Japanese manufacturer Suzuki will finally launch the Gixxer SF in India on 7th April 2015. The bike will be the cheapest fully-faired two-wheeler in the country.
The Suzuki Gixxer SF seems to be one of the most awaited bikes in the mass-market segment this year. The bike has been spied quite a number of times and yes it does look good with its fully-faired design. The latest news is that Suzuki India has confirmed that they will be launching the Gixxer SF street sport bike on 7th April. The Japanese manufacturer has had many failures in the Indian two-wheeler market in the past but the company got it right with the Gixxer that has been receiving a very good response. The company is highly optimistic that the Gixxer SF will also do well in our market.
The Suzuki Gixxer SF shares most of its mechanicals with the naked Gixxer. The bike is powered by a 154.9cc single-cylinder, air-cooled motor that belts out 14.8 PS of power at 8000 RPM and 14 Nm of torque at 6000 RPM. The engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission. On the looks front, the Gixxer SF looks quite gorgeous and the bike has been designed well with good proportions. The front fairing seems to carry some inspiration from big daddy Hayabusa and that is a good thing. The Gixxer SF will be marginally costlier than the regular Gixxer so we expect it to be priced at around Rs. 88,000/- (ex-showroom, Delhi).
People prefer fully-faired bikes thanks to the sporty appeal that they provide. While the Gixxer SF still has two weeks to go for its launch, the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 will be hitting the markets this week itself so it is going to be an interesting battle to watch out for. While the Pulsar RS 200 will be pricier than the Gixxer SF for sure, what may work in the latter’s favour is its value-for-money proposition in the upper-150cc segment. Apart from the above mentioned bikes, the Gixxer SF will compete with the semi-faired Yamaha Fazer too.
The newest Japanese seems to be all set to be the cheapest fully-faired bike in the country. Remember, neither the Fazer, nor the Gixxer SF compete with the Pulsar RS 200 because that bike is way more powerful but in India, where people judge a bike based on looks, the Gixxer SF will beat the Pulsar RS 200 on pricing and that might lure buyers to the Suzuki camp, of course only those buyers who just want a full-faired motorcycle and performance isn’t their primary criteria.
