After a series of leaks and news reports, Japanese maker Suzuki has finally launched the Gixxer 250 in India. It has been after a long interval that the company brought a 250cc bike in the Indian market. Gixxer 250 is a mid-level sports bike from the company and the price for the bike has been set at Rs. 1.70 lakhs ex-showroom, Delhi. Gixxer 250 is will be placed above the existing 150cc Gixxer SF in the Indian market. The newly launched Suzuki Gixxer 250 will lock horns with Yamaha Fazer 25 and Honda CBR 250R in the Indian market, although comparisons of the bike will also be drawn with other offerings in the market such as Bajaj Pulsar RS 200, KTM RC200 and even Yamaha R15 V3 for that matter.
The Gixxer 250 comes with a fully faired body and the stance of the bike is very aggressive. The sharp looks combined with the fairing of the bike really do lends a character to the bike. At the front, there is a wide all-LED headlamp unit. The twin barrel design of the exhaust adds even sharpness to the bike from the sides. Even the split seats on the bike are not only just attractive but are also highly practical.
As far as other features of the bike are concerned, the handle is a clip-on unit and the instrument cluster is a fully digital non-colour unit. The Suzuki Gixxer comes with a 250 cc oil cooled, fuel injected single overhead camshaft engine rated to deliver 26 Bhp @ 9000 rpm and 22.6 Nm @ 7500 rpm. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed manual gearbox. The power outputs of the bike put it ahead of Honda CBR 250R (25.7 Bhp and22.9 Nm). As per the company, the mileage of the bike is 38.5 kmpl, which is a good number for a bike this powerful. Not to mention that the bike weighs 161 kg, this makes it lighter than not only Bajaj Pulsar RS200 but the Honda CBR 250R as well.
The Suzuki Gixxer 250 comes with conventional telescopic forks at the front – no USD forks here – and a monoshocker at the rear. The rims are 17-inch alloys that come with 110/70 at front and 150/60 tyres at rear, both the tyres are tubeless units. ABS comes as standard on both the wheels of the bike and so does disc brakes. The bike will be sold by the Japanese maker in two hues -- Metallic Matte Platinum Silver and Metallic Matte Black.
With a price tag that is not too high, and the refined nature of the engines that offer decent power output, the Gixxer 250 looks like a very good offering in the market. Although only the sales figures will tell the true story of the success of the bike.