When you talk about accesories for your Suzuki Intruder, what do you think of first? I'm betting you don't think of Suzuki Intruder hand grips, do you? No, I bet you think of getting some motorcycle saddlebags, or maybe some new Suzuki Intruder handlebars, even. You probably entertain the idea of getting a custom paintjob for your gas tank, don't you?
But I would be surprised if you gave the handgrips much thought. You should though, and here's why:
Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips
There's nothing wrong with the stock handgrips that come on the Suzuki Intruder. In fact, I rather like them. They look good, they feel good, and they're comfortable enough on a long ride. But what if you want to customize your stock Intruder grips? Or worse yet, what if you find a great deal on an older Intruder (say, a 1986 Suzuki VS700 Intruder) and the rubber handgrips are torn up or rotted away? There's only thing you can do:
Buy new Intruder hand grips, of course!
But what kind do you buy? You can get replacement handgrips from a dealer, but I find that most dealer only replacement parts are too costly when you can just as easily get something with a lot more personality in the aftermarket segment.
Where do you get these new Intruder handgrips? From anywhere, really. I would look online for them, though, as you'll probably find them a lot cheaper from an online dealer than you would from your local Suzuki dealer.
What Suzuki Intruder Hand Grip Choices Do You Have?
You can get hand grips made specifically for the Suzuki Intruder. I've seen some great looking grips out there that are Intruder specific. All the way from solid chromed metal with maybe some nice, etched designs to chromed grips with rubber inserts to keep your hand cushioned from vibration and afford a little extra grip.
For that matter, if you really like them or you're trying to restore your motorcycle, then you can always go ahead and get Suzuki Intruder stock replacement grips, as well.
There are, however, other choices available. As long as the diameter is the same, nearly any grip will work.
What Grips Fit A Suzuki Intruder?
Because the Suzuki Intruder handlebars are one inch diameter, this means that in addition to the Suzuki Grips made for the Intruder, you have a huge selection of custom handle grips made for Harley's (which also have one inch handlebars) to choose from.
While the accessories for the Japanese cruiser market have come a long way over the last ten years or so, from what I can tell, there hasn't been much support for the older style cruisers, especially the Suzuki Intruders. It's a shame, really, but it's good to know that as you're a little bit mechanically inclined you can find plenty of Intruder accessories for you motorcycle that aren't neccessarily made for the Suzuki Intruder.
And when it comes to handgrips and handlebars, thanks to Harley there's a bucket load of them available.
So next time you're out looking for new accessories for your Intruder, make sure you don't overlook the handle grips. Take a good look around online, too. You'll find plenty of resources for your Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips.
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Showing posts with label Custom Paintjob. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Custom Paintjob. Show all posts
Monday, 29 September 2008
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
What about my suzuki VS700 intruder?
I was asked a question the other day by a motorcycle rider friend of mine that I had not seen in many years. He asked me:
What about my Suzuki Intruder VS700?
Did I still ride it? Did it still look the same? Was it still a hot looking customized Japanese cruiser?
Yes, yes, and yes, I answered him.
But those three answers weren't quite the truth... You see, while my Intruder still looks the same and is still a hot looking customized Japanese cruiser, I unfortunately haven't been able to ride it lately... Why? Because the last time I tried to take it out for a spin, it wouldn't even start. I looked at the engine and discovered the rear carburetor was just spitting and overflowing with fuel. Turns out I need to replace the diaphragms and possible the needles as well. Unfortunately, this is a long, time consuming and not altogether inexpensive project.
Now, it wasn't an entire lie... I still ride, just not this particular custom Suzuki Intruder at this particular point in time!
Still, the question did get me thinking: Here I am telling all of you about these great motorcycles but I haven't told you anything at all really about mine. For all you know, I might not even have a ride, let alone a cool one!
So where were we? Oh yes, what about my suzuki VS700 intruder? I'll tell you: it's awesome.
The Suzuki Intruder Handlebars
It's a 1986 model and while it originally had the drag bar I replaced it with the ape-hangers handlebars (not true ape hangers, mind you, but styled after them--in fact, these have the look but are much more manageable) that came on other models of the same motorcycle. Many people prefer the dragbars but I myself like the look and feel of the chopper-style bars.
The Wire Wheels
It also has the true aluminum wire wheels as opposed to the mag wheels made to simulate wire wheels. While this makes for more expensive and labor intensive tire changes (because not only do you have to the tires but you need to also replace the innertube as well), I feel the trade off is much more than worth it when it comes to the aesthetics of the overall package. Afterall, you don't put mags on an old school styled chopper/cruiser!
The Custom Paintjob
The factory paintjob was black and let me tell you, when I say it was black, it was black! The gas tank (obviously); the frame; the radiator cover; the front fender; the rear fender; the side covers--all a glossy black. There's nothing wrong with this color scheme, but I wanted something a little more "me," a little more "custom." So I took it apart, sanded everything down, repainted it a nicer colored-black and then added traditional flames to the front fender, side covers, and gas tank. On the rear fender, I added my own little logo using the same color-scheme as the flames. All in all, it turned out to be a real looker!
The Chrome
Now when I bought this motorcycle it wasn't in the best of shape, but it wasn't bad, either. Like most older model motorcycles, though, the chrome left something to be desired. It was pitted and the bare parts underneath were either rusted or corroded. The chromed plastic pieces left something to be desired as well. After fixing everything else, these parts looked even worse! Unfortunately, as you all know, refinishing chrome motorcycle parts is not an inexpensive adventure by any means.
So I had a bit of a brainstorm.
Instead of refinishing them, I painted them flat-black! The engine cases, the valve covers, the triple trees, the risers... Much to my surprise, it started to look so good that I continued the theme and customized the rest of the Intruder in midnight accents whether it needed it or not. I think this more than anything made the ride stand out from the crowd!
The Extra Stuff
I got rid of the ugly back fender and replaced it with a unique fiberglas one from Highway Hawk. I don't know if they make it anymore, but instead of having one huge breaklight, it's got two nice round ones that tuck in under the fender. I also removed the sissy bar. I changed out the square mirrors for some oval mirrors. I also got rid of the two-into-two stock exhaust and threw on a two-into-one DG/Hard Krome guarnanteed never to blue slashcut system. A new seat and a set of saddlebags and a toolbag later and I was in imported hog heaven!
Until I can get my camera working and get some pictures up, from now on, whenever anyone asks me, What about my suzuki VS700 intruder? I can point them to my Suzuki Intruder Resource blog and they can compare this post with my stock Suzuki Intruder VS700 post to get an idea of jsut what can be done to a not so ordinary cruiser with just a little imagination.
What about my Suzuki Intruder VS700?
Did I still ride it? Did it still look the same? Was it still a hot looking customized Japanese cruiser?
Yes, yes, and yes, I answered him.
But those three answers weren't quite the truth... You see, while my Intruder still looks the same and is still a hot looking customized Japanese cruiser, I unfortunately haven't been able to ride it lately... Why? Because the last time I tried to take it out for a spin, it wouldn't even start. I looked at the engine and discovered the rear carburetor was just spitting and overflowing with fuel. Turns out I need to replace the diaphragms and possible the needles as well. Unfortunately, this is a long, time consuming and not altogether inexpensive project.
Now, it wasn't an entire lie... I still ride, just not this particular custom Suzuki Intruder at this particular point in time!
Still, the question did get me thinking: Here I am telling all of you about these great motorcycles but I haven't told you anything at all really about mine. For all you know, I might not even have a ride, let alone a cool one!
So where were we? Oh yes, what about my suzuki VS700 intruder? I'll tell you: it's awesome.
The Suzuki Intruder Handlebars
It's a 1986 model and while it originally had the drag bar I replaced it with the ape-hangers handlebars (not true ape hangers, mind you, but styled after them--in fact, these have the look but are much more manageable) that came on other models of the same motorcycle. Many people prefer the dragbars but I myself like the look and feel of the chopper-style bars.
The Wire Wheels
It also has the true aluminum wire wheels as opposed to the mag wheels made to simulate wire wheels. While this makes for more expensive and labor intensive tire changes (because not only do you have to the tires but you need to also replace the innertube as well), I feel the trade off is much more than worth it when it comes to the aesthetics of the overall package. Afterall, you don't put mags on an old school styled chopper/cruiser!
The Custom Paintjob
The factory paintjob was black and let me tell you, when I say it was black, it was black! The gas tank (obviously); the frame; the radiator cover; the front fender; the rear fender; the side covers--all a glossy black. There's nothing wrong with this color scheme, but I wanted something a little more "me," a little more "custom." So I took it apart, sanded everything down, repainted it a nicer colored-black and then added traditional flames to the front fender, side covers, and gas tank. On the rear fender, I added my own little logo using the same color-scheme as the flames. All in all, it turned out to be a real looker!
The Chrome
Now when I bought this motorcycle it wasn't in the best of shape, but it wasn't bad, either. Like most older model motorcycles, though, the chrome left something to be desired. It was pitted and the bare parts underneath were either rusted or corroded. The chromed plastic pieces left something to be desired as well. After fixing everything else, these parts looked even worse! Unfortunately, as you all know, refinishing chrome motorcycle parts is not an inexpensive adventure by any means.
So I had a bit of a brainstorm.
Instead of refinishing them, I painted them flat-black! The engine cases, the valve covers, the triple trees, the risers... Much to my surprise, it started to look so good that I continued the theme and customized the rest of the Intruder in midnight accents whether it needed it or not. I think this more than anything made the ride stand out from the crowd!
The Extra Stuff
I got rid of the ugly back fender and replaced it with a unique fiberglas one from Highway Hawk. I don't know if they make it anymore, but instead of having one huge breaklight, it's got two nice round ones that tuck in under the fender. I also removed the sissy bar. I changed out the square mirrors for some oval mirrors. I also got rid of the two-into-two stock exhaust and threw on a two-into-one DG/Hard Krome guarnanteed never to blue slashcut system. A new seat and a set of saddlebags and a toolbag later and I was in imported hog heaven!
Until I can get my camera working and get some pictures up, from now on, whenever anyone asks me, What about my suzuki VS700 intruder? I can point them to my Suzuki Intruder Resource blog and they can compare this post with my stock Suzuki Intruder VS700 post to get an idea of jsut what can be done to a not so ordinary cruiser with just a little imagination.
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