Suzuki’s Gixxer 250 naked sportsbike: Is this IT?

At the launch of the Gixxer 250 SF, Suzuki announced that a naked sibling of the fully faired sportsbike is in the works, and that it would be launched in India by the end of 2019. While there have been many sketches of the new motorcycle going around on the internet, here is a more realistic render of what the Suzuki Gixxer 250 would look like, thanks to IAB.

As the render indicates, the Suzuki Gixxer 250 will dump the full fairing, and will instead replace it with an engine underside cowl and tank extensions. The frame will be carried over without a change while the handlebar will be a higher set, wider unit. The footpeg positioning isn’t likely to change while the headlamp will be an all-new item. There won’t be a fairing for wind protection although Suzuki could offer a headlamp fairing as an accessory. The twin seat layout will be carried over and so will be the digital instrument cluster. The mechanicals are also expected to be carried over to the naked sportsbike without any change. As for pricing, expect the motorcycle to be marginally cheaper than the fully faired Gixxer 250 SF.

The fully faired motorcycle is priced at Rs. 1.7 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. We expect the unfaired version to be pegged at around Rs. 1.6 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. Apart from a reduced price tag, the motorcycle will also have a lower kerb weight thanks to the full fairing getting dumped. The engine will be the 250cc, single cylinder four stroke engine with liquid cooling and fuel injection. The motor will make 26 Bhp of peak power and 22.9 Nm of peak torque: outputs that are identical to what it produces on the fully faired bike. The gearbox will be a 6 speed manual unit. Twin channel ABS will be standard and so will hydraulic disc brakes on both the front and rear wheels. Alloy wheels and tubeless tyres will also be standard.

As for suspension, telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear will handle shock absorption. The Suzuki Gixxer 250 will rival the likes of the KTM Duke 250 and the Yamaha FZ25. Its price is likely to peg it between these two motorcycles. It must be noted that the Suzuki produces more power than the Yamaha but less power than the KTM, which also gets a higher-spec of equipment all around. The KTM gets a twin cam engine compared to the single cam engine of the Suzuki. Suspension on the KTM is also more advanced with upside down forks up front. However, Suzuki would be projecting reliability and low maintenance cost as two major selling points for the Gixxer 250, and perhaps better mileage too.