Suzuki GSX-R250 unveiled

The Suzuki GSX-R250 has made its debut at an international auto expo in China.

A successor to the semi-faired version of the Suzuki Inazuma, the GSX-R250 gets racy design cues to make it more aggressive, in line with the rest of the quarter-litre sportbikes. The styling of the GSX-R250 makes its look like a shrunken version of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike, as opposed to the older bike’s Bandit-inspired styling. It gets clip-on handlebars and rear set footpegs to offer a sporty riding position. The instrument cluster has been borrowed from the Suzuki Gixxer.

Powering the Suzuki GSX-R 250 is an upgraded version of the Inazuma GW250’s parallel-twin engine. Displacing 248cc, the engine delivers 25bhp and 23Nm of torque, through a six-speed transmission. It gets conventional telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock in the rear. Brake setup consists of Nissin callipers gripping on a 290mm disc in the front and a 240mm disc in the rear.

While Suzuki has established itself as an important player in the lucrative premium commuter segment with the Gixxer, the quarter-litre sportbike segment in India is a different ball game altogether. This segment is still in a nascent stage, and sales numbers aren’t very encouraging. Besides, the presence of well-established contenders like the Honda CBR250R, Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC390 and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 make it a very difficult segment to crack. All of these dim the chances of Suzuki launching the GSX-R250 in India anytime soon. Nevertheless, fingers crossed!