Suzuki Motorcycles took a leap of faith or was it a meticulously thought-out move when they launched Gixxer after its arch rivals were upgraded and unleashed. Suzuki was almost never known for churning out volumes in this particular segment but this bike is getting them there. The brand has generally always received very good opinion when it comes to engine and quality, but that has never helped the company score in the entry-level performance commuter class of motorcycles single handedly. Then how did the sudden spike in popularity for the company happen? What’s in the Gixxer that is promising for the maker’s future?
First thing as always is styling. Suzuki seems to have come out of the habit of offering more-or-less dull looking two wheelers with the launch of Gixxer, as this one is fall-in-love-at-first-sight material. Right from tonal quality to muscle detail, not to mention overall packaging, Suzuki Gixxer hits a clear sixer in bringing prospective buyers down to their knees. Some of the shapes are indeed reminiscent of certain other bikes in its league but that is exactly where it tries to be better and not at all in vain.
Every styling element of Gixxer compliments the other, making for a finely executed craftwork.Suzuki Gixxer is both muscular and edgy in an admirable proportion, appealing to buyers with either fetish. Right from eagle beak headlamp to bull horn grab rail, the bike maintains a slender form factor at close inspection, but poses with beefy biceps from afar. The design is greatly complimented by exquisite paint shade and quality, which helps the bike get caught in peripheral vision of those standing beside at stop lights, quite easily.
Gixxer is well fit and finished.One more good thing about the bike, it looks good for short and slim riders as well as tall and stout ones, which is something many of prospective first-time buyers worry about, secretly.
The 100/80-17 front and 140/60-17 rear tyres help glide over rough patches on road.Getting noticed is one thing, what about getting away from the chasers? Suzuki Gixxer, as usual, is powered by a teflon smooth Suzuki engine giving out nearly no vibration our body could pick up. The motor is capable of 14.8 PS max power @ 8,000 rpm and 14 Nm peak torque @ 6,000 rpm, and is connected to 5-speed gearbox.
The engine is as smooth as Suzuki engines are known for.While the numbers are appreciable for the segment, on road, initial grunt is a bit too soft, as the power band begins only at later part of mid-range. Means, you might have to loose a few seconds at first and keep the engine running at higher speeds through the gears to squeeze some thrill out of the Gixxer.
The chunky and sporty looking exhaust unit is deceiving to say the least.All the while, as said before, there is no vibration or any discouraging factor that forces to keep the needle below the red line, except for one, sound. Engine as well as exhaust fail to give an impression that Suzuki Gixxer is actually a 150 cc motorcycle. The sound imitates a lower displacement commuter which is nothing short of a bummer on such a good looking and macho motorcycle. And it gets only more frustrating seeing the sportily designed twin chamber silencer remaining mute throughout the rev dial.
Suzuki Gixxer seems to be good in making its rivals feel inadequate.Apart from the downside of dull exhaust note, which is not really a problem in the vehicle, there is another aspect, rather flaw, in Gixxer to be addressed when it comes to munching miles. And by munching miles we mean going on highways. The rider seat is too narrow to accommodate an average person’s butt, causing quick sore. Inside city the issue does not come up quite so much, it is safer to say that in both cases the pillion would be more lucky with his better seat design.
The fully digital instrument panel shows time, gear, two trip metres and all other usual stuff.Although the rider seat is inadequate, Suzuki Gixxer’s excellent ride quality comes in to compensate, even on challenging roads. The bike feels very light helping agile manoeuvres to negotiate such roads and the brakes are sufficiently sharp to come to a quick halt.
Braking is actually soft, suitable for city ride, but gets the job done if you force it hard enough.Overall, Suzuki Gixxer is a very nimble motorcycle suitable for diverse mass ranging from college students to young-at-heart family men. And by latter we also mean ladies can have a safe seat at the back.
On-road Delhi price of Suzuki Gixxer is Rs. 83,473.
Why would you buy Suzuki Gixxer:
Styling
Manoeuvrability
Good value for money
Why would you not buy Suzuki Gixxer:
Low initial pick-up
Exhaust note not sporty
Cold-ride problem
Also Read – Suzuki Gixxer vs Yamaha FZ-S FI V2.0 vs Honda Unicorn 160 specs comparison
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