HYOSUNG GT250R

                                    HYOSUNG GT250R

The GT250R is a purposely built bike to make the rider feel as if he is riding a bike from an upper segment. The front has a unique face with a diamond shaped headlamp incorporating a projector bulb within it. The big bike appeal is further enhanced by the full fairing which has many edgy air scoops embedded on it, to facilitate the cooling of the engine. The fuel tank is a nicely sculpted unit with superb knee recesses, which gives the rider a feeling of being 'in' the bike. The side and rear body panels have a pointed design stretching rearwards, with a small LED tail lamp taking the pride position behind. The very usable split pillion grab rails and split seats accentuate its big bike appeal even moretal . The instrument console is a combination of an analog tachometer and a small LCD displaying digital speedometer, clock, fuel gauge, odometer and trip meter, but the unit looks rather plain and outdated. The build quality and fit and finish is decent, but not up to the benchmarks set up by the Japanese quarter liter motorcycles.

The GT250R is destined to be a sharp and focused motorcycle which it perfectly does so. The bike with its bigger stance, low set split handlebars and rear set foot pegs gives it a dedicated seating position, giving you more confidence on the saddle to push it hard. The suspension setup of front downside telescopic forks and rear monoshock is set up on a stiffer side, and aids in complementing with the chassis' flexibility. The brakes are amongst the best in class with dual discs at front and a single disc at rear

Powering the GT250R is segment-first 249cc 4-stroke, air-cooled, V-twin unit which churns out a maximum 73.7 PS of power and 60.9 Nm of torque. The motorcycle seems eager to rev the moment you twist the throttle, with the abundance of torque lying in the upper ranges of rev limits. The motorcycle seems a bit unrefined when revved hard near the redline, but the linear power delivery pretty much makes up for it. The 6-speed gearbox is a nice unit, which makes the usability of the available power very easy.

The GT250R is powered by a strong and powerful two-cylinder, V-twin DOHC eight-valve engine, 249 cc engine. The design of the V-twin means that it will give you more low range torque than you would get with an I-4 engineered engine. That translates to more usable power for the street, and it also means you don’t need to rev to red line before you feel the bike start to pull.

This is the IDEAL engine configuration for a new rider to have in my opinion, but I am very partial to V-twins myself, I find them to be very practical. We can talk about the engine on this bike for a while, but the thing that sets it apart is the styling.

his motorcycle has some of the sweetest styling of any motorcycle I’ve seen, that includes 250’s, 500’s, 600’s, and Liter Bikes!! It almost looks like a cross between a Honda VFR, a Suzuki GSXRand a Ducati; and if you ask me that’s a brilliant combination. The modern styling doesn’t just show itself with the bodywork, the instrument cluster is also full of modern equipment. It’s nice to see a 250cc motorcycle with a Digital Speedometer for a change, yet to keep the analog tachometer which is much easier to read compared to a digital one.

One thing that can’t be overlooked is the headlight of this motorcycle. Its reminiscent of recent Ducati street bikes with its vertical lined bulbs, yet it does this while maintaining its own originality. Frankly the GT250R is a breath of fresh air for the 250 class, most motorcycles of this type are hold overs from the 80’s with only slight upgrades to mechanical components. This leaves them to look a little dated to say the least, yet the GT250R is definitely a modern looking bike.

When this bike was first released there were no Ninja 300’s, Yamaha R3’s, or CBR00’s. Hyosung paved the way in bringing modern styling to beginner motorcycles.

The one caveat of Hyosung is they are a relatively new company, especially when you compare them to Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki which have been in the motorcycle game for decades. The youth of their company has led them to redesign their motorcycles nearly every year as they get new rider and dealer input.

Chances are if you don’t like some particular feature of the current crop of GT250R’s, in a year or so they will have dramatically changed it to make it an even more capable motorcycle.

PROS:

·         One of the best looking motorcycles in its class.

·         V-twin engine delivers usable power for a new rider.

·         Modern instrument cluster includes a digital speedometer.

CONS:

·         Newer company, reliability hasn’t been tested.

·         More expensive than the Kawasaki Ninja 250R

·         Fully faired, so expensive to replace fairings if crashed.

HYOSUNG GT250R SPECS:

·         MSRP: $3,699

·         Engine: 4 stroke, air/oil-cooled

·         Displacement: 249cc

·         Horsepower: 30 hp @ 10,500 rpm

·         Ignition: Electric start

·         Transmission: 5-speed

·         Seat Height:30.7 in.

·         Fuel Capacity: 4.5 Gal