[saitvsk23]

I found the ZigWheels review to be oddly negative. PowerDrift's review was somewhere in between. I hope for the best for this beautiful motorcycle. People are already finding it to be purpose-built and are ready to take it.

[Sudarshan42]

Originally Posted by saitvsk23

I found the ZigWheels review to be oddly negative. PowerDrift's review was somewhere in between. I hope for the best for this beautiful motorcycle. People are already finding it to be purpose-built and are ready to take it.

Not a fan of Arun Nadar. He seems to fixate on certain things and ignore other aspects. One example was the fixation on the Highness CB350's lack of low-end tractability compared to the Classic 350, which is fine but shouldn't colour your overall verdict. All other positives of the CB350 were largely ignored.

One thing the Autocar, ZW and Powerdrift videos made clear though was that the suspension characteristics seem to be identical to the Gixxer 250. This might be useful info for those looking to use it purely within the city- the 30-40k extra may not be worth it. For touring, the V-Strom looks undoubtedly better. But as always- test ride & decide I'll mostly head to the showrooms this weekend to check it out.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

One example was the fixation on the Highness CB350's lack of low-end tractability compared to the Classic 350, which is fine but shouldn't colour your overall verdict. All other positives of the CB350 were largely ignored.

Yeah that review received a lot of flak especially from Honda lovers. However I could resonate with that.

When I TDed the CB/H’ness I had to keep changing the gears as I do on my G310R which IMHO took away the essence of riding an old school long stroke thumper. On the Classic, one could forget what gear it was on and keep on thumping. As I understand Honda kept tall gearing to extract the best fuel efficiency.

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

One thing the Autocar, ZW and Powerdrift videos made clear though was that the suspension characteristics seem to be identical to the Gixxer 250. This might be useful info for those looking to use it purely within the city- the 30-40k extra may not be worth it. For touring, the V-Strom looks undoubtedly better. But as always- test ride & decide I'll mostly head to the showrooms this weekend to check it out.

Yeah! I found the Autocar’s review the most balanced. The takeaway was that the VStrom SX 250 is a nice tarmac focused tourer but isn’t worthy of the ‘VStrom’ badge.

[SoumenD]

Went for a quick test ride to a nearby Suzuki dealership. The bike wasn’t registered so they requested to keep it short.



I wanted to check a few of things like suspension, weight distribution, height & pickup. Based on the quick dash here are my observations:

Positives:
+Looks awesome. Great street presence. Looks alone will sell quite a few of these.
+Pickup seems adequate. Not explosive but felt decent upgrade compared to my RTR160.
+Weight distribution is good. At standstill found manoeuvring it easier compared to KTM 250 adv.
+At 5’7” although I couldn’t flatfoot but it isn’t as bad as KTM250adv. I could plant half-foot on both sides, so won’t need a lowered seat.





Closer look where my feet lands.



+Build quality looked good. No complaints.
+Loved the seats. Very comfortable both rider and pillion seat(important criteria )

Negatives:
-No centre stand. Not even as an accessory.
-Suspension disappointed me. I wasn’t expecting Xpulse plush but somewhere between Xpulse and KTM adv. But this is stiff. Rumble strips jarred me up. Even uneven road surfaces were felt but manageable. SA says we can adjust it for softer settings but not sure how much better it would be.

The SA promised me a longer(10kms) test ride with pillion. Will take a call post that. Although am in no hurry and looks like Suzuki has anyways sorted the supply chain well in advance.

[Sebring]

That's very true, long ride planned. Please have some patience, my friend, I'm riding with RPM limiter for 1000 Kms

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Looks like you have a planned a long ride this weekend. BTW, these small posts/teasers are fine till today. Are you going to publish detailed ownership review soon?

Thank you chief. I'm just making up for lost time riding bikes The seating position is immaculate (165 Cms tall). It is a straight back position and loving it. No, I'm not experiencing a slight lean at the bars. I quite liked one more top box, have a look (Still undecided though)

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Congratulations on Yalla. How is the seating position? Reach to handlebars and seat to pegs. It appears to be a straight back riding position with straight legs. Is there a lean or slight lean to the bars and knees slightly bent and a trifle back? Please clarify

Center Stand is on its way. They have made provision for it, if you see. The suspension is good (Plz check tyre psi)

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Negatives:
-No centre stand. Not even as an accessory.
-Suspension disappointed me.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I quite liked one more top box, have a look (Still undecided though)

The first Givi one is the one for me Sebring. Somehow the dimensions and looks make it seem almost factory finish. This last one is a no no again.

Cheers

[Sarvodaya]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I quite liked one more top box, have a look (Still undecided though) Center Stand is on its way.)

From where you purchased the Top Box. Only Top box or side Panniers are also available. You must be having a tough day deciding which one to ride today in your garage. Is center stand part of accessory or third party accessory

[GreasyCarb55]

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

From where you purchased the Top Box. Only Top box or side Panniers are also available. You must be having a tough day deciding which one to ride today in your garage. Is center stand part of accessory or third party accessory

If you're in Bangalore a lot of people have recommended Orion Motors in Koramangala, it's on the top of the Orion Suzuki showroom opposite to Forum Mall. I would call them first to confirm if they have GIVI Top box in stock.

I checked some videos online and it seems to be a really good place.

[dkaile]

Test rode the SX 250 today. Frankly, I was disappointed with the grunt in the engine, perhaps coming from much bigger bikes. Fit and finish and the overall look and feel of the bike is good though.









I was not comfortable standing on the bike riding solo, like my previous Himalayan. I am 6' btw. The handlebars are too short for that. If I plan it just for domestic duties, my wife was not comfortable sitting pillion due to the height of the bike. It is neither here nor there bike.

Cheers...

[Sebring]

Dino got his hands on one. His observations are spot on

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by Sebring

. The suspension is good (Plz check tyre psi)

Obviously that’s the first thing anyone would check. Never said its bad but among Xpulse and Ktm its more towards the KTM’s feel. I expected it to be softer. Quite a few reviewers seem to be of the same opinion. Will alter the settings in next test-test ride and try.

Never the less it’s not a deal breaker for me. Am mostly buying this unless TVS springs a surprise in next 2 months.

[w0lf]

The Givi top box model that everyone seems to like is Givi's Antartica 42L Top Case.

[Sebring]

Since this bike is already present in the international market, accessories like Givi tank bags (With lock) and SW Motech (With magnetic ring/lock) are available. With Givi dimensions I saw the handlebar touching the sides lightly (while turning), so opted for SWM MICRO. This is magnetic with a dedicated tank ring

[Sudarshan42]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Never the less it’s not a deal breaker for me. Am mostly buying this unless TVS springs a surprise in next 2 months.

And what surprise could this be? I didn't catch any whispers on any grapevine- a new RTR 200 ADV? An RTR 310? The latter looks unlikely because of a supposed agreement with BMW where they wouldn't trip over each other sharing bike styles on the 310 platform, but who knows.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

And what surprise could this be? I didn't catch any whispers on any grapevine- a new RTR 200 ADV? An RTR 310? The latter looks unlikely because of a supposed agreement with BMW where they wouldn't trip over each other sharing bike styles on the 310 platform, but who knows.

Well the V-Strom 250 SX appeared for launch out of nowhere and it now seems fair to expect similar ADV surprise from TVS, Bajaj and Yamaha from their existing 200 & 250 platforms. Probably the next budget ADV will be from Yamaha since they are more likely to test in foreign lands like Suzuki.