As you can see from these images, I had more fun fooling around with this pair of new Suzukis than training with the ladies Olympic synchronized swimming team, well nearly. So much so that I fell off. Oh yes, after years of staying upright on all forms of expensive, and cheap, motorcycles, I decided to stuff the right footrest of the naked 250 version right into my gentlemen parts whilst tying to ‘surf’ on it. The result, besides being more embarrassed than having my tracksuit pants pulled down from behind in a Checkers supermarket revealing questionable underwear, was sitting on the sofa that night in a ‘Y’ position, if you know what I mean? Not to mention my finest Addidas pants were torn, in the gentleman region, like an aggressive mongoose had tried to make a new home. Yes, I’m a prize knob and weirdly quite proud of it too, because we managed to get the pictures, otherwise it would have been a sad waste of scratched, irreplaceable reproductive parts.
Anyway, once you’ve stopped laughing, the damaged parts on the more important motorcycle were scratched body panels, bent gear lever and ‘bars. and a few other little bits. So, once we picked the poor thing up, the bike not me, a quick pull and push and the 250 naked was ready to ride again. You’re not doing that on something that costs 250k without bursting into tears, right?
So, here’s the thing that made me want to try this cute pair, it’s the price. Only R49,900 for the GSX-R replica faired model and a mere R44,900 for the naked option. Now that’s superb value in anyone’s book, especially being genuine Suzuki motorcycles.
Now the previous Suzuki 250s were parallel twins and cost around 50% more, so is this new single-cylinder, oil-cooled, SOHC, 4-valve engine 50% less? Err, no! In fact, it’s better and here’s the dyno graph to prove it as we’ve overlapped the graph with their previous twin. Suzuki claim 26hp and it made 25, and they claim 22Nm and it made 21. So how the ‘fook’ does a superbike have a claimed 200hp and makes 170? Answers on a post-card to ‘I lie more than the government with my engine specs’.
So, five horsepower more than the old twin and ‘murders’ it on torque everywhere, impressive, very impressive, as Darth Vader would say. Now here’s another impressive function with this oil-cooled engine (SOCS), it has a fan on the oil cooler. The first I’ve ever heard of and handy when our hot days return. But it’s more about the fun factor of this cheeky engine as you click through the sweet six-speed gearbox and think you’re in a Moto3 race when riding the faired version.
Whilst your head is switched into ‘catch me’ mode you’ll revel in the taught chassis on both as they’re identical, and a powerful 300mm disc front brake, with ABS, combines with a Bybree calliper (Brembo India), also found and used on KTM’s 390s. These are not just cheap toys but very respectable motorbikes on all counts, especially the very colourful and attractive GSX-R derivative.
The overall finish is equally attractive, and the blue paint is most certainly as well adhered as the full-house GSX-R1000. If you still don’t believe me, and you think I’m licking gentlemen bits to regain Suzuki SA favour, check out their website on this model and you’ll see the amount of design awards it’s won around the world.
So, great bikes at a great price and who’s going to buy them? Well the blue-faired model will predominately go to the younger crowd, maybe? And the naked model more a delivery type rider, maybe? Or I’m wrong and virgin/aged commuters looking for a fresh and cool transport could be swung towards either, seeing as you can own whichever for around R1,400 per month.
Still not sure? Have a test ride at your local dealer and during this dreadful, virus-riddled year, affordable motorcycles like this could well be the answer to lockdown depression. They were for me, except for the reproductive damage…
Go to www.suzukimotorcycles.co.za for more details on these models and dealer locations.
