2005 Suzuki VZ800 Marauder from New Zealand
Summary:
V-twin style and presence
Faults:
Nothing has gone wrong and it has been 100% reliable.
General Comments:
As a cruiser it is hard to fault. It looks faster than it goes and it goes well for an 800cc v -twin that is heavy. But performance is not the point with these bikes. They are not performance bikes, and as such have different priorities, such as chrome work, style and the all important v-twin.
This is enhanced by removing the unnecessary components, such as passenger seat, side reflectors and then adding extras - this bike needs to be customised. If you want eye popping performance, race track handling and amazing brakes, buy an R1. If you want a bike that makes you feel great, and that you don't need to ride at 150mph to feel good, then you can do much worse than the Marauder 800. I rate this bike highly.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th May, 2006
19th Dec 2007, 18:19
Me again, and I still own the VZ. I have come close to selling it twice, but really can't find anything that I like better style wise.
Pirelli Route tyres have transformed the handling, a few custom parts have arrived, and the exhaust has been modified for a bit more noise.
Fat Bob Harley is the only other bike that has my interest at the moment, but at $26K NZ I am having a hard time justifying it.
17th Jun 2006, 17:03
Since writing the review, I managed to get a ticket for speeding! I guess the performance isn't so bad. I have added a couple of thousand kms to the tacho, and in that time the bike has grown on me even more. The cruiser riding position takes some getting used to and, as you get used to it, the handling improves. I still love the styling, but like many others I am having trouble finding custom parts. The solution is to find a custom and chopper shop and get them to make the parts for you.
I intend to boost the performance once the customising is done, and will let you all know how this goes.