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Old 07-22-2015, 10:34 PM   #1
68rs437
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Looking at a used GZ250, what to look for?

I'm looking at a 2002 Suzuki GZ 250 this weekend.
I Have seen several photos of the bike, looks good in photos, the guy says it's in excellent condition.
The bike has 17,000 miles on it.
What do I need to look at before purchasing the GZ250?
Do the GZ250's have common problems?
Is 17,000 a lot of miles on a 250cc bike?
Any tips or help with what to look for would be appreciated.
Thanks,



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Old 07-25-2015, 04:41 PM   #2
5th_bike
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For that year and mileage, the asking price is usually less than $1,000. Most GZ250s have less miles from sitting unused.

What to look for (it's a long list, therefore incomplete):
- tires, aged over 5 years: need to be replaced;
- does the engine smoke/sound good (should sound like a sewing machine or lawn mower, knocking sounds - no good);
- all electrical in working condition, battery charges OK.
- any marks from being dropped.

If it has been maintained well and it is in good condition, you can double that mileage if you take good care of it.
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Old 07-26-2015, 10:22 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by 5th_bike View Post
For that year and mileage, the asking price is usually less than $1,000. Most GZ250s have less miles from sitting unused.

...
17K miles is a lot considering that the GZ250 is not a "highway cruiser". In addition to what 5th_bike said ... even if "well maintained", ask specifically when the valves have been adjusted. At that that mileage, it should have been at least 2 times.

chuck



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Old 07-26-2015, 01:08 PM   #4
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17K miles is a lot considering that the GZ250 is not a "highway cruiser".

chuck
remember that the bike's thirteen years old. That's around 1,300 miles a year, or 30 miles a week.
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Old 07-27-2015, 08:51 PM   #5
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remember that the bike's thirteen years old. That's around 1,300 miles a year, or 30 miles a week.
I agree that it's 13 years old... When I first started looking last spring for a GZ250 in the VA/MD area, I saw many early 2000's w/ less that 5K miles on them for under $2000.00. It's not that a bike can't have high mileage and be in good shape, it's just that a 250cc would be more than likely used on short trips. Short trips are hard on an engine. A bigger bike, 650cc or above, is more than likely to be taken further per trip.

chuck

PS: The above are all just what I would look for. The bike you are considering just "may be" immaculate even with that many miles.



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Last edited by steelerdude99; 07-28-2015 at 10:32 AM.
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Old 07-27-2015, 09:07 PM   #6
steelerdude99
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Originally Posted by 68rs437 View Post
...
What do I need to look at before purchasing the GZ250?
Do the GZ250's have common problems?
Is 17,000 a lot of miles on a 250cc bike?
Any tips or help with what to look for would be appreciated.
Thanks,
I looked and found a GZ250 last year. Beware of a bike that is titled in state A, the seller is selling from state B, and you live and will get a license plate in state C. Two of the five bikes that I looked at had "red flags" where I just did not feel good about the title. So, I bailed. To me, if the sellers name (i.e. the guy with whom you are speaking) is not on the title, I bail. [ Is it his/her bike or someone else's ? ]

The bike ended up with had just over 3000 miles, the seller's name was on the title and that title was issued from my state of residence.

chuck
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Old 07-28-2015, 08:24 PM   #7
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BUYER BEWARE...............you just can't trust some folks.
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Old 07-28-2015, 11:59 PM   #8
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BUYER BEWARE...............you just can't trust some folks.

I don't trust water is always wet... So .... yeah....
Caveat emptor.
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Old 07-29-2015, 02:52 AM   #9
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I don't trust water is always wet... So .... yeah....
Caveat emptor.
I have never trusted water. I have a fear of any water deeper than the bathtub. So of course I never did learn to swim because of the fear. Yeah. WW2 is afraid of water. So of course I worked in water treatment plants for 25 years.
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