INTRODUCTION
Quarter liter motorcycles are a very exiting entry point into
the world of motorcycling. There are several brands that offer us choices in the
segment, including the Duke 250, Duke ADV 250, Pulsar’s new entrants the N and F 250’s, the Dominar 250, the
Husqvarna’s, Yamaha’s FZ25 and so on. Each
of these with their very own character.
Moreover with a few 150 cc motorcycles being priced on par with the 250s, the 250cc’
s now seems tempting for giving a segment
jump with the choices lined up in the ever-evolving Indian market.
The Suzuki Gixxer 250 and the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 are the
Japanese Automaker’s contenders at the quarter liter market. Among all the
options available in the 250cc Motorcycles, the Gixxer SF 250 is the only
fully faired offering. Sounds a bit surprising which in fact made me to freeze my buying decision to go for it. Here’s my take on the motorcycle.
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VISUAL APPEAL
Starting off with the visual appeal, the motorcycle is great to look at
from all angles and the 100th anniversary triton blue/silver color that
represents Suzuki’s heritage from its earlier grand prix motorcycles in the
1960s just adds to this. The Suzuki brand name is present all over the
motorcycle and the Suzuki logo on the tank is red in color along with the SF
logo. Ecstar branding on the sides and the neon green rim stickers further adds
to the appeal. Brushed alloy wheels have a good design, are chunky and great
to look at. I like the bike most from the rear end where it looks superb. From
the side, the bike looks front heavy, and the windshield doesn’t seem as raised
that makes it look more like a sports tourer than a sports bike. The front
portion too is great to look at, the headlights end at a sharp point up front making
it look like a bird’s beak enhancing its visual appeal. The engine is bronzed out and is good to look at. The bike is
muscular with well- designed creases all over and is beefy to look at in person
than what is visible in the video. On the whole the bike is a looker and will grab
attention when on the road.
The bike comes with two color options at the moment – Triton
blue and the matte black. Both are great to look at but it takes more effort to
maintain the matte black version in its’ meticulous condition. You also get
several options in accessories which you can fit the bike with. Sliders however
are not provided as an option and would be a great inclusion.
RIDING
Quality of
plastics used are very good even though you tend to hear squeaks when you press
them.
Get on the bike and you are sure to notice the engine’s refinement,
its’ very good, typical of a Japanese automaker. The Suzuki Oil Cooling System
like the name suggests cools the hot
engine oil and the cooled oil is routed through the Cylinder Head to Cylinder
where the engine oil cools the entire engine. This is an ingenious and efficient technology. I’ve ridden
the motorcycle for a while now in varying conditions and heat is not really an
issue at all. The SOCS (Suzuki Oil Cooling System) does its’ job very well to
the point where you will forget the fact that it is not liquid cooled.
Power delivery is lenient, tractable and doesn’t feel
underpowered in any situation be it the highway or the city. The throttle
action is a bit long for my comfort and I have to keep my wrists in an
uncomfortable position to lock the throttle, this factor has room for
improvement. Torque is available throughout the rev band and the engine doesn’t
stress much either, thanks to its’ displacement. The meat of the power is
unleashed over the 5000-rpm mark and can go up to a 10000 rpm from there. It can
get to a 100 km/h in under 10 seconds and is super fun to ride. The motorcycle
can easily hold three-digit speeds without breaking a sweat and is tuned in
such a way that you will enjoy the ride whether you decide to ride at a
leisurely pace or if you are in a mood
to be hard on the throttle. It’s a great job by Suzuki in this regard.
I felt slight vibrations creeping up in the 4000 to 5000 rpm marks
initially, but this has gone down over time and distance, and that FS (Fully
Synthetic) oil really helped as well.
The Bike’s manual suggests not to go past the 5000 RPM limit
until the set-in period/Kms on a new bike and the bike does around 80 km/h in
6th gear at around 5000 RPM. After the set-in period, the motorcycle can
cruise comfortably at speeds of 90 to 125 and still has headroom for higher
speeds which is very good. 100 km comes at around 6500 rpm which the Bike does very
comfortably. Wind protection at speeds anywhere over 70 is lacking owing to
that tiny windscreen. A nice helmet and riding gear will definitely help.
You do get a one touch start system which is great, but the
starter motor is slightly noisier, and this could be bettered. The horn’s volume
is good and audible, but I am not a fan of its’ tone and prefer a deeper one
that suits the character of this bike.
Rear view mirrors are adequately sized but when fully
extended it protrudes out, affecting slightly the traffic cutting capabilities.
So, I have tightened it in a position where it doesn’t protrude out much and
this has surely helped without affecting my view from the mirrors.
Switchgear quality
is great, wires don’t get in the way, and everything has it’s properly place.
Great job in this regard.
Ride quality is very good, and the motorcycle feels great to
handle. Cornering footrests are also provided which is good. The Bike’s 161 kg
is not at all difficult to handle and is perfect as it offers great stability on the highway along with a decent
flickable nature. For the purpose of comparison, the motorcycle isn’t as flickable as - say an MT15 but is better than a Dominar in
this regard thereby offering a good balance.
Cornering
clearance offered is good and Suzuki has made sure nothing gets in the way of
your sporting needs.
Suspension is on the harder side, and you will feel the bumps
when riding slow, speed up and these even out and offer good stability. The motorcycle
tends to have a bit of a nosedive even in normal braking conditions and this
takes a toll on the wrists unless we have the right riding position while gripping the tank with our legs. However, this issue
can be solved to an extent by using a higher density fork oil.
The stock MRF REVZ’s Tyres are decent and offer good grip in
all conditions. If you are looking for munching more miles on the track and are
looking to ride hard, the bike is more capable with a better set of tires like
say Metzelers. Mild off-roading can be done but don’t expect much with radial
tires.
Gearing is neither too short nor too tall and offers a
perfect blend. 3rd gear would be perfect amidst medium traffic within city limits. You will
however have to shift to second gear at
speed breakers to avoid stalling the engine. Gearbox is precise but not very
smooth You will hear and feel every gear change. This can be eliminated to an
extent by changing to a better FS oil. Once I had this changed, there was the
noticeable change in the gear shifts for the better. Apart from this the
neutral gear is not very easy to get into and you will have to work a bit.
False neutrals have been non-existence so no issues in this regard. Slipper
clutch is not included, and id have love to see it here.
Clutch is on the
harder side but isn’t too hard and you will get used to it over time. Half
clutch doesn’t work well, and you will have to slightly flex your left arm
forehand muscles to achieve smooth shifts.
The negative digital instrument cluster is large and legible even
over direct sunlight and at all speeds. It offers various functionalities,
including a clock, odometer, rpm meter and a gear shift indicator can be configured with relation to rpm according
to your riding preference for flashing up. It also has a fuel level indicator and
a low fuel indicator.
Splits seats are good to look at and accommodating as well.
Riding triangle is comfortable, the foot-pegs aren’t too aggressive nor too
comfortable, they are placed to achieve the perfect place. You sit almost
upright with a slight lean forward. You get a feeling that you are on
the bike and not in it as is the case of say an R15. The front seat is large and offer the option of sitting at the
front edge of the seat to get a comfortable riding posture or to move back to
the rear edge of the front seat to get
an aggressive riding posture, which is a good thing. Rear seat is decently
comfortable and flat as well. Grips offered for the passenger is well made and
in the right position but like most sports bikes you will have to hold the
rider to ride safe. Other than this, the seats are a bit slippery, and seat
covers with better grip can improve comfort and safety.
Below the rear seat, storage space is available to place the safety kit, and your papers. Apart from this,
there is also a latch that can hold your helmet securely, this is super
helpful.
The motorcycle provides with an average mileage of about 35
km overall on City and Highway roads. This of course, varies and can get close
to 40 km/l when riding at around 80 km in the highways or can get close to 30
in narrow roads, if you decide to wriggle
the throttle out. Nonetheless 35km/l is a very decent figure for the
performance it offers and is a great balance between power and economy.
LED headlights
are powerful and offer good visibility in all conditions. Indicators are
halogen and work well, however led indicators would have been a good addition.
Reflective stickers are provided on the sides to improve visibility to oncoming
traffic when turning. Taillight is led as well and is sleek to look at, it
offers great visibility for traffic even over longer distances.
Brakes are adequate and offer decent stopping power. They do
not offer a very sharp bite though and are beginner friendly. Owing to this
nature of the brakes, you will tend to ride the bike more carefully and avoid
situations where you will have to brake hard. Front brakes are the ones you
will find yourself using more frequently because the rear brakes aren’t as strong.
This has room for improvement. Dual Channel ABS has a high activity and will
kick in quite early during braking. I’ve tested this over several surfaces, be
it on or off road, they work great and never allow the wheels to loosen
traction.
Twin mufflers have a chrome guard to them and look good when
maintained properly. Exhaust note is towards the subtler side on low revs and
tends to get throatier when revved harder, encouraging you to go faster. That
said, I would prefer a slightly meatier exhaust considering that it is a high
revving quarter liter motorcycle.
Centre stand is not provided, and the side stand is well made.
A side stand sensor though would have been a great addition.
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I also heard about rust issues some owners had in the bs4 version
of the bike, so I enquired about this to the showroom staff. They said that it
was due to the quality of paint used in the bs4 version and that this has been
set right in the bs6 version. Rightly so I haven’t had rust issues in any major
portions but the bike got it in certain places such as the saree guard and in
the bolts used for the rear-view mirrors, this is probably due to the use of
the bs4 version parts. Moreover, I don’t do a water wash frequently, make sure
to protect my bike from the elements and maintain it well, this helps prevent
rusting and the fading out of areas with black plastic.
Cleaning the bike is very easy as there are not many hard-to-reach
places except for the rear wheels, I face no difficulties in this regard.
Service is done for every 4500 – 5000 km or every 3 months
whichever is earlier. 3 free services are provided along with an optional
extendable warranty. Servicing will cost you around Rs.2000 including the
consumables for the paid service and around Rs 1200 for the free one. This is
quite affordable for a motorcycle of this segment.
On the whole, the Gixxer SF 250 is a well-rounded and capable motorcycle. However, it requires a few improvements that can be done such as – a bigger windshield, a slipper
clutch, a smoother gearbox, a better horn, better tires, a side stand indicator
and higher density fork oil which would make it more capable and complete. But
all these are not really pressing issues and most of them have an easy fix.
The motorcycle looks great, is great to ride, offers superb
power delivery without stress, is comfortable to ride, offers a good mileage, offers
great value for money. It is an underrated motorcycle that one does not find
much on the roads.
It is a mature motorcycle as well that ticks all the right
boxes and offers a superb balance between being a sports motorcycle and a
tourer. It is great for everyday usage also a makes a lot of sense for all of
us looking for a high revving beginner sports bike that also supports every-day
usability.
That wraps up everything for the review of the Gixxer SF 250,
if you have any questions do let me know in the comments below. Also make sure
to like the video and share it with your friends or family who may find it
useful. Don’t forget to subscribe to Shift and Surge for quality automobile
reviews.
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Watch the video review of the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 here: Gixxer SF 250 Review
Until the next
one, this is Rohith here signing off.
Ride Safe...
Motorcycle Specs:
Engine: 249 cc SOCS Engine 4-Stroke, 1-cylinder, Oil cooled
Cylinder: 1
Power: 26.5 PS @ 9300 rpm
Torque: 22.2 Nm @ 7300 rpm
Fuel Tank: 12 L
Ground Clearance: 165 mm
Weight: 161 kg
Battery: 12 V/6 Ah
Tyres: Front: 110/70-17, Rear: -150/60-17
Front Disk: 300 mm
Rear Disk: 220 mm
Brakes: Front- 2 Piston, Rear- Single Piston Caliper
Front Tyre Pressure: (Rider)29 psi
Rear Tyre Pressure: (Rider)33 psi
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