Remember Melroy? He did the Saddlesore on his Yamaha FZ16 (read about it here) and has now upgraded to a bigger motorcycle. He shares his ownership experience of his new bike with us. Over to you Melroy!
Hearing Hyosung have started bookings in April, 2011 for their bikes, I was bit speculative. I visited Ronit Motors, Mumbai and I was glad to see the GT650R in flesh it looked simply awesome. When the engine was started up the sound of the mighty V-Twin engine roared. I was completed sold out, I paid the booking amount immediately. Later in June, 2011 I was glad to hear that my bike has arrived and I could later take delivery of the bike once the registration was completed.I was glad to be one of the first few bikers in Mumbai to purchase the bike.
Engine – The engine is a 650cc 4stroke, Double Overhead Camshaft, Water cooled, 4 valve per cylinder engine. The 90 degree V-Twin cylinder produces around 72bhp of power. The performance from the bike is mind blowing. A slight twist of the throttle and you will be easily doing speeds over 120 kmph. The power delivery is smooth and responsive, it bring a smile on you face after every ride. The international specs GT has around 80 BHP of power, wonder why they have dutuned it here. Garware Motors claims a top speed of around 219 kmph.
Transmission – The bike has a 6-speed gearbox. Having a 1-down 5-up gears change. Never while riding has there been a false neutral. The gear change is accurate and precise.
Frame – The GT has a trellis type twin-spar frame, which offers great riding comfort at all speeds. It has a slim saddle which offers good comfort. The kerb weight of the bike is 215kg which makes it bit heavy to ride at slow speeds.
Suspension and Brakes – It has Upside Down Telescopic forks in the front and Monoshock suspension at the rear.The front offers compression and rebound damping while the rear is pre-load adjustable.The front brakes are double disc 300mm while rear is single disc 280mm which brings the bike to a immediate stop without being unsettled. Tyres offered are Bridgestone Battlax BT56 which are exceptionally good. The front width of the tyre is 120mm wide while the rear is 160mm wide both front and back are tubeless radial tyres.
Aesthetics – The GT is definitely eye catching and everyone will give a second look to the bike. The ruby red single tone color offers the most stares. The vertically stacked lights not only offer good lighting but also give a bit DUCATI 999 look to it. The thread pattern on the tyres looks meaty enough to tackle any terrain.The huge 17-liter tank is a massive and the most noticeable part of the bike.
Price and Mileage – On-road Mumbai cost is Rs. 5.51 lakhs. I am getting a mileage of 17.85 kmpl with constant triple digit speeds.
Verdict – Anyone who is looking for more performance from a Kawasaki Ninja250R, Bajaj Pulsar 220 or a Honda CBR250R should consider looking at the GT650R bike. Initially I had considered the Ninja 650R but it lacked the styling and ergonomics of a SuperSport bike so I didn’t consider it. The GT650R produces most of the power under 9000 RPM so power is easily accessible without having to the rev the bike too high. Riding the bike at 7000 RPM I didn’t feel vibrations from the engine. Quality level on 2011 GT650R has greatly improved when compared to the earlier Comet GT250 sold here. I am happy with the purchase of the GT650R and also with the services offered from the dealers.
– Melroy Alphonso
