JOIN USThe booming motorcycle industry in India is burgeoning, and there are different manufacturers vying with each other to grab a large slice of the sales pie for themselves.
While a few players have consistently shown great sales, Suzuki has been struggling to make a mark in the two-wheeler segment in India. Face it, though the Japanese auto major offers products ranging from scooters in the 110-cc segment all the way to high-performance superbikes, powered by engines of more than 1000 cc displacements, it is yet to mould a sizeable market in the commuter bikes segment, wherein resides a bulk of India’s two-wheeler customers.
And now, Suzuki seems to have realised it. Its engineering brains seem to have conceived a product that could provide the company much-needed headroom in the commuter bike segment and gradually claim a significant share of the country’s two-wheeler market.
Suzuki has been so confident about its latest offering, the Gixxer 150, that it has named it after its superbike GSX-R1000. Think that the company is trying to over-promise its way to the top? Surprisingly not. We put Suzuki’s latest offering, Gixxer 150, to the test and were blown away by the results.
Riding dynamics
Not for nothing does the Suzuki Gixxer 150 have everyone raving about it. The new bike in town, which was launched in September, is the first bike completely manufactured in the country by Suzuki Motorcycle India.
The Gixxer 150 packs Suzuki’s best riding dynamics and rider ergonomics of its top models together. The bike is powered by a 155 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine.The bike looks lean, and at the same time muscular. The trendy 3-spoke alloys add layers to the styling. Observing the entire bike from all sides, there is a striking aesthetic feature that hits you.
With most of today’s motorcycle manufacturers slapping on graphics to their bike bodiesin the quest for style, it appears that the makers of the Gixxer were so confident of its sportier looks that they ruled out graphics completely.
The powerful braking system is something that, irrespective of one’s choice of bikes — 100 cc or a 1000-cc machine —, every biker looks for in his prospective buy. Meeting these expectations means half the battle is won. And, Gixxer hits the right chord with its brakes. The bike boasts of 240 mm disc brakes in the front and 130 mm drum brakes in the rear. The front disc works great in controlling the bike at top speed, while the rear brakes complement it quite beautifully.
Smooth and safe
The MRF tubeless tyres at 100/80 R17 (f) and 140/60R R17 (r), besides adding to the bike’s sporty looks assure its rider a safe ride. The tyres and brakes encourage the rider to deal with unexpected obstacles on the roads more confidently.
What inspires further confidence is the handlebar. The bike’s riding position is designed to let the biker relish the ride without worries. The riding position is also good for long rides and tilting the bike while turning corners. The main attraction comes in the new engine technology.
Suzuki has powered its flagship bike in the 150-cc segment with SEP (Suzuki Eco Performance) technology, which promises performance without compromising on fuel efficiency. The company promises whopping 64.1 kmpl mileage, while you may expect at least 50 kmpl from this machine, an impressive figure for its class.
The Gixxer’s torque is also exceptional in its class as it delivers 14.3 bhp at 8000 rpm and 14 Nm at 6000 rpm, without the support of fuel-injection or multiple-valves.
The 155-cc displacement, coupled with five-gear boxes, produces a commendably broad torque at the lower end and dynamic mid-range power for strong acceleration at the upper end.
That means you don’t have to constantly change gears while riding down city roads.However, the bike has a couple of shortfalls. Ground clearance leaves much to be desired, and the manufacturer must see that this painpoint is fixed immediately.
Another area is the length of the seat. Overall, the Gixxer 150 cc takes to the road as a pretty impressive package. Value for money is guaranteed. The bike comes with a price tag of Rs 74,550 (ex-showroom Bengaluru).