Righteous Bike for Low $$$
Written: Apr 22 '03
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Pros: Great Looks, Low Price, High Quality
Cons: Needs 6th Gear, Tach, More Fuel Capacity, Belt or Shaft-Drive, More Ground Clearance
The Bottom Line: Check out the little-known Suzuki Marauder gem at your local showroom, you may be just as surprised as I was.
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| bozguy's Full Review: 2000 Suzuki MARAUDER 800 |
I bought a brand new 2002 Suzuki Marauder VZ800 in May of 2002. I've now had it nearly a year and I have to say, I am very pleased with this motorcycle. After putting over 4,000 miles on it within about 11 months, I feel I can objectively detail the pros and cons of this bike. I suppose I am biased a bit, though, since I really like this motorcycle.
First of all, I love the look of the Marauder. I got the black model with the yellow 'Marauder' tank logo. The 2003 colors are different but I think they still have a black model which maybe now has a light grey logo instead of the cool yellow. Anyway, all the chrome is very eye-catching, too, if that's your thing. This bike does resemble some Harley-Davidson models, to an extent, but it also has its own 'look', too. It's not just some Harley wannabe, it's a rather unique bike taken as a whole with it's own look--long wheelbase, attractive cast aluminum wheels, highly swept front forks, flat handlebars, lovely exhaust pipes, etc.
When I saw this bike in the showroom, I was immediately enamored by how it looked, but when I sat on it, it just felt 'right' for me, a 5'9" guy with relatively short legs (30" inseam). My legs could touch the ground just fine and the deceptively light weight (approx. 455 lbs.) of this big looking cruiser allowed me to feel comfortable with it. It didn't intimidate me, as this is my first motorcycle. I didn't want a big behemoth that if I tipped it a bit it would likely go over on me. If you're too tall, say 6 ft. or over, with longer legs, you may feel a bit cramped on this bike, though. I'm sure a test in the showroom will help you determine if the bike 'fits' your frame or not.
Anyway, I went for it and bought a new one and have been riding it now for months without incident. I tend to only go out in nice weather and cruise around the city. Or better yet, I tend to ride on the nicely paved, hilly, twisty back roads here in North Carolina. These two venues are where this bike really excels. Up to about 70 mph, it's just a blast riding around on this thing! The big fat tires offer a wide margin of sure-footedness, and the handling is solid. I have no problem at all with how this bike handles. It's easy to control, direct and stop. The front disc and rear drum brakes easily stop this bike on a dime. The ground clearance is rather low though so you will rub the footpegs if you lean too low into a fast corner. And the engine's low-down torque means it will get up and go bigtime!
In fact, if you wind this thing out, you can be doing 80-90 mph in no time flat, it seems. You can really shoot this thing out of a cannon in 3rd and 4th gears. The acceleration is amazing. I've ridden this bike wide-open on the highway and it will go 100 mph tops, perhaps a couple of mph more, depending on weather and road conditions. I figure that's fast enough. I don't need to ever go any faster. The revs are very high over 70-75 mph, though, and it would be nice to have a tachometer. I'm always going for another gear when I already have it in 5th! This bike needs a 6th gear or at least a 17 tooth front sprocket straight from the factory. This would make high-speed highway riding more enjoyable, as the high revs translate to quite a bit of vibration in the handle grips. Get a Throttle Rocker like I did ($10) which makes it much easier on the right hand to maintain constant speeds.
Talking about speed, acceleration and performance, I smile when I think back to one time when I pulled out from a stop light and a big Harley came up right behind me. I gunned the throttle and was quickly doing about 80 or so. In my mirror I could see he was having a hard time keeping up; either that or he was surprised by this neat looking bike and how quick it was. At the next light he asked me what it was. I smiled at him and glanced down at the Suzuki logo on the fake 'air cleaner' box on the right side of the engine. He just looked and didn't know what to say. He probably paid at least 2-3 times more for his bike and I had easily dealt with him ;-) This gave me a nice feeling I have to admit.
By the way, I also carefully removed the Suzuki decal from both side chrome covers (blow dryer to warm 'em up, and Goof Off to work on the adhesive), so this bike lends a bit of mystery as to what it is, but I have maintained that nice-looking metal Suzuki logo on the previously mentioned 'air box'.
In any case, this bike doesn't hurt for performance. I think most anyone would be impressed with it's 'get up and go'. But the fuel tank is small (even though it looks big!), and I consistently go about 130 miles before I have to switch to the reserve, and this is even when I'm riding it quite hard (70 mph, stopping & starting). This isn't too bad though.
The sound of the exhaust is rather quiet...some may feel they need a louder sound and wish to install aftermarket pipes. I tend to like this quieter, refined sound. However, I've heard that it's easy to drill out the stock exhaust and remove the interior baffles for a louder, more impressive sound without the expense of crappy looking aftermarket pipes. In fact, these factory pipes are beautiful looking. If I ever desire for a louder sound I shall surely remove the baffles. Somewhere online I read exactly how it can be done and that it doesn't seem to affect one bit how the bike runs, either, afterwards. That would be the sure-fire way to go if one just wants a louder sound.
Also, for 2002 they redesigned the seat. I've heard a lot about the crappy seat on early year models, but this one is decent. My bum doesn't get sore even after 3 hrs. on it riding around. Still, I bet a nice Mustang seat would be great! Someday perhaps...
I'd also like to get a better rider seat and a 'sissy bar'. This type of stuff is so overpriced though, that I'll have to look around for deals. Last summer I bought a Memphis Big Shot wind-screen which looks and works pretty well on this bike, but it does cause some buffeting. I wish it was about 2" taller which would help a lot. I bought the Big Shot because I didn't want the standard Harley-looking windshield that everyone and his brother has. The Big Shot works well and looks great on this bike. Anyone with a Marauder wanting a windshield, I'd say check this model out. With mounting hardware and windshield, I paid only about $125 from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse out in Colorado.
Just recently I ordered up a 'crashbar' from Wild Hair Accessories in AZ. They have connections with German manufacturers, and mostly cater to sport bikers. But I got them to order me a beautiful looking Fehling 'stirrup' (as they call 'em over there) for only $130 delivered to my door which installed perfectly, no problems (other than having to slightly bend down the horn bracket once the bar was on, to tighten the bolts fully--no big deal at all). Fehling doesn't really sell their stuff in the US market, so I figure I've got a unique chrome 'engine guard' bar on my bike ;-) I'd recommend this bar to anyone. Irfan at Wild Hair Accessories will be able to help you out if you want one. He gets it from a German Suzuki dealer which orders from Fehling.
I also ordered a Loobman oiler from the UK last summer to put on my Marauder. I wasn't big on the gummy, crappy spray chain lubes that most use. They just attract dirt, mostly and don't lube as well as the manufacturers would have you believe. This cheap Loobman thing (about $25) works great to keep my chain lubed properly. I bought some Mad Dog Bike Chain Lube (100% vegetable-oil based) to use with it which adheres better to metal than petroleum-based oils, for less fling off. This stuff seems to do the trick, but the stuff that does fling off seemingly clings more to the rear aluminum wheel and seems a bit harder to wash off. I honestly wish this thing had shaft-drive like the Suzuki Volusia, or at least a no hassle belt. While the chain offers the best power transfer for this torquey engine, you of course have to deal with keeping it lubed and the rear wheel clean. Suzuki needs to go for a shaft or belt on this bike.
In any case, my bike is looking great. It seems well designed, the components look to be top class and I'm sure it will last a long time. The quality of the bike is very apparent. I'm happy with it and will surely hang onto it for years to come. It has started, idled and run flawlessly during this 11 months.
I love to ride my Marauder. And I sure do get a lot of looks from people on the road, wondering what it is. It suits me fine for style and image. I'm not into the bummy-looking Harley biker look (don't flame me, hey we all know what I'm talking about! lol). Couple the bike with my black leather pants, jacket and full-face black AGV Pacific helmet (during the cooler weather) and that may be why I get quite a few looks. All I know is those Harley types surely have a thing or two to think about when I fly by them...and maybe their ladies do too ;-) LOL
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 5,700
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
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Epinions.com ID:
bozguy
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Reviews written: 1
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