Faults:

Bike was laid down on its right side, and the muffler was removed after the collector.

Throttle handle broke just outside cable/controls housing... grip and handle slid off in my hand!

Chain is worn out.

Rubber dampener in rear wheel worn to 1/2 inch slack at wheel to tire.

Leaks oil.

Rear shock bushings worn.

Front brake fluid level lens dry rotted.

Clutch needs adjusting

Valves need adjusting.

General Comments:

This is an extremely durable bike, considering the condition that I purchased mine in. It seems as if the previous owner had no clue what a maintenance program was, but yet the bike still rides great and starts up every morning for my 17 mile one way commute. I will continue to rack up the miles on this little cruiser, because of its looks and its dependability.

Faults:

Nothing has really gone wrong with it. It doesn't get beyond 55-60mph, and so I will not take it on the highway for that reason alone, beside the fact that it's light and gets too blown around for safe driving on a highway.

It really loses speed going up hill. I got it used to learn on, so in the beginning this was not a problem. Now that I'm commuting with it, the lack of speed is beginning to become an issue for me.

There is a slight connection problem with the rear turn signals. This is but a mere inconvenience, and hopefully this connection gel I bought will solve the problem.

The pegs feel a little too narrow for my feet, so that can be uncomfortable by the end of the commute (30 miles each way).

These are all fairly minor. The carburetor may need to be adjusted to help with the speed. I will look to see if I can figure out how to do this.

General Comments:

This is an excellent around town bike or off-highway bike, and is easy to learn on.

Handles very easily and is reliable.

I get about 60-65 mpg consistently on the bike.

Too light and slow for the highway for me to feel safe.

Faults:

I knocked off a mirror when I squeezed by in the garage; easily replaced. No significant problems of any kind.

General Comments:

I bought my GZ250 from a friend who bought it new 4 months earlier. He moved up to a Honda Shadow, also bought used. I've been riding the '250 for about 18 months. It is my first motorcycle. I've used it primarily for driving in town, short commutes of 2-7 miles one way, and occasional sightseeing trips of up to about 20 miles.

I only get 50-55 mpg. I've not been able to figure out why my mileage is so much lower than others report.

My daughter (college freshman) rides two up with me onto campus. It's fine for short runs.

I took a short trip of about 100 miles a year ago. The seat becomes very uncomfortable after more than an hour or so of riding. After three hours, you know exactly the location of every wrinkle in your undergarments. The vibration after a couple of hours left my hands a bit numb.

I've taken it on the interstate twice; it simply does not have the power to maintain 70 mph, especially on any kind of a hill. However, it manages well up to 55-60 mph on two lane highways.

It is not detected by stoplight sensors: if a car does not pull up behind me, I have to wait for the light to change. That's to be expected with a 250 cc engine.

Having said that: I ride it every chance I get. It's a lot of fun and looks good too.