Suzuki GSX-250R

Everyone familiar with motorcycling news would remember that Blue Suzuki motorcycle once spotted inside a factory, claimed to be the upcoming Gixxer 250. The same has been recently unveiled at a press conference in China with an official name, GSX-250R. The motorcycle takes the beauty of single headlight fully faired design to a new level, presenting its inspiring quarter litre design in various eye catchy shades. Now, Suzuki finally has a competitor in the twin-cylinder, quarter-litre sports bike segment.

The best a Suzuki motorcycle of 2016 can get, the design values on this 250cc Suzuki are quite impressive. It comes with the familiar Suzuki front fascia while the rear end is at its sportiest best. The side profile clearly shows the sudden hump in front and rear seat height while the fairing under the rear seat could have been squeezed for a better and sharper look. The front half is meaty, carrying the Suzuki logo on the side fairing, instead of tank mounted symbol on the Indian Suzuki Gixxer.

A smart face with sharp LED lights around the headlight, along with the V-shaped covering finished in Black makes the bike look modern and sophisticated. The front fairing extends neatly till the tank, which further carries the flow to the rider seat. Nothing feels too much as the tank does not even have extra raised height or excessive thickness. The handlebars are placed with precision, giving the rider an option between sporty or casual riding, all according to his hip position. The strict sporty design here does not force the rider to have the MotoGP riding position on everyday roads.

The Suzuki GSX250R measures 2085 mm in length, 740 mm in width and 1110 mm in height. It carries a wheelbase of 1430 mm while the seat height is reasonably good at just 790 mm. The motorcycle carries a fuel tank measuring 15 litres and weighs 178 kg (kerb weight). The console looks more like the Indian Gixxer series, claiming a full LCD unit with a dark background and loaded features. It comes with a large speedometer, gear indicator, digital clock and newly added features like oil change intervals as well as real-time fuel consumption. Surrounded by LED indicators and two buttons, the display is crystal clear and easy to read, even in bright sunlight. Being a twin cylinder, liquid cooled and fuel injected unit, the engine is quite disappointing when it comes to maximum outputs. The 248cc motor is good for just 24.7 BHP @ 8,000 rpm and 23.3 Nm @ 6500 rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox while weighs considerably high at 178 kg. The first question which comes in mind is why would Suzuki do such injustice to this brilliant design?

The answer is simple as they saved a lot of money by not developing a new and powerful engine while planting the Suzuki Inazuma's engine with a little bit of tuning. The closest competitors namely Yamaha R25 and Kawasaki Ninja 250 produce 35.5 BHP and 32.5 BHP respectively. The first weighs just 166 kg while the second is at 170 kg. If launched in India, Suzuki GSX-250R would be competing with the Yamaha YZF-R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300. Suzuki GSX-250R comes with a single disc measuring 290 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear. The Nissin sourced brakes get an option of ABS also. The suspension, on the other hand, is telescopic forks for the front and 7 steps adjustable monoshock for the rear. The equipment list here seems quite simple but matches the competition and its power values. The tyres measure 110/80-17 for the front and 140/70-17 for the rear.