Hyosung GT250R

The Indian biking community has been depraved of quality hardware for decades, relegated to the monotony of commuters and pseudo ‘sport bikes’ to quench their thirst for speed and freedom. But all that changed with advent of the Kawasaki Ninja 250r and to a greater extent, the Honda CBR250R. The 250cc segment gave wings to those who were confined to flights of fancy and opened up a whole new arena of competition for manufacturers, vying for supremacy in a market that has changed from being centered on fuel efficiency to looks, quality and above all else, value for money. A typical Indian rider has changed his/her outlook and now looks at motorcycles as more than a means of transportation. Biking has been transformed – to a large extent – into a recreational activity, with an increasing number of people opting to use their steeds to traverse the length and breadth of the country in search for adventure and that thirst for freedom and speed. 

Not to be left behind, Hyosung has joined the party with its own contender. Enter the Hyosung GT250R. The new GT250R is based on the same platform as its bigger sibling the GT650R and looks and feels like a proper big bike. The engine is a four-stroke, air/oil cooled, fuel injected 75o V-Twin displacing 249 cc and has 8 valves actuated by a DOHC setup. It pumps out a respectable 27 bhp @ 10,000 rpm and 21 nm of torque @ 6,750 rpm from a bore and stroke of 57mm and 48.8mm, respectively. This puts the GT250R bang in the middle of the 250 pack. It comes with a 5 speed gearbox that drives the rear wheel through a chain and sprockets. The frame has been borrowed from its larger 650cc sibling and remains unchanged. It is a dual lateral bar frame which is suspended at the front by a 41mm USD fork offering 120mm of travel, while a single gas charged shock handles damping duties at the rear offering 110mm of travel. 

The suspension does not offer any adjustability, except for preload at the rear, unlike its elder sibling which offers rebound and preload adjustment on the front USD fork. The GT250R has a wheelbase of 1435.1mm and ground clearance of 154.9mm, which suggests that the bike will be able to handle our Indian roads without much problem. But the wet weight of 188.2 kg may be a little bit of a bother for some riders. A seat height of 32.7 inches should be manageable for most riders. The exhaust is a 2x1 setup that ends in a chrome finished aluminium canister. Braking duties are handled by a twin 300mm discs at the front and a 230mm single disc at the rear actuated at both ends by a sliding pin type two piston calliper. The GT250R comes shod with 110/70 section rubber at the front, while traction duties at the rear are handled by a 150/70 section tyre. Both tubeless tyres are installed on 17 inch aluminium alloy rims. Finally, the fuel tank holds 17 litres of petrol, which is on par with the competition. Coming to the instrumentation, the GT250R comes with an analogue tacho and digital speedo console which features a clock, odo, trip meter, fuel gauge and telltale lights.