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

S-40 shocks are made for a different, heavier bike with a different suspension system. Installing them on a GZ250 will likely affect handling and ride. This could be dangerous. When engineers design a vehicle, they have to make sure everything matches in order to get stability, particularly when cornering. I would not put any suspension components on any bike that wasn't made for it, or at least made to be compatible with it. That doesn't rule out the aftermarket. Even when you buy aftermarket suspension components, they are designated by the manufacturer for certain bikes. The problem is that for this bike there isn't much of an aftermarket.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Of course it will affect handling and ride ... :)

I dont think Honda had struts in mind when they designed my bike. Or a 7 degree rake modification.... I wouldn't consider it dangerous, im still alive. Bike handles different, but you get used to it and adapt.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Depends on what you mean by dangerous. I would bet large sums of money that if you went to an MSF range and tried the swerving exercise on your bike, and someone else did it on a stock version of the same model, assuming similar experience and ability, you would be noticeably less able to avoid trouble. Unless you are an engineer with training and experience in motorcycle design, you are not going to beat the factory setup for handling.

Does that mean your bike is dangerous? Well, how much increased risk must there be to use that word? As you say, you are still alive, and so are lots of people who ride all sorts of far more extreme designs.

Not a risk I want to take, but I wish you well and hope your luck holds.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

True enough, a chopper style bike like Dupo's is probably not as quick and maneuverable as a stock shadow, BUT, I would bet money that it is twice as stable and safe going down the highway doing 70 just because of the wheelbase difference alone. So just like a car or anything else, you have to give up something to gain something, Plus it looks real cool too :2tup: .

And even if you are an motorcycle design engineer you are not going to make a stretched out model of a bike handle as good as its more compact wheel-based twin, its just not going to happen, that would be like trying to make a limo handle like the stock car that it was based on.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

How many riders die because they can't make a curve and run off the road? According to the Hurt Report it's the leading cause of motorcycle fatalities. Not the leading cause of accidents, but the leading cause of fatalities. The leading cause of accidents is drivers turning left or pulling out in front of a motorcycle. If more riders had better swerving ability, many of those accidents could be avoided. That's why the MSF emphasizes countersteering and swerving so heavily in its courses.

How many riders die because they run off the road, or do an unintended lane change going 70 on the highway? None that I ever heard of, and statistically not enough to count.

I'll play the odds and leave my suspension and steering alone. I don't care one whit if my bike doesn't look cool. It doesn't look clean either most of the time.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I'll tell you right now, if i took that bike "stock" to an MSF course i couldnt do most of the maneuvers.

My buddy has a V-Rod and went right to the DMV testing with his dual sport dirtbike because the vrod was too long to make the tight figure 8.

Riders dying because they can't make a curve has nothing to do with handling of a bike regarding rake and lowering, it has to do with stupidity and taking a turn too fast. I can swerve just fine with my setup. It actually IS more stable the way i have it, lower center of gravity. Can i steer lock in as short a distance as a GZ or stock version of mine? Nope ... But honestly, the handling of the bike having the rear lowered 5" and the rake bringing the front down a few inches really settles the bike to an almost stock position and handling ability.

To each his own of course ... i dont knock stock bikes at all.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

To get back on track ...

Its been a while so bear with me ... if the GZ has a spacer in the front forks above the springs, you can take that out and that will lower the front. You can also put a shorter spacer made out of PVC in there to lower it wherever you want. We do this on the shadows to lower them. Again, im not sure if the GZ has that spacer or not.

For the rear .... start researching ... if you can find shorter shocks for another bike about the same weight that will bolt on, you're gold.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I could. I used to practice that course on my Vulcan 1500 Classic FI. But that's beside the point. I've seen people do that U-turn box on Gold Wings and sport touring bikes with no trouble. These are people who take the Experienced Rider Course every few years, and practice the exercises on a regular basis. Experience and skill.

It has to do with both. Stupidity and alcohol are indeed big contributing factors. So is inexperience. The person that started this thread is a new rider. I don't think that it would be good judgment for a new rider to handicap him/herself with less than ideal handling characteristics, particularly turning ability. When I was learning I made some mistakes that could easily have led to a crash, and good cornering characteristics of the bike saved me. I think tricked out bikes should be for experienced riders who are willing to accept some additional risk.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

O.K. Guys. We contacted a local Suzuki dealer who told me to lower the front fork tubes in the fork yoke. We did that, set the rear shocks on the lightest setting and it's helped alot but...we'd like to lower the rear by an inch to level the bike. We can't seem to locate 11" shocks that will fit the GZ 250. Both dealers said they don't get dimensions on any shock which makes it difficult to match a shock that will fit the bike properly and lower it by an inch. By the way have you guys ridden a GZ250 and do you know the top speed is only about 50mph and that they handle rather badly anyway?
We're just looking to do some putting around the Pa. back roads at 40-45mph so handling really isn't an issue. Besides, it is just a matter of getting used to how a bike handles. Thanks for all you're help so far now about those shocks........

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

[. By the way have you guys ridden a GZ250 and do you know the top speed is only about 50mph and that they handle rather badly anyway?
We're just looking to do some putting around the Pa. back roads at 40-45mph so handling really isn't an issue. Besides, it is just a matter of getting used to how a bike handles. Thanks for all you're help so far now about those shocks........[/quote]
Mine goes way over 50mph.(well...not way over, but it will cruise at60-65 anyway)

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Oh my. :popcorn: Sharon you best brace yourself after that last statement. I will now go for a ride to get away from the blast zone.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I'm thinking NOS injection may be an option!

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Get some boots with thicker heels and soles......

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I already ordered some I was thinking about letting some air out of the back tire and putting about 50lbs of weight in each saddlebag. It may ride a bit mushy but at least my feet will touch the ground. Seriously, I am only 4 ft 10 and this bike is a bit heavy for me but I am determined to ride it safely. am taking the MSF training next week and I don't know what they will give me to ride so I need all the help I can get. I was told it will only do about 50 but I've only had it up to 35 so far. Sorry for the insult. My bad!

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Well, I did a 1410 mile trip a couple of weekends ago, and can promise you that a GZ will do more than 50.

You might get a Kaw. 125 for the class. It or a Rebel should fit you.

Have fun.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

well you never know, you might find some shocks that actually work better and dont feel like your bouncing off every thing like when your on a dirt bike.. that's kind of how the gz suspension felt to me. so putting different shocks on there might end up being a big upgrade but there is still the chance it will make it worse.

if you can find some for cheep give it a try and see how the bike rides. if you can i would stick to the bike the way it is till you really get the feel for it and than you can decide if the new shocks are better or worse.

that is my opinion on the matter

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

So, here's the deal: You should STOP listening to whoever told you that; likely they will feed you some other mis-information too. IOW, they are blowing smoke out......well you know!

A stock GZ will do 70....not easily but it will. And it will sustain it too on a flat road with no head wind.

As far as the handling goes, it's about as close to a bicyclye as you can get.
It handles VERY good for a motorcycle.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

[quote=Easy Rider]So, here's the deal: You should STOP listening to whoever told you that; likely they will feed you some other mis-information too. IOW, they are blowing smoke out......well you know!

A stock GZ will do 70....not easily but it will. And it will sustain it too on a flat road with no head wind.

As far as the handling goes, it's about as close to a bicyclye as you can get.
It handles VERY good for a motorcycle.[/quote:1k37el20]

i had my gz up around 73 maybe 74 mph, easy to do as long as your not going up hill just takes a min to get up to that speed. it felt like it had some more get up and go left in it but i figured that was pushing it enought, i was just testing it out to see what it would do.

it handles great around corners, but its a rough going over bumps, at least mine was.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I don't care about top speed...I need to find inexpensive 11" shocks that will fit so I can safely ride this bike.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

that may be a hard task, like mentioned there are virtually no aftermarket parts made for these bikes, there is a way to lower your bike using a metal bar to replace the shocks but you will have no suspension at all, not recommended but it can be done. a friend of mine did this to her Harley, she says go over bumps and it will pretty much bounce you off the road.

my suggestion is call some places that sell after market motorcycle parts. just say i need this size shock with a hole in this diameter to bolt them on, do you have any thing like that. its worth a shot. or as mentioned some one might be able to fab something for your bike.

i take it you can not put both of your feet flat on the ground when setting on the bike??

and you will find at some point in every thread people start to bs about thing and the subject can get changed a few times. but you did bring up the top speed of the bike and we were just letting you know the correct information on that.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I've been riding mine for well over 2 years now.

The handbook (for the European spec) says that max speed is 110 km/hr. that's around 69 mph, but I can easily add another 6 or 7 mph to that, with favourable conditions. :2tup:

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I really appreciate all the input and suggestions. I wanted this bike because I assumed it woul keep up on the highway and it's good to know that it will if I ever get to ride it that fast. I've dumped it three times since I started practicing and I'm starting to wonder if it's just too much for someone of my size and strength to handle. It seems to take everything I have to turn it. I was wondering if anyone out there is or knows of any very petite ladies who own bikes and what they ride. I am 4ft 10 (maybe slightly less) and quite small. I don't want a little kids bike but I guess I have some limitations. I am determined to ride a motorcycle. Giving up is not an option. Thanks to all of you. This has been really interesting and helpful.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

well my dad went to look at a scooter the other day, the lady selling it just upgraded to a Yamaha v star classic 650 she couldent have been any more than 5 foot tall. the lady i bought my gz off of was really short, she upgraded to a big monster honda,

it's really not about streingth unless the bike starts to go down and you need to keep it from going down. once the bike up up and you are going it pretty much balances it's self. when you stop or back up the bike is really about the only time you got to worry about balancing the bike. if you are not getting your feet flat on the ground and new at riding that really could be your problem. some of the bigger bikes out there like the honda shadow have a lower seat height than the gz. i think those are either 25 or 26 inch seat height and the gz is around 28. the shadow is a heavier bike but it did not feel any heavier when i rode it. that is do to how well the bike is balanced. but i would not reccomend getting one of those if you are dumping bikes,

one thing you might be able to get are some of those shoes with really big souls on them, this girl i know has these shoes that make her 2 or 3 inches taller cus the soul on the shoe is huge. or the right pair of boots might help too.

sorry to hear you have dumped the bike a few times. did you do much bicycle riding when you were a kid??

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Here's something you might want to think about. I have a 32" inseam and I tried a bike with a 28" seat height and I had to use my toes(with boots) to touch the ground. Find out what seat height you can plant both feet on the gound and research for bikes with that seat height or a little lower. Don't know if there are any out there for someone 4'10". The dealers might be able to help too.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I've had bicycles all my life and still enjoy riding. I had a little Suzuki 50 a number of years ago. I ran it around town but mostly on the mountain trails with my dad. I haven't driven a motorcycle for years but recently decided that it is something I really want to do again. I wanted something bigger than a 50 but I didn't think I would find something that would suit my size. I found this one on Craig's list for a good price so I figured it was as good as any. We lowered the front about an inch and that helped a lot but my feet still don't touch flat on the ground. I ordered boots and they will probably help but I wanted to balance it out by lowering the back also. I am going to go to a bike shop with my tape measure and start looking around. If I can't find a smaller size shock I'm thinking of having a part fabricated to just move the shocks back as far as possible. Do you think that would be a problem?

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I really don't know if that would mess up the physics of the bike. I'd consult with a prof. about that.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

moving the brackets may work, but i don't know if that would throw something off either. can you at least touch both feet on the ground even if it's on your tip toes. on my new bike i usually have one foot flat on the ground and one foot that i cant quite put flat on the ground. on flat ground i can put both feet flat but when i get out on the road i cant always do that, you know how there is usually curved and higher in the center so watter will drain off to the side. but if i put on my work boots i can almost always flat foot the ground. either way i'm comfortable on the bike even if i cant quite flast

look is there a place that builds custom bikes around you. the kind of place that you can take your bike in and they turn it in to a chopper or something along the lines of that. if you cant find any shocks to fit i bet a place like that would be able to figure something out.

even tho the gz will get up to 70+ mph i never ran mine over 60mph for any extended period of time. at 55 it cruses great, at 60 the rpm's start to get up there a little bit. so its really a 55 or 60 mph cruzing bike. a lot of guys cruz it at 70 for long periods of time but i would not. don't want to abuse the bike.

you know one of those chopper shops might even have some kind of shocks in stock that would work, that is if your really lucky. but ti wold be wort a try.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

You could probably surf the net for an hour and come up with two or three places that makes custom shocks and such, and don't give up, I have seen women that were 5'2" and 100 pounds on a good day, riding Harley's that probably weigh three times as much as the GZ. We will help you all we can.

If I can remember, tonight when I have more time I will do some research on the shorter shock thing for ya and see what I can come up with. Anything for a fellow biker :2tup: .

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

hey i got a idea, start working out, get some of those stretchy resistance tubes and a few light dumbbells and look up a good work out on you tube or something.. just a suggestion. it might help out big time.

if you spend about 20-40 minutes working out 3 days a week on say monday, wensday and friday you might be able to start handling that bike better in no time. here are my stretchy band work out, i use those and i have a total gym, i hardley ever get on a real weight bench any more and i can bench press about 265 lbs when ever i get on a real weight bench. here is a link of me benching a bunch of weight
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=61073472 just goes to show you you don't constantly halve to lift heavy to get really strong. work outs like this can make you really strong. like i said i do these work outs and use that total gym and that's really about it besides pushups..

[youtube:1damu0s2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-dHcurcO4[/youtube:1damu0s2] [youtube:1damu0s2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6pRWvWI7qw[/youtube:1damu0s2]

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

There is such a thing as "lowering kits" for some bikes (not the GZ currently). I know for most shadow models there are 1.5 and 2" lowering kits available. If you know someone who can fab .... it can be made. They move the shocks toward the rear a few inches, hence lowering the bike.

This is what they look like:

http://www.scootworks.com/swcart/shop/tr/magna.jpg

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Have you sat on the Honda Rebel? To me, it feels like a smaller bike. I think the seat may be skinnier, which makes it seem smaller? My friend rides one and she's only about 5ft tall and maybe 115 pounds. The stock seat height is only 26.6" which is a little bit lower.

I know you already bought the gz but maybe it's just not right for you. I'm 5'2 and I can ride it with no problem. During the MSF course they had me on the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 which felt like a toy. Maybe that bike would be better for you too?

At first I thought the gz was kinda heavy, and I kept having to correct myself when coming to a stop, like putting my foot down to keep it from falling over because I had the wheel turned slightly. Now that I concentrate hard and make sure I keep the wheel straight, the bike stops nice and easy and I can even pause for a few seconds before placing my feet on the ground. The bike is really great to handle once you get used to it and pay attention to what you're doing.

Good luck finding a bike that you love and enjoy. I love my little gz!

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

I have taken bits of advice from several of the riders on this site and I am very pleased with the results. I took my tape measure to bike shops and found that the Kowasaki 125 had the same type of shocks but only 10.5 inches compared to my 12 in. ones. I am waiting for them to come in. We lowered the front slightly and will be able to do more after the shocks are installed. I got some sturdy boots with a bit more tread. I have also been lifting waits and that has been a really big help. Thanks dannylightning! I practiced swerving yesterday and was down to a cone at each parking space. This was a challenge because I'm not a big person but I put some muscle into it and it was actually fun. I really love this bike. I tried sitting on the Rebel but it seemed higher. The 125 was about the same height too so I figured I'd stick to my "beefy" 250. I'm taking the safety course this weekend and they told me I can bring my own bike. Good thing. Mine was scratched up when I got it and I've dumped it 3 times. They all looked new at the course. I couldn't bring myself to take padding out of the seat. I don't have much of "my own" so that's a last resort. I should be flat footed with my boots on once we install the shocks. I am much more confident about riding this bike. Thanks again to all of you for your suggestions. It has helped me so much! When I'm all done and able to ride safely I want to re-paint it. I'll take any ideas you folks have. Can I do this myself or should I have it done professionally?

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

WOW ! Awesome to hear you found shorter shocks Sharon. Now just wait till you have the training under your belt. The GZ will feel even better after some professional help and instruction.
After the new shocks are on the bike it will no doubt stand much more upright on the side stand. To get the proper lean back to the bike while on the side stand a little grinding is a must. Just grind back the side stand stop bracket on the bike so the stand swings forward a bit more and you are done. Love to see a pic or two of the bike lowered and with you aboard of course. A lo-rider GZ sounds neat.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

Thanks again for your advice and instructions. I think it will look neat too after it's done. It came with saddle bags and I added a little fringe. Also had a nice windshield but I made quick work of that along with the brake lever. I can't wait to get it painted up nice but that might be a while. I'll post some pics after the lowering is done.

Re: LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250
 

If you want to save yourself $$ painting your bike by doing it yourself, Alsa Corp makes awesome paint in a rattle can for automotive applications.

http://www.alsacorp.com/killercans.htm

Or Duplicolor has a refurbished line of rattle can paints available as well.

Most important thing is to finish your paint job off with a 2 part (hardener) clear. That way gasoline spills wont peel the paint off.