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-   -   Hyosung Comet GT250 Tested (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/3024-hyosung-comet-gt250-tested.html)

Date: November 4th 2004



The Comet in Yellow


After a long wait, I finally managed to get a proper test ride of the black Hyosung Comet 250. It was worth the wait as I had the bike to myself for a full 45 mins riding it in the unfamiliar (to me) area’s of Andheri and link road.

This was a blessing in disguise, as riding in that terrible traffic in the middle of the day on unfamiliar roads with an unfamiliar bike, was sure to show any shortcomings with the bike.

I rode on every possible type of road. From long clear roads to test its acceleration and top end, to HEAVY traffic.

Power: 7/10 Firstly, the speedo was not connected so I had no idea what speeds I reached . My first impressions were that it’s not too powerful. I didn't feel any kick while accelerating, and the pick-up in till about 6000rpm was not impressive at all. However, this was deceiving, as taking off from a signal with a guy on a pulsar 180 trying to drag with me, I left him in the dust...he was a speck in the rear view mirror in a few seconds. So I guess it should be ok. I must add though that in regular traffic, I was riding mainly in 1st and 2nd gear, just to stay in the top end where the power is. However, its pretty tractable with enough torque to allow you to ride in traffic in 2nd if you don’t mind the lack of initial acceleration.

Engine: 8.5/10 The engine is extremely smooth. Whether at 3000rpm or its 10,500rpm redline, I didn't feel any vibrations. It sounded really refined as well and had a nice muted growl to it. An aftermarket end exhaust will make this sound great.

Gearshift: 6.5/10 The first thing I noticed was the lever was very stiff. Being a new bike, I guess it needs to be run in for it to loosen up. However, the shift from 1st to 2nd *is terrible. The throw is too long and you frequently end up in neutral when riding in traffic. Aside from that, it was a bit tricky to get into neutral at signals, reminded me of my Pulsar! However, this felt like it would smoothen out with use.

Handling: 9/10 This is the best part of the bike. In heavy traffic, you can ride it like you would a Pulsar, cutting in and out of traffic with ease. It makes this a great city bike! On the higher speed corners on cement roads, the bike held its line really well. It inspires confidence. It also eats up bad roads very well. My pulsar felt like it had no suspension after this ride!

Braking: 7/10 The rear brake in traffic is great. However the front was not very good. High speed braking had the forks chattering and feel was not very good. However it did track straight on braking, but I would have preferred twin discs in front.

Fit & Finish: 4/10 The paint quality is so-so. I feel the Fazer has a much better paint finish than the comet. The switches, dials and mirrors look really cheap and out of place on this bike. The welds on the frame looked shabby as well.







Looks: 8/10 Well, everyone has seen the comet now. I rode a black comet, which blends in well. Not many people noticed it. I guess if you want to turn heads, the yellow or red colours are the ones to go for. I personally like black though. After my ride, I stood there watching others go for short rides, some with pillions. Its here where I really got a good look. The bike, even with 2 people on it, seems large. Defiantly more like a 400 or 600. It looks good in motion!

Price: 7/10 Rs.1,84,500 on road Mumbai. Although that is a lot of money, I feel its not unreasonable. This bike costs about 3,000 pounds (Rs.2,34,000) in the UK, about Rs.1,70,000 in Australia. So, the Indian price of 1.8 does not seem unreasonable, especially when you think of the duty we have to pay.

Overall: 8/10 This bike is perfect for India. It has adequate power, is really easy to ride in traffic and has good looks. What more can you ask for. Well, better fit & finish would be nice for one. Better brakes are another thing needed.

However, I have a feeling that if this bike were called a “Honda” instead of “Hyosung”, there would be a lot more takers and a lot less people complaining about its price! This bike is for those who want to ride, not show off with…simple as all that.

Comparison to a Honda 400Superfour: This seems the best bike to compare the Comet with. Having now ridden both these bikes, *let me say this. The Honda is way ahead of the Comet in terms of power! Plus, you really cannot beat the sound of an inline 4…amazing. The Honda is as easy to ride in the city, however its ground clearance is not much and you can seriously damage the exhaust if you are not careful.

Price wise, a good super4 will set you back 2.8 – 3.2 lakhs for a used 5 year old bike. This is where the Comet comes out ahead. For 1 lakh less, you get a brand new bike, clean paperwork and a loan to buy it with.

As much as I love the Honda, I feel it makes more sense to buy a Comet at this point in time.

Rt

Excellent 1st TB bike review rtech. This puts us into the bike foray as well. Did u get any pics of the black one? Seems to be a good bike overall from your review. Whats the waiting period like? Btw where is the dealership located

Dippy

Hey Dippy,

Uploaded the pics and included them in my post above.

The bookings close on November 25th and the bikes will be delivered in Mid Feb 2005.

The showroom - Laxmi Motors, is in Amboli. Dunno the roads too well, but just keep going straight after Andheri stations and it comes on your left.

Rt

rtech, yellow in the pic is a head turner. But black makes looks elegant. Me too prefer black. The sticker on the tail looks ugly. A small head light fairing like on first gen HH Ambition may add sore sport.

the red one really looks a lot sporty and I thank them for giving those good wide tyres at least....
the red Comet at the show -

and I guess clip-on's would've looked much much better

hey r
if by any chance you picking up an black comet,specify them that u dont want those kinetic and the small stickers at rear
and after you get it,change the handle bar and those ugly ugly mirrors

Hey Aadix,

I doubt they will do that, but I guess it won't hurt to ask.

As for the mirrors...those will be the first things I'll get rid off. They are really the worst I've seen ever!

About the handle bar, well, I feel it is placed correctly...gives the correct riding stance. However, I will be ordering a set of clip-ons from the states this December. IF I do get the bike, i'll be changing to those.

Rt

Nope nope nope....You found the gearshift to be terrible, the front brakes and overall braking feel was not that good, you rated the finish at a 4/10...and you still want to pay 2 whopping lacs for this bike? I know right now...theres not really much of a choice in premium bikes, but still.

Go for a second hand Jap. Or pick up that used Palio 1.6 we spoke about!!

GTO

hey r
any chance of the balius to come out soon?if yes what range will it be in do you think?

man GTO, i know i was harsh on the bike in my review, but the fact remains that the enjoyment that can be had on a bike, even one with just 30hp, is far greater that driving. Trust me, I'm still thinking what to do (waiting for pimp daddy to get back to me as well...). I got till Nov.20th to decide.

aadix, the Balius ridden by BS motoring was just a show bike brought down for the Auto Expo. The possibilities of it being launched are slim to none. Even if it does come, it will be priced at a min. of 2 lakhs or above. Bajaj are too busy working on evolving their Pulsar lineup to bother about selling a tiny amount of bikes.

I think Viveksh put it best when he said that newer better bikes will always be launched, but the time spent waiting for that next big thing can never be recovered. I can't wait any longer...I want to start riding NOW!

Rt

p.s. 1 pulsar up for sale!

ya thats also true. I had to wait for almost 2 years after selling off my Shogun and RXZ.

If u r goin for the Comet rtech i suggest u do one thing. Write off a mail to Kinetic that when u r payin almost 2 lakhs for their bike u r one of their premium customers. and will accept nothin but the best in quality in the Comet. A shabbily painted frame is a complete no no. Also confirm before buying that the tyres will be the same that was in the show and not be changed to MRF ones like the Aquila. Also, get in touch with Aquila owners and take a feedback on the After Sales and Service provided by Kinetic. Since the Comet uses the Aquila engine an engine feedback is also welcome. If the Aquila owner is satisfied, then you too will not regret buyin the Comet.

Good review rtech..... but, i still feel 2 lac is a little too much for a Comet!

Well, since Vin got me talking about the Comet again, i thought I'd update this post by saying that I DID NOT BOOK THE COMET!

GTO talked me out of it over a few drinks! Rudra was witness!

So, ever since then I have been looking for a used import in my **tight** budget! But, when I do finally find a good one, it would be worth the wait.

Hey the review about the bike was very good.