The Suzuki Marauder 800
I rode this bike for 3 years. It’s one of those bikes I wish I would have kept... (a chopped 1974 CB500 is the other--that was just too sexy...a pain in the ass...but really fun too).
I sold the Marauder only because I’d moved to Texas (away from my old riding buddies), and most of the people in Houston simply don’t know how to drive. I’d almost gotten killed by too many idiots on cell phones, or making illegal U-turns in “Texas Turn-Offs” along the interstate.
Long story, but for some reason, people in trucks and SUVs just drive over the median to exit or turn around at will, and without signaling. I’ve lived in just about every region of the country, and Texas is the ONLY place where people do this! That’s not a compliment.
Anyway, back to the bike. The stock version of the Marauder comes with plenty of chrome. Very nice indeed. However, I had about a few hundred dollars worth of chrome parts/covers/etc. added before I even took it home. It was a bear to clean and polish, but it sure looked good.
The fat tires--on the front and the back--gave it a real streetfighter look, especially when you were stretched out on it via the drag bars (see above right). It was one of those bikes that gave you a “badass” feel.
The wheelbase was surprisingly long. I’d be sitting on it, and turn around to see all this bike trailing behind me. Continue to next page...
