Suzuki GSX250R: The return of the pocket rocket?

[MoSSaN69]

It’s got big shoes to fill

This is Suzuki’s first racy 250 since the two-stroke RGV250 and Japanese import four-stroke GSX-R250 of the 80s and 90s. Sporting a variation on the legendary GSX-R name, the bike has been designed to slot neatly into the burgeoning A2-friendly sportsbike class, heavily populated by the rest of the major Japanese manufacturers.

It’s not as fast as they used to be

At the heart of the GSX250R lies a peppy 248cc parallel twin motor, producing just 24.7bhp. It’s a far cry from Suzuki’s screaming mini supersport bikes of the 90s and it has to be worked hard to get the most out of. But, there’s still enough poke to be fun along nadgery back roads.

With so little power on tap, the Suzuki prefers carving up city streets, rather than going in search of peg-scraping, knee-down thrills. But power is non-threatening and fuel economy is great, even when you cane it in every gear to keep up with traffic.

Flat out with your head on the tank, you’ll just about manage to keep up with motorway traffic and the bike sounds like it’s in a constant struggle. At 70mph it sits between 8500 and 9000rpm in sixth gear, close to its 10,500rpm redline. Despite this, the bike returned a measured fuel economy just shy of 77mpg – making it brilliantly cheap motoring.

At slower speeds the throttle response can be jerky, especially in the higher gears. It makes it hard to maintain a steady speed, which could be an issue on the urban commute.

The gearbox can also be stubborn. On more than one occasion I was left stranded at the lights, as the bike refused to clunk into first gear from neutral. The problem can also happen changing up to fifth when you ride it more enthusiastically.

[Madalin AM]

Closed.