A month after launching the GSX-R125 compact displacement fully-faired motorcycle in its home market of Japan, Suzuki has introduced a special MotoGP edition. As the name suggests, the special edition motorcycle adopts the blue-silver colour theme and multiple decals to mimic the brand’s MotoGP machine.
The Suzuki GSX-R125 MotoGP edition celebrates the Japanese brand’s centennial anniversary. The massive Suzuki decal takes the pride of place in the special livery which also carries ECSTAR branding. Barring the colour theme, there are no changes or feature additions to the MotoGP edition. The motorcycle is also available in three multi-colour liveries with Blue, white and black as base colours. The baby GSX-R derives its aggressive styling from its bigger siblings.
The fully-faired compact Suzuki is powered by a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled 124 cc single-cylinder engine which is capable of 14.8 hp and 11 Nm of torque. Transmission is a 6-speed unit. With a kerb weight of 134 kg, the motorcycle should be offering adequate performance for budding riders to hone their skills before graduating to bigger motorcycles.
As far as hardware setup goes, the motorcycle is equipped with traditional telescopic front forks, rear monoshock, front and rear disc brakes with lightweight dual-channel ABS unit, 90/80-17 front and 130/70-17 rear tyres from Dunlop and alloy wheels.
The smallest member of the Gixxer family packs some premium features such as LED headlight and taillight, keyless ignition system, multi-function LCD instrument cluster and easy start function (just one short press of the button is enough to keep the starter motor turn until the engine comes to life).
In international markets, the GSX-R125 competes with the likes of KTM RC125, Kawasaki Ninja 125, Aprilia RS 125, etc. The Suzuki GSX-R125 is expected to be an important global volume generator for the Japanese brand in the coming years but it is not likely to be launched in India.
The KTM RC125 and Duke 125 demonstrated that there are enough takers for premium small-displacement motorcycles in India but then those two are being manufactured in India for global consumption, making it easy for KTM to arrive at competitive pricing. However, in case of the GSX-R125, Suzuki has to earmark a significant investment to localize it in India but even then, the volumes won’t make for a profitable business case. At least for now, the Gixxer 150 twins are the entry-level sporty motorcycles targeting Suzuki enthusiasts.