THE GENTLEMAN'S BIKE. Review on Suzuki GS150R

I test drove the Suzuki GS 150 today. it is readily available in Chennai for a price of about Rs 67, 800/- or so.

I was pretty impressed with the size of the bike, a fact I have noticed while chasing the bike when seen(rarely).I tend to chase rare bikes and cars, much to the trepidation of their owners! It looks like one of the big bore street bikes in vogue in Europe, except for the wheezy engine.

The bike is better finished than the Pulsar. however, it styling suggests it is for mature riders and not for green toothed teenagers who might rather prefer the Yamaha fz or r15. Stickers are also subdued and tastefully done unlike the vast majority of bikes which tend nowadays to be chintzy and garish.

Pulsars tend to deteriorate very quickly and thier engines are basically junk after about 15000 kms, the tvs apache and Honda shine also vibrate causing uneasiness between the thighs! The short drive I had on the Suzuki gs hints that it is totally smooth and unstressed, though like the good old KB 100 it requires to be revved hard for proper pick up and its low end torque is quite poor. However, revving it gives a superb feel and sound and there is almost no vibration.

Handling is quite good and it feels like sitting on a horse! No difficulty in handling with a pillion though it is quite a heavy bike. Its heaviness appears to be the reason for its sluggishness at low rpm. however, feels royal to ride, similar to a bullet, minus the harshness.

• Extremely comfortable to ride with soft suspension, and very easy to turn unlike the pulsars and apaches with their forward weight distribution which tend to be heavy on the wrists.

  
  




• This will be one great bike for long distance touring with its 6 gears, which are reasonably easy to operate, however, six gears for city riding is one too many, and wil cause mild irritation in heavy traffic, with a thorough workout for the left hand using the clutch, It may not be suitable for those with carpal syndrome or such other afflictions that are so common these days.

  
  




• The orange colour and bluish green colour stand out from the crowd, however, the grey is drab and the black is very passe these days, with every Thoma, Tickoo and Hari having one.

  
  

Pity that it is priced five grand beyond its tempting value, most people would prefer the Unicorn which is lighter and better known, or the Apache which makes even an old man a boy racer, or the Hunk/CBZ which emphasize style over practicality, or the Pulsar, which, except for its terrible engine, is still the best looking bike in India. Take your pick.

All in all a good bike, like I said it for the gentlemen riders among us, it is not for the stoplight drag racers.

• I am waiting for Suzuki to announce a discount.

Ride on mates-regards from twincam.

hey guys, as the above remarks are all praise, I ve to mention a word of caution here. Drove the bike again a couple of times. It has severe valve noise and knocking at almost all engine rpms. I tested several bikes at the dealers, and they kept saying the valve clearance was to be set during servicing, why set such things on a brand new bike?apparently there are several issues such as rusting and poor painting also which the buyer has to examine before laying down the moolah.

regards, twincam.