[Vikashmalya]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

Happy Republic Day Folks,

Today myself and my wife decided to visit Sambar lake which is approx 100km from home. This route has a stretch of 50km of GQ highway each way. This is my first “longish” ride and also it is first ride for my wife in this bike.
...

The 1st pic looks awesome. The location complements the bike extremely well. I had owned 155 some time back and loved it. I am sure you will a great time with the 250.

[gauravanekar]

Update: Today I completed 2000km on ODO, right now the gear shifting has become butter smooth.

[Slick]

Recently did a few short rides,

Only one with pillion to Lonavala and got 35kmpl, only highway @early morning. (Speeds - 70-100) also the short climb of Lonavala was done with decently high revs. So I was expecting a dip in figures.

Recently I got stuck in a very bad traffic jam, for an hour, due to some fire. That was when I got roughly 28KMPL.

Very pleased with the way the bike is running, power + Efficiency, so far. Though I don't ride as frequently.

The only issue I am facing is the horn not working. I got it fixed once and its again not working.
I need to get it fixed or replaced under warranty.

Braking with a pillion is, as expected, a bit less and sudden speed breakers are troublesome. Wish the Brakes were a bit better.
Some pictures from the ride.

My Knee guards and the tank bag buckle are making scratches on the fiber panel. I need tank grips and protectors SOS. So far not found anything great in the market, may be some after market guys custom cut ? Any Idea ?





The seat on his bike is Ride On Air seat, Which I also use. It helps, his bike being much older, he needs it desperately.

His tank Bag is Rynox while mine is Viaterra. Quality wise Viaterra is better but with a catch, A Rynox tank bag has both magnet and straps where as Viaterra has only one option either magnetic or Straps. Mine, ofcourse, is strap based.



I am thinking of solutions to make the tank magnetic. Some youtubers have stuck wheel balancing metal weights to the tank, at the spot where the tank bag magnets would sit. That works but makes the bike ugly. I am looking for a solution that will not affect the looks as bad, may be a metal plate which sticks like tank grips. If not I am happy the way it is.

Also the new windshield that I got fit, sadly the improvement is not by a lot.




- Slick

[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by Slick

Also the new windshield that I got fit, sadly the improvement is not by a lot.

This eliminated all confusions I had regarding the fitment of after market windshield for Gixxer.

[Slick]

I did a Igatpuri ride recently, and the bike performed exceedingly well on the Kasara Ghat, It quite literally out handles every other bike (probably except the KTMs).

It's pure joy to ride in the twisties. You don't even have to lean it for it to take quick corners. I can only wonder what it will do once we change the stock tyres to Pirellis or Metzelers.

The heat has risen in Mumbai and now the return journey is not as enjoyable though, Hoping to squeeze in a Pune ride before temperatures really soar.


PS - @Gauravanekar My knee guards are fouling the tank and the plastic panel under the tank, Any good solution for that? I don't see any aftermarket tank grips for the Gixxer 250. If you find anything do let me know.

- Slick

[gauravanekar]

This video by Fortnine simply strengthens my belief in my own oil change interval. A nice video, please do watch if interested:

https://youtu.be/9GAUo8eUXeU

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

A short note on running in:

I have worked three years in Two wheeler manufacturing plant and my entire 9 year career is spent in auto OEM factories. Nobody gives two hoots about engine rpm in any company when the engines are tested in test bench, when the vehicle is test ridden or when it is loaded onto containers by driving/riding it on ramp. Logic dictates that if at all higher engine rpm damages engine, it is already done. There is no point in babying the engine later.
However it is indeed true that all the machined parts, seals, cast surfaces will always carry some impurities at the time of engine assembly and these gets mixed up with engine oil and may act as abrasive material between moving parts. Thus it is advisable to run the engine at slow speeds to minimize the effect of bad oil on moving parts.

Thats why I practice engine oil replacement @ 50km ODO

[drt_rdr]

Surprised that RE has top quality engine manufacturing. They deserve a pat on the back.

Though tight engine tolerances can't possibly speak for the overall quality of the whole bike.

On the subject of quality, Suzuki is selling made-in-India gixxers250s in Japan. That's an indicator of the level of trust the company has come to have in the quality of Indian manufacturing.

[Thatautoguy46]

Hello. Yesterday I bought Suzuki Gixxer SF250 in Matte Black. The odo had 6KM while delivery. I managed to clock 32KMs. I want to change the engine oil at 50KMs same as you did. But I don't know how to do it. And is 50KM mark the good time to change engine oil? And also can someone please decode the VIN.

[anivy]

Originally Posted by Thatautoguy46

And also can someone please decode the VIN.

Congratulations on the new bike.

The below thread might help with the VIN decoding activity:

Find the date of manufacture (VIN) of your motorcycle / scooter

[Thatautoguy46]

Originally Posted by anivy

Congratulations on the new bike.

The below thread might help with the VIN decoding activity:

Find the date of manufacture (VIN) of your motorcycle / scooter

.
Someone has already did that and conformed the date of manufacturing via VIN on that thread. Thanks

[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by Thatautoguy46

I want to change the engine oil at 50KMs same as you did. But I don't know how to do it. And is 50KM mark the good time to change engine oil? And also can someone please decode the VIN.

Hi, you can check the owners manual, it is quite informative.

1. There is drain bolt under the engine nearer to left hand engine cowl panel, loosen it using ring spanner and open the bolt to drain the oil

2. Oil filter can be replaced by opening the rearmost Allen bolt which holds the engine cowl panel (right hand side) almost at the bottom (I will do you the photo as I’m unable to upload in mobile)

3. Pull out the same panel by 10mm to access the three bolts of filter cover.

Replace filter and reverse the process

[ATTACH] https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...1&d=1617258699[\ATTACH]

[Thatautoguy46]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

Hi, you can check the owners manual, it is quite informative.

1. There is drain bolt under the engine nearer to left hand engine cowl panel, loosen it using ring spanner and open the bolt to drain the oil

2. Oil filter can be replaced by opening the rearmost Allen bolt which holds the engine cowl panel (right hand side) almost at the bottom (I will do you the photo as I’m unable to upload in mobile)

3. Pull out the same panel by 10mm to access the three bolts of filter cover.

Replace filter and reverse the process

[ATTACH] https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...1&d=1617258699[\ATTACH]

.
Thanks! Do I need a paddock stand to balance the bike on the centre or can I just drain the oil while the bike is on side stand? Should I use a engine oil flush? Now, the bike has covered 80 KMs, I will change the engine oil, should I be replacing the oil filter too?
The Suzuki Ecstar 10W-40 4T Synthetic oil costs 600 bucks per litre. Should I get that? There are many other brands like Castrol, Liqui Moly, etc. I will use the Suzuki one for the first few thousand KMs and then switch to other brands. And BTW, the oil capacity is 1200ML right. The oil will be available only in 1L bottle. So how much should I fill?

[gauravanekar]

1. Paddock stand not necessary, hold the bike straight to gauge oil level
2. Synthetic oil, oil flush, other branded oils are not required as you’ll be draining this oil soon at 1000km on ODO
3. Better to replace oil filter, if required take professional help
4. Buy 2 bottles and store the rest for the next refill

[gauravanekar]

Last Sunday I went out for a small hike around sagar lake (behind amber lake). Some good photos were taken.
As usual the bike performed phenomenally, I could get small glimpse of what this bike can to in corner when passing through amber road.
The parking place was a complete mess, I had lift and move 4-5 bikes to make path for my bike while returning.

Small pleasures like this make life beautiful

[Sudarshan42]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

At the time of delivery I did a thorough inspection of painted surface and all the mountings of the fairings, found everything to be fine except for the fact that there was some minor scratches on clutch lever. Since it was getting late on a sunday I was requested to get it changed during first service free of cost. I took the same in writing from them and left for home.

The 30km ride from dealership to home was the first opportunity for me to observe the engine and transmission in detail. I kept the engine rpm under 5k.

Following were the observations:
1. Gearshifts were hard and loud (takk noise)
2. Prominent vibrations between 4k-5k rpm
3. The engine was not tractable at lower rpms at all


yes I know what might be thinking, first oil change is supposed to be at 750km to 1000km, then how come this guy is avoiding riding.

A short note on running in:

I have worked three years in Two wheeler manufacturing plant and my entire 9 year career is spent in auto OEM factories. Nobody gives two hoots about engine rpm in any company when the engines are tested in test bench, when the vehicle is test ridden or when it is loaded onto containers by driving/riding it on ramp. Logic dictates that if at all higher engine rpm damages engine, it is already done. There is no point in babying the engine later.
However it is indeed true that all the machined parts, seals, cast surfaces will always carry some impurities at the time of engine assembly and these gets mixed up with engine oil and may act as abrasive material between moving parts. Thus it is advisable to run the engine at slow speeds to minimize the effect of bad oil on moving parts.

Thats why I practice engine oil replacement @ 50km ODO

When I had bought Pulsar 200, I had drained the oil with 50km on the ODO. I had observed that the oil was black yet the viscosity felt just right. What was concerning was that I had also noticed some tiny shiny materials in it (most probably metallic).

Armed with new oil (no new oil filter), I promptly drained the factory filled oil and refilled the mineral oil. The plan is to get the oil replaced again as per manufacturer recommendation @950-1000km. However, this time with the Suzuki the drained oil did not have any shiny metal parts in it, but the oil was black and dirty for sure.

Took the bike to office (25km ride), the engine felt much smoother, silent and the gear shifting had smoothened, didn’t notice vibration @4krpm prominently.

Attachment 2106289

I have ridden total four trips to office since the oil change, I’ve been riding normally like I would ride any bike. (As far as I’m concerned running in is over). These are my impressions:
1. Bike is stable at all speeds it is capable of going
2. 110kmph on the speedo is easy to achieve
3. Once triple digit speed is achieved if the throttle is let go fully and then again a mild throttle is given ( let’s say the least throttle that’s practically possible) the bike settles at a speed of 80kmph
4. Can’t comment on handling right now because I’m riding in the flat lands of Rajasthan
5. Ground clearance is adequate to cross any abnormal hump, mild off-roading is doable
6. There is an intake growl which one can hear in the midrange if the throttle is opened wider, it sounds delicious yet gentlemanly
7. Can’t cross most humps, big potholes in 3rd gear, should shift down to 2nd if one doesn’t want the engine to shut off abruptly
8. It seems like the clutch full disengagement happens only when the lever of fully compressed, needs a minor adjustment, may be gear shifting will become smoother if done.
9. As many reviewers had mentioned, the visor is useless, I don’t plan to go for aftermarket visor as I can live with this much wind blast.
10. 6 gear is not too tall, there is enough life in the engine in top gear, can-be used for overtaking, I like it this way for daily use.
11. The stock mrf revs tires are not the best, I had Michelin street radial in my Pulsar.
12. Brakes are average.
13. Headlight beam orientation seems a tad bit higher, but I need to ride some more to determine whether it is ok or needs adjustment.
14. I’m not enjoying the switch from halogen to led, heck I like the dispersed light of the olden days.
16. This time I’m not measuring the fuel economy, will start measurement from the next full tank fill.
17. The bike looks more expensive than it actually is.
18. Seating ergonomics is not perfect I feel that the angle of rider seat upper surface is a little messed up.
19. I would have wished the seat to be a little narrower and allow the legs to be closer to each other (like r15v2).
20. In this deep winter, I offer no comments on engine heat management.
21. Compared to AS200, performance wise Gixxer 250 is better. But the margin is very small, the biggest improvement is in the feel of the engine, ease of the engine while delivering the same performance.
22. Post 115kmph engine performance starts dulling (perhaps I’d like to revisit on this comment when I get back to you after my first long ride).

I intend to keep you guys updated with my ownership experience of this bike. Since this bike is not all that popular if you’ve any questions or comments feel free to discuss in this thread or DM it to me.

Lovely write-up and thread, Gaurav. I too am in the same boat in terms of dilemma, and laughed out loud at the graph you made since those are the exact same questions and thoughts in my mind.

There's just one thing preventing me from going ahead with the Gixxer 250, and perhaps you can help me with this- the brakes have been reported to be quite spongy and inconsistent under hard braking, with significantly larger stopping distances compared to the FZ25. This is a concern for city riding, and is a deal-breaker for me. However, can this be solved via aftermarket mods in the form of better brake pads, MC, tyres etc? Would hate to make a compromise by choosing the FZ25 since the Gixxer seems to be better on almost all other fronts except this one.