As you can tell by the image above, the SF is based on the Gixxer. The front of the motorcycle is where the differences lie. The swept-back headlamp design is exactly the same as the Gixxer’s, while the full fairing apes the ones on Suzuki’s larger capacity GSX-R motorcycles. Air vents that sit on either side of the headlight are there for aesthetics rather than performance gains. Moving back, the rest of the design is just like the Gixxer’s, so you get the same muscular fuel tank, single-piece seat, a stubby rear with split grab handles and integrated LED tail-light.
The air-cooled, single-cylinder 155cc engine is the same as the Gixxer too. The engine makes 14.6bhp and 14Nm of torque. But with the SF weighing just four kilos more than its street sport twin, performance too is similar to its naked sibling. Top speed is around 127kph.
The riding position of the SF is similar to the Gixxer’s with the flat handlebar and the slightly rear-set foot pegs that give the motorcycle its sporty feel. The 155cc engine belts out a healthy dose of torque north of 3500rpm, and power is available all the way till 8500rpm when the rev limiter intervenes. We do wish the engine could have revved higher for more top end grunt, but then again, the Gixxer SF is not an outright track machine. The full fairing might suggest otherwise, but the SF is more set for touring than devouring a racetrack.
The Gixxer is an agile motorcycle, and the addition of a fairing doesn’t change anything. The SF negotiates corners like its naked twin. Simply put – pick your racing line, and the bike will follow your inputs seamlessly though a corner. Though the bike feels stable at high speeds the motor sounds stressed at these points. The ride is a tad stiff, but if you can adjust the preload on the rear monoshock – which has seven differ