Suzuki Gixxer SF 250

Latest quarter-litre sportsbike in the country ridden, on track!

- Abhay Verma

The quarterlitre segment of motorcycles is one that I’ve wanted to see crammed with options. It’s a space that makes a lot sense for a market like ours, but the segment started gathering steam only a few years ago. In fact, it’s one of the hottest segments in the country currently, after the 150cc segment. And the Suzuki Gixxer and Gixxer SF are motorcycles that have helped Suzuki carve a sizeable niche in the 150cc segment. And now, Suzuki is hoping to take its Gixxer game to the next level, the 250cc segment. The Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 has just been launched in the country, priced at 1.70 lakh, ex-showroom. We got to ride it at the Buddh International Circuit, alongside the updated, 2019 version of the smaller, 155cc Gixxer SF.

But first, let’s understand the bike

The Gixxer SF 250 uses the same formula as the smaller, 155cc Gixxer SF. So the 250 is not a hardcore sportsbike but is a sporty, fully-faired machine intended to offer comfort along with usable, friendly performance. Interestingly, this time Suzuki has launched the fullyfaired SF first as opposed to the 150, where it launched the naked first. The Gixxer SF 250 is a strategic product for Suzuki in India in that sense, as it marks the brand’s return to the 250cc arena, its first product being Inazuma 250. Powered by a parallel-twin cylinder engine, the Inazuma was a motorcycle we appreciated for its refinement, comfort and handling but its sticker price and unconventional design hurt its fortunes. Which also explains why Suzuki has gone in for a more conventional approach for its return to the 250cc space, in the process, also building on the successful Gixxer platform.