GSX250R Owners’ Reviews – All the Satisfaction and Complaints | Beloved Motorcycle

GSX250R(250cc)Owner: nendorosan

This corner introduces one MY BIKE submitted to Webike Community every week.
The model introduced this time is  Suzuki「GSX250R」and the owner is "nendorosan".

Over the past few years, the lineup of 250cc full-cowl sports bikes has been increasingly expanded by various companies. Honda's CBR250RR, with its high-class equipment, allows you to fully enjoy the SS mindset; Yamaha's YZF-R25, the youngest member of the matured YZF series; and the ZX-25R, the only 4-cylinder model in its class. You may have a hard time deciding which one you want.

In a category crowded with such rivals, Suzuki introduced the GSX250R in 2017. This model features stylish styling typical of Suzuki's flagship GSX series of sports models and a reliable parallel twin-cylinder engine derived from the GSR250. It is also attractive because of its reasonable price of 581,900 yen for a new model compared to other models (for reference, the CBR250RR is 869,000 yen, a difference of about 2250 USD!) If you are looking for a full-cowl sport bike, this is the model you are looking for! If you want a full-cowl sports bike, this is the model you are interested in.
However, when comparing the specs and equipment, it seems to be less powerful than its rivals.　
Is it too heavy? Is the equipment just as good because it's cheap? What is the actual situation? I'm sure there are many people who are wondering "What is it really like?"

Nendorosan's reviews of his favorite bike are a great response to these concerns.
Before riding the GSX250R, he owned a Ducati 400SS and a Suzuki RF400 and currently owns a Kawasaki KLX125 and a Yamaha Majesty 250. This GSX250R impression by such a veteran is a great post that will help you get to the point where you are interested in the GSX250R!

Among the 250cc full-cowl sports models, the GSX250R has a strong tourer character. Many riders love this model because of its practicality, which cannot be seen from the catalog specs alone. The photo is posted by Me163, who also gave a great impression of the GSX250R and is a great reference!

FROM MY BIKE COMMENTS

I was fed up with the starting performance of the RF and decided to switch to a FI bike.
I considered the 400cc class such as the CBR, but the recent bikes are heavier with steel frames and catalysts on the exhaust systems, so I decided to downsize to 250cc considering the handling.

Advantages

The specs are quite low on power (almost half of 45 PS), but when you actually ride it, it doesn't bother you too much.
It is easy enough to ride at legal speeds. It is equipped with daylight and tail lights that are LED. The OEM headlight bulbs were halogen and I felt uncomfortable with them, so I replaced them with Rising Alpha bulbs. Although it is 6 years old, it is a FI motorcycle with good starting performance. I don't like digital meters, but the twin trip, fuel consumption, clock, gear position, and other information are displayed in a small area, which is very convenient. It is also cool that it is inverted. Fuel consumption on the street is in the 40km/L range with the OEM exhaust system. Other than the exhaust system, I like the styling. I don't like the bug-like design of recent bikes, but this bike is a little different. On the practical side, I like the fact that the oil can be changed without removing the cowl and that the magnetic tank bag can be used.

Disadvantages

Aside from the ride, the design is SS-style, so the tandem's load capacity is low. The hooks are unbalanced in terms of position and strength between the side of the tandem step and the cloth band attached to the back of the tandem seat, making it impractical. It may be a symptom unique to this model, but sometimes the shifting becomes sluggish.
There were several times when I tried to downshift after stopping with the clutch in the top gear, but it would not shift into gear. Despite the lightweight looks of the SS series, it is surprisingly heavy. The exhaust system is big and tacky. The quietness, high fuel efficiency, and performance are very good, but the scooter-like exhaust system with the looks of the SS series is very uncomfortable. That is why I switched to Yoshimura. The exhaust system is manufactured in China, but is it designed in China as well? Removing the cowl is quite difficult. On the other hand, it seems to play a role in preventing theft, but it is screwed on from the back side, or it is fixed with clips used for motorcycle interiors, or velcro is used. I feel the exoticism of the cowl. About half of the cowl area is unpainted resin, so it is likely to look quite shabby when it deteriorates over time.

Advice for prospective buyers

It is a used FI motorcycle, so even a beginner can ride it safely as long as it has not been treated roughly.
As for the exhaust system, the OEM one is better in terms of fuel efficiency and quietness. Especially, the fuel consumption dropped to 30km/L at high speed after switching to Yoshimura R77S. I also feel that the low-speed torque is slightly reduced. Since used OEM exhaust systems can be obtained quite cheaply, one way is to buy a vehicle with a custom exhaust system, ride it, and see how it goes.

■ Webike community to make motorcycling more fun