Suzuki has brought few of its world renowned bikes through the CBU channel but then that’s just a minute fraction of the Indian bike market.

Suzuki needs to launch a product which sends the shrill down the corridor of the competition as none of bikes like the Slingshot and the GS150R have done something the competition should worry about. There’s no excitement in Suzuki products.

The 250cc segment is the newest playground for the major manufacturers. Honda with the CBR250R and Kawasaki’s Ninja 250 have registered in consumer’s mind and we assume nothing should stop Suzuki from bringing the 250cc baby B-King.

Suzuki has started producing their new GW250 in China. Like Honda’s CBR250R, the GW250 falls under the B-King family and is a naked street bike. The company is tight lipped about an Indian launch. With a 250cc liquid cooled 4 stroke engine which produces 26 bhp @ 8500rpm and 24nm of torque at 7000rpm, it certainly has the firepower to take on the Honda or the Kawasaki. For India, Suzuki should intensely localize the bike to keep the price competitive.

Just about everything seems to be right except for Suzuki’s pedestrian attitude in the Indian market.

Shouldn’t Suzuki consider the V Strom for India?

The Indian sports bike market is showing intense growth and we’ve said enough of it already. The recently launched Kawasaki Ninja Er6f or the 650r and the Hyosung GT650R could be the closest competitor to the V Strom if it makes to the Indian market.

We should remind you that the Ninja 650R is not a fully blown track bike. The upright handle bars clearly depicts that the bike is in favour of cruising but amazingly the Ninja feels equally at home on a track as it does out on the highway. Here is where the V Strom would differ from the Ninja.

The V Strom is oriented more towards adventure touring than the racing track. The rugged design and high ground clearance has to be noted. Surely this segment has a fan following in India.

The technologies in the V Strom have include new radiator design for better cooling, standard ABS, 19 inch front wheel and 17 inch rear wheel.

The list of other features of the 2012 Suzuki V Strom:-

Height-adjustable windscreen, tested in wind tunnel reduces air buffeting and fatigue.
Comfortable riding position
20-liter fuel tank
Analog tacho and brightness-adjustable LCD speedo. Readouts include odometer, twin trip meters, gear indicator, coolant and ambient temperature, average fuel consumption, fuel gauge and clock.
Radiator flanked by wind-directing plates lets the hot air away from the rider’s legs.
6-speed transmission
Twin iridium spark plugs for each cylinder
Front dual 310mm-disc brakes and rear 260mm-disc brake
Three colours: Pearl Mirage White, Glass Sparkle Black and Metallic Fox Orange.

Source – Motoroids.com

Cosmetic changes include the addition of a white shade and graphic schemes. Mechanical additions are a rear disc brake, tubeless tires and new exhaust pipe with engine and transmission likely to be left untouched.

The GS150R facelift comes close on the heels of an updated competitor range. Over the last 6-8 months, Yamaha introduced new colors on the FZ series, Hero Honda updated the Hunk, Bajaj introduced the Discover 150 and plans new Pulsars.

The GS150R is strapped with a 150cc engine producing 13.8bhp @ 8,500rpm and a max torque of 13.4Nm @ 6,000rpm. It is paired to a 6-speed (1 down, 5 up) gearbox. Equipped with front disc brake and rear drum brake, the GS150R is available in both kick and electric start options. Suzuki introduced the Slingshot facelift back in January this year.

2012 Suzuki GS150R Image Gallery

Current Suzuki GS150R Specifications

Engine

Type Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC
Bore x Stroke (mm) 57.0 x 58.6
Displacement (cm3) 149.5
Max Power 13.8bhp @ 8,500rpm
Max Torque 13.4Nm @ 6,000rpm
Compression Ratio 9.35:1
Carburetor BS26 with TPS
Ignition CDI
Starting Electric & Kick
Transmission 6-speed (1-down, 5-up)

Suspension

Front Telescopic, Coil Spring, Oil Damped
Rear Swingarm Type Coil Spring, Oil and Gas Damped

Tyre Size

Front 2.75-18 42P
Rear 100/90-18 M/C 56P

Brake

Front Hydraulic single disc
Rear Drum

Dimensions

Fuel Tank Capacity (l) 15.5
Overall Length (mm) 2,095
Overall Width (mm) 775
Overall Height (mm) 1,120
Wheelbase (mm) 1,340
Ground Clearance (mm) 160
Seat Height (mm) 790
Kerb Mass (kg) 149

[Source Facebook.com via GoaOnWheels.com]

The Suzuki GW250 is packed with a two-cylinder 250cc 4-stroke liquid-cooled engine, that generates 26 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 4Nm torque at 7,000 rpm.

It was Suzuki, in association with TVS, which brought the first 100cc Indo-Japanese motocycle to India back in the ’80s. Though it had the first mover advantage, it couldn’t capitalise on it and the market was eventually taken over by the Hero Honda. The mutual co-operation between TVS and Suzuki existed for about 19 years till 2001 when both the companies parted ways.

After the break-up, Suzuki brought in its own stable of 125cc steeds, the Zeus and the Heat in 2006. Though the Zeus was a good motorcycle, sales never picked up and Suzuki India managed to get a paltry share in the market. In 2007, Suzuki introduced the Access scooter which promised a lot and consolidated it with impressive sales figures.

Then, the GS150R, a 150cc motorcycle, was launched in 2008 which won appreciation from many a critic. But then, the Pulsars’ domination meant a gradual increase in the sales of the GS. As a result, the GS ended up with ordinary sales figures and the Suzuki’s share marginally increased.

Recently, the Slingshot was launched with compliance to the BSIII norms. But the same phenomenon seems to perpetuate. On the whole, we have to say that Suzuki didn’t have much of a success yet despite having world-class products.

B-King is a very special product from Suzuki. It had severe repercussions at the headquarters of several automotive corporates when it was first showcased 10 years back at the Tokyo Auto Show as a concept. It gave a gracious rise to the company.

Now, the B-King is making its way into the Indian market in its baby avatar, we can expect a change in fortune for the Suzuki India Limited. Let us hope that Suzuki recovers from the debacle and posts good sales figures with the launch of GW250!

Before you get excited let me tell you that the SlingShot Plus has no pluses except for a small visor over the meter console (Along the lines of Yamaha FZ-S).

Except for the price, everything else remains untouched. The Slingshot Plus costs around 1,000 rupees more than the previous model.

The Slingshot plus is available in three variants which are:

Drum, Alloy, Kick start
Drum, Alloy, Self Start
Disc, Alloy, Self Start

Suzuki Slingshot Plus

The top-end model of Disc, Alloy, Self start costs INR 52,905 on-road Delhi

The SlingShot was only available in two variants of Drum, Alloy & Self Start and Disc, Alloy & Self Start. With SlingShot Plus you have an extra variant to choose from.

Let us see if the Suzuki Slingshot is able to help the company inch closer to the competition.

All of a sudden, this segment looks very lucrative for these manufacturers and every one of them is pitching in with models down-sized from their flagship motorcycles. The high growth expected in this segment is the primary reason for this trend. The latest manufacturer to follow this trend is Suzuki with the launch of GW250, called passionately as the baby B-King, in China.

2011 Suzuki GW250

The GW is expected to go on sale in Brazil and Europe by 2011/12. With the Indian 250cc segment heating up, we may expect the Suzuki to launch the GW in India soon.

The Suzuki GW250 borrows the brawny design cues from the sinister-looking B-King which was launched by Suzuki in 2007. The GW carries a 250cc four-stroke fuel-injected parallel twin unit with a liquid cooling system.

The baby B-King weighs 182kgs which is on the heavier side in this segment. The 250cc mill churns out a maximum torque of 23.73Nm at 7000rpm and a maximum power of 25.7Bhp at 8500rpm. The digital instrument cluster and the dual exhausts add to the sporty looks of the GW.

Lets find out how the GW250 and the CBR250R fare against each other in a head to head paper-based comparo. Though the GW has a twin-cylinder unit, the power figures are very similar to the single-cylinder CBR with both the bikes producing a power in the range of 26Bhp. Infact, the CBR makes 0.5Bhp more than the GW.

Since the entire specifications of the GW are not known, we are guessing from the power figures that the compression ratio of the Suzuki will be less than the Honda. The Suzuki holds it head high in the torque figures with the CBR having a deficit of almost 1Nm from the GW. The CBR is a significant 21kgs lighter than the GW which makes for an overpowering 163Bhp/tonne as against the 141Bhp/tonne of the Suzuki.

Also, there is a clear difference of intentions between the two. The Suzuki is a naked street bike which can do track days occasionally whereas the Honda, with its full fairing, is a track tool with a good street prowess. The CBR has an extra safety feature of C-ABS against the ABS-less GW.

When it comes to driving ergonomics, the GW is better with its upright seating position against the CBR’s forward-lean seating position. As one can see, both these bikes have their own strengths and weaknesses. The GW is an excellent option if you are looking for a powerful muscular street fighter with not-so-great expectations from the bike during the track days.

The CBR is great if you want a trendy street-smart bike which can handle the track days with ease. Until we drive both these 250cc pocket rockets, we cannot comment about their performance in real-life conditions. On the whole, the GW seems to be a good buy. Suzuki may well be having a savior for its renaissance in India with the GW250 provided it prices the bike aggressively.

On Saturday I visited the Relio Quick Auto Mall being held at the Leisure Valley Gurgaon.This is an event which is held at different cities in India and this month it was the turn of Gurgaon.

Auto Mall had most of the major brands from the automobile industry in India displaying their product lineup. Being a bike enthusiast my main interest was in the two wheeler section only.

The Suzuki Hayabusa fascinates and I'm seeing it for the 1000th time

Auto Mall could be called a miniature Auto Expo. Unlike other auto shows, you had variants debuting at the show which somewhat created an expectation that’s literally absent on the other so called auto shows.

The good thing about this event was that the crowd was diluted and you could easily interact with the officials and get closer to your favorite products without restrictions. However, the thing which disappointed me was that it looked like a half hearted effort by the manufacturers as not many of them were present and secondly they didn’t show up with their complete existing lineup.

Suzuki superbikes were in full attendance at the show

The highlight of the event was the Yamaha Style Biking event where amazing bike stunts were pulled off by the professional Yamaha riders. These guys rocked the show with all kind of daring stunts one could have never even imagined of. I have a small video of Yamaha Style Biking for readers.

Yamaha Stunt biking video

There was also an event by the Honda two wheelers targeted at kids up to the age of 13 years to raise awareness of basic safety precautions while riding.

Now coming to the two wheelers at display, the Auto Mall had brands like Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Bajaj and Hero Honda displaying their products. Suzuki however only displayed their products from the international line up like the Hayabusa, Intruder and the Bandit. No one comes to the show to see commuters and scooters. But the Slingshot, which is relatively new, could have gained some publicity if displayed.

The Suzuki Bandit was among the recent models at the show

Yamaha apart from their local models had the monstrous V-Max and the R1 2009 model on display. Honda on the other hand had CB1000R CBR Fireblade and the VFR1200F along with their existing lineup in India.

Honda VFR1200F as expected grabbed eyeballs

Bajaj had their existing models on display with the Green Beauty- the Kawasaki Ninja250R the main attraction of the stall. For the first time I got the chance to lay my hands on the Ninja250R. Also on display were the new Avenger 220 along with the Pulsar 220F.

The 2009 Yamaha R1 is usually on display at such events

The Yamaha stall had exactly what I was expecting to find there. The limited edition “Midnight Special” FZ-s was on display. The YZF R15 and Fazer 150 were also there with the newly launched SZ-X parked at the extreme corner of the stall.

The Yamaha V-Max is the cheap given Harley's are now in India

The Hero Honda stall had some interesting stuff as well. The Common Wealth Games limited edition Passion Pro was on display so was the newly launched Hunk. I will again speak about them in a separate post. The stall also had a small bike racing video game installed for the small kids.

While I was trying to find out what what’s happening at a Honda stall outside, one Honda rep walked up to me and asked me if I was interested in test riding the CB Twister.

Honda CB Twister helped me explore the layout of the show

Well.. for a guy like me the answer would always be yes and soon I was riding the CB Twister exploring the venue layout.

Overall a nice event for bikes and cars lovers. Next year we hope to see more brands and more models/variant debuts.

Relio Quick Auto Mall 2010 Image Gallery

The engine and certain other components is expected to be lifted from the 150cc GS150R which is already in the Indian market. It could be tuned to produce more horsepower.

Suzuki's 150cc bike could be based on the GS150R. Image purely speculative.

Disclaimer – The bike shown above only suggests how the 150cc motorcycle could look like. It isn’t an actual representation.

Therefore chances are that Suzuki might bring this bike in India too. If  launched in India this bike will take the Pulsars and the Fzs head on.

The GS150R is a high displacement commuter and people have been longing for a sporty version of it. Yamaha has shown the way, and so has Bajaj. Suzuki isn’t left with a task that hasn’t been done before.

New Suzuki 150cc bike features

The Suzuki GS150R is stylish, but just an enegetic commuter

The bike will be equipped with disc brakes at both front and rear and is expected to have extraordinary styling. The naked look complimented by the  muscular tank adds a punch to the overall styling of the bike.

If Suzuki manages to bring something similar to India then it will surely revive the popularity of the Suzuki brand in the country which has been doing moderately. A  mini GSXR is a recipe for success and gathering fan following!

Source: tcmblog.com

Here’s the TV commercial of the recently unveiled Suzuki Slingshot motorcycle. The Slingshot is Suzuki’s means to grab some market share in the 125cc segment. The Suzuki Slingshot is also BS3 compliant letting Suzuki sell it in major cities across India.

Suzuki Slingshot Ad screen capture

Do you own a Suzuki Hayabusa? Do you feel the ride is too tall? If yes then we have a solution you. Well not exactly we but the team at Platinum Air Suspension. Called as the ‘Bleed-Feed’ technology, the system allows you to adjust the height of your Hayabusa (using a switch) without compromising on the handling. By installing this, the ride is optimized as there is no bottoming out, wallowing or bouncing.

The kit includes:

* An air-control valve
* Quarter-inch air lines
* Fittings
* Air compressor
* Switch hardware and a line cutter

When speaking about this product, Mike Ferris, the Platinum Air Suspension owner said -

We feel it is critical not to compromise handling and full suspension movement when adjusting the ride height of a high performance motorcycle like the Suzuki Hayabusa

The whole unit has a one year warranty and can be chrome plated at an additional cost.

Source – Auto Evolution