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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 with reservation, due mainly to the poor riding position, with 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    Top of Page