[tarmacnaut]

Originally Posted by windiesel

The front suspension travel of V Storm 250 is 120mm only, the same as Gixxer 250. Suzuki India website says so here: https://www.suzukimotorcycle.co.in/p...#hb_electronic . Maybe you could post a pic from the user's manual.

Where in Suzuki's website does it say Gixxer 250 has 120mm of travel, can you show it?

The Gixxer 250 has a suspension travel of 10cm(100mm), this has been measured by many youtubers including Shinyo the Japanese supermoto champion who participates in motocross races with his Gixxer 250 while in VStrom SX it is 120mm (increased by 20%, see my original post) and is much softer.

Below is the video where Shinyo compares Gixxer250 with VStrom SX when it was announced. BTW I have been researching about Gixxer 250 as soon as it was launched as a potential upgrade and Shinyo is the expert on Gixxer 250, he treats it like a dirt bike. Check out his channel, also just now he participated in a adventure rally in the VStrom SX

https://youtu.be/h2J42knTI6I

Below are the screenshots from his video where he compared the suspension travel









My previous bike was a Gixxer 150 it hardly had 100mm of travel same goes for Gixxer 250. Just take a test ride back to back with the Gixxer, you will see the front suspension is entirely different in VStrom with different damping and more travel.

Don't go by these Indian reviewers or online experts who say VStrom is just Gixxer 250 with fairing, they hardly do any research before posting a review/opinion. I was spending big money for the first time on a motorcycle, so I was thorough with my research. It is a completely new bike.

[tarmacnaut]

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[windiesel]

Originally Posted by tarmacnaut

Where in Suzuki's website does it say Gixxer 250 has 120mm of travel, can you show it? Don't go by these Indian reviewers or online experts who say VStrom is just Gixxer 250 with fairing, they hardly do any research before posting a review/opinion. I was spending big money for the first time on a motorcycle, so I was thorough with my research. It is a completely new bike.

Yeah, the link I posted was of the VStorm 250, saying that it a front suspension travel of 120mm. You're right, the official Suzuki India website does not mention the front suspension travel for the Gixxer 250, though a number of Youtubers have stated it to be the same as VStorm250. This Japanese guy seems to be an expert, and what he says must be correct. You too seem to have done considerable research on this topic, and since I too am looking to buy a light ADV, may I pick your mind a bit?
1. Why did you not pick the KTM 250 ADV or the Xpulse 2004v?
2. I am seriously considering the KTM390ADV, You must have test ridden this one too. What do you think about the low end grunt and (stated to be) hard suspension....a deal breaker?
3. Should I wait for the Himalayan 450 , the alloy wheel version, since spoke wheels come with tube type tyres (at this price point), and I don't want the puncture hassles.
thanks.

[tarmacnaut]

Originally Posted by windiesel

This Japanese guy seems to be an expert, and what he says must be correct. You too seem to have done considerable research on this topic, and since I too am looking to buy a light ADV, may I pick your mind a bit?
1. Why did you not pick the KTM 250 ADV or the Xpulse 2004v?
2. I am seriously considering the KTM390ADV, You must have test ridden this one too. What do you think about the low end grunt and (stated to be) hard suspension....a deal breaker?
3. Should I wait for the Himalayan 450 , the alloy wheel version, since spoke wheels come with tube type tyres (at this price point), and I don't want the puncture hassles.
thanks.

I chose VStrom 250 SX, as it was a more complete bike with tractable engine and ergonomics/ride comfort for both rider and pillion was best in class. It was also surprisingly powerful, I thought it would struggle to reach higher speeds due to aerodynamics, but it proved me wrong. It is a do it all, long term keeper.

1. KTM 250 ADV - Lack of low end torque, stall prone gearing at low speed and stiff suspension at city speeds made me not consider the KTM 250 ADV.

XPulse 2004V- it is good at only one thing, plush suspension which is great on broken roads. But it is bad at almost everything else, suspension is too soft for any sporty riding, 21" wheel is a nuisance in city and the pillion comfort is non existent and finally the bored out unicorn 150 engine, which is commuterish and slow. Not worth for the current asking price and felt like a downgrade in terms of performance compared to my previous Gixxer 155 BS4.

2. ADV390 is the best small capacity ADV available right now, If you have the budget then go for it, it is tremendous value unlike 250ADV. I did not test ride 390 ADV as it was out of my budget and I already have a car to upkeep, so costly service of KTM 390 was a deal breaker for me.

3. RE bikes - the lesser said the better, Japanese big four and KTM (even bajaj, tvs) have been continuously innovating for the last several decades, dont underestimate their engineering knowledge. While RE was a 2 engine/1 platform company for several decades till 2016, which they even struggled to upkeep.
In 2016, their first all new bike in decades, the Himalayan was launched and they could not even get the basic 'chassis/frame' right in their so called 'Rugged' ADV.

RE has zero experience in motocross, Dakar or even local off road events and the Himalayan 411 is the proof for it. Even after earning tremendous profits in the last decade, they have not invested in any state of the art testing facility and they primarily do road tests, to garner media attention for marketing. They are more of a lifestyle brand than a motorcycle brand. So, I would recommend against being a scape goat/guinea pig for their "all new" 450