[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by dustom_99

Every one is makeing SUV these days, even tractor/autorikshaw manufacturers have pooled in to make SUV . That does not mean you can go out and put Jeep or Land rover to shame and hope to be taken seriously.

Absolutely. Even BMW is making SUVs these days (which run on run-flat tyres with no spare wheel)... Hope you forgive them.

BTW, do you think HD give their bikes away for free? I thought they charge money for their bikes and so we will allow Hyosung to make some money on what they sell, no?

What is the CG of Superlow and Street-Bob? And what is the CG of GV-650? Any numbers?

Cheers!

[Mpower]

Congrats Mohan. Your ride looks superb in the shade of black.

It has the generic look & styling elements of a typical metric cruiser (Vulcan,Star,Intruder,VTX) thats very popular in the US whereas the HD is also unique in its own way.

Originally Posted by manolin

2)You will never ever meet anyone Riding a HD bothered to ask you what cruiser is that, you can add Triumph to that list aswell. hahaha. Really? Since we are talking about India, there is every chance that someone is going to ask you what Harley, which Harley. There are very few people here who know enough about big motorcycles to care to know about small manufacturers from the middle of America or England.

HaHa well said.
Probably because many a HD ower has to put up with questions like "Is it a modified bullet?

HD have done well for themselves and their bikes have a certain unique & special feel but there's nothing high tech about them.

In fact, HD themselves make a 'performance cruiser' called the V-Rod (yes its liquid cooled. DOHC and has a long wheelbase)

[Patriot_Vishwas]

Originally Posted by dustom_99

I am not saying superlow will give more BHP than Aquila. Usually 883 evo makes about 58-62bhp at crank. But please ! Trying to compare it with big boys? and that because it makes 74 bhp? If numbers were the thing you were after , you should have gone for full on sportsbike.

What does the phrase 'Big boys' mean in this context?
Perhaps a jibe at the new entrant?
And secondly,why don't the numbers matter?
Why do you think manufacturers strive for better Torque/BHP figures?

Originally Posted by dustom_99

2. Since Both are Cruisers , Its so much better to have a proper Cruise motor in that frame, Not an engine developed for street/track use and then detune it for a Cruiser.

Definition of 'A proper cruise motor'?
Note that Hyosung has intelligently detuned a wonderful 650CC motor,mapped the ECU for better low and mid range while still maintaining integrity on other important performance oriented aspects such as braking,cornering etc.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

it has lower torque and higher bhp.....Its quite Irritating on a long ride .

Perhaps the ECU is mapped to obtain a favorable torque curve to entertain cruising.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

4.Longer wheel base is fine on paper, but high GC and long wheel base does not always go well together , specially on turns. Spoils the COG.

It is partly compensated by using tyres with wider tracks and better springs(?).
And going by the reviews this particular vehicle is surefooted on most corners!

Originally Posted by dustom_99

5. It is Exactly what Bajaj is doing, putting in Pulsar based motor in eliminator (200cc) , trying to fool people in competition to enfield 350. On papers they are quite closely matched, infact eliminator being much lighter has much better P/w ratio. On a highway everyone knows whats what!
India hai bhai, everyone gets totally hooked up by stats on paper!

@ the emboldened:No, enlighten me!
I do not own either of the two(Bajaj/RE) but still all that is visible in this 'point' is senseless jibber-jabber.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

6. Liquid cooling is not a feature, Its more of an engineering requirement, If HD can make engines work for million miles without a Radiator , just better.

Doesn't it mean that the Hyosung is better 'engineered'?!

Also, most companies just say 'Been there,Done that' regarding air cooled engines.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

7. You will never ever meet anyone Riding a HD bothered to ask you what cruiser is that, you can add Triumph to that list aswell.

I'm trying to be reasonable here, even though there's nothing to reason.
>>For most people riding a non HD cruiser,they would be least bothered and most would not go to the depths of asking every guy from HOG, on the road,"How's my cruiser?"

Originally Posted by dustom_99

Currently they are making motorcycles only because there is gap between Demand and supply of cruisers and they can mint some cool cash pretty fast ,not because they are passionate about Motorcycles!

Even though my mind is screaming out the words 'Sour,Grapes',I'm willing to add something here.
Everyone is out to make money
HD is not gifting their T-shirts let alone bikes,they're selling them.
If Hyosung can make a few HD(100+ years of history,blah and more blah) fans
think about downplaying their brand,it just means that they're getting into their minds.
Even though you are spreading the 'Holier than thou' message,and your antics are what we see from (Naive)Italian motor bike lovers who just keep haggling the 'My bike has soul,Japanese bikes are machined by robots and ET's'; Moto GP,the pinnacle in engineering and racing still has two legendary names on the boards,that are Japanese!

Originally Posted by dustom_99

Every one is makeing SUV these days, even tractor/autorikshaw manufacturers have pooled in to make SUV . That does not mean you can go out and put Jeep or Land rover to shame and hope to be taken seriously

Even though I sense it's a insult towards the brand which I hold in great respect,I'd like to refute a few basic and ill thought points that you've made above.
Did you know the Indian Army uses 'Gypsy',Ashok Leyland and Mahindra(the tractor guys,BTW) vehicles in the most grueling conditions day in and day out and trust them with their very precious lives,that means that they(Not so historic SUV makers) are taken very seriously.
P.S: I've nothing against the Harley-Davidson brand and I'm not a Hyosung fanboy either.
P.P.S:Congratulations on a the wonderful purchase,and do not forget to update the thread!

[Desmosedici]

Congrats Doc. Though i have never been a big fan of cruisers, this one does look really awesome. Many say HD is the Boss however after looking at this and the entry level HDs, i would say this has a better road presence. Numbers are to each his own, some look at it, some dont. You should be enjoying, thats what is important and i am sure you are.

I had seen the first generation Aquila once at a Kinetic Service Center and it was huge (this was a long time ago).

Please post some more pics for our viewing pleasure and please do post your review.

Too many people writing bike reviews nowadays. Getting the feeling to get a bike again.

Ride Safe.

[manolin]

Dustom_99

I hadn't seen your thread on your Harley, otherwise I wouldn't have ever bothered replying. Anyways, your last post is all OT, to this beautifully written ownership report by Mohan.

Cheers.

[invincible7]

Congratulations Mohan, the cruiser looks damn beautiful.

It surely has a very good road presence and I am sure with your thread here many will be inclined to relook at this product at this price point which might have got un noticed till now due to the mad Harley fascination.

I am pretty surprised with the service at door step option from the dealership, its a good thought to build good brand presence and boost customer confidence, add to it the premium feel factor which even more expensive brands dont offer these days. Nice strategy I must say
Just one question though - is this option life long or just untill the warranty period.

[mohan]

Sorry for some reason I am unable to multiquote:
@Dustom_99:

I wish you had read my post carefully:

1. The decision to buy the Aquila was not based on the paper-specifications of power /torque etc. The decision was only taken after a test ride of both the vehicles. I found the HD stiffer ,had a hard suspension and found that the drive through a crowded street was a little diffcult. The highway cruise experience of the Aquila was as good as the HD and the "Road Presence" of the Aquila was much much bettter than the HD.
2. I read through the 50 odd bike reviews published internationally since 2007 ;not a single reviewer had anything bad to say about the Aquila GV 650.
3. Since I love riding , I do not care to OWN a brand or a heritage icon ,since none of them helps while riding out in the wilderness and when you are alone. Really I wouldnt care if a HD owner DOSENT stop by to ask me what bike I am riding.
4. Hyosung started making engines for Suzuki way back in 1978 and was the official provider of motorcycles for the Seoul Olympics. They may not have a cult following like HD but they are by no means "auto rikshaw wallas ,peddling cruisers".

• I am not politically inclined towards any country,America or Korea , so it dosent matter if the product is Korean as long as the PRODUCT (BIKE) IS GOOD AND VALUE FOR MONEY. I love the way Samsung(Korean) is taking on the legendary iPhone(American) eye to eye.
• THIS IS BY NO MEANS A HYSOSUNG VS HD TOPIC . THE HD IS A LEGENDARY VEHICLE WITH A CULT FOLLOWING AND THEY CAN BY NO MEANS BE COMPARED TO HYOSUNG PERIOD.

• I would really like your opinion about the ride quality of the Aquila. You dont have to go to the showroom ,they will come to you.

• Although the V twin engine used in the GT 650 R is the same used in the cruiser , the gear ratios are way different for these 2 vehicles . The former is a 6 speed GB the later is a 5 speed GB. The Aquila is a very torquey bike and I would really urge you to take a test ride.

@ku69rd:
The Hysosung comes more closer to the Street Bob in measurements (Length ,wheel base ,width ) than the Superlow which it exceeds .

[Eminenttismo]

My work was almost over and I had nothing to lose. I was thinking as we walked ; Hyosung sounded like Samsung and Aquila sounded like Aquafina .

Congrats on your purchase and a very well written article! The second picture from the top is simply amazing.

Happy Motoring!

[davids4x4mm550]

Congrats Doc Mohan she looks hot.

[pramods]

Mohan, I hope you don't mind posting one picture of my bike here, this is when I took it from show room


I enjoy this weekend bike, the engine do get hot in stop and go traffic , but eases out as you get out of traffic.
It's quite agile once you get hang of size, I still find it difficult to take "U" turn on busy traffic, hope it will get easier as I ride more.

-Pramod

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by dkaile

That's one fine looking bike Doc! I am in the same boat and have been juxtaposing between the Super Low, Ninja 650 and now this as my bike upgrade since almost a year. Always wanted a Harley but the ground clearance is keeping me away. Ninja 650 looks like a sweet deal but doesn't have the charisma of a Harley. This one has but looses out on the brand quotient. The chrome just looks lovely on black.

Will be waiting for your further feedbacks and more photos.

Similar boat a bit. Yet to TD these but few things are favoring Ninja or the Aqulia Pro; one would be the price, then the ride quality and lastly the service part. HD looks like it will make me spend more thanks to their long list of available accessories.

I am not sure but I guess one would have to spend 16k if one has to have a pillion sit safe. I also read about part failure or the waiting period of getting parts is longer in HD; a big issue for me coz the showroom is 220 kilometers away and I cant have a premium bike sitting idle when I get time to ride. The service part of Hysung also looks tempting; saves lot of time for me.

OT; Guess we are also gonna see similar threads/posts once D390 is out.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by dustom_99

How serious Hyosung or dsk is about cruisers is evident from their choice of motor. They did not even care about making a proper motor for their so called cruiser.

DSK can choose a motor, you think? Seriously???

BTW, what about the CG? How bad is the CG of GV-650 compared to HD? How do you quantify?

Low end torque - yes a very important factor and that's why I hate cars like Hondas which are dead in the practically usable rev-band. And Honda does not make changes to their engines when they plonk them in CR-V - tells me they are not serious about the game either...but they sell

[roy_libran]

Hi Doc. You are building up quite an enviable garage. Congrats.
One question - How is the ride over bad potholed roads? I had found the Superlow to suffer quite a lot in this scenario.
Keep posting your experience with their A.S.S over the coming months. This is a big concern for many, including myself, and something that keeps us from considering the extremely VFM Hyosungs.

[pramods]

I believe we can keep this thread discussion for Aquila and let Mohan share his experience, HD has it own class and it will always be that way, no point in comparing 2 different vehicle for their heritage, cult and class, its the rider who chose the vehicle based on their own preference( VFM, availability, maintainability and what he/she can spend). Lets keep HD/Hyosung discussion for some another thread.
To each his own, everyone has their own preference and people need to respect that!

-Pramod

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by mohan

@ku69rd:
The Hysosung comes more closer to the Street Bob in measurements (Length ,wheel base ,width ) than the Superlow which it exceeds .

Mate,
When it comes to comparing the 2 bikes, please do it with respect to their engine capabilities and the features. You might have heard lot of people comparing Tata Manza to Toyota Corolla just because of the physical measurements.
Honestly that is not a fair assessment/comparison.

Please do not mistake me or feel that am trying to pull down your choice. Have a very strong belief that each to his own. And you are very much right when it comes to riding nothing comes close to your realization of the bikes worth and the grin it puts on your face.

Happy Riding and Do keep us posted with your exploits