Suzuki has confirmed that it is working on a naked version of the Gixxer SF 250 for India. The naked bike, which will definitely share its engine, chassis and other equipment with the recently-launched SF 250, is expected to make its debut, in the next few months, along with a similarly-styled updated Gixxer 150.
While the details regarding how Suzuki will style this bike are still unconfirmed, there is a possibility the company will draw inspiration from its international-spec, entry-level naked offering, the GSX-S125. The new naked bike for India is likely to get the unique bulbous headlight similar to that on the GSX-S125, other body parts – the front fender, tank and potentially, the entire rear-end – will be borrowed from the Gixxer SF 250. This will help the Japanese manufacturer cut costs. Other styling elements like the gold-coloured finish on the engine casing and chrome-tipped double barrel exhaust will also be shared.
The upcoming Gixxer will be powered by the SF’s 249cc, single-cylinder, SOHC oil-cooled engine that makes 26.5hp at 9,000rpm and 22.6Nm of torque at 7,500rpm. Despite using fuel-injection instead of a carburettor, power figures could drop slightly as a by-product of the modifications made to meet BS6 regulations. The gearbox will continue to be the same 6-speed unit from the SF 250. Suspension and braking hardware will definitely remain the same as well. What is expected to change is the kerb weight – the figure is expected to drop from the fully-faired bike’s 161kg.
Suzuki will most likely price the upcoming naked Gixxer 250 quite a bit lower than the SF. The naked motorcycle is expected to be priced at around Rs 1.55-1.60 lakh, where it would face competition from the Yamaha FZ25 (Rs 1.34 lakh), Bajaj Dominar 400 (Rs 1.74 lakh) and the Duke 200 (Rs 1.62 lakh).
All prices, ex-showroom, Delhi
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
Dinshaw Magol
