When I heard that a new Suzuki GSXR 250 was being released, I grew very excited.
The original Suzuki GSXR 250 was a big hit in Japan in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Using a liquid-cooled four-stroke four-cylinder engine it produced 45hp. Based on the GSXR750 with its box steel frame, dual front callipers and fully floating rear end, it was a teenager’s wet dream. Unfortunately not many were imported to the UK, so they are rarely seen outside of Japan.
Could this be the gateway drug sports bike the market desperately needs?
I am not a teenager (despite being told I frequently act like one), but I am a big Suzuki fan. When it came to riding Suzuki’s new A2 compliant “sportbike” I was filled with hope and optimism.
I bought a £300 classic Suzuki. Was it money well spent?
Had they recreated the legendary small CC GSXR 250? A glance at the spec sheet seems very impressive for an entry-level bike. KYB front suspension, a modern LCD litre supersport looking dashboard and MotoGP inspired styling.
With pricing starting at £4300 (or £100 extra for GP colours), it’s very reasonable for the spec list. I would save the £100 and have it in black pearl and put the £100 towards an end can.
Are these the best motorcycle boots you can buy?
It produces 25HP from its 250cc parallel-twin engine. Far from the originals 45hp, and it revs nowhere near as high either.
I was excited to take it out until I found out what else was coming out with me. With a fleet of new GSXR1000’s accompanying me. I thought it was going to be me playing catch-up the whole journey. The excitement faded a little bit.
The king is back. Read about the L7 GSXR1000R
We had a small stretch through town to start. The 250 felt extremely nippy and agile perfect for darting through streets and in and out of traffic. The dash was very clear and concise and comes with everything you would expect, speedo, rev gauge, gear indicator.
Suzuki claims the frugal motor will do 92MPG, so fuel stops are not a thing. I used this fact to catch up with the litre-class bikes while they guzzled their fuel.
Kawasaki’s new ZX6R brings all the fun of a 600 back!
We went exploring some twisty roads in south Cheshire, the 250 held its own, much to my surprise. The most significant shortfall on the bike was always going to be its lack of power. Despite this, it was still very capable of keeping to speed limits. The gearing is perfect for the power that it has. You’re not up, and down the gearbox all the time, you do have to drop it a few cogs when overtaking.
One never gets bored of thrashing small cc bikes. the GSXR 250 is no exception.
One significant plus factor to small bikes is wringing them to within an inch of their life. The throttle becomes an on or off switch keeping it pinned to the max. Planting your head on the fuel tank and tucking your arms in as tight as they will go to achieve every last mph.
The brakes are as good as they need to be, using a single 290mm front disc. The suspension feels soft on both the front and rear. I had to keep reminding myself that this isn’t ever going to be a track bike. Despite this Suzuki UK hav
Michelin’s Road 5 tyre reviewed
The riding position is comfy but unfortunately being commuter style footpegs, they are not adjustable. The bars sit in a sporty riding position.
It does come with a pillion seat; I mainly used this as a stop to rest my arse on in corners to sit back off the tank. The bike has a commuter style seat, which is good fun; it’s nice and slippery. I’m not going to lie I was hanging off it as much as I dared. The guy following me on a DL1000 asked me if I was enjoying myself, and yes I was!
The Road winner tyres were good and had a positive feel at slow speed and around town. When increasing the pace up, they do let the bike down, mainly due to a lack of rider feedback. The weather turned to a massive storm, and the Road Winners dealt with the water well.
The GSXR 250 is an exciting A2 bike
It feels like a solid step up from a 125. With A2 riders needing two years riding before being eligible for A training, it would be a solid buy to pass the time in between.
I would have liked more power, an extra 10-15 horsepower would transform the ride. I was hoping for around the 35-40hp to make it competitive with its A2 compliant rivals.
It’s understandable that Suzuki wants to keep the GSXR 250 cheaper for youngsters. Perfect for the commute to college or work and back and still have a good laugh, and more importantly, look relatively cool.
For more information hit the link https://bikes.suzuki.co.uk/bikes/sport/gsx250r/
- Queensferry Moto Routes – A new take on motorcycle touring
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt throughout and after lockdown, it’s to get out more and enjoy what you want to do. This gave Gary and John the idea, of getting bikers together, and showing them the best roads they know, combining that with tours to the best local attractions, eating the best local food,… Read More »Queensferry Moto Routes – A new take on motorcycle touring - The roads are rubbish, but it’s still fun..right?
British roads are terrible, ok correction, the British road surface are terrible. It would be wrong to call the actual roads themselves bad because we are privileged to have some absolute gems stashed around the UK. For me, the issues lie with the state of the tarmac and it seems to be getting worse every… Read More »The roads are rubbish, but it’s still fun..right? - New Diablo Rosso 4 Corsa motorcycle tyre!
Pirelli celebrates its 150th birthday, and as part, they are releasing a new line of one of their best selling and performing tyre groups; the Diablo Rosso. The new Diablo Rosso Corsa, sees a higher grip even faster road-focused tyre than the Diablo Rosso 4, using Bi-Compound construction on both front and rear tyres, with… Read More »New Diablo Rosso 4 Corsa motorcycle tyre! - Is Yamaha working on a new sportsbike for 2022?
Over the past few years, with the CV-19 pandemic and spiralling costs, firms want to get the most reward from R&D costs; at first, I thought it was to keep things simple, but it also makes excellent business sense. This process is not new, it’s been going on for decades, but it’s now even more… Read More »Is Yamaha working on a new sportsbike for 2022? - BeMoto Insurance giving away Panigale V4S!
Motorcycle insurance specialist BeMoto has announced the launch of the new BeLotto competition, to win a Ducati Panigale V4S complete with a full selection of other prizes totalling over £10,000, in this free to enter competition. BeMoto insurance are relatively new, starting in 2015, but with over 50 years of experience in the financial services… Read More »BeMoto Insurance giving away Panigale V4S!
Pingback: Suzuki V-Strom - Ridewithpeaks