I don't own this bike but I spent two full 12-hour days of my life on this bike at an MSF boot camp. I bought a 2001 Honda Magna for myself mid year and a Suzuki Savage for the wife. Here is what I have noticed so far about the GZ250 ... - Very light. At 300 pounds it is easy to maneuver. ...
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I don't own this bike but I spent two full 12-hour days of my life on this bike at an MSF boot camp. I bought a 2001 Honda Magna for myself mid year and a Suzuki Savage for the wife. Here is what I have noticed so far about the GZ250 ... - Very light. At 300 pounds it is easy to maneuver. It really feels like a mountain bicycle with a motor. - Due to its light weight, the bike tends to get airborne on large bumps on the highways at 55 mph, where my heavy 550 pound Magna is firmly planted. By airborne I mean, your butt is lifted somewhat off the seat. - The bikes steering can be compared to a mountain bike. At slow speeds (under 10 mph) you need to countersteer and compensate, just like a bicycle. At faster speeds like 20+ the bike is stable like a BMX bicycle. The front tire is matched to the rear and the castor and rake feel close the frame so the bike does not feel like it wants to lean into turns. This makes it easier to ride. - The engine is not a V-Twin. By that I mean, people who are use to V-Twins idiosyncrasies need to learn a new set. For starters, the engine is fairly powerful, not what you would expect from 250cc. I can get the bike to 60mph eventually, not a hell of a lot of torque (Compared to the V-Four Magna 750cc )but it does the job fine. The bike is too light for high speed travel at highway speeds. - Tranny - This being a single cylinder engine coupled with this particular gear ratio tranny, you need to be on the money with your shifting style. A V-Four can get away with plenty of low end under revved torque, a V-Twin can also to a smaller degree. A single cylinder cannot. The bike jerks when you have not properly downshifted to match the speed of the road to the revvs of the engine, and there is no tachometer to help out, you need to practise and be on the money. - The brakes are top notch. Meaning they stop on a dime, but hey its only 300lbs + rider. - The chrome on this bike is non-existent. The little there is gets lost on it. - The handlebars are small and the grips are tiny. So, for someone looking for a recommendation I would say this is a beginner bike. It's a great bike for people who cannot maneuver a heavier 500+ pound bike, like my wife. It looks great, like a retro from the 50s that alone gets this bike respect. Keep this in mind and you'll love the bike. If you want to buy a bike to learn on, and trade up this is it. Keep in mind this bike is small. Small frame, small engine, small performance. If you're taller than 5'5 you'll be cramped. If your a strong person you'll outgrow this bike in a month. I would consider this bike the next step for a person going from a motorized scooter to motorbike.
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