No more new GN250s?

[Chickadee]

Anyone else heard about this?

According to my local freebie rag (Auckland Eastern Courier) the little Suzuki GN250's are not going to be made for NZ market anymore. Sad news for the folks that are starting out on bikes, and looking at bikes in the new cheap & cheerful section. Apparently the lights would have had to be modified to satisfy new lighting regulations which wasn't cost effective for the manufacturer.

I'm sure there will be GN250's on the road for ages to come but no new shiny ones when all the existing stocks gone. They've been sold in NZ for 26 years - nearly as old as me!

Don't get me wrong, they're not my first choice looks wise but they have started many a biker off in good stead.

[davereid]

Yet more regulations to satisfy the red-tape makers.

The GN has been a great starter bike for so many riders, it will be sad to see it go.

[apteryx_haasti]

That's too bad, I've found it an excellent choice as a first bike for me.

On the plus side - that helps it hold its resale value!!

[riffer]

Yes, it's true.

On the plus side, the Yamaha Scorpio SX-4 (http://www.yamaha-motor.co.nz/motor/index.htm?prod_detail.asp?MD_ID=325&modelcatid=1) is a worthy sucessor, and only about $800 more expensive.

[sunhuntin]

its true. reasons i heard was the quality was pretty shit [which i can prove] and the cost of repairs wasnt worth it. that bike spent more time in the shop than on the road.
tyres aint really road worthy either [though i never had trouble with mine, i have read on here they aint that great.]

the gn has been around longer than i have, but the japanses made ones are the best quality...the chinese ones [new] are not worth the plastic the fenders are made out of.

[Pumba]

That is a real shame as the mighty GN will aways be a special bike to me personaly, kinda wish I never sold my 85 GN now, more for sentimental reasons than being worth anything, although on todays second hand market it is worth more than I sold it for:doh:

[jade]

My gn 125 was the shit, Went to the dealer without ever riding and ended up with it, wasnt my first choice.
I was a pro at drink driving on that thing (Tho im totally against drinkdriving now) Burnouts, standstill wheelies, taught me everything I know !

[Karma]

Run outta GNs? No bloody way, those things'll be popping outta the woodwork for decades to come yet.

Can barely walk down the road without tripping over one at the moment...

[Maha]

Yet more regulations to satisfy the red-tape makers.

The GN has been a great starter bike for so many riders, it will be sad to see it go.


That's too bad, I've found it an excellent choice as a first bike for me.

On the plus side - that helps it hold its resale value!!


Have to agree with both of ya....$2995 new when i got mine, had no probs with it at all and only lost about $400 on the resale about 10 months later......by by GN......:bye:

[kensuem]

Never seen so much misinformation about a great little bike !!!!!
How about someone start a Poll on the GN.Something asking questions like these,
1) How many members own GN's
2)bearing mind the low cost,Are you satisfied with it.
2)how many members have owned Gn's in the past.
3)were you happy with it.
4)Did you sell it because you were unhappy,or just to have a larger or more powerful bike.

[Maha]

Never seen so much misinformation about a great little bike !!!!!
How about someone start a Poll on the GN.Something asking questions like these,
1) How many members own GN's
2)bearing mind the low cost,Are you satisfied with it.
2)how many members have owned Gn's in the past.
3)were you happy with it.
4)Did you sell it because you were unhappy,or just to have a larger or more powerful bike.


1= Dunno
2= Was
3= Once again, Dunno, but i did
4= Wanted lager more powerful hard cornering type pleasure machine......:scooter:

[Ixion]

The GN is a fine machine and does what it is designed to do.

However, the reality is that a largish proportion of motorcyclists , and an even larger proportion of new riders, are young men.

And young men being what they are, they MUST have a motorcycle that is faster than (or at least as fast as) their mates'. The "keeping up with my mates" syndrome , otherwise known as the "they'll all think I've got a tiny dick" syndrome.

So as soon as one mate has a machine that is faster than the GN (no matter what the cost of that speed advantage may be), then the GN will be scorned.

Human nature, I'm afraid.

[T.I.E]

they are a ledgend in my book. i had three broke all of them. when ya see what i was trying to do to them you would understand.
its a shame but understandable. the tyres were crap. headlights poor. but many a long story i sure can be told by many.
sad to see them go, as in my book they were real motorcycling ( for beginners )
dam think ill go out and get one.

[McJim]

They stopped making GN250s back in the mid eighties - started making water soluble replicas in China after that!

[Lissa]

Ive got a 2006 GN.... and I really enjoy it. Ok so the light bulb blew and the baffle fell off (replaced for free).. but other than that I am satisfied with her, shes my practice bike until I go on to something alittle more grunty (not sure what yet). But at the moment she is just perfect, and I am getting alot more confident and skilled on her. I get alot of 'older' men admiring her and reminiscing about when they had one. I got told they werent making anymore when I brought her, so hopefully resale value should be good.

[klingon]

Anyone else heard about this?

According to my local freebie rag (Auckland Eastern Courier) the little Suzuki GN250's are not going to be made for NZ market anymore. ... etc

Ok this is the real story here...

YOUR LOCAL RAG DID AN ARTICLE ON THE GN250?!?! :shit:

Quick, send me a copy! Send me the link! Write a letter to the editor and congratulate them and tell them we LOVE motorbike stories and will most certainly advertise in their paper if they publish more!

[Trudes]

:bye: :bye: to the mighty GN, I :love: ed mine, got my confidence back on one and then sold her to buy a bigger bike. I shed one tear as she left in a van and then forgot about her a little when I got my Hornet, but like all good old friends, I still have fond memories of my GN.:scooter:

[MikeyG]

I've got one. Leaves a bit too be desired on the open road but for a round town commuter it's one of the best out there. Mines had two track days on Taupo so far and was great fun.

[Mr. Peanut]

They stopped making GN250s back in the mid eighties - started making water soluble replicas in China after that!

I've got a bigger cock than you.

[McJim]

I've got a bigger cock than you.

That's coz you're a chicken farmer but my knob is much bigger than yours! Buwahahaha :rofl:

[cowpoos]

Anyone else heard about this?

According to my local freebie rag (Auckland Eastern Courier) the little Suzuki GN250's are not going to be made for NZ market anymore. Sad news for the folks that are starting out on bikes, and looking at bikes in the new cheap & cheerful section. Apparently the lights would have had to be modified to satisfy new lighting regulations which wasn't cost effective for the manufacturer.

I'm sure there will be GN250's on the road for ages to come but no new shiny ones when all the existing stocks gone. They've been sold in NZ for 26 years - nearly as old as me!

Don't get me wrong, they're not my first choice looks wise but they have started many a biker off in good stead.
not all hope is lost...suzuki nz is apparently trying to sort along with other international suzuki importers a solution to sort the problems that are restricting new Gn's being sold in alot of country's...and they are the head light and emissions...new emmisions standards came into place in various country's this year [2007] euro and californian mainly...and the gn doesn't meet these standards...

Stay posted ! :)

[Roj]

Seems a shame that something that has been very successful is ending, sometimes thats the way life goes, a cheap and economic bike that is relatively easy to learn on...:scooter:

[Quartermile]

Well at least now they've stopped making the chinese crap Suzuki should be proud.

Everyone can get a Shong Jenn (250 sports) test drove one myself, piece of crap but I imagine Gn's would be to me aswell.

FXR's make much better learners bike!!!!!!!!

[Guitana]

Get over it guys buy a big 1000cc bike and get there faster!!!!!!!!!!
Zoom zoom zoom.

[Pumba]

Get over it guys buy a big 1000cc bike and get there faster!!!!!!!!!!
Zoom zoom zoom.

I have:2thumbsup

Still kinda miss the GN tho

[Ixion]

Are those Lifan 250s still around?

[Karma]

I have:2thumbsup

Still kinda miss the GN tho

He said get there faster mate, does the SV count? Mind you, it does sound a little like the GN :dodge:

[davereid]

Are those Lifan 250s still around?

Yep, Lifan have a 200cc road legal chook chaser for about $3300, seem to go well enough (I have one) but it would be a bit tall in the seat for the chicks.

They make a V-twin 250 as well - about $5-5500.

Yamaha make a 200cc road bike at about $4k, so all is not lost for learners yet !

[NighthawkNZ]

Get over it guys buy a big 1000cc bike and get there faster!!!!!!!!!!
Zoom zoom zoom.



I did...

but will miss the GN its a good comuter, a good learners and well a good bike... However I had an 80's model so don't know much of the newer ones...

[inlinefour]

about time Suzuki stopped making shitters and worked on real bikes... :dodge:

[howdamnhard]

So it's true,thats a shame.Just bought one to learn on,it,s affordable enough to give us poorer people a toe hold into biking.I agree it may not have the best build quality(still better than the Lifans though) and its pretty unstable and scary at higher speeds but its still affordable fun that lets people get into biking.

[hobdar]

Mines two years old and although seems to still be mechanically sound the cosmetics chrome and shit are getting rust, and looks like shit. its been sitting at a motorbike shop recently that sells the new SR-X and they have been taking the punters to look at mine and they think its a 84 or older model not DAMN less than 2 years old....piece of crap bike.....

Mind you now i have my full license would any one like to buy my "pristine" piece of kaka.....


Man the ones from the 80's will outlast the new ones mark my words....

[Coyote]

That is a real shame as the mighty GN will aways be a special bike to me personaly, kinda wish I never sold my 85 GN now, more for sentimental reasons than being worth anything, although on todays second hand market it is worth more than I sold it for:doh:
I sold my CBR250RR for $5350. A year later and I could've probably got $7000 :pinch:

[FilthyLuka]

so, what bikes are made new now (250 wise) by the jappers? The gpx250 from kawasaki, the scorpio thing from yamaha, does honda still make the vtr? suzuki have a dual sport dr250 but im talkin road bikes here... kinda lame, learner bikes are being made less and less, so doesnt that mean second hand prices will just go up?

[sunhuntin]

so, what bikes are made new now (250 wise) by the jappers? The gpx250 from kawasaki, the scorpio thing from yamaha, does honda still make the vtr? suzuki have a dual sport dr250 but im talkin road bikes here... kinda lame, learner bikes are being made less and less, so doesnt that mean second hand prices will just go up?

i dunno where viragos are made. hyosung make a 250, and apparently are good bikes [a friend just bought one 2 months ago and loves it]

[Ixion]

so, what bikes are made new now (250 wise) by the jappers? The gpx250 from kawasaki, the scorpio thing from yamaha, does honda still make the vtr? suzuki have a dual sport dr250 but im talkin road bikes here... kinda lame, learner bikes are being made less and less, so doesnt that mean second hand prices will just go up?

Scorpio is "made" in Indonesia I think. But really , for most vehicles now (cars, bikes) it's rather meaningless to say it's "made" in Country X. Reality is that bits of it will be manufactured all over the world, and assembled or sub assembled in other places. The "country of manufacture" will be a very artifical thing , selected for PR or tax reasons.

Harleys for instance are "made" in the USA. But if you went over a harley and tracked back each piece of it to the machine shop it was machined in, and the assembly plant it was bolted up in, you'd find very little of it was done in the USA.

Vehicle manufacture has become a global industry.

[FilthyLuka]

what i meant was what bikes can be bought new... virago, vl250, gpx250, scorpio and hyobags. thats pretty much what i came up with. funny thing is, only the scorpio is relatively cheap, the gn was decent not because it was a good bike, but because it was cheap and relatively bulletproof, aleast so much that it could take you through 2 years untill you got your restricted.

[Lucy]

When I bought mine in early November, Colemans mentioned that no more were coming in, because of a techicality with parts numbering or something like that.

After the washers on the back of the speedo start to rust (three weeks) I emptied a can of Inox waterproofing stuff on it, all over it, and so far it's still good. It hasn't missed a beat, starts every time, gets up to 100k easily, (and 120 if it has time) and as far as I'm aware 100k is still the speed limit in this country......

But the main thing is, it has lots of beautiful shiny chrome and looks like a motorbike. And it is fun to ride, and easy to ride, and fun, and looks like a nice shiny motorbike, and sounds cool, and and and....

Oh goodness I can't wait to get home so I can ride it again....boohoohoo, I miss it. But it's funny being in America and seeing people ride without helmets.

Ha ha I said Helmets

[gijoe1313]

I love the way you think Lucy! :lol: Oh poos and wees, I'm outta bling to give :no:

keep up the pootling and may your journeys be long and pleasant! On a mighty Ginny, that much is at least assured! :love: :scooter:

[sunhuntin]

what i meant was what bikes can be bought new... virago, vl250, gpx250, scorpio and hyobags. thats pretty much what i came up with. funny thing is, only the scorpio is relatively cheap, the gn was decent not because it was a good bike, but because it was cheap and relatively bulletproof, aleast so much that it could take you through 2 years untill you got your restricted.

its really only the original gns that are bulletproof. my 86 got hit by a car, and thrashed by at least 2 learners, and lived in most weather [except snow] and ver rarely saw a bottle of polish.
but by the time i got hit by a car, there was less rust on her than there was on the year old gn when i sold it. [the old one was nearly 21 years old] plus, she still ran! would have been ok had the brake lever not broken off in the accident...dad nearly went through the house!

as lucy said, her washer bolts started rusting at 3 weeks! thats barely enough time to go anywhere!

[Lucy]

Yeah but since Colemans replaced the washers, and I sprayed the whole bike with the Inox stuff (like CRC but lasts longer as it has lanolin in it, smells better too) it has all been fine. No more rust has appeared anywhere. I'm glad I had been warned about the rust so I kept an eye on it. Was still surprised at the speed of it though...

[riffer]

2007 Yamaha Scorpio for sale on trademe (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Other/auction-87048247.htm).

["D" FZ1]

No problem. We have plenty of Scorpio SX-4's to take the place of the GN :scooter:

[ravenfeeder]

I am confused here as yes i have heard that too, yet went in to Colemans over weekend and they were saying yes still selling them but are the GN250E. Like you Lissa am thinking i am going to get a GN to start on but am a little concerned with all the negative info on here about the new ones, yet they still seem to be consistently seen as best starter bike. The new price is good too and you sit on them and feel at ease i reckon.

[Bend-it]

Yeah but since Colemans replaced the washers, and I sprayed the whole bike with the Inox stuff (like CRC but lasts longer as it has lanolin in it, smells better too)

Bike perfume eh? hmmm :weird:

[kensuem]

Dont believe all the negative comments on the GN.Mine is now 9 months old,does50+klm every day,whatever the weather,has only been cleaned twice but not a speck of rust anywherestarts first time,handles well,can corner at the same speed whatever the weather,all inall,FANTASTIC VALUE.
all these people who run the GN down are so besotted with power and plastic fairings that they cant see a great little bike even when it is right under their noses.I think they are all just jealous because it costs them so much more to enjoy biking,!

[ravenfeeder]

Thanks for that Kensuem,i have deicded i am going to go the GN path too. Just weighing up when to get one and whether to go 2nd hand or buy new given the prices are not to different - the 2005 are going for like $2500-2700 on Trademe and you can buy a new one for $3300 with the 12 months warranty. Seems to make sense to me. Big dilemma now is whether to go black or red :) Probably red as the shop i really liked dealing with only has red left :)

[bungbung]

I am confused here as yes i have heard that too, yet went in to Colemans over weekend and they were saying yes still selling them but are the GN250E.

The E is for Electric Start

[ravenfeeder]

The E is for Electric Start
Hehe Thanks Bungbung "DOH" eh ;) A

[sunhuntin]

Thanks for that Kensuem,i have deicded i am going to go the GN path too. Just weighing up when to get one and whether to go 2nd hand or buy new given the prices are not to different - the 2005 are going for like $2500-2700 on Trademe and you can buy a new one for $3300 with the 12 months warranty. Seems to make sense to me. Big dilemma now is whether to go black or red :) Probably red as the shop i really liked dealing with only has red left :)

dont believe that hack about warrenty. i had one, and when things did go wrong, it was never covered! basically the only thing that seemed to be covered was the frame, which should not have anything go wrong with it [besides either getting hit, or hitting something solid.
chain, speedo, bulbs...nothing was covered [bulbs i can understand, but chains coming loose twice, and eventually coming off on a corner, and the whole speedo breaking down? not on]
make sure you read and understand the warrenty, and be prepared to fork out if anything does go wrong.

[kensuem]

Bought mine from the Suzuki agent in Paeroa,and have had great service.I originally had a sqeaky front brake,and they had it in several times until they found the cure.While looking at it one day they found a crack in a fork leg,informed me of the problem,and ordered a new part,coming to my work place in Waihi to fit the new leg.
As regards chains ,yes they do stretch fairly quickly,but if you follow the handbook and check and adjust the chain as required you wont have a problem.I check mine every few weeks and spray it with an aerosol can of Castrol chain lubricant,If a chain is looked after properly it wont come off.
Tail light bulbs seem to be a bit of a problem,but at $2.10 and 2 minutes to change it ,it is hardly an earth shattering problem!
The bottom line is that the GN is a fairly basic ,old fashioned design,and as such needs a little more care and attention,and that is how you learn about bikes and what makes them work.
when I first rode bikes as a teenager in the early 1960s,neither I or any of my mates could afford new bikes,or to put a bike in for service or repair.As a result we all learnt to work on our own bikes and would think nothing of pulling an engine appart on Saturday morning,so that we could go for a ride in the afternoon.That was all part of the fun of biking.
I will concede that modern large capacity bikes are a lot more complicated to work on,even more reason for starting on something solid and simple.

[McJim]

I'm still pleased with my VTR :)

And it doesn't have any fancy plastic either. :rofl:

[Quartermile]

Listen if your the sort of person wanting a GN you will probably like Zong Shens they look better and are a little bit faster, Strada at the Mt in TGA sells them :D

[Lissa]

dont believe that hack about warrenty. i had one, and when things did go wrong, it was never covered! basically the only thing that seemed to be covered was the frame, which should not have anything go wrong with it [besides either getting hit, or hitting something solid.
chain, speedo, bulbs...nothing was covered [bulbs i can understand, but chains coming loose twice, and eventually coming off on a corner, and the whole speedo breaking down? not on]
make sure you read and understand the warrenty, and be prepared to fork out if anything does go wrong.
OH bugger sunhuntin.... I had my new GN for a few months, the front light bulb blew and the baffle fell off (I blame the speed) and the mechanic just fixed it right there and then and I didnt pay a thing, said it was all covered.


I will concede that modern large capacity bikes are a lot more complicated to work on,even more reason for starting on something solid and simple.Yep... I still drool over everyone elses bikes, but I am not skilled enough yet to move on from a GN, good first bike!

[ravenfeeder]

Yeah thats what i am thinking, just good to learn on, simple and big thing, felt comfortable sitting on it. So will see how we go. Great feedback from everyone though - thank you.

Sunhunting - where did you purchase your gn from and take it for warranty stuff - what shop? As think i def wont purchase from there if i do go new :)

[scott411]

good news, Suzuki has just recomplied the GN250, it will be back on sale nationwide, same price $3300 plus ORC

[ravenfeeder]

good news, Suzuki has just recomplied the GN250, it will be back on sale nationwide, same price $3300 plus ORC
Yes Scott,i was talking to Suzuki dealer today too and he confirmed that they are being imported agian and only change is a new headlight - made in Japan not china. Apparentlyy back order will be 10 days only. Current colours are same as now, Red or the Black.
Have been debating whether to go second hand or new and if new red were only one available (as limited if any black still around apparently) so now i have a choice :) So new Ginny's on the road again!

[fjones]

I've got an 07 GN with 250km's on it. I'd let it go if I could find a decent GPX hehe

[Curious_AJ]

lol, last night indy goes "AJ's getting into riding and for her first bike i told her two things... G, N..." then was barraged with arguments against it lol, but i still think it would be good to learn on.

[sunhuntin]

OH bugger sunhuntin.... I had my new GN for a few months, the front light bulb blew and the baffle fell off (I blame the speed) and the mechanic just fixed it right there and then and I didnt pay a thing, said it was all covered.

Yep... I still drool over everyone elses bikes, but I am not skilled enough yet to move on from a GN, good first bike!

i tried that, but just got met with "not covered, not covered, and not covered" pfft, tossers. i changed the bulbs at work [tail lights] which was no problem, but the chain was nuts. as was the whole speedo breaking down. took them 5 weeks to get a replacement. 5 weeks of riding with no idea how fast i was going, and 5 weeks of riding not being recorded on the odo.

ravenfeeder...was a shop here in wangas, so not likely youll be buying off them! LOL. they currently have the legal half helmets, and im dying to get one, but i wont buy from them on principle.

[Bonez]

The legend continues.................................:scooter : Good one Suzuki. More bums on two wheels the better.

[Lucy]

Yeah thats what i am thinking, just good to learn on, simple and big thing, felt comfortable sitting on it. So will see how we go. Great feedback from everyone though - thank you.

Sunhunting - where did you purchase your gn from and take it for warranty stuff - what shop? As think i def wont purchase from there if i do go new :)


For some reason the black ones were $500 bucks cheaper than the red, that's why they sold out quicker.

The 'exclusions' from the warranty are in the manual, basically what Sunhuntin said - nothing is covered really, not tyres, chains, clutches, brakes, cables etc etc. In fact, it would be quicker and easier if they just listed what WAS covered.

I had to pay for my lightbulb that blew on the day of the first service (two or three weeks old), but I think it depends on the shop. It definitely isnt covered but some do it for PR purposes. I'd change it though even if it didnt blow, the shop one was so dim it was ridiculous.

So don't worry too much about a second hand one not being under warranty. I got brand new for the same reasons, but if you find one you are sure hasnt been thrashed, then it might be worth saving the $500 or so that second hand will save you, and early niggles will have already been sorted.

It's a great learner bike, as everyone has said. I love mine.

[sunhuntin]

quite funny actually. something else went wrong.... my regulator went, which meant either the battery wasnt charging, or wasnt holding that charge. made me late for work more than once.
took the bike to a non-suzi dealer, and got them to do the repairs. while the repair was being done, i saw the virago in the window. mulled it over the weekend, went back monday, test rode and bought.

despite the fact they arent a suzuki dealer, they managed to get and replace the alternator under warrenty, and then never charged me for the labour. i know if id taken it back to the actual dealer, i would have been forking out.

strange how a suzuki dealer can take 5 weeks [and about as many excuses] to get one part, and a non dealer can have the part in stock and replaced in a weekend.