BBC Top Gear India – July 2019

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The new bike gets a split seat with

split handlebars and split grab rails. The

instrumentation is derived from the older

Gixxer and is familiar while delivering all

the data you would ever need.

The ergos are fairly friendly with the

footpeg to handlebar (now a split unit) to

seat ratio being sporty yet comfortable.

The chassis itself is derived from the older

Gixxer but gets a strengthened downtube

to accommodate the new motor. The

suspension is a conventional front fork

up front with a preload adjustable single

shocker at the rear. The suspension is set

up at a nice little sweet spot and remains

pliant without losing out on dynamic

capabilities. Around the BIC, where we

rode it, the suspension did feel a bit soft,

but this should do well for real-world

ride quality.

The 250 gets disc brakes at both ends

with dual channel ABS and 17 -inch wheels

using MRF rubber. The traction was

enough for us to push the bikes fairly hard

around the track without once feeling

at a loss for grip. The overall setup itself

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lack the agility that the smaller Gixxer

was famous for. Initiating turns and

making left to right transitions lack the

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ABS did tend to interfere a bit earlier than

we would have liked.

The motor is an oil-cooled single that

displaces 249 cc and makes 26. 5 bhp and

22. 6 Nm of torque. This is mated to a new

six-speed gearbox. The engine is tuned

for good low- and bottom-end grunt

which serves the bike well in corner exits

and while accelerating from low rpms. It

also manages triple-digit speeds without

feeling stressed which hints at how

comfortable it can be on highways. On the

BIC’s long back straight, we managed to

see speeds well over 150 kph consistently.

And the best part is, it stays more or less

shocker at the rear. The suspension is set

up at a nice little sweet spot and remains

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008 JULY 2019 → TOPGEAR.COM