Review and technical specifications of the Suzuki Marauder 800

Qualitative indicators

The two-cylinder V-twin engine is reliable and has good performance. Each cylinder has four valves. Good acceleration dynamics provoke fast riding, but the motorcycle is not entirely designed for this. The gearbox works quite clearly, but it is characterized by some sluggishness.

The chassis promotes a comfortable ride. All irregularities are smoothed out perfectly. The front fork is an inverted telescopic type. The rear suspension is a pendulum with two shock absorbers. The combined braking system is somewhat inadequate for the heavy weight. The front uses discs and the rear has a drum brake. You should carefully monitor the rear brake, because at the slightest over-braking, the rear wheel of the Suzuki Marauder starts to skid.

Suzuki VZ800 Marauder: Comparative test drive with Honda VT750 Shadow

In this article we will not talk about multi-liter super heavyweights, fashionable among the bourgeoisie of Americanized youth, or “plastic bullets”, whose riders, covered in leather and carbon fiber, fly above the ground at the speed of sound in the fetal position... Let’s talk about the legendary, but undeservedly forgotten in our crazy everyday life in mid-sized choppers...

On duty, I often have to drive a variety of equipment, so over the past 4 months, various observations have accumulated - a carriage and a small cart. This time I had to ride not just a Honda Shadow 750 , but a version that was lighter by eight kilograms, with a 19″ front wheel and the prefix “spirit”, which means “spirit”. Why "spirit"? Yes, because, according to the manufacturer, this model is as close in spirit as possible to classic choppers, although how true this is is not for me to judge.

The motorcycle is very popular and sold well in America, Europe and, of course, in its homeland, Japan. Therefore, there are a lot of tuning, as well as original and non-original spare parts for it at an affordable price.

Quite low in seat height (only 675 mm), the motorcycle is comfortable and easy to steer at low speeds; even with a tall passenger you can ride on city streets. The keys are inserted on the side, under the seat, and if the “lock” under the Harley turns out to be complete (start the engine - put the keys in your pocket!), then how can I avoid losing them while riding! I checked: they fit tightly in the lock, you can’t take them out. Still, the Japanese do not imitate the “American legend” in everything!

The legs are pleasantly slightly stretched forward, the engine is purring with direct currents! Here the American (previous owner) did his best: the “Vance&Hice” exhaust, when the throttles are opened, excites the area and makes passers-by look behind you. A fashion show in the evening city evokes a lyrical mood and relieves stress after a hard day; the 3-valve engine does not contribute to a sharp pick-up, but is generous with traction at the “bottoms”. During the day, in traffic, it is also quite convenient to maneuver, because the Spirit is much lighter and more compact than full-size ponto-launchers.

The mirrors are also in front of your eyes and in them you can often see the envious faces of the “canned food” drivers and their companions, pointing after them with a manicured finger. The direct-flow exhaust misleads many street racers and they try to encourage them to race at traffic lights. But I don’t give in to provocations - after all, the class of the device does not allow me to fall so low - this is not a chopper business, racing!

Although the engine does not disappoint with its dynamics, and the gearbox, as it should be from a Honda , is excellent: it works clearly, all switchings are easy and do not cause any distractions from driving.

The only distraction is the “tidy” located on the tank: in order to look at the small kilometer digitization of the speedometer, you periodically have to bow, taking your eyes off the road. Upon closer examination, the instrument panel on the tank is quite stingy: there is no fuel gauge, no indication of the gear engaged. But in bright sunlight, the diodes are clearly visible, as are all control indicators: neutral, oil pressure, turn signals and high beam. On the other hand, why bother: fill up the tank full and go...

When driving without a passenger, you can feel the stiffness of the suspension: apparently, a tribute to American fashion dictates its technical conditions to the “samurai”. This iron horse is not for our roads! But, if you don’t find fault and don’t fly, the suspension still copes well with uneven asphalt.

Brakes. Shadow Spirit has brakes!!! The front single-disc brake is very informative: having gotten used to it within ten minutes, I can easily measure the braking force, stopping the whole colossus at a traffic light. The rear brake has been undeservedly forgotten. Although it is a drum bike, it is still capable of surprising with its performance, and unlike a sportbike, here it should be used regularly. The V-twin also helps a lot with torque, and if you play too hard while shifting down, the rear wheel easily locks.

Comfortable seating position, wide steering wheel, easy handling and legendary engine vitality - all this makes the Honda VT750 Shadow Spirit a very tempting offer on the modern market. A practical and unpretentious chopper can easily replace your boring car and give you a lot of unforgettable memories of the summer...

Marauders are paramilitary gangs that plunder battlefields and conquered fortified cities. This bike was presented to the public in 1996 and upon closer examination it becomes clear that it deviated from the classic style in many ways. It seems like a simple V-twin, but there are already four valves per cylinder. Rather, it is created in the American dragster style. Features of this style: a low, stretched silhouette, alloy wheels and an inverted front fork. You can’t expect superbike dynamics from the standard version, but the “Marauder” still “shoots” to “hundredth” in 6.1 seconds...

More powerful than the Honda , by five horsepower and lighter by almost twenty kilograms, it has a larger engine and its entire appearance emphasizes its technical superiority over its opponent.

After the Honda, the seating position seems noticeably high, and the pegs are not so far forward, but overall the motorcycle is lighter, which is felt almost immediately. Without a passenger, it steers well, but it feels like the engine is “asking for fire.” At low revs, of course, there is traction, but the bulk of the torque is shifted towards mid (and higher) revs.

The seat is a Mustang tuner and is incredibly comfortable, as is the seating position.

The steering wheel also fits well in the hands, maneuvering does not cause much trouble. It’s just not recommended to seat tall passengers: the center of gravity here is located higher and the vehicle’s controllability at low speeds deteriorates sharply. Take only graceful girls!

The speedometer is located better, but its too small graduation makes it strain your eyesight. Just like its opponent, the Suzuki Marauder 800 does not have “extra” instruments, only a minimum skip: an emergency oil pressure lamp, high beam and overheating indicator are located on the speedometer, and the neutral sensor and turn signal repeaters are on the console, immediately below the speedometer. In the sun, the light from the bulbs is almost invisible, but this is compensated by their considerable size.

Large round mirrors are like a panoramic TV: you can see everything very well. There's nothing to complain about. In comparison with the Shadow, the standard exhaust system “whispers” and even with a quick start, there’s no way you’ll be able to blow up the surroundings with a roar. The engine itself vibrates less, yet the Honda “shakes” more, and this is felt while driving. Suzuki company has taken care of those who like to “unscrew”, and the engine directly provokes aggressive driving and sets it in a different, not at all chopper, mood: now you yourself want to rip up motorists and even have a blast “to the fullest”! But... wow!!! This is still not a sportbike or a streetfighter, but an inverted fork, although it improves handling, still does not turn a heavy chopper into either the former or the latter. And the brakes are not the same... You won’t be surprised, although for the dynamics of this Suzuki it should be called not “Marauder”, but “Provocateur”!

At higher speeds, the wind gets pretty annoying, because on the previous motorcycle I rode slowly and didn’t feel any discomfort, but now I’m almost blown off the bike.

The gearbox works clearly, but it is far from the standard clarity of Honda; there is a certain sluggishness in switching. But, if you take off, like on a sportbike, without pressing the clutch, and accelerate like that, quickly shifting, then there will be no trace of the flakiness.

Here the chassis is clearly more comfortable: the suspension easily absorbs all the bumps. And all this at a speed that is a couple of tens of kilometers higher than that of its competitor.

The brakes, unfortunately, will be weaker: even after getting used to the handle, you still won’t be able to get the same information content on it as with the Shadow. But engine braking fits well into an aggressive driving style, but you can’t forget about the rear brake! With slight overbraking, the rear wheel easily goes into skid, you need to be alert.

The result is a very controversial drag bike, and somehow one cannot dare to call it a mid-sized chopper, it looks so much like a real hooligan...

The price of the motorcycle, the availability of spare parts and ease of use make the Marauder a strong competitor in this class. Both motorcycles are legendary and have left many good reviews about themselves, repeatedly confirming their reliability. It’s difficult to say who I would choose for daily driving: Honda or Suzuki , but each product has its own buyer: after all, everything ultimately depends on your character, driving style and mood...

Opinion: Sergey Kutsak

Height: 187 cm.

Weight: 67 kg.

I rode the entire last season on an old Suzuki Intruder 1500 and therefore did not expect anything special from this test drive. Medium-sized choppers in our country have a hard life, it just so happens: among the modern motorcycle movement: “show-off” is more expensive than money. Poor beginner chopper drivers routinely drive 400s, while the more respectable “uncles” buy large-capacity and clumsy “tractors” with an engine of at least eight hundred liters, or even two... As practice shows, neither the first nor the second can drive , do not listen well to other people’s advice and do not want to learn...

I sit on the Shadow, look around, the landing is classic chopper, arms are extended, legs are slightly forward, comfortable. The devices do not bother you with their abundance. Of the warning lamps, only the necessary ones: oil pressure, neutral indicator, high beam and turn indicator. Nothing interferes with the view, since the speedometer is located on the tank. I insert the key into the lock (by the way, the ignition switch is located conveniently, on the left near the seat), and start the V-twin. With forward flow it sounds very juicy. Immediately after starting, you can recognize the Honda gearbox, which works the same on all models and pleases with easy and clear shifts. The engine, as befits a V-twin, pulls excellently from low to low. The acceleration is quite sufficient. The maximum torque in the mid-speed range does not provoke the engine to spin further.

I liked the very informative brakes. Even one front brake disc allows you to stop quickly enough. The rear drum brake is enough to lock the wheel.

Shadow holds the road well. At low speeds the bike steers well, but the front fork is not torsionally stiff enough.

I'm switching to a competitor from Suzuki VZ800 Marauder . The difference is felt immediately. More comfortable seating due to a wider seat and closer footrests. The instruments, like those of the Honda, are not plentiful: a speedometer with three indicator lamps, and neutral and cornering lamps on the traverse. They are located more conveniently, almost in front of the eyes, making them much easier to read.

After the Honda, the engine seems “soft” and spins up more willingly: maximum power and torque are felt at higher revs. This provokes aggressive riding, despite the fact that this is not a sports bike. The gear shift lever is somewhat “wobbly”, the movement is not felt clearly, but this does not cause any difficulties with shifting gears.

The brakes stop the bike, but the front brake lacks feedback. The rear brake, like on the Spirit, is quite sufficient here, but the Marauder engine brakes a little worse, so you have to use the rear brake more often than on the Shadow.

The suspension on the Suzuki is softer, and the shock absorber and fork absorb the unevenness of our roads better, while it holds the road no worse than the Honda. When maneuvering at low speeds, the advantage of the “shifter” is immediately felt: its torsional rigidity is much higher. But it is more difficult to turn due to the smaller width of the steering wheel and the wide front wheel. Also, do not forget about the higher center of gravity, which also affects handling in the city. At cruising speeds, the Marauder handles very well.

The wind protection on both motorcycles is the same, that is, none. But during their normal use this is not noticed. Motorcycles (compared to their “bigger” brothers) handle much more pleasantly, and their efficiency is significantly better. Honda has undeniable advantages over Suzuki, these are brakes, gearbox and a lower center of gravity, but the “Marauder” takes its chassis and engine, and the landing, in my opinion, is more comfortable...

Source: Motodrive

Go to motorcycle Suzuki VZ 800 Desperado (Marauder)

Disadvantages of the model

1. An elevated center of gravity leads to poor handling of the motorcycle at low speeds.

This is especially true when driving with a passenger.

2. The speedometer has small numbers, which impairs the readability of the indicators.
3. The lack of wind protection makes itself felt when driving at high speed.
4. The braking system is rather weak for a weight of 200 kg.

Custom suzuki marauder vz 800 is of interest to many specialists. American style is perfectly combined with Japanese precision, reliability and comfort. The identified shortcomings are easily offset by the advantages of the bike. The motorcycle has acceleration dynamics that are unusual for a chopper, which provokes aggressive riding. However, you have to be careful with this because the braking system and the heavy weight are a bit mismatched, so it will be quite difficult to stop the angry bike.