Faults:

Nothing! Unbelievable how mechanically perfect it still is at 42,000 miles! I don't abuse my bikes, but I ride them hard to get where I am going! Can't break it!

General Comments:

One of the best bikes I have ever owned! Best bang for the buck! Usually first year bikes have problems and bugs.. not this one! Good Job Suzuki!

I have been riding for 30 years and have owned many bikes.. street, dirt, you name it, I have rode it, tested it, cruised on it and worked on it, but I have never had a more durable machine!

Seating was a bit of a problem where comfort is concerned, but a gel pad insert sewn-in fixed that! With a low seat height, inverted forks, monster 130-90 front tire, it grips and corners exceptionally well! Not too dangerously powerful for even entry riders, but it still moves out good! Want a Reliable, Tough, Safe Motorcycle? Buy a VZ-800, you won't regret it!

Matt Wrighter.

Faults:

Nothing wrong in the design or build of the bike. The only thing is that you will feel like you are on a scavenger hunt to get the extra goodies for it like extra chrome (how much is enough?), lightbars etc. Suzuki has discontinued most of the accessories for this bike. I understand that all the mechanical parts are and will be available for quite some time.

The good news is that Suzuki put a lot of chrome on this bike to begin with, and some of the Boulevard (replaced the Marauder) stuff will fit. So it is pretty cool looking for the extras, and I am having a lot of fun surfing the net and checking out dealers for the leftovers.

I have had a different experience with the seating versus most, which is in the 2001 version the seating is fine. I will not be changing the seats any time soon unless a steal comes along (and it may).

General Comments:

Very smooth acceleration, handling and overall enjoyability. As a entry or mid level cruiser, this bike deserves some attention from the V-Star 650 and Honda Shadow 600 crowd.

Suzuki has done an excellent job on fit and finish. The drag bars set the tone for the raked design, that gives you enough room for a perfect sitting position, and still gives you the sense of being in total control of the bike. This is a winner for the market it was targeted for, and the bike has a unique look to it, that makes it stand out from the crowd.

It has plenty of power for its size. The inverted fork front suspension and bigger tires effectively dampen most bumps while still having a fair amount of responsiveness.