Suzuki GS-150 R, (updated after 1700 Km). Well I’ve bought this bike/motor-cycle recently, in New Delhi. Let me first give a brief insight of my thinking mechanism. “I really don’t care ’bout what the world thinks; if I put my eye on some thing.…”
I really like Fiat; a complete flop in India, but I would readily spend all my money (if I had enough), to buy one. I literally tried to convince my family to buy Fiat Petra, the sedan model available when we decided to change our car, but all in vain. Although I’ve heard people don’t regret that much as anticipated...
I once heard about this bike but didn’t lay much stress on that piece of information. I’ve decided to buy myself a bike, so I went on hunting.....
I really wanted to own a YAMAHA, I rode Fazer when it was first launched the 125 cc model. I really appreciated it, but FZ 16 didn’t suit me as it seems kind of little kids toy, and I heard the bike is really aggressive and is not at all good for rides longer than 20 KM and definitely for touring. Whatever be the reasons I really couldn’t convince myself to buy it.
I really liked the R15, but was firstly out my budget; and even if I was able to arrange for the finances I felt that it isn’t intended to be a street bike but is a sheer downscale or maybe more precisely, cheap version of R1. It seriously lacked originality and it‘s stand or position, and wasn’t truly a performance bike. It was kind of SHEMALE thing; I mean a mediocre or a broker sort of, as honestly speaking it isn’t a performance bike.
Yamaha Fazer was seriously overpriced and it was essentially FZ 16 with front kit of R15, so that was rejected too.
Now came some serious contenders:
>TVS Apache RTR 160.
>Bajaj Pulsar 150/80.
>Honda Unicorn.
>Hero Honda Hunk/Achiever/CBZ Xtreme.
Out of these only two were to be selected rest all I could easily sieve out and I believe one can easily understand what I want to convey...
(
Apache: Aggressiveness, lack or refinement and non touring base. Best for performing stunts in the segment but didn’t have what I’ve been looking for
Hero-Hondas: All the above three had the same engine of unicorn and the rest of the things weren’t at par with unicorn, I mean why to buy a copied version when you could have the original at the same price.
)
Now I got myself hooked with HONDA UNICORN and BAJAJ PULSAR
Bajaj Pulsar a real nice and a good indigenous bike but to refine the bike I believed Bajaj lost the sole and the essence of the Pulsar (although it isn‘t refined and is even more cruder, also lacked comfort and ride quality). If older pulsar would be available I would’ve bought it, but the new pulsars Nahhh!!
Honda Unicorn was the bike which I had in my mind and wanted to buy it, it really was something worth to buy, but till now GS 150R hadn’t come into picture, and wouldn’t have come if the following circumstances wouldn’t have existed.
Long waiting time for unicorn.
Poor after sales
And yes the rain, unicorn gets fu*ked up easily in rains.
So I was going through internet and came across GS 150 R, I test rode the bike and fell in love with it..
It was ideal for me, honestly I hate to write but this bike had given me so much that I’m forced to write.
Well if you want to say something is perfect for you then if you’re not way too short then this bike is for you.
Don’t trust me at least what you can do is have a test ride, then go ahead.
Now coming to the review.
Cost: > 60 grand; On-Road price New Delhi.
The bike is an ideal and a benchmark, the engine is completely built from scratch while for all other 150cc bikes it an upgraded or derived form of smaller engines.
Refinement is so high that you can’t feel what I want to convey unless you your self don’t ride it.
Gears are flawless butter smooth with no False neutrals, they are really crisp and it has 6 of them making cherry over the top of the wedding cake.
Responsiveness, is the right word for the engine out put on the road: the bike doesn’t gives you a feeling of apache neither of Fz but it never let you feel that they are better in any fashion than you, ride it to believe it.
Comfort is top class, it doesn’t offer split seats or any other fancy stuff but you can ride it without any problem for 470 KM I’ve done on a single journey stopping two times only for refreshment.
The bike never gives you the feeling, no matter how you want it to perform it delivers it to you flawlessly and satisfactorily and never say no to anything it doesn’t even hesitate.
Ride control and handling as per me it is something which is most crucial to me and this bike is pure 24 karat on it, I mean I smashed myself with a Honda civic at almost 108 KMPH sideways while cornering, the car felt a huge shock it left front tire busted but to tell you an amazing thing the bike didn’t lost it balance, although my whole brake pedal got twisted so badly that it got to be replaced for a 1000 bucks, but not even an other single scratch on the bike I had total control on the bike and you know the civic has alloy wheels with five spokes in a rim one of them broke off.
The bike is perfectly designed with scientific approach, it is having one of the finest weight distribution ratio and lowest center of gravity. Making it an ideal bike to ride and have control, but this also means you can’t perform stunts on it like the ones on pulsar and apache.
The driver was scared to death but for me it increased my ever lasting faith on my bike.
Brakes people say they are sluggish but they may tend to be sluggish but when you want to stop they do it 10 on 10, even it usually don’t skid unless you really intend to.
Even in skidding the bike seems to be in total control and you can perform as many stunts on it as you like, it simply is marvelous.
Fuel efficiency, an average of 50+ but on highways it had given me 77+ for two of four times and 72+ all the time at a speed b/w 80 to 90 (ECO Mode).
when pushing to its limits the bike returns only a mileage of less than 40 in (POWER mode).
I’ve got only one closing sentence" RIDE IT TO BELIEVE IT!!!!"
Oh!! Cons.
No side stand indicator
Some sort of wheel noise very rarely comes from the brakes I guess disappears after few seconds.
The fuel valve selector (reserve, on, off) is rotating 360 degrees but is still working.
A some sort of noise from the swing arms, I guess needs oiling.
Well I’ve got my first service done it cost me 218 INR (Excellent After sales service, good behavior at the work shop very hygienic although didn’t had A/C but still had cold mineral water dispenser and the area was Air cooled.)
and till now no problems with the bike at all.
Update: Well after completing 7000 kms, there is still no problems, to reduce mantainance cost I’ve skipped 2 sercvices, but still running as smooth as scotch.