[mohan]

I have been riding bikes since I was 18 years old and still continue to do so at 45 years.
I have been riding the RE Classic 500 of late and I decided to change over to a modern cruiser .
When one starts thinking about cruisers the name that comes forcibly to one’s mind is HARLEY- DAVIDSON.
I was informed by our group that the SUPER-LOW is a good entry level Cruiser bike from the HD stable at a relatively affordable price, 5.7 L ex-showroom.

One thing led to another from dealer enquiries to test ride and I was almost on the verge of booking the “Super-low”.

Man proposes but God(destiny) disposes so they say and it happened exactly with me.

On the day I was to book the “Superlow” I was met by an old friend at my office and I told him casually, albeit with pride which I couldn’t conceal, that I am off to book an HD.

With a matching casualness , he mentioned about a cruiser he purchased recently , the Hyosung Aquila Pro, “Its parked outside your office ,want a small ride? .

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 .

I couldn’t help pity my friend who in my opinion was such a loser.
Standing in the parking lot was a huge cruiser with a liberal dash of chrome , fluid lines exuding a feline grace. It shattered all my ill feelings I had gathered about my friend.
I was fighting with myself ,thinking why I missed this option and I had one last straw to save my ego ..the ride.
It turned out that the ride was much more comfortable, even through city mad traffic, the bike never seemed to lose poise or torque. It was very agile and nimble enough to cross any obstacle. The exhaust firing was magnificent (though I learnt later that he had spent 15 k to make a minor modification at the exhaust).

Totally bowled over by this experience, I decided to sit back and do a proper homework and not go by popular sentiments.

Whenever I threw in some questions there were random responses from the friend circle – “ Boss ,HD is HD ! or “ Hyosung ,never heard about them” or “ HD is legendary stuff , man where’s the comparison?” OR “Come on now ,don’t tell me you are looking to save a few thousand ,man go for the HD Superlow”.

Here are the comparative salient features : Superlow vs Aquila.








I researched whatever I could get on the Hyosung Aquila and found that the bike has been in the American, European and Australian markets since 2007 and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find negative responses .
There were Indian reviews too , Zigwheel , AutocarIndia etc and they all had very favorable responses.

Hyosung had earned a bad repute in India due to Garware’s shoddy customer service since it totally lacked any expertise in handling the automobile industry.
DSK bought all the stakes from Garware and set up its own assembly plant at Satara with a view to manufacture all bikes with a 90 percent localization in the coming years.

I made the decision to buy the Aquila instead since it was cheaper by one lakh , it was longer ,had a better road presence ,had better power ,excellent handling ,braking and I simply loved the looks !
Of important note is the fact that the GC of Aquila is 160 mm,enough to take you over those speed breakers without scraping your under, versus the Superlow which has a GC of 100 mm only.
















I would like to state that this bike, the Aquila, cant be compared to the Superlow , as most mistakenly do,since its specifications come closer to the Street Bob. Now compare the price of both; a massive 6 lakh difference.

The current booking price is Rs 25,000 and the waiting period has risen from 15 days to almost 3 months since the bike is getting popular.
Much of the sale ,I learnt ,has been done in Pune ,Mumbai , Bangalore and Delhi. It has a 2 year or 35,000km warranty whichever is first.
The best part of the deal is that the periodic services are done at your door-step, no need to take the vehicle to the service centre!

THE RIDING EXPERIENCE :

• The saddle is very comfortable .
• The pillon seat although comes with a back-rest ,the foot pegs are placed high.Hence if the passenger is tall ,he would be a tad uncomfortable over a long ride.
• The driving position is very comfortable and those not used to riding a cruiser would take some time to adjusting the brakes and the gears.
• The foot peg position is adjustible ,albiet minimally. Aluminium foot-rests can be bought optionally.
• The rear-view mirror position is optimal,giving a good overall view of the rear.
• Unless the side stand is folded back completely the vehicle will not start.
• The handle bar switches are ergonomic and resemble in all details to a RE Classic 500.
• The lamp is bright but not bright enough and sooner I would want it to be changed to a Xenon.
• The horn is very meek and I would soon replace the "meep-meep" with something better.
• The speedometre is well lit even in dark and the stats are very readable .It lacks a tachometre.However I dont see why a cruiser should need a tachometre.
• The rear stop/parking lights are LED ,very bright and look good.
• Once you start the engine,the stock exhaust is very soft in accordance with the EPA guidelines. There are many options for an after-market silencer fitment. The most famous exhausts are the Larry Cook Double shots ,manufactured in the US.
• Although the bike is heavy, 244 kg to be exact ,once you are on it ,the bike dosent feel so heavy at all courtesy of the slow-slung seats.
• A drive through a crowded section of the city is as easy as any normal bike. Frequent change in gears is not neccessary as the LOW and MID range torque is too good.
• Highways bring out the real pleasure of riding this bike. Its poised, overtakes in a blink of an eye , races through quickly and stops effortlessly. I brought this bike from Pune to Alibag a distance of almost 155 km in 1:40 hours and I wasn't exactly tired when I reached home.
• Initially I had my anxiety on the cornering ability of the bike ,but as I came to understand the bike ,I found that the cornering capability was not all bad and it could take all but few corners with ease .
• The bike requires high-octane fuel.
• it returns roughly 20-24 km per litre.

• At upto speeds of 100 ,I could not notice any appreciable vibration or faultering of the vehicle.
• The vehicle comes to a stop very easily thanks to its dual front and rear single disc.
• The gear change is a little stiff as of now ,but I learnt that it grows softer with time.

So as I continue to ride happily on this bike I would keep adding my experiences, both good and bad as my relations with my bike unfolds gradually and takes on a new meaning.

SUMMARY
The Aquila GV650 is a VFM bike(without the legendary tag!!) which has placed itself impressively in the market since 2007 without any adverse reports ,looks and drives very impressively ,with an exceptional customer service (I bought the bike from DSK Auto Pune). The product is being handled by the DSK group who are into the Auto field for more than a decade and have a plant at Satara with plans to manufacture the bikes locally in the coming future.

[anandpadhye]

Congrats!

How is GV-650 compared to ST-7?
Do they still sell ST-7?

I had taken a TD of ST-7 last year but could not make up my mind.

How is the pillion comfort? One thing that bothered me on ST-7 was the pillion foot-pegs were set too high for any kinf of comfort.

And the fuel injection? It was a bit erratic on ST-7...

[mohan]

Thanks Anand! The ST-7 is simply magnificent. Its huge and has a typical cruiser styling.Its heavy and although has a power rating of only 54bhp has a massive torque to pull along.Yes they still sell it and is priced at around 7 lakhs.
The GV is very comfortable and you can use it even for your daily ride as compared to the ST-7 which is quite heavy.
You are right, the pillon if tall has an uncomfortable time!

[Octane_Power]

Have never been a fan of cruiser bikes, especially HD(I know I may get thrashed badly for saying this but cruisers are just not for me).

BUT , boy o boy. This bike is so very beautiful. I have never admired a cruiser so much but there are exceptions always!
Looks built to last a lifetime.

Doc, its a wonderful piece of machine. Congratulations and do post an ownership review.

And whats that the bike's service is done at your doorstep?
This is one offering which would attract many buyers. Quite a unique thing I must say.

-Bhargav

[pramods]

I too have the same bike, I wanted to confirm the fuel reserve capacity, manual say in reserve there is approx 3 ltrs petrol, I have refuelled the bike as I hit the reserve and was never able to fill more than 9.5 ltrs, this means there is 6+ ltrs in the tank, do you have similar experience ?

[DexterMorgan]

My God!! What a beautiful bike it is! Sheer road presence with loads of chrome. First Aquila Pro on TBHP. Congrats!

At-your-doorstep service is big plus and grants premium stature to owner. Definitely adds to the feel good factor of ownership.

Thanks for your post, i am sure lot of people here would be getting new ideas of upgrading their rides.

Please post a detailed review on ride, handling, power delivery and keep this thread alive. Wish you lots of wonderful miles ahead.

[mohan]

Originally Posted by pramods

I too have the same bike, I wanted to confirm ..... do you have similar experience ?

Thanks for posting this pramods, my indicator showed a single bar on the Fuel side, so I thought I would fill the tank again, to my surprise I could fill only 5 litres...you are right about the reserve capacity,

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by mohan

It has a 2 year or 35,000km warranty whichever is first.
The best part of the deal is that the periodic services are done at your door-step, no need to take the vehicle to the service centre!

Oh wow.
I missed this part.

This is amazing.
Is this life long or only the warranty services will be done at your door step?

[bigron]

Congratulations.The motorcycle looks nice Though I dont fancy cruisers , I am always happy to see a biker get his ride. Get your boots on and ride . Its one of the only true pleasures left in todays world.

PS: The service at home is a practice followed by alot of dealers to attract people from outer city or even in city owners who do not have the time to take the bike to the service station. Though the service at home benefit could be from the manufacturer itself or a dealer specific benefit.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by pramods

I too have the same bike, I wanted to confirm the fuel reserve capacity, manual say in reserve there is approx 3 ltrs petrol, I have refuelled the bike as I hit the reserve and was never able to fill more than 9.5 ltrs, this means there is 6+ ltrs in the tank, do you have similar experience ?

Originally Posted by mohan

Thanks for posting this pramods, my indicator showed a single bar on the Fuel side, so I thought I would fill the tank again, to my surprise I could fill only 5 litres...you are right about the reserve capacity,

Wow! congrats! Its one of the best looking bikes you can buy for that price.

Please do keep us posted about the ownership experience. And of course , some pix.

[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.

[dustom_99]

Wow, the bike looks great. Its seems lot more VFM when you look at the price.
But I would suggest not to go by stats on paper, when comparing HD and Hyosung , for that matter any automobile.

1.Often figures for BHP of a HD are Dyno figures because HD does not publish there Official Figures. So you can add about 14-18% at the crank and than compare.
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.

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.

3. Stats are all fine, but since Hyosund 650cc motor is not made for cruising , it has lower torque and higher bhp:- Power & Top Torque comes in at much elivated RPM , quite similar to naked/ sports bikes. Its quite Irritating on a long ride .

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.

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!

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 , even better.

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.

Its good that you have put your money on what you thought was better , Hyosung will have to make Damn Fine motorcycles for may be 25-30 years before anyone will take them seriously in cruiser world.

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!


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.

Sorry for longish Post, no work toady.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing!

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by mohan

I would like to state that this bike, the Aquila, cant be compared to the Superlow , as most mistakenly do,since its specifications come closer to the Street Bob. Now compare the price of both; a massive 6 lakh difference.

Mate,
Congrats on your new toy. She does look very good though aesthetically but I have never got to ride this bike. The chrome and all bling bling makes it look very eye catching. But believe this is the same motor which is carried over from their Hyosung GT 650? (please correct me if am wrong here).

Regarding the quote am surprised that you mentioned that specifications come closer to Street Bob. What were the specifications you found in Aquila that equals/better with Street Bob

[manolin]

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.

Hope you have read the Lambhorgini story. Forget piddly little Jeep or Landrover, they were a tractor manufacturer who put Ferrari to shame.

I am sorry, but this post has too many flaming lines, for it not to be replied.
Simple thing - Very few Indians buy stats, the few who buy stats are generally buying marketing - and specifically in relation to your post - the following kinds of marketing -
1) Harley's don't overheat. Sorry, but they do. In Indian weather, these big engines which are made for cooler climates don't have a chance.

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.

3) 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! Whoaa! And Harley cares? and Harley is on an evangelical mission to bring real motorcycling to the misguided?

4) Extra length will spoil the COG. Have you tested the dynamics of the Aquila? Just because its Korean doesn't mean its bad. Every review of the bike from other countries says its pretty decent. Forget the cruiser, even in the compeititive sports bike market, their bikes are being rated as being very good.

A good motorcycle is a good motorcycle is a good motorcycle. And good service is good service and good service. And when the two meet, it is a good ownership experience which is all what one should aim for when buying and owning a vehicle. If it is about riding a brand, and if you are willing to pay through your nose to ride a brand - please don't confuse it with ownership of the bike - they are different.