GV1200 Madura

[pauldun170]

cool

got enough Daytona's?
If you need more I'll ask around

[Dave]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

cool

got enough Daytona's?
If you need more I'll ask around

Over the years I have owned a total of four. 1 base model and 3 Shelbys. Cheap, easy to work on and incredible performers if you know what you are doing. Still one of the best handling FWDs of all time, I'll always have a soft spot for them. The black one is slowly absorbing the red one's goodies.

[No Worries]

Nice looking Madura. After seeing a close-up, I remember the angled "cooling fins". There's a story that after Suzuki didn't have a bunch of sales with water-cooled engines like the Water Buffalo (GT750) and RE5 (Rotary), they put fins on the Madura so people would think it was air cooled.

There was also a story about the handlebar ends angled with your thumbs up. It was because people were used to driving in to the dealer with their hands at 10 and 2 o'clock on their steering wheel. So the handlebars would feel natural to them when they sat on the bike.

Drag bars, shorter braided-steel brake lines, and a fork brace would help the front end. Maybe a brake-fluid change and bleeding (the slave cylinder, not you) will help the clutch.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

cool

got enough Daytona's?
If you need more I'll ask around

Originally Posted by No Worries

Nice looking Madura. After seeing a close-up, I remember the angled "cooling fins". There's a story that after Suzuki didn't have a bunch of sales with water-cooled engines like the Water Buffalo (GT750) and RE5 (Rotary), they put fins on the Madura so people would think it was air cooled.

There was also a story about the handlebar ends angled with your thumbs up. It was because people were used to driving in to the dealer with their hands at 10 and 2 o'clock on their steering wheel. So the handlebars would feel natural to them when they sat on the bike.

Drag bars, shorter braided-steel brake lines, and a fork brace would help the front end. Maybe a brake-fluid change and bleeding (the slave cylinder, not you) will help the clutch.

got a new ebc clutch on order. honestly happy with the bar design just want a set thats still straight

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Dave

Over the years I have owned a total of four. 1 base model and 3 Shelbys. Cheap, easy to work on and incredible performers if you know what you are doing. Still one of the best handling FWDs of all time, I'll always have a soft spot for them. The black one is slowly absorbing the red one's goodies.

Looks like shes in realy good shape.

PS I did have a chrysler laser back in the day, wound up with a coolant leak and cooked the motor though otherwise a prety good little car.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by tommymac

Looks like shes in realy good shape.

PS I did have a chrysler laser back in the day, wound up with a coolant leak and cooked the motor though otherwise a prety good little car.

Im assuming the first part is towards the bike. Yeah, shes a beaut for the age. Really only needs some little things and I'd be confident to ride it anywhere.

Sorry to hear about your Laser, the 2.2s were damned near bombproof as far as motors go but there were a few spots where they were lacking, like the pool of stagnant coolant at cyl#4...most Turbo Dodge enthusiasts mount drilled 180* thermostats first thing, Most over 300hp tap the water jacket on the back of the head and run a line to another tap on the top on the water pump.

[Porkchop]

Originally Posted by Dave

haha.

SO. when it showed up it had this awful looking touring screen mounted. made that disappear and rolled off to the DMV, got the legal shit straight and printed out some INS cards and went for a ride. Its a V4 so it doesnt really thump, kinda rumbles. Sounds good though. Heavy as she is she handles really nice and the comfort level is unmatched. I have ridden a number of import and domestic cruisers and nothing has ever come close to the madura. Power, well the clutch starts slipping around 3 grand so I didnt really get to feel it. You can tell its there just cant touch it. shes a pussy cat down low though, real easy to get along with and the carbs sound great. Had a weird moment where i was wondering about it wallowing back and forth when I remembered that it is shaft driven So once again its proven true that you cant do better for your money than buying an 80's UJM. Ins is $108 for the year btw. Gotta get Liz back so we can do some two up trips this year

Welcome to V4 goodness!!!

Sorry about your girl.....

[No Worries]

In case you want another one: http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/2940763088.html

[Dave]

Originally Posted by No Worries

In case you want another one: http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/2940763088.html

ghaaaaa what did they do to it? looks like shit.

btw, this bike is scary fast for its size/weight.