After getting fed up with driving my new car in chaotic traffic conditions everyday and getting it bumped, scratched a bit etc, I returned to office commute using my 6+ year old ultra reliable Passion plus. Mileage wise and reliability wise, this was the best deal but I was really really fed up of being shooed to the left of the road reaching 50 - 60 km after being shaken by trucks and transport vehicles, the pick up being a big drag to Mt. everest. This is when the feeling of a bike upgrade began sinking in.
Looking at the market, we had the old Pulsar which has the new 135 cc bike. Pulsar’s life post 2 years was definitely under scrutiny. Yamaha’s FZ range of bikes was either out of my budget or the mileage sucked as per some users. This seemed the most promising bike to look at in the 150 cc category other than Honda Unicorn, the tried and testing horse in this segment.
I got a good exchange on my old bike from my dealer and then, there was no looking back.I looked at my requirements and went for the GS 150 R: A bike that was powerful yet had the gear ratios to navigate through traffic and pick up the tempo when the roads were clear :) A bike that gave a very comfortable feeling of handling, power and stability without being bad on the economy An upgrade to my 100 cc bike but 125 cc with around 11 bhp sounded too little to feel more powerful, hence the choice of a 150 cc was imminent A bike that was strong and comfy to cruise longer distances* A bike with an promising engine that would have potentially juice in it even after years of usage
No doubts that this bike has it all my friends...!
The Suzuki access has a 3 month waiting period here in Pune, thank God this GS150 R doesn’t need a wait... its available since it has more competition probably than the 100+ cc scooter category and therefore sells lesser. I got it the day I wanted it and went for a nebular black color.
Kms until now:
Update 1:
I have done 275 kms in about 5 days and I must say, the bike is very smooth considering it packs 13.8 bhp. Also, my cousin who already owns this beauty has stated that 2 services and this guy will perform like makkhan (butter). Its too early and hence I cannot give a detailed review.
Update 2:
I have done around 6200 kms now and the bike is pure pleasure. The engine has become ultra smooth now. It takes around 4500 kms to actually completely RUN IN and free the new engine. You gotta be careful not to over rev the bike till then. Issues now: 1. There is a odd squeaking noise at 20 km speeds, need to find where its coming from. 2. Since I don’t run it in Eco mode and have variable speeds within the city, the mileage is now around 47 to 48 km/litre.
The shockers that the bike has are pretty strong and can take typical bumps very gracefully provided you aren’t speeding at the time.
The pick up has gone up significantly after 4th service and the engine noise has come down. I am doing speeds which range from around 45 km/h - 95 km/h in the city depending on the traffic. This bike though quite heavy can do more than 100 km/h as claimed. There is absolutely no vibration felt even at 95 km/hr. It’s like you are regularly riding but putting all bikes behind you. You can also compete with cars sometimes if the driver isn’t aggressive.
One thing I have also noticed is that Pulsars tend to zip past you initially since they have better initial pickup... but once you cross 60... you can very well pani pilao any 150 cc bike or below provided you find the road to do it.
Update 3:
At this stage of giving the update, some 10000 kms with the bike, I would like to add that finally the bike has completely matured with the last paid service.
Until this service, the bike’s throttle was TIGHT and I had to really squeeze it to make it run. Also, the clutch was engaging only towards the end of release. I highlighted these things to the mechanic who tuned both hinderances. The engine was also suitably tuned along with oil / filter changes.
I was also changing gears every 10 - 15 km thereby not utilizing the gear ratios in rev mode. I wanted to see the true power of the GS150R and decided to give up the slow, smooth splendor/CD100 style of riding the bike to extract mileage.
I take the highway briefly for about 6 km everyday while going to office. I decided to let the beast loose on this route but was disappointed kind of. My bike’s throttle was at its max and the bike hardly did 88 - 90 km/hour. I had heard from my cousin that he clocked 128 km/hour. Isn’t this what I had bought this bike for in a way? :) I had used ordinary fuel (around 6 litres of it). I used up the fuel and then filled the bike up with xtra premium petrol. I again tried revving and this time, on a clear road, the bike easily crossed 100 km/hour and could do even more though I didn’t feel safe with some traffic around.
I can now safely say that after 45 km/hour with the 3rd gear maxxing, this beast (if ridden right) can compete against all 150 cc bikes with skilled riders on them and most 180 / 220 cc bikes if the rider isn’t skilled enough. The mileage will drop to about 42 - 46 km/litre with this kind of riding at variable speeds/gears.
Its best to service it according to the service schedule in the booklet and use premium petrol to get the best out of this bike. The base of my side stand has begun rusting and I need to address it . There is minor rust in the mouth of the tank which was expected since water enters it when you wash it. The manual has specifically advised not to water the mouth cap of the tank but several instructions later too, my watchman simply doesn’t get it right. The horn has lost its shrillness suddenly and I need to get it tuned. Also, my brakes make an awful screeching sound during rains. It goes away when the rains stop and the bike has dried out.
Other than the above minor niggles, this bike is awesome and if maintained, keeps performing as per expectations. For mileage lovers, I feel that you should keep the bike within proper gear ratios, ride smoothly and keep it around 60 - 65 km/hour on 6th gear to get around 50 - 55 km/litre.