The best commuter bike in the market. Review on Suzuki GS150R

I wanted a bike to commute to office on a daily basis.

Since I am a middle aged white collar office-goer and a bit heavily built(5'10", 89 kg), I wanted a bike that should go with my size and persona. So the options available to me were limited.

Apache interested me. But the sitting position and the vibrations were a letdown. I did not want to buy a Pulsar. The bike might be good, but there are so many on the road. FZ was ruled out because of an uncomfortable rear seat and low FE. Secondly, it is more suited for college guys who want to impress their GFs.

Hunk was another choice. Though the reviews I read about it were good, I did not seriously consider it because the overall shape did not appeal to me. I had almost zeroed on to Unicorn. It had all that I wanted - good looks, rock like reliability, butter smooth engine, decent FE, good kerb weight and, above all, Honda brand image.

But after having a TD on GSR I decided that this was the bike for me. It was like deciding to make a girl your life partner, after seeing her just once at a family function! You somehow knew this was the one for you! I had known about GSR since when it was released. But I never thought high about it because its pictures never looked good in those ads.

But after a TD, I started reading about it and it became more and more convincing that this was the one that suited me. The bike was big and heavy. It looked huge and untamed in that black colour. It had unmistakable road presence.Mount it and the cold metal feels solid in between your thighs! It is you and your steed and the world is your turf! Now three months after the purchase, I guess I am hugely in love with this machine.- warts and all! Despite its weight(circa 150 kg), it feels steady and sure-footed on the road. You don't feel uneasy when you ride it at 80+ kmph on a highway. The difference becomes very obvious if you, like me, are graduating from a pea-sized 100 cc-er. Ride is smooth and comfortable. Gear shifts are easy. The sixth gear makes a lot of sense(and helps it return good FE) on highways.

I used to get 48-50 before the first service(my second service is long overdue!). After the next filling I see that the figure has crossed 65 kmpl and still the fuel level has not reached the reserve. I use reserve-to-reserve method. I do not know if it is the best method for this bike. I guess for some bikes the point when the reserve is reached(i.e. engine stalling when the bike is being driven) could be variable and hence a source of error for the R2R method.

Anyways, I am quite happy with the mileage that I get from this bike. For a 150 cc bike, it is very good.The things I like most about the bike are its solid feel, comfortable ride, good FE and utilitarian digital console(shows time, gear position and fuel level in addition to speed and rpm). Some may find the weight of the bike a little more than they can handle(especially while mounting/dismounting, parking or easing it out of garage). Because of the weight, the torque would seem inadequate in low gears(esp. the third). But once the bike builds up its momentum, the ride is quite exhilarating. Overtaking a couple of trucks on a highway before the oncoming traffic starts staring in your face can be scary and demanding. The bike does it with elan even.

The negative things are lack of brilliant colours (not much choice in colours), poor finish in some places(e.g. the welded areas near the shockers are not properly burred), poor headlight and a rear brake that lacks bite. The front disc is ferocious, though. The rear seat gives a theatre view for the pillion rider because of its elevated position. The horn is loud and pleasing. Self starter works without any problem if you use the bike everyday. My use is such that sometimes the bike lies unused for days together, especially when I go on an official trip outside the city.

Then I have to kick it 5-6 times to bring it to life. Otherwise, it is one single kick in the morning and then self starter throughout the day. I guess the build of the bike is strong. I had a small fall once while dismounting. The side stand was not in position but I thought it was. We fell on the concrete floor. Though I had minor bruises on my left palm and my shoulder was aching for a couple of days, the bike did not get any visible scratches.

Finally, this is how I would conclude: GSR is a very good machine for those who are looking for a commuter bike. Personally, I like this bike because it is very much like me: good in everything, but hardly extraordinary in anything. Looks, performance, comfort, FE, reliability, you name it. It is good in every department. But if you single out each parameter individually, you might find a better bike in that category.

I guess you got my point!