[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

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.

Agree with you that brakes are a little bit of concern, rather than spongy l I’d say that the brakes are not strong enough, doesn’t have the stopping power is I may. I have learned to live with it. Not sure about mod potential.

[Fastdriver]

Thanks �� gauravanekar for sharing his well depicted motorcycling journey and informations that'll go a long way to help others in purchasing a Gixxer SF 250. I too want to go for it, but I understand that fitment of frame sliders properly may not be a possibility, causing replacement of side panels is the only option in the event of a bad fall. Also spare parts availability is of concern. I wish Suzuki rectifies my concerns.

[TheHelix0202]

Not sure if anyone has done this yet, but can the (larger) front disc of the 250 be retrofitted onto the 150? The tyre profile for the former is 110 while that of the latter is 100. The ABS unit is presumably the same on both, with the same Bybre callipers (I’m assuming).

[gauravanekar]

I run close to 7000km till now and there is nothing special to report, at 5500km or so I switched to liquimoly semisynth of the manufacturer recommended grade, the engine has become smoother now.
Its the worry free nature of japanese bike ownership that I cared so much about after my stint with RE & Bajaj. This bike is delivering me exactly what I wanted in terms of ownership.

And to add to the point, the performance has been going strength to strength.

[SiLxNcE]

Hi everyone.
I am not sure of this is the correct thread to ask but I am in the market to get my first bike and have some years of riding experience. After a lot of brainstorming, I have shortlisted 2 bikes: The Gixxer SF250 and the CB350RS.

Now the thing is there are no proper comparisons between these 2 bikes as they are of different segments but only these 2 seem to fit in the things I am looking out of my 1st bike: a slight sporty attentive stance, exclusivity and good highway manners for occasional long rides, decently good mileage and no hooligan performance (I need a easy progressive throttle). I have test ridden the SF150 and found the seating posture to be the right amount of sporty though it felt a little underpowered. The SF250 will have the same seats but with double the power. The CB350RS is also awesome and I have probably watched all YouTube videos on it. Please let me know your inputs on the basis of how the ownership experience might be over at least 5 years and how easily spares and services will be available. A comfortable pillion seat will be good to have but not something mandatory.

Thanks.

[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

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?

After riding for one year, I am now convinced that the tyre is the biggest culprit in ruining the braking experience.

Braking issue:
ABS kicks in early even on dry tar road.

Dry grip:
While mild cornering the confidence one gets from the bike is bad, feels skittish

Suspension:
The tyres themselves are not contributing in dampening the road impact, overall the suspension smoothness is lacking in both high speeds and low speed.

I am trying to get michelin Road 5s for the bike and it looks like it would be too much trouble to procure the same. I am also considering Apollo Alpha 1. Will share feedback of the tyres as I get it changed.

Also during next service I’m going to switch to Liquimoly fully synthetic oil. It is quite expensive.

[gauravanekar]

Hello,
After some gap I have some important updates,
Update1:
After a little bit of research bought Royal Enfield Nirvik Riding jacket,
Its a touring jacket which has all D3O protectors at back, chest(2 pieces), elbows and shoulders. Works very well in the north Indian winter, overall the jacket feels quite stiff, Have not ridden long distances to ascertain tourability.


Update2:
the Stock MRF revZ were not satisfactory as discussed many times.

I was considering Micehlin Road 5 primarily, but later Added Apollo alpha H1 to consideration list based on the discussions in the team-bhp.

Considering that Road 5s were not readily available in Jaipur and that the tyres were actually quite expensive, I chose Apollo H1s,
Have ridden 40kms after fitment including a quick trip to the hills.

Alpha H1s review:
front - 110/70-17 & rear - 150/60-17 (both stock sizes)

The tyre profiles are rounded in comparison to revZs, this has transformed the bike in a big manner, now the bike handles very well, the bike readily tips into corners and the grip seemed sufficient in my limited testing.

The braking has also improved as I perceived the ABS kicking in later than older tyres. I feel the tyres are really worth it at this point of time, would reserve my final comments after a long ride to Himalayas.

Would share more photos when I find time.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

Hello,

Considering that Road 5s were not readily available in Jaipur and that the tyres were actually quite expensive, I chose Apollo H1s,
Have ridden 40kms after fitment including a quick trip to the hills.

Alpha H1s review:
front - 110/70-17 & rear - 150/60-17 (both stock sizes)

The tyre profiles are rounded in comparison to revZs, this has transformed the bike in a big manner, now the bike handles very well, the bike readily tips into corners and the grip seemed sufficient in my limited testing.

The braking has also improved as I perceived the ABS kicking in later than older tyres. I feel the tyres are really worth it at this point of time, would reserve my final comments after a long ride to Himalayas.

Would share more photos when I find time.

Gaurav please post photos of the tyres when you pen down your report and feedback thoughts.

My son and I are looking forward to it.

Cheers, Doc

[gauravanekar]

Some photos I could quickly take, ignore the dirt

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

Some photos I could quickly take, ignore the dirt

They look very nice. Cost of the set?

Cheers, Doc

[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by ebonho

They look very nice. Cost of the set?

Cheers, Doc

Front: 4100
Rear: 5400
Total: 9600

[gauravanekar]

Did a 550km ride to Delhi today, measured fuel efficiency through full tank to full tank method. Although I gunned the bike throughout I got a mileage of 32.5kmpl.
New tyres seems to be better at rounding off sharp potholes and quick lane changes, upon closer observation it seems like braking has not improved much. The weakness seems to be in the braking hardware rather than the low grip in the tyres. On dry highway abs kicks in unnecessarily. I don’t find the brakes unsafe though. (Note: This is the first ABS equipped bike I’ve extensively ridden, May be my expectation is not calibrated, I am not sure about that, I am definitely not happy with the brakes as it is)

[Thatautoguy46]

Can somebody tell me how to start a new thread? I've been waiting to write the ownership in detail about my SF250. If not possible, I will write it down here

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by Thatautoguy46

Can somebody tell me how to start a new thread? I've been waiting to write the ownership in detail about my SF250. If not possible, I will write it down here

Go to the sub-forum of your choice:




Navigate here:



For additional info, here:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/annou...-team-bhp.html (How to create a NEW THREAD on Team-BHP)


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/annou...m-section.html (The "Assembly Line" Forum section)

Hope this helps!

[RishikeshK]

Hi Gaurav - Thank you for the comprehensive outlook on your Gixxer 250 journey. I'm thinking to get back to motorcycling after a break of 6 years. Concerns were raised on the spare-parts availability of Gixxer 250 when I casually consulted an FNG I use for getting my Suzuki Access 125 serviced. I understand that Gixxer 250 doesn't seem to sell as much as other contenders like say FZ-25 but Gixxer 150 was (and still is) very popular in the market and I suspect that many parts would be shared between Gixxer 250 and Gixxer 150.

Could you please throw some light on your experience on Gixxer 250 spares availability?