Suzuki GZ250

[7LostRonin]

Hello.
New member here. Heard about this website from a youtube channel I started watching, called LNSPLTBLVD, when I started chopping my GZ250.
I picked up my 2001 GZ250 for $200 with a broken ignition (missing key also), no title, and had been sitting outside for the better part of a decade. I cleaned the carb, adjusted valves, installed new plug, changed oil, new battery, and fresh gas. She fired right up. Over the last few months I have stripped off the heavy chrome chain guard, rear passenger pegs, sissy bar, fenders, airbox, and bunch of other misc stuff in the amount of 30 lbs. I cut the frame down, cut the exhaust, installed temporary seat (to figure out a good shape and position), rejetted for the exhaust and pod filter, and she runs like a dream.
I have more planned including battery box relocation, different handlebars, smaller turn signals, and a permanent seat. Attached are some pics of the day I brought her home and as she sits now.

[7LostRonin]

As she sits today with alot more planned for the future

[DoomBuggy]

I'd say you have captured the essence of a true bobber. Lob off anything that does not add function, at least no function that you care about. Cool, keep posting

[7LostRonin]

Thanks and I will definately post up my progress on this bike.

I figure there isn't much I can do about the power of this little 250 thumper but it is actually pretty nimble with all the weight shavings. Also with the seat where it is it has a really low center of gravity. It really changed the feel of the bike. It is a blast around town. I have been messing with the Jetting alittle more and have gotten it spot on for low end torque. It feels pretty quick now up to about 55 mph which is about all it will be doing.

[TriNortchopz]

I just read your comment in choppersbydavid's thread, that it had you thinking about hardtailing your gn250; it doesn't look like it would be too hard, as your frame has a single backbone, and interesting how the whole underside is a bolt-on section...hhmmm...



Here is a GN125 hardtail:

[7LostRonin]

Ok so I had an experience commuting to work this week that has me thinking about hardtailing the GZ or not. So Here is Utah, atleast in the area that I live, the roads are horrible and only getting worse every year. We have the great salt lake and so salt is dumped on the roads during our winters. Add to that the huge amount of growth we are having from people moving here from california and the roads not really set up for the traffic it is a disaster.
Anyway I have 2 bikes currently and I alternate between them for everyday use. On this day I rode my Kawasaki ninja 250 to work and on the way home I decided to take a little longer route to enjoy the nice weather. (we have had shit tons of rain this year lol). I have ridden this route many many times but this was the first time this year. This road is away from traffic just outside of the city and has hills and curves. I was cresting one of these hills I noticed some ripples in the asphalt and with no time to really do anything I just cruised through them avoiding the big bumps and dips as best I could. I was cruising around 48 miles an hour but as I was going through them the bike became extremely unstable as the rear wheel hopped around horribly and the front went into a small tank slapping situation. I have been riding for 35 years and have had hairy situations literally hundreds of times and I was able to get the bike through and carry on.
But I got to thinking about this scenario as I finished my ride home and feel like it would have been much worse if not causing a crash if I were on a hardtail bike. The little ninja 250 is actually a descent handling bike and to have it act so crazy going straight at a reasonable speed has me rethinking going the hardtail route.
Anybody have advice? experiences? or live in utah and can let me know if I am making more of this than I should be.

[Down]

The roads out here are shit at best. Potholes, bumps, mountains, ravines.. You can't cannonball 60 mph into a blind corner and expect to survive on any bike. You gotta know what you're up against. You don't know the road, slow the fuck down. You don't get cool guy points with wiping out at top speed.

This was not directly an attack on you, I bet you know how to ride a bike. Also, yes, on a hardtail in that situation you very likely would've been cartwheeling. It's scary when a hardtail decides to lift the rear up in a corner. I try to be mindful while riding, but it occasionally happens.

I've had the pleasure of getting a tank slapper on a fast sportbike going well over 80 on a road "I knew well" and rode it "all last year". Well, the year after I rode up and down all year the road condition got way worse in this one corner. It's a miracle I somehow managed to save the horrible shit show I had going on.

To sum it up, I feel like suspension setup doesn't matter too much, if you're not being careful to begin with.
You definitely need to be way more alert and aware on a hardtail on any road than with suspension.
I have both, I like the feel of a hardtail better.

[Tattooo]

^^^^ Like he said....^^^^^

Plus this is my take on riding a rigid...... To me a bike is a bike is a bike...... If your a good rider you can ride anything no matter how it's built...... Skills are skills.....

[OneEyedSnake]

Hey new member, new to bikes, just got a gz250 myself. I already started stripping some stuff off. I know I want to go for the bobber look too.
How did you relocate the fuse box that was attached to the rear fender?

[Skjoll]

I do a fair bit of riding across North America, try to stay off interstates because they can be seriously boring and have been caught by surprise by major road imperfections on poorly maintained secondary roads that had my bike with rear suspension bucking like a bronco as if trying to rattle my kidneys out of my asshole and shatter my spine like a glass rod. I immediately imagined how my old man's body would have been reduced to a sack of poo if I was riding my hard tail and was thankful I wasn't.

[7LostRonin]

Hey new member, new to bikes, just got a gz250 myself. I already started stripping some stuff off. I know I want to go for the bobber look too.
How did you relocate the fuse box that was attached to the rear fender?

I mounted the fuse box by the recitifer which is just behind the engine, under the carb. I plan on building a battery box and will probably put all the electrics in there. Mine is still a work in progress. I have also removed the airbox so I have alot of room under the seat.

[7LostRonin]

I do a fair bit of riding across North America, try to stay off interstates because they can be seriously boring and have been caught by surprise by major road imperfections on poorly maintained secondary roads that had my bike with rear suspension bucking like a bronco as if trying to rattle my kidneys out of my asshole and shatter my spine like a glass rod. I immediately imagined how my old man's body would have been reduced to a sack of poo if I was riding my hard tail and was thankful I wasn't.

Yeah I thinking that I will leave mine as a soft tail. I am also worried about the pod filter too lol. Here is utah the weather is extremely unpredictable and without fenders I am afraid of what will happen when i get caught in a downpour. My rear tire will soak my filter lol.
Although if I were to hardtail it I could put a fender and sissy bar on really easily. Still throwing ideas around as far as what I want to do.

[OneEyedSnake]

I mounted the fuse box by the recitifer which is just behind the engine, under the carb. I plan on building a battery box and will probably put all the electrics in there. Mine is still a work in progress. I have also removed the airbox so I have alot of room under the seat.

Cool. I’ll give that a look. I know I will end up doing something to get some more airflow.

Speaking of, how is the sound with no muffler? My instincts say just hack it off but everything I read about it is super negative.

[7LostRonin]

Cool. I’ll give that a look. I know I will end up doing something to get some more airflow.

Speaking of, how is the sound with no muffler? My instincts say just hack it off but everything I read about it is super negative.

It is pretty loud with the throttle cracked open so I just try to be mindful when traffic is right next to me. I have been riding it daily for a few months now and won't change it. I tried drilling it out first and didn't like the way it sounded and eventually just cut it. It actually sounds like a motorcycle.