Opinions please -- 97 Suzuki Marauder 800 --

[stickhandle2]

Hi Folks,

 

Wondering if I could pick your brains (promise to be gentle), we are going out to look at a 1997 Suzuki Marauder 800 with 8600kms on it, this would be our daughters ride (no it isn't her first bike).

 

This bike has sat for the past few years, so already I know that there will be fluids to be changed and brakes to be replaced or at least cleaned up and probably tires to be replaced, carbs to either soaked in seafoam or removed and cleaned.

 

Does anyone have any experience with these machines, from what I have read they sound like an ok bike. Is there any specific to this bike I need to look for.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Mike.

Edited January 11, 2014 by stickhandle2
my henglish sometimes she is not very good eh!!!!

[MiCarl]

I've had my hands on a few. Only negative thing I can come up off the cuff is that Suzuki managed to put the battery in a very inconvenient spot. It's in a steel box with a trap door just ahead of the swing arm pivot.

 

The carburetors are not bolted together in a rack like a lot of multi-carb bikes. The front is between the cylinders and the rear is under the seat (hence the reason for the unusual battery location). The rear carb is a bit of a challenge to extract, and the two carbs are linked by a dual cable set up - a bit more challenging to sync.

 

My biggest concern is it's a fairly small bike. Unless she's a real tiny thing, or won't ride many long trips, I'd worry that she'd outgrow it.

[stickhandle2]

Thanks for the info, we did see the bike but we ended up walking away. Owner said it had been at least 5 years since it was run, license plate on the back of the bike was from 2004, hmmmmm.

 

He wouldn't move on his price. Even though it was a real nice lookin bike, I was not going to pay $3000.00 for a bike not knowing how it ran.

 

Mike.