Call me crazy but I'm actually considering this bike.

[JTGS850GL]

1986 Madura GL1200 on CL:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/5975270337.html

[Cipher]

monster bike
buy it I think they are lovely and certainly and interesting technological period piece.

[BigD_83]

Why not?

I know nothing of this model, but nothing says you have to stick to a GS as your only fun...

[GS1150Pilot]

They are aesthetically hideous, and the lesser of the three big V4 muscle cruisers of that era, but I'm told they are comfortable and smooth.

[JTGS850GL]

They are aesthetically hideous, and the lesser of the three big V4 muscle cruisers of that era, but I'm told they are comfortable and smooth.

Aesthetics can be fixed. I just like the power and the comfort part. At $1400 it's really a decent deal for a bike that's not going to be found too often. Only about 5000 made world wide.

[GS1150Pilot]

Understandable. I loved my VMax, though its range was ridiculous.

[Nessism]

I don't know man. A friend once told me..."if it's ugly all bets are off"...and that beast is UGLY!

[posplayr]

That looks like a bike your girl freind would like to ride on the back of.

[bonanzadave]

That looks like a bike your girl freind would like to ride on the back of.

She can wear the helmet with the rebel flag......

[RichDesmond]

Aesthetics can be fixed. I just like the power and the comfort part. At $1400 it's really a decent deal for a bike that's not going to be found too often. Only about 5000 made world wide.

Exactly how are you going to "fix" the aesthetics of that hideous beast??
They are a bear to work on, parts are extremely hard to come by, every old Suzuki mechanic I've ever known hated them...I'm just not seeing any upside. A decent 1000-1100cc "L" model would be a far better choice IMO.

[hillsy]

The Madura was Suzuki's answer to Yamaha's V Max.

By all reports, the V Max won.

We never got them over here, so I couldn't tell you what they are like, but I've heard getting parts for them now can be challenging.

[alke46]

1986 Madura GL1200 on CL:


http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/5975270337.html

OK, you're crazy.

Hey you said call me crazy. I'm just doing as you asked.

[Cipher]

You folks have some pretty bad taste in motorcycles. This things is exquisitely Japanese.
To hell with the detractors. buy it and dont chop it up.

[bobgroger]

I looked up common parts, many are available, many are not. If it runs well and is complete I say go for it. You probably won't see another one on cruise night. You could probably also do really well parting it out if it blows up....

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

Other than the fact they are ugly as sin, not a bad bike, but not one I would never add to my muscle bike collection. A couple big negatives, the first being parts availability. Because there were so few made, parts are impossible to find! Secondly, because Honda had the patent on the 90 degree V4 engine, Suzuki had to put theirs at 86 degrees, which really threw off the internal engine balance horribly! They tried to mask it with rubber motor mounts, but I have ridden a few over the years, and there was a TERRIBLE handlebar buzz right around 3500 RPM! That would drive me nuts! I have seen these relatively cheap over the years, actually had several chances to get them for less than 500 bucks and passed on them. Just not one of the original 80's muscle bikes that does anything for me. Now, that being said, if I find a LOW mileage example for next to nothing, I might get one, just to say I have the entire 80's lineup of muscle bikes, but I wouldn't ride it much!!!!