Suzuki Intruder Vs Suzuki Marauder Vs Honda Varadero

[TrevMcC]

Hi All ,

I have bought a second hand Honda Varadero 125 as a commuter for getting to work as the wife needs the car and I now work bloody shifts. Not a bad deal 2001 model with 8000 miles and in mint condition for £1700.

I originally wanted a suzuki marauder or intruder 125 as I love the custom look but the varadero is also nice.

I have not collected the Varadero yet from the dealer so can anyone that has an opinion or preference for one of these 3 bikes say so now too help me decide.

Cheers people for the help. I just cant decide.

[SilvaRizla]

Have you not looked at the Honda Shadow? I wanted one of them for a very long time
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I'm Ivan Dobski the Meatsafe Murderer only I never done it, I only said that I done it so they'd take the truncheon out of my bottom

[G]

They are all bikes with lots of extra weight and lacking in power; sacrifices made for looks, so I wouldn't buy any, especially when you're paying more money for the privilege of a slower bike.

However, of the three I would take the Varadero for the most useful 'bike' rather than pseduo-posing tool.

[TrevMcC]

Cheers so far for all the replies. well appreciated.

i have had a lot of time to think and the three bikes i have listed are the ones i want.

i am being offered a 2002 suzuki intruder 125 for £1500 with 6,000 miles.

the varadero is probably the one i would go for. i have no intension of changing from 125 as it is strictly a commuter. we dont have the money for anything else. cash aint that common these days.

keep the comments coming as i need to collect whichever bike this Friday.

[woojay]

I have a suzuki marauder and I agree with what G said. They look good but they are a lot slower than most other 125's I think i've had 70mph out of mine going down a hill flat out with the wind behind me. Also there is no torque in fith gear so the wind will slow you down a lot, as will hills.

Plus the fact that cleaning one is a pain in the arse(All that chrome needs to be kept shiny)

I would go for the Varedero mate.
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{Suzuki Marauder GZ125(Gearbox exploded)}
{CBT-PASSED} {Theory-PASSED!} {Practical-TO BE BOOKED}

[TrevMcC]

[Mockey]

I had a Kawasaki Eliminator 125 which is very similar to the Marauder. I would agree that they do sacrifice performance for looks, however to be honest most cruisers do! Cleaning is a pain due to lots of chrome, but when you finish it looks dam sexy! I would say if you want to get a bigger cruiser afterwards though deffinetly get a Marauder.
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04/05- Kawsaki Eliminator 125, 05/06 - Kawasaki EN500, 06/present - Triumph Thunderbird 900

[lumphammer]

I've got a 2005 Varadero which I am well pleased with. Nice solid bike and fair performance (not into high speed stuff yet). There is a serious hill on one of the routes I ride (Berry Hill on the A29) and I have no probs in going up it after dropping down to 4th at half way up.

[TrevMcC]

[lumphammer]

My Varadero was new in Sept last year - just passed 1500miles. I'm not realy into the best mileage for bikes as am only just back on 2 wheels. Sure that a few more seasoned members can give a better view on that. Does the one you are looking at have full service history - if so, sounds a fair price.

Can't comment of the other bikes listed - I went for the V cos of the weight & "presence on the road" i.e. looks big. Only down side is that there is not the serious power that I would like for overtakes at around 55 - 60.

Hope this helps

[G]

[satellite]

I managed to pick up an 03 Varadero last week with 3700 miles on the clock, full history in excellent condition for £1700. If you're OK going private rather than trade you can probably get a better deal that the one you mentioned.

The Varadero is no speed demon, but it has reliability, road presence and many other things going for it.

I too considered the shiny mini-cruisers and didn't like the idea of all that polishing!

Good luck with your purchase
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09 Ninja & some four wheeled rotary goodness.

[TrevMcC]

cheers for the input G.

This forum has been good to me so far. no crap people say it how it is.

naaa. i think the varadero will hold its value the best of all 3 bikes. no matter what i am only going to have a 125 max.

i aint getting it for speed just t get to work. I have a jetski in the garage for speed.

[G]

Fair enough, though I'm not convinced by your reasons .

Compared to something like a NSR125, a 250/350 or even 500 may not be faster and may even be slower. But they will be 'easier' to ride for commuting. They will all probably weigh less than the varadero as well .

[TrevMcC]

[G]

[TrevMcC]

[stevo as b4]

Id Prefer a CB250. or VT250F, or even something like an XT250/DR350 for commuting. The best 125's however are the easiest to look after and repair, and in that respect the CG125 would beat the Varardo easily.

TBH if i was looking for a commuter bike, id want something practical, (trailbike?) and im not fussy wether its 2 or 4 stroke, so id look at anything from a DT125 to a XT350, KLR250 to a TDR250, or a CB250 to an RG250. If its cheap and in good condition, with signs of being well looked after, i don't see the make and model being all that important really.

Out of your list though, id certainely rarther have a CB250 than any of those bikes, seeing as they are not as good VFM in my opinion!

[TrevMcC]

I have had a lot of great replies today. cheers to everyone.

i dont have a licence so on the l plates. thats why 125cc max

[Steve - RS125]

The best looking cruiser around has to be an VL Intruder (Out of all the 125cc)

Rides like a dream, looks ace and handles really well.
Its a great beginers bike and a pleasure to have.
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Suzuki VL Intruder 125cc - September 2004 to July 2005
Aprilia RS 125cc - July 2005 to Present
Suzuki RF600RR - May 2006 to October 2006 (RIP RF600)

[king kong]

[jok]

Given the choice of bikes you list you seem to be after looks as much as function, so I'd rethink your "just for commuting" stance . If you really just want to get about on the thing, get a beat up CG125 or similar. They look like nothing special, but will get you from A to B for next to nothing.

I currently do my 50-odd mile daily commute on my CG - it costs me about £10-£15/week in petrol, insurance is dead cheap (even on a CBT) and for me it's proven to be unbreakable: it's been crashed twice and the worst damage sustained was a broken mudguard - the foot pegs make surprisingly good crash bungs . The top speed is nothing amazing, but once warmed up it'll happily sit at around 60-65mph; it gets to 50mph without hassle regardless of conditions.

In short, for sheer practicality, it's nearly unbeatable. Best of all, you'll be able to pick one up for a good few hundred quid less than you mention (even from a dealer).

If I absolutely had to pick from one of the three, I'd probably go for either the marauder or intruder, though. The Varadero just looks like a bike pretending to be much bigger than it actually is, and I couldn't stand that.
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CG125 (stolen->recovered!) || Wars do not decide who's right, only who's left.

[TrevMcC]

i would agree with the CG being the most practical. I am sortof going for the varadero as it is bigger and i will be easier seen by the big lorries and buses that are all over the road i will be on.

The intruder is a cool looking bike buy being so low down i think i t would be more dangerous on that road.

dammit the stress of making decisions

[G]

[TrevMcC]

Ok people I think decision is made.

i am going for the varadero. i will go collect it tonight and get it over and done with. the dealer doesnt know it yet but he will be giving me a free helmet and good discount of a jacket.

Cheers to everyone for the help with this one. Great response.