[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

Sammyboy, I was checking your thread for your experience on the RTR 180. But you were too shy to put some kilometers on the bike(just kidding) and my experience with TVS Bikes made me lose some power for some extra smoothness. Nevertheless, the RTR is a brilliant piece of machine and has its own advantages and Uniqueness. .

that is the reason why I dont really suggest much regarding the Menace, cos I dont know it so well myself. Whatever I learn, I just put it on my thread so that everyone can read and make their own decisions.
One thing I sorely miss is the 6th gear .

Will keep an eye on your review to learn more about the GS though, am pretty impressed by what I see. Ride safe and do keep posting.

[SchumiFan]

Well, time for some updates!
My GS has completed 1200Kms, gone through first service and it has been a very satisfying experience with her. I have added an engine guard to protect her from mud and other rubbish that the road throws at her. The service was good and all complaints were taken care of promptly.

The traits which I didn't like in my previous bikes are all rectified or almost absent in the GS:

1. Vibration - I now occasionally take the old Fiero F2 once or twice to keep her running and the batteries charged but after driving the GS for this long I am surprised to see the amount of vibrations the Fiero F2 throws at me. At 4K rpm and 6th gear the GS behaves as if the engine has no load in it, but the Fiero F2 is like a grinder and a bad one at that.

2. Gears - I have always felt that the Fiero F2 has been deprived of a gear. It has only 4 gears but the ratios are quite good to mask the deficiency in city speeds. But running in the highways is a pain since the bike screams a lot and shudders when going past 75-80Kmph.
But with the GS I don't have such trouble since it is equipped with 6 gears. I have taken her to 95kmph in 5th gear and was surprised that I have another gear to engage! I, though, will have to admit that sometimes it is a pain to suddenly shift to the correct gear after riding in top gear for a while. I think the problem can be overcome after I start to ride her more frequently and understand the torque range for each gear.
She can ride from 40Kmph to its top-end in the 6th gear but the progress will be painfully slow and I will often be sworn at by the vehicles following me

3. Top Speed - The Fiero F2 runs out of breath at 90-100kmph limit on flat roads but when pushed the GS was able to go to a 105kmph limit and it still had enough grunt for a little more speed. It can happily stay at 90-95kmph all day without a fuss and no vibrations at the foot-peg or the handle bar, mirrors etc.

4. Mileage - I haven't exactly calculated the mileage but it seems to be returning 48-55 Kmph for my daily office rides. I am satisfied with it since it is more than what my Fiero F2 gives for the same style of riding.
5. Brakes - I was never OK with my F2's brakes combined with the TVS tires. I was relieved when I changed my F2's rear tire to Zapper. But the GS shines in that aspect. The rear brakes are quite effective and the front disc too has a safe feeling to it. It doesn't bite suddenly but can progressively bring the bike to a stop without a fuss. The tires are good too and add to reducing the braking distance.

Coming to the negatives:

The F2 had one of the best head-lamps which I find missing in the GS. The focus is good in the GS but the intensity is poor. I shall think about changing the lamp after putting a few thousand kilometers on the odo.
The rear view mirrors - though I have now adjusted to their limited visibility I am still longing for the wide ones that came with the Fiero F2. But I should also add that the mirrors in the GS don't vibrate a bit at any speeds and are so easy to adjust too.

Though it doesn't vibrate a lot, I find small vibrations creeping in the foot peg at 4-5K rpm and also the resonance at 3.5K to 4K RPM.

I ride my F2 once a while to satisfy myself with the GS without worrying too much about these small issues. After all we all nitpick when everything seems so good!

There is no rust in the tank instead there has been a few spots of rust in the screw near the gear lever and some near the shock absorber but nothing alarming.

Overall:

4K RPM has to be the sweet spot for city riding while 6K would do well for the highways. There aren't any vibrations after the 5K mark but the bike runs smoother when the engine has been properly warmed, i.e. ride her slowly at 45-50Kmph mark for a KM or two and gradually increase the speed instead of ripping her right from the start.

I must also add the effect of the cross winds have been reduced significantly with the GS. Maybe it is due to her heaviness. The bike doesn’t sway when overtaking a truck or a huge vehicle but gets slightly out of shape which is controllable.

The shock absorbers do a great job of smoothening out the tarmac and the tires grip the road ‘well’.

I am happy with the bike and I know that my GS doesn't have the best torque to be first out of the blocks at a signal but it has a good mid and top range to make riding a pleasure. I will try to get some pics soon.

I am thinking of taking her for a long ride if I am permitted by the decision makers at home.

[SchumiFan]

I have crossed 1600Kms in my GS and the journey has been smooth till now. The maximum speed attained till now has been a speedo indicated 110KMPH(in a little crouched position) achieved in the early hours of a morning in a deserted GST. The bike is more silent as it goes into higher speeds and the stability during the ride and at hard braking is awesome.

The mileage too should be good since my visits to petrol stations have been reduced for the same amount of filling every month(rupee wise). I will try to do a R2R check soon to look at the actual figures put out by the GS.

Riding on the highways has always been a pleasure but with the GS it is an awesome experience.

Mods: Please add 'Bought the Suzuki GS150R' to the title.

[SankalpDesai]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

I have crossed 1600Kms in my GS and the journey has been smooth till now. The maximum speed attained till now has been a speedo indicated 110KMPH(in a little crouched position) achieved in the early hours of a morning in a deserted GST. The bike is more silent as it goes into higher speeds and the stability during the ride and at hard braking is awesome.

The mileage too should be good since my visits to petrol stations have been reduced for the same amount of filling every month(rupee wise). I will try to do a R2R check soon to look at the actual figures put out by the GS.

Riding on the highways has always been a pleasure but with the GS it is an awesome experience.

Mods: Please add 'Bought the Suzuki GS150R' to the title.

Hi SchumiFan,

Congratulations for the being a proud owner of one-of-the-best 150 CC bikes in India today. Have loads of fun with it and keep the post updated because....

yes, I too am looking forward to this bike. I must say your thread has helped me makeup my mind and I have finally decided to go ahead with Suzuki.

Will post my experience soon.

[thumpmeister]

Originally Posted by rider60

well what little first hand experience i have, let me tell you, about the beam throw, the reflectors made by FIEM for bikes are one of the best, especially the round ones and all stock ones made by them are far better than stock ones made by LUMAX in terms of focus, throw and intensity spread done.

the F2 had it FX has it and so does the RTR. the Hondas and other use a Lumax one.

now that was one school of thought.

coming to your case, if you want the best intensity spread and throw of light, i suggest you get the round reflector from Fiem ( TVS star city, Fiero FX/MX champion) the clear lens one, this is the best alternative to eletrical upgrade and/or bulb upgrade.




the FI alone is discontinued, i haved confirmed news on the same mate, and done worry the RTR is no where near at its life's end, the only reason for shutting it was because they could not cater special service attention FI need at all service stations and few other issues.




Now for the choice, i strongly suggest RTR against the unicorn Dazzler under the following considerations my thought mate, nothing against any one, just my opinions i am penning down.

the rtr 180 is a screamer, Dazzler is a muted underpowered machine (less powerful than CBZ xtreme ~ same engine)

RTR 180 and Dazzler will both give you almost the same mileage with may be the dazzler a little better by say not more than max 5kmpl.

has a Fiem reflector a very good one, Dazzler not so sure, and there is a successful eletrical upgrade done on RTR 180 and is working well, unicorn not sure at all, and spare by-god take it dazzler is going to be a lot lot more than a RTR's for sure.

The service cost are either same or RTR will cost marginally a little more very ignorable.

the resale honda scores here which is not a concern to you as you say.

the features and gadgets in RTR are many compared to Dazzler, man even bajaj gives a side stand indicator Hondas dont, just check the feature list on the net you will know.

My point is i have been a unicorn owner for a while now, and to me that 150cc is not worth the hype it has just for the muted engine and the fans claiming good FE rather astronomical FE figures at times, and unless you decide to rip the RTR on every ride it will not go below 40KMPL and on an average it will return 45kmpl+. Which is what Unicorn gives in the city +/-5kmpl say.

in essence for the sheer please of a bike pulling me away from the handle and the grin it would guarantee, i would pick up the RTR 180, only down side is its got TVS tyres (not bad at all IMHO).

Disclaimer:
no offence meant to anyone, just the words from the heart of a dissapointed ex-honda owner, i would rather pick up the RTR than the dazzler which i even may, just let me finish with a little home work pending.

So what have you picked up finally, rider?

[thumpmeister]

Hey how has yuor experience been so far with the GS150R? Do you have any ownership thread? I am also confused between the GS, P150 and RTR 160.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by thumpmeister

Hey how has yuor experience been so far with the GS150R? Do you have any ownership thread? I am also confused between the GS, P150 and RTR 160.

To be frank, I would say I made a good decision which suited my requirements. I wanted a smooth bike sans vibes with good power output and OK mileage since I travel 40Kms everyday.

I was initially sold on the Unicorn but the attitude of the staffs at the dealership and the mile long waiting period put me off this bike. And one test ride of this bike made me buy this. It is good on power and gives decent mileage.

This is my first bike with rear gas shocks and front discs. So I am happy with whatever the bike offers me over my old ride, the Fiero F2.

The only problem is the lack of space/personnel in service centers which made them take 2 days to service my bike last time. But they are very professional and accept their mistake. They accidentally tore the fuel tank cover and immediately promised a replacement. No unnecessary discussions over how it could have been damaged etc.

The rear brakes won't give you much feedback but it is OK to slow down the bike. I mainly use the front discs to stop the bike and they do good.

The bike is absolutely vibe free in normal driving ranges (0-90Kmph). And even in triple digit speeds, it maintains the composure without any complains. The bike's weight helps towards its stability and myself being heavy, I don't have trouble handling the bike. It is flickable and can take turns smoothly.

The bike is a bit long which will hinder you while taking tight turns. But not like a car or something

Take a test drive and buy it if you like it. You wont go wrong with it as long as you provide her some attention.

Happy Biking!

[Mpower]

Which 150 bike has the best fairing for highway use (one that actually works instead of for style only).

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Which 150 bike has the best fairing for highway use (one that actually works instead of for style only).

The Fazer's one is advertised as a fairing which helps driving without the wind falling on the face. But the ones I have seen on Avenger and T Bird are really long and almost cover the face. So it should do the task quite comfortably (I think).

I haven't ridden any of these bikes and hence can't comment on if it actually works or not.