Slowly but surely manufacturers in India are understanding the value of the 250 to 300 cc segment. One of the latest entrant being the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250. While as enthusiasts we all want parallel twins and a high revving machine, manufactures have found it easier and most importantly cost efficient to stick with a simple but proven single cylinder setup. The majority of the final buyers of these machines use it for the daily grind and these are the exact people the company is targeting.
And that’s exactly where the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 fits in. This machine runs a single cylinder 249 cc engine that has a lot of usable power and torque in the low and mid range that makes riding it extremely fun and it sounds good too.
The off the line performance is quite addictive and as you build the revs the strong mid range kicks in giving you a very involving experience. You get to use the available power and torque without having to explore the higher revs that often. This sort of an engine nature enables the SF 250 to be a very friendly city bike. The gearing also is so well sorted that you are able to get away from a near stop even in third gear.
The versatility of this machine also allows you decent highway speeds and a 100-120 cruise is possible without stressing the engine much. It will also pull cleanly till 140 without an issue with some vibes creeping in only post 9k RPM. With a mixed riding of city and highway we got a quite decent 35 mileage, which is plenty for the excitement it offers.
The riding position on the SF 250 is not that committed but still is slightly forward biased. But the good thing is that its not that stressing on the palms. We would have liked it if the foot pegs were a little bit more rear set and higher, that would have really given this bike better overall riding stance.
Once on the road the Gixxer SF 250 feels light and easy to handle and even with a pillion, things are comfortable. It’s easy to change directions and can keep up with you on the days you are in the mood to attack the corners as well. It’s only the low foot pegs that come in that way every once in a while.
The suspensions are on the softer side, driving in the fact the comfort aspect of this machine. The front suspension does its job really well in dampening the surprises on the roads and combine that with the pleasant rear suspension, this bike is ideally poised to be a good road touring machine.
The braking department is one place where things could have been better, especially the front brake. It lacks the reassuring initial bite and you really wish it could scrub off speed better. It takes a bit getting used to but you do have the Dual Channel ABS backing you up.
Out on the highway, surprisingly, even though by design the front visor is quite low, you really do not feel that much wind blast, which should be a sigh of relief for all the people considering this machine for touring.
The LED headlights at front are decent but we would have loved to see a stronger throw. The overall build quality of the Gixxer SF 250 is extremely good and Suzuki has also given it a good looking digital meter at front that has a gear indicator and a clock along with the other standard functions.
So in conclusion, if you are in the market for a no nonsense 250 cc machine that is easy and fun to ride without having to worry about reliability and cost of maintenance, the Gixxer SF 250 should definitely be on your list. It has a unique look to it as well.
Do let us know what you think about the Gixxer SF 250 in a comment below.
