Been riding since I was a kid, although it's been a while since I had a bike. Girlfriend wanted to learn, so we found an '09 TU250X for her on CL on the cheap. It's at the shop getting tires. Took off on Friday night going on a craigslist hunt, and came back with a running '04 GS with silly mods and 5k miles, and an 01 SV650 with 3k miles that was parked under a tarp 4 years ago and needs love. I'm up where it snows, so the plan is to sort the G out, set up for me and ready for the spring and then get the SV back on the road.
Loaded in the van:
(http://i67.tinypic.com/14wq9md.jpg)
Profile shot:
(http://i68.tinypic.com/fnv72x.jpg)
Silly LEDs.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/24lkius.jpg)
Here's a shot of the SV on the back. Dirty from transport, but it wasn't much cleaner before...
(http://i64.tinypic.com/2w2lcaf.jpg)
Two side by side:
(http://i63.tinypic.com/2rcxyk4.jpg)
Welcome to the site Suzi Q! Awesome bikes... hope you make a thread to show how the progress goes with them and what ya do!
I took my motorcycle safety classes/test on a TU250... after riding my GS for about a year and a half at that point, boy did that bike feel like a toy! So light and easy to handle.
And hey now... not all led underglow is silly lol... I have purple and green on my bike :oops: :icon_rolleyes:
Great intro thread and good luck :cheers:
So here's what I know so far:
The GS has about 5k on it. Bought it from a kid that didn't know a lot about bikes...it was his first. Any way, some slight battle damage from that...bent handlebars and scratches on the covers, but easy enough to fix. He did the leds, but somebody before him chopped the fender, changed the signals and ditched the fairings. Also, the muffler says suzuki, but someone must have removed some baffles or something, because it's loud. Runs great though. Already have modulators for it...next looking for handlebars, covers, guards, sliders and springs, as well as normal oil/spark/valve job/chain/tires/sprockets/rearsets/spools. Will also be re-jetting and intake/exhaust as able and over time. Hoping to hit a couple track days with it this summer as I learn to drag a knee. So far, I've just siphoned all the gas out of it.
The SV...I didn't actually seek out the bike...I was more eyeing an 04+, but it was such a sweet deal that I couldn't pass it up. It appears stock save for a set of rear spools. First owner put 2700 on it. Second brought it up to 3400 and then parked it 3-4 years ago. I have keys for it, but gas cap is currently stuck shut, so I'm going to have to get the bad gas out some other way. Once that's done, I'll see about pulling the carbs off to rebuild them and get it cleaned up/running again. I'm not a huge fan of the styling of the S, but it seems like it is comfortable. Once it's running and on the road, I'll decide whether I'll sell it and go after something else, or if i'll trick it out too.
Yeah I was wondering about the exhaust on the GS... noticed the holes in the end of the can. Fender chop looks pretty good from what I can see. Did ya get the grab bar with the sale?
Quote from: ShowBizWolf on January 29, 2017, 07:33:32 PM
Welcome to the site Suzi Q! Awesome bikes... hope you make a thread to show how the progress goes with them and what ya do!
I took my motorcycle safety classes/test on a TU250... after riding my GS for about a year and a half at that point, boy did that bike feel like a toy! So light and easy to handle.
And hey now... not all led underglow is silly lol... I have purple and green on my bike :oops: :icon_rolleyes:
Great intro thread and good luck :cheers:
Haha sorry about the underglows...and thanks for the welcome. The GS is fun! I've actually ridden it a bit, and it's good times. Right now it's stock. Has 5k on the clock, and bought, again, from another new rider, so swapped handlebars first thing. I also swapped the grips out on it, and put on a set of Shinko 712's. It's in the shop for tires/sprockets/chain/valve adjust, and once it's home she'll do the spark plug/oil/air filter. As she gets more comfortable, we'll do the shocks/spring, and then remove the second TB butterfly and change the gearing. At some point, the GS will be a natural transition, so she'll be able to bounce around a bit and try different things.
We're going to the BRC in April, so we'll be back on 250's there too. I actually enjoy the little TU...the styling is delicious. I look forward to stealing it from her from time to time.
Nah, no grab bar. Don't carry pax, so not sweating it. I didn't even think about the holes...that must be it. It actually sounds pretty ballsy that way...not sure about power. I'll have to see if there is a dyno around somewhere.
Here's a shot of the TU
(http://i63.tinypic.com/30kro1f.jpg)
Quote from: Suzi Q on January 29, 2017, 07:53:24 PM
Haha sorry about the underglows...
Lmao no sweat!! Haha just was kiddin' with ya. Tbh I have mixed feelings about them as well and I honestly got way more enjoyment out of installing them on my bike than I do knowing they are there sometimes... except when I turn them on and my friends are like oooOOOoooo :laugh: And also I know I'm a LOT easier to be seen when riding at night!
Oh WOW the TU looks sharp in that color!
And woot toot the captchas should be gone for you now :D
They are indeed, but I'll still chat with ya. Your sig says superbike bars...how do you like them?
The TU is great, and super sharp in the red. I got a really great deal on that one too, as it needed work. She loves it, and I'm excited to get it back from the shop.
I've never seen one of them in red, just black cuz that's all they had at the DMV and it really didn't do anything for me. That red is a very very nice color for sure.
I absolutely love the superbike bars. When I got my GS I was 100% new to riding and working on motorcycles and my stock bars were bent (and faded and rusty, yuck) so I took it to a bike mechanic and he put on superbike bars for me. Were only $25 and he said it would make the bike a lot more comfortable for me... and he was totally right!
I actually have a set of clip-ons I bought last year because I wanted to try them out and I like the look... but the comfort of these bars I have now has been stopping me.
The newest TUX's come in an orange that's rather delectable. Thanks for the info on the bars...I think I might go that route with the replacement as well. They're $22 on BB plus 5% AMA discount. :thumb:
Awesome! You're quite welcome. If it helps I'm 5'7"... different bars fit different people but they really do work great for me. And BB is great for discounts :icon_mrgreen:
Bike looks great in red, I teach the classes with the silver and gold ones - kinda ugly.
I think the gold is the orange, which I'm okay with clean. The silver looks good too, but I think that's just that classic look to me. I'm with you guys on the black though. Super bland to me. I know you guys are teaching with them but, if you ever get one to screw with, there are a number of mods that quickly make the TU a fun little bar hopper. tu250riders is a solid forum, but the short list is to remove the second butterfly in the throttle body, open the airbox and drop a tooth up front. You can also do a power commander/auto tune if you want, but I'm hesitant about putting $500 worth of computers on a $600 bike. :dunno_black:
Quick post on my way out; shop called...the little TUX is all set to be picked up. In the meantime, my GS exploded. :dunno_black:
(http://i67.tinypic.com/ajnxhv.jpg)
Here's a closeup of the fender chop for anyone wanting to see. Not super happy with the hardware or drilling holes in the fairing, but it works. Might look to clean it up in the future.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/289lkkj.jpg)
Here's the exhaust. I have no idea if this is going to pass inspection here. I wish I had taken a video prior...it sounds pretty beast. Closest thing I can compare it to would be the Delkelvic 200mm shorty vids you see on youtube. I will post a video in the spring if I still have it. No clue how it affects the actual power of the bike.
(http://i67.tinypic.com/10d8jeh.jpg)
Lastly, found a Protek LL-140 lowering link I hadn't seen before. Luckily it has a position for "stock," so up she'll go with the rear suspension swap.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/21llf9v.jpg)
In other news, the underglows appear to be superglued inside the frame. They're [admittedly] kinda growing on me. Took a look at the date codes on the tyres and she's sitting on the same Battlaxs she left the showroom floor with. Not sure yet on what I will replace them with.
As for the SV650...I still can't even get into the gas tank to drain it, so it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to drill and rekey. Either way, the GS is priority for me right now, so not sweating it. Hoping to clean the shop up this weekend and get some more work space.
Quick question...if I were to swap to the Pingel petcock, that means I get to take out the mass of vacuum lines, right? Trying to find ways to clean the bike up.
Thanks, and shiny side up.
- SQ
figured you were on the other side of the pond somewhere after reading "tyres" cause i was trying to figure out what a tu250 was. when i took my msf course in 2003 i had already owned my first of 5 gs' but the course used suzi cheesy 250s err gz250. although it was fun to take them on the road @ pellissippi st. comm. college. please forgive my rudeness suzi, welcome to ze nuthaus :). if the underglows are purple youll have a fan in showbiz, plus the occasional visit from pandy as well. heck i had purple valve stem caps. on my sportster. which came from my first gs. i call this place the nuthaus because if you hang afround long enough, you wont be able to leave muwahahahahahaha.
Aaron
I think my phone auto-corrected that...I'm stateside. TU250 was available in other parts of the world before, but came available in the US with the 2009 year model, and it is the successor to the GN250.
Here's a link to the current year model: http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/TU250X/2017/TU250X.aspx
Thanks for the welcome, no rudeness detected! Underglows are more blue than they look in the photos. These are my 2nd and 3rd Suzukis...first was a '02 GS600F I bought when I was a kid and sold after about 6k miles. Had a sportster at one point and a couple random dirt bikes over the years, mostly Hondas, but never took the time to get the motorcycle license as a kid, so BRC coming up in the springtime. Should be entertaining, if nothing else, and I'm taking it with my SO, so that should be fun. There's a few track days this summer I'm hoping to be ready for, and an amateur road racing circuit, if I get that far. Right now, just watching the snow fall and dreamin' of warmer days.
+1000000000 to dreaming of warmer days, that's for sure :grumble:
Awesome update!
Thank you! You guys track at all, or just commute/recreation?
- SQ
Just dirt cheap transportation and fun for me! And it makes for fun little projects.
Been working on cars my whole life... my dad has a garage he opened in '72 and he's still there every day. Spent my summers there growing up... learning lots... and now I spend as much time as I can there on the weekends when I'm not working. Was a real treat to get into bikes 5 years ago. Learning about them and working on my GS has been wonderful.
I too learned by slingin' wrenches with my dad in the garage. We did a SBC rebuild together for a rock crawler when I was 8, and then started a drag racing team when I was 14. The bikes started with 50cc hondas when I was about 6. Good times.
Not a huge update today as I'm waiting on the plethora of parts that I ordered, as well as the manual. Snowed again today though, so I've no real reason to rush or even get excited.
I went ahead and pulled the airbox in preparation. It would appear that someone has been here before me, as the air screws are already drilled out. Also, the clamps weren't tight on the carbs, and I'd guess she's probably running rich as hell based on the standing gas in the bottom of the filter, but I haven't pulled the spark plugs yet to see what they look like. I reckon I'm going to rebuild the carbs while I have them out, so I'll have to figure out what they are and go from there. Also got the bike up in the air so I could check wheel bearings and then steering bearings...everything feels nice and solid. Chain and sprockets look to be in decent condition, although I'm planning on changing gearing.
Also went ahead and cleaned the shop up a bit so that I could work, and I pushed the SV back into the corner and out of the way so that I can focus and work on the SV. Also, the TUX comes back from the shop tomorrow, but it goes on the other side of the garage.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/35a1wkm.jpg)
(http://i64.tinypic.com/ljkf8.jpg)
(http://i67.tinypic.com/e6ce55.jpg)
Nice!! I always enjoy seeing where other people are working on their bikes and what their garage/shop setup looks like.
I've never had the airbox out of my bike before... damn that gives you a really nice view and access to the shock!
Well don't judge...it's a new (to us) house and we haven't even moved in yet, so the garage isn't set up. Needs benches, lights, tool boxes....i guess really EVERYTHING that makes a garage a garage. :icon_lol:
As to the airbox, super easy. Two 12mm bolts hold it in and go in from the sides. There are the two clamps on the carbs. You have to take the allen screws out of the petcock and swing it outside the frame, and then the box will lift out. There is a drain hose that you will either disconnect or pull out...it's routed on the right side underneath the clutch case. For sure makes access easier to everything.
TUX is back from the shop after new chain, wheel bearings, tubes, clutch cable, brake fluid, tires, spark plug and valve adjustment.
Plan is to finish moving and cleaning garage this week, and then pull the carbs out of the GS to check the jets and see what she's got in her at the moment. Lots of goodies in the mail headed my way...excited to get everything in and get her back on the road.
I swear I'm almost done tearing this thing apart.
I could tell enough from the carbs that I knew I needed to check the jetting on them...the bowl screws were stripped/mismatched and the air screws were drilled, so I knew someone had been inside at some point. Went ahead and pulled the rack off...stock '04 jetting but the diaphrams are a little jacked. I'll be on the lookout for the BSR rebuild kit, although I can't find it in 34mm. Will probably call Mikuni tomorrow to see what's up. I also took a quit trip to the store to buy new hex head screws for both the carb bowls and the exhaust header.
(http://i66.tinypic.com/13ydnjm.jpg)
I still had some time, so I went ahead and dropped the bolt for the lowering link and yanked the rear shock/spring out of there. It's now a giant, gaping hole.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/155tmhh.jpg)
Parts to do this thing up right should be here this week and I can begin assembly.
FINALLY got it to upload the photo. More parts missing:
(http://i67.tinypic.com/nmi369.jpg)
Also, this awesome bit of hotness showed up today:
(https://s23.postimg.org/pcff8maiz/20170210_133139.jpg)
I promise that, some day very very soon, I will let this thread die and I will move over to a build thread. In the meantime though, I'm still taking things apart. Today, the front end came apart. I pulled the forks ahead of a fluid swap as well as some tweaking. It's cold and snowy here...monster storm up in the northeast and the garage isn't heated. It's also slowing down the parts delivery trucks. I'm ready for Amazon(r) teleport. Anyway, I hope others are doing well, staying warm, and biding the time until riding season. Pic below of the current state of affairs. Oh I also removed the tank from the SV. I have been wholly unable to get the cap open, but I need to ditch the bad gas somehow, so the tank came off. GS after the bump.
(https://s11.postimg.org/ei49fkf7n/forks.jpg)
I'm also at the limit of more money spent on parts than on the bike itself. By the time I finish out, I'll have more in parts than the bike. :cookoo:
I passed that $$ line shortly after getting my GS too! It's all good ;)
The spread right now is $215, and I still need engine oil, carb jets, tires, spare keys and the engine guard.