Rider
Reports on Suzuki GT250
Roy's Retrospectives -
Suzuki
GT250C
The
GT250 is powerful for its size, handles and brakes well enough but did
not click for this tester.
Perhaps
you need to be in your teens or twenties to appreciate a rev band and
power output which would have done justice to a racing machine a decade
or two ago, I found the first 50 miles enjoyable, but then the gilt
began to fade and the vibration, riding position and peaky output began
to pall.<
The
Suzuki is fast, being good for 85 to 90mph but vibration sets in around
6500rpm, which equates to 70mph in top gear. Once
over 7000 and it becomes a curse. In addition the riding position is
high, wide and handsome, so poor for quick riding.
After 10 miles on a
motorway I moved my feet to the pillion rests and this proved the best
compromise between control and comfort. Acceleration
is all that one would expect from a 250cc twin two-stroke with the
machine really showing its get up and go as long as the revs are kept
up. The engine has to be kept above 4000
when accelerating so with vibration appearing between 6 and 6500 the
gearbox must be used well to keep the engine on the boil.The
peaky power is a bind in town, as opening up below 4000 produces
nothing except a tendency for the engine to gas up.
Thus to nip past a car means
changing down a couple of gears to get the revs up and then of course
the bike hurtles forward with too much noise and fuss for the good of
the motorcycling generally. Third gear is best for overtaking in
town, but you do have to row along on the gear lever. The gear-change
itself clunks but is
quite acceptable. The clutch is quick to engage so the two items taken
together do not add up to the best arrangement although they are at
least positive.
The
machine was only ridden in the dry when the brakes proved to be
adequate without being exceptional. The
note on the forks pointing out that their performance would fall off in
the wet is condemnation enough. Handling is good
reservation due mainly to
the poo bike going round
corners well enough but
without really instilling confidence
it never stepped out or
got into trouble and a
better riding position with
low narrow bars should work
wonders.
As
expected these days the machine is fully equipped with indicators,
flasher, mirrors and stands, all of which function well and without
fuss. Starting was always first class, hot or cold, but thanks to the
power band and the need to buzz the engine, consumption was no better
than 42mpg, hardly brilliant for a 250. No
doubt a gentle throttle hand would improve things but this would imply
a steady 40 to 50mph, hardly what one buys a hot 250 for. If run at a
slower engine speed the
engine is prone to oiling its plugs and has to be watched in town.
In a
sense, the Suzuki is too well tuned for road use and if set up to do
80mph would be a much nicer bike, for it could then pull and be used in
traffic, without the rider having to play racers whether he wishes or
not. However,
its quite good fun as it is!
Roy Bacon
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