Suzuki gn250 information

[HTFU]

Updated link

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1148928#post1148928

[Filterer]

Good post, welcome to KB
You pretty much covered everything and I ahve had the same experiences re lights blowing, exhaust cap falling off etc.

The only thing I would add is to get the stock front wheel changed, its no good in the wet

[Fub@r]

Be interested to see a picture of the footpegs you have mounted if your able to.

[degrom]

Would also love to see it... ;)

[HTFU]

Good post, welcome to KB
You pretty much covered everything and I ahve had the same experiences re lights blowing, exhaust cap falling off etc.

The only thing I would add is to get the stock front wheel changed, its no good in the wet

Hows it going. Good call on the tyre, I have blown the budget so just taking it easy on the slippery little snake. They make bicycle tyres as well. It also amazes me how many people have had these things happen to their 2004/2005 gn250's and yet those of us with 2006 bikes still have the same problems. Suzuki do their brand no service providing a cheap bike that has so many issues. Some people may not realise that the other models are not as bad but choose to bypass a Suzuki as their next bike in fear of having similar problems. As a company Suzuki New Zealand I guess would have to way up the costs to fix the bikes imported vs leaving them be. This is unfortunate for the NZ dealers who have to sort out our problems at their shops time and cost which I would say is not reinbursed (if the motorcycle industry is anything like the bicycle industry). Shame the feedback customers like you and me give our bike shop do not go any further, although I hear the gn250 is being replaced in NZ so maybe they decided it was easier to go to a more expensive model rather than have the frustration of the cheap build quality. Anyway the problem with being able to touch type is you really can start a novel so I better stop. The cost and tyre brand/model/size you went to would be appreciated.

[HTFU]

Be interested to see a picture of the footpegs you have mounted if your able to.

here is a pix. Any queries just ask.

[sunhuntin]

ive had the speedo die on me, the whole unit needed replacing. and took 5 weeks to get that part in. the highbeam on my headlight blew, neutral light blew. tail light has gone twice.
havent noticed any other problems though, especially with the exhaust etc.

i find i get 162k to a tank, plus reserve. open road cruising at a happy 100-110k once the engine is warmed. any higher and my rev counter starts boucing all over the show, and continues to do so for several days. strong winds will push my uphill speed to to about 80k, and i usually get 90k on a normal uphill anyway. but thats likely cos of my weight plus my topbox which is always well loaded.

[Ixion]

i,,, my topbox which is always well loaded.


And they're all natural too!

[sunhuntin]

And they're all natural too!

LMFAO!!! never saw that one comin!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. :lol:

how do you know they are natural? :whistle:

[Drum]

Welcome to the site, and useful first post.

For those daunted by the list of faults, one word: Kawasaki

[Terminated]

ive had the speedo die on me, the whole unit needed replacing. and took 5 weeks to get that part in.

My speedo died last week too and the whole unit in the front wheel was replaced. Left the bike with Wellington Motorcycles last Saturday, the parts/unit was ordered on Monday and arrived and replaced on Tuesday.

The tyres - well what can I say, the front one was not confidence building at all for this newbie. Got the bike in May, clocked up 6000km and had both tyres replaced with Bridgestones. The original back tyre had about a 1000km left on it, and even though the front still had plenty of tread I couldn't wait to get rid of it, hence replaced both tyres at same time.

Fuel economy, I am still tootling around on L-plate and yes managed 256km before having to switch to reserve. Usually doing the country road through Whitemans Valley has been good fuel wise.

Replaced the chopper handle bars with broader bars and also after market mirrors, feels more comfortable and the mirrors are better they are longer and in mat-black.

[Fub@r]

I think I paid $200? for an Avon Roadrunner, same size as standard............and man its like a whole new bike once that stock front tyre was gone

Likewise I get 250km before switching to reserve regardless whether I'm stuck in traffic or at 100kph

Also if you can spare $20 replace the standard Ginny mirrors with aftermarket ones........at least then you can see whats going on behind you

[Drum]

Dagnammit, you guys are getting good mileage.

My spreadsheet shows that my EL250 is getting around 23 km to the litre at a cost of around 7c per kilometer.

[Terminated]

Dagnammit, you guys are getting good mileage.

My spreadsheet shows that my EL250 is getting around 23 km to the litre at a cost of around 7c per kilometer.

Mate, I'd re-work that spreadsheet if I was you :lol:

[Drum]

Mate, I'd re-work that spreadsheet if I was you :lol:

Nah, looks ok to me.

What doesnt sound right to you Guy?

[Drum]

I'm getting 200 odd km before switching to reserve on an 11L tank.

[Shadows]

Dagnammit, you guys are getting good mileage.

My spreadsheet shows that my EL250 is getting around 23 km to the litre at a cost of around 7c per kilometer.


Mate, I'd re-work that spreadsheet if I was you :lol:

23km to the litre sounds about right to me...

[sunhuntin]

my lowest recorded k's to tank was 230-odd, but that was cos i spent the whole tank tooling around town. i try and give it at least 40k over open road a week, seems to help.
buckbuck...that was fast!
the bike shop i went through are useless as tits on a bull. i wont be going back after a number of disappointments with their service. took em 2 months to get my bike in to the country, with numerous excuses. last service i picked it up..it was unlocked, sitting outside on the footpath, had what i think was brake fluid all over the front end and tank, and greasy shit all over the lock area of the top box. plus 5 weeks with no speedo, with no idea how fast i was going, or how many k's till i needed gas.
as i say...i wont be back!!

[HTFU]

162k to a tank, plus reserve. 250km, plus reserve (2 riders) and my 200km, plus reserve. Same bikes but big range difference. Don't know how you riders get 250km going 100km/hr. I must of got the Friday 5.30pm "can't leave to you have finished it" bike.

[HTFU]

Finally got my backrest for my gn today. Total cost was $65 as I put a zip in it and a small storage area in the top. Rode 25km home after fitting it and it was awesome. Combined with the foot pegs It was very comfortable. It is good in both the old foot position and the new ones so good around town as well. Only negative is getting on and off requires a bit more co-ordination and flexibility. Going to test it out over a longer ride this weekend so hoping it does the job. Learnt from multisport and kayaking that you should never settle for the original seat on anything if you get uncomfortable. Would always put extra foam etc on my kayak seat to make it fit and reduce any pain etc.

[sunhuntin]

looks good! im going to get a set of pegs in the same spot as what youve got. ive found after my off last year, my knees protest on long rides with the original pegs.
the packs make all the difference eh?

[Jeaves]

looks good indeed , i like the setup ya got going there Robignevil :cool:

[ninjac]

I started on an '85 GN250, loved it to bits hence it got me hooked onto bikes. I found it a bit cramped and had a bit of cash so traded up to the ZXR250. My brother got the GN and also when everywhere on it.
Its a pitty the new ones aren't as reliable, because that was one of the GN's strong points.:(

[HTFU]

looks good! im going to get a set of pegs in the same spot as what youve got. ive found after my off last year, my knees protest on long rides with the original pegs.
the packs make all the difference eh?

Was very good. Have been riding with the new peg position for a couple of weeks and felt I needed a back rest because the position is slightly higher and longer than what the maruader and s40 are set at. I could have put the pegs lower and closer but knew it would be the best position once I got the backrest (you will need a back support if you put the pegs in the same place as I did). Confirmed today with 40 minutes of lazyboy riding with no need to move around to relieve pain. I had a similar problem as you sunny boy with the knee thing, especially them being bent up like they are on the GN. Good luck with the fitting - if you want to get the same extensions for the pegs I can help get them from up here (only $25) as well as the method I used to fit them to the bike (couple of bits of alloy and box section from metal recycle centre). Pretty straight forward but no point reinventing the wheel I say.

[Cobalt]

First what a great first post nice read .. I Paid $186 for an Avon Roadrunner the stock front wheel had me crapping it in the wet . I went though 3 headlight Bulbs untill I got rid of the stock bulb and changed to a H4 45/45 Quartz Halogen as whould not push 55/60 but still a lot better and the piss poor 35/35 bulb that are stock. You can get them at the following link if you want to try a better light. PS welcome to the forum

http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffybulbs.htm

:innocent:

[sunhuntin]

I started on an '85 GN250, loved it to bits hence it got me hooked onto bikes. I found it a bit cramped and had a bit of cash so traded up to the ZXR250. My brother got the GN and also when everywhere on it.
Its a pitty the new ones aren't as reliable, because that was one of the GN's strong points.:(

o yeh...my ol 86 went through 3 family members...we all thrashed the crap out of it, and still she kept on going. got hit by a car last year, which is why i no longer have her. ive been seriously thinking about buying her back, and re-doing her....a mate has a tank from a gn400 for $90 which i could strip and have painted up. in all honesty, she still ran, just needed to be repaired...if i was able to do it over, i would keep her and either fix her, or strip and sell the parts...

robignevil, what do you use as a back support? you havent changed the seat, and i doubt youd have the pack fully jammed constantly?
is that only extentions? what pegs did you use? the guy i mentioned above said hed make me a set of pegs, but dunno when. the sooner the better really.

[HTFU]

The pack on the rear seat in the picture is the backrest, it is some foam covered in the same material as the seat. It has a zip around the top which opens up into a small storage space. After using it again today I am going to remove some foam at the top because it is too upright and maybe a bit high.

My bag I had made fits on the back of the rack above the rear light like the ventura ones, would have prefered the box you have, but didnt know it was an option when I got the rack.

The $25 is for the extensions only, they are both right hand extensions, imported for a custom bike that a shop in Te Awamutu makes (thats why they are cheap the shop has got lots of them, looked in their catalogue and most custom extensions were $80 +). The left hand extensions were shorter. Means my pegs come up at slightly different angles, but I never have them up because I use them for 90% of my riding, so not fussed. Got some second hand pegs (most bike shops will have some) for $20.

The plate of alloy on the left hand side has to be cut out differently to the right one so that it doesnt touch the exhaust. Box section not crucial but made it a bit stiffer. Scrap dealers will have heaps of the stuff you need, mine cost me nothing, but $10-20 should get you enough. I enjoyed the 2-3 days Burt Munrowing it in the Man Cave trying to find the right position.

My other half wasn't so pleased.

:spanking:

[sunhuntin]

The pack on the rear seat in the picture is the backrest, it is some foam covered in the same material as the seat. It has a zip around the top which opens up into a small storage space. After using it again today I am going to remove some foam at the top because it is too upright and maybe a bit high.

My bag I had made fits on the back of the rack above the rear light like the ventura ones, would have prefered the box you have, but didnt know it was an option when I got the rack.

The $25 is for the extensions only, they are both right hand extensions, imported for a custom bike that a shop in Te Awamutu makes (thats why they are cheap the shop has got lots of them, looked in their catalogue and most custom extensions were $80 +). The left hand extensions were shorter. Means my pegs come up at slightly different angles, but I never have them up because I use them for 90% of my riding, so not fussed. Got some second hand pegs (most bike shops will have some) for $20.

The plate of alloy on the left hand side has to be cut out differently to the right one so that it doesnt touch the exhaust. Box section not crucial but made it a bit stiffer. Scrap dealers will have heaps of the stuff you need, mine cost me nothing, but $10-20 should get you enough. I enjoyed the 2-3 days Burt Munrowing it in the Man Cave trying to find the right position.

My other half wasn't so pleased.

:spanking:


cheers for that...ill go and see my buddy this weekend, and find out what he wants to charge for his work...i may get a set of extensions from you, see what he says.

[JaysonR16]

Thanks for the post i was looking a buying a GN. Lots of interesting and useful info in here i think ill go for an older model if there's less faults

[Courtancer]

Just out of interest, what year did the GNs start getting made in China rather than Japan?

[sunhuntin]

Just out of interest, what year did the GNs start getting made in China rather than Japan?

mines an 05, chinese build, so im guessing 04? or whenever they re-released them.

[Squiggles]

there has been a slight change in the design of the bike... and i mean very slight spent 10 minutes with 3 of the colemans guys as we tried to work out why the hell the packframe wouldnt mount to my gn but would to the one parked next to it... the answer?

well, on both gn's there were two bolt holes at the back where you could mount it, 1 set for the indicators, 1 set where you can mount the pack frame, but on my gn the two sets are in a line, so the pack frame collides with the indicators..
the answer = a couple of metal door frame brackets i had, hacksaw'd them apart and drilled them, have mounted the indicators to the bracket and the bracket to the standard hole... now the frame fits :)

mine had a fatter tire than standard on it too, and i believe the pipe is non standard as well, when i went to get the tire changed the guy asked whether it actually was a gn because the fatter tire certainly gave it a different look from the rear

[lukelin250]

ohhh loving the gns,good work guys. learn how to ride it to its extreme then get a faster 250. you can build good skills on your gn its easy to make a big 1000cc go fast but learning to get the most outta the single cylinder ginny is jut priceless,,, enjoy!!! :scooter:

[Steam]

It's not a challenge, it's a question.

I sometimes go around corners thinking "OH FUCK I'm going to DIE", as I go in a little too fast for my skill level, because I didn't brake enough before the corner. I usually come out okay though, and I have learned to keep my hands off those damn brakes while in the corner.
Everyone says the bike will lean more than you expect, but how far can a GN250 go before those cheap tyres let go?
I heard of some dude on here who scraped the pegs on his GN fairly often. I'm nowhere near that, but it still feels really freaky to lean!

Should I be more bold and trust the tyres, or what?

[twinkle]

I still have the stock rear tyre and I scrape my feet on the ground sometimes, but my toes hang a bit lower than the pegs.

Mind you... that's on a hot dry day, when it's raining the rear will slip quite easily.

[sunhuntin]

It's not a challenge, it's a question.

I sometimes go around corners thinking "OH FUCK I'm going to DIE", as I go in a little too fast for my skill level, because I didn't brake enough before the corner. I usually come out okay though, and I have learned to keep my hands off those damn brakes while in the corner.
Everyone says the bike will lean more than you expect, but how far can a GN250 go before those cheap tyres let go?
I heard of some dude on here who scraped the pegs on his GN fairly often. I'm nowhere near that, but it still feels really freaky to lean!

Should I be more bold and trust the tyres, or what?

o yeh, im the same as you...i dont really lean. i sorta line up so im as far left and go through on an angle so im still mostly upright, lmfao. must look bloody funny...motorbike staying upright on the corner.

there is one corner i love...go in at 50, come out at 70. but like you, i get freaked and alter my lean. its a wonder it hasnt resulted in disaster. i took a virago for a ride on friday, and only then did i notice my crappy cornering when the virago struggled through a corner and i noticed i had a lot more room left.

im jumping off the gn wagon and am going to get the virago on tuesday...scuff has done me well, and i love her to bits, but i need something with personality, and looks.

[judecatmad]

It's not a challenge, it's a question.

I sometimes go around corners thinking "OH FUCK I'm going to DIE", as I go in a little too fast for my skill level, because I didn't brake enough before the corner. I usually come out okay though, and I have learned to keep my hands off those damn brakes while in the corner.
Everyone says the bike will lean more than you expect, but how far can a GN250 go before those cheap tyres let go?
I heard of some dude on here who scraped the pegs on his GN fairly often. I'm nowhere near that, but it still feels really freaky to lean!

Should I be more bold and trust the tyres, or what?

Do you know, it's a question that's been bothering me ever since I started having to deal with corners here in Wellington! Never had to do too many corners up in Auckland! And I still don't have my answer (but my confidence in the bike IS increasing and I'm realising it WILL lean a lot more than I ever thought possible).

I had some fun over the Rimutaka Hill and around the Whitby corners at the weekend, however I'm definitely not a good person to ask cos my cornering is still shocking compared to others on the same bike with similar ride time....but when you get your answer, let me know :)

[Steam]

This is what Buckbuck had to say on the leaning thing, and learning how far one can go. He posted it just a couple of days ago. I will wait for a sunny day and try to find an empty carpark.



Here's how I approached the bike leaning and .....peg scraping:

Find an empty carpark put down a line of markers [cones - I used tennis balls cut in half] use 6 or 8 of them space them out evenly. Start with them fairly close and practise slow bike control weaving, then spread them further apart and increase your speed gradually each 2nd or 3rd run through this slalom exercise. [You are not trying to get the pegs down here but rather you will get a good feel for counter steering as you increase your speed and have the markers at a comfortable distance apart.]

Now pick up all the markers and just have two placed at a reasonable distance apart so you can practise a figure eight - it is durng this practise when you are feeling comfortable with the counter steering that you may encounter the wee touch down of a peg without even trying to lean over too much. Getting the practice as outlined in the previous paragraph and then moving to figure eight brings together several elements of balance, counter-steering, and looking where you want to go. Remember in the figure eight you will be constantly looking back over one shoulder and then the other.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Regards
Heads Up and Enjoy

[Ixion]

General rule of thumb:

If you're a chick, or a guy over 25, on a dry road on half way decent tyres (ie not knobblies etc), then you are not going to lean the bike enough for the tyres to let go. Cos they will hang on beyond any poiint that you would think any sane person would take them to. So just trust that they'll do their thing. And if you've gone in a bit fast, just lean some more, it'll be OK.

Guys under 25 , the sane person bit doesn't apply. They have their own , more painful way , of finding the limits of adhesion. But they wouldn't listen to anything that anyone said anyway. Its a variant of Darwin's law. The rare exceptions are the ones that eventually become old bikers.

[lukelin250]

General rule of thumb:

If you're a chick, or a guy over 25, on a dry road on half way decent tyres (ie not knobblies etc), then you are not going to lean the bike enough for the tyres to let go. Cos they will hang on beyond any poiint that you would think any sane person would take them to. So just trust that they'll do their thing. And if you've gone in a bit fast, just lean some more, it'll be OK.

Guys under 25 , the sane person bit doesn't apply. They have their own , more painful way , of finding the limits of adhesion. But they wouldn't listen to anything that anyone said anyway. Its a variant of Darwin's law. The rare exceptions are the ones that eventually become old bikers.

that was epic,reading that was truly inspriational,i honestly have no idea how much grip the tyres are gonna have untill one day they let go, and guess i wont till it happens? you really think theyll hold on?

[Ixion]

Um. On a four stroke 250, decent tyres , on a a smooth dry road, you'd have to be incredibly ham fisted to get the tyres to break away. Wet road, oil, or bumps, may be another matter.

Two strokes can also be a bit of a different story, cos of the risk of hitting the power band suddenly.

But try an experiment. Get someone to hold your bike and lean it over until the tyres are at the very edge of the tread (ie, just about to roll onto the sidewall). Stand back and see how far its leaned over.

If you've got quick reflexes and a feel for things running out of grip doesn't necessarily mean a crash. Though you'll have to find a way to handle the corner. Pull the bike back up a bit and climb off the side. You can feel the tyres start to slide, they don't USUALLY just let go all at once.

But look at your chicken strips too. I'm not one for the "oh look chicken strips, you pussy" blather. But they will tell you how near you are cutting things. Obviously, if you've got half inch wide ones you can lean a lot more than you have been doing.

EDIT: Knobblie tyres are another matter too. They have a world view all their own, you feel the knobs walking round as they get near their limit.

[Roj]

It's not a challenge, it's a question.



It is a matter of taking everything into account, tyres, brakes, road surface, rider experience, weather, the whim of the gods, and the other idiots on the road.

It is possible to have the bike almost falling over, and if you are in the right gear being able to put the power on to start picking it up, that is something that will come with practise, most bikes are capapble of a lot more than an inexerienced rider is willing to risk,

Take the time to practise as much as possible, find yourself a peice of road with some nice gentle corners that you like and spend the time getting to know the road to use as a practise area, when you feel that you are happy with your cornering you can increase the speed a little and start working on the corners you have become familiar with, don't push it hard, take time to enjoy the feeling that comes with a good ride, and pay attention all the time

[paturoa]

This is what Buckbuck had to say on the leaning thing, and learning how far one can go. He posted it just a couple of days ago. I will wait for a sunny day and try to find an empty carpark.
>>>>Find an empty carpark put down a line of markers [cones - I used tennis balls cut in half] use 6 or 8 of them space them out evenly.

strongly recommend getting some coloured chalk for this NOT tennis balls, cones or whatever.

If you are cranked over and your front or rear collects/runs over something that can slide well thats what you'll get ....

[nzcanadian]

My lights were blowing every few weeks, then I tried starting the bike with the lights off, and turning them on once the engine was running. This extended the life of the bulbs significantly.

[Pancakes]

I had a GN made out of 3 other ones! (2 oldies and a chinese one, the bolts etc of the chinese one were rubbish and the casings looked like they came from the same moulds but different metal).

LEANING OVER!

I would rub the pipe on one side and my toes/peg on the other daily in the dry and had the back out quite a few times in the wet, new springs on the back and oil (15w) in the forks w/ new seals had it drifting alot less tho.

have fun u guys!

[Pancakes]

Ixion is right, your ass will pucker your undies up to your belly button before the tyres will ping on ya. This doesn't mean you can't make it let go! SMOOTH is the answer, if you find things are a bit more leaney than your used to just sit still and ride it out, steering, braking, wiggling is on the list of things that you do just before you unsettle the bike!