Simple, economical and inexpensive, the new Suzuki GW250 is another fine option for the beginner or returning rider. PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER Entry-level seems to be the watchword for many manufacturers these days. With so many people looking for alternative and more economical ways of getting around town, and back and forth to work, the manufacturers are making it hard for potential first-time motorcycle purchasers not to consider two wheels anymore. As a result, getting into motorcycling hasn’t been any easier with so many low-cost, simple and easy-to-ride streetbikes coming on the scene lately. And one of these latest streetbikes is the all-new GW250 from Suzuki. The GW250 isn’t Suzuki’s only entry-level streetbike in its lineup. It joins the pre-existing TU250X, a low-cost single-cylinder retro-style standard that made its debut in 2008, but the TU250X has no EVAC emissions system on board, making it unavailable for purchase in California. The GW, however, is CARB-legal making it good to go in the Golden State. And not only that, it has a more modern look and a $400 smaller price tag than the TU at just $3199. Already known as the Inzuma (meaning “lightning”) in Japan and Europe, the US-badged GW250 is finally making its late arrival here in the States. Like the TU, the GW is aimed at the entry-level or returning motorcycle rider, someone who is looking for an inexpensive machine that is simple, efficient, comfortable and easy to ride yet doesn’t look like a beginner’s bike or a sportbike wannabe. Suzuki learned from a blind survey it distributed that many potential first-time motorcycle buyers are looking for something between the standard look of the TU250X and the sportier looks of the comparable Honda CBR250R and the Kawasaki Ninja 250/300. A relaxed, straight-up-and-down seating position was also on top of their must-have list. A liquid-cooled, SOHC, two-valve parallel-twin motor that was built specifically for the GW dishes out 24 horsepower and 16.2 lb-ft peak torque, according to Suzuki’s dyno. Suzuki’s presentation doesn’t hide that fact that both the CBR250R and Ninja 250/300 boast better numbers – 26 hp/16.89 lb-ft for the CBR250R and 32.1 hp/16.2 lb-ft for the older Ninja 250. And you know the newer Ninja 300 surpasses those figures, as well. A CBR300R is also on the horizon. On the road, the GW’s power is nothing to write home about, but that is to be expected. After all, the motor is a 250 (248cc to be exact) and wasn’t intended to leave rubber on the tarmac. Instead, it was designed to offer unintimidating power and throttle response for the beginner and returning rider who hasn’t twisted a throttle in a while, and that it does. Blip the throttle while idling in neutral, and the motor takes its sweet time to spool up. Revs build painfully slow but cleanly via the Suzuki’s seamless fuel-injection system. The bike launches smoothly – which is extremely important for the beginner – a lot of which has to do with the very light pull from the cable-operated, wet multi-disc clutch and slow-revving motor. For most zero-time motorcycle riders, mastering launches is the toughest part of learning how to ride a bike, but the GW will make that part a breeze. Again, the GW makes unintimidating power, perfect for the newbie. Veteran riders want to keep it in the high rpm range, where the bulk of the GW’s power can be found. There is no real bottom end to speak of; its strongest torque curve is in the 4000-6000 rpm range, but more experienced riders will wring it out far above that to find that small window of fun. Our test riders said they constantly saw the tach needle around 8000 rpm or above. The GW will reach speeds upwards of 85 mph, but you might want to have a book handy while you wait for it to get there. But 80 mph seems to be the realistic max, with the tach showing 9,500 rpm, which isn’t all that far from the bike’s 11,000 rpm redline. In short, the GW is a revver, especially if you want to make any sort of time getting to your destination. It does, however, cruise along nicely at 65 mph but don’t expect a whole lot of acceleration from that point when you suddenly twist the throttle to the stop. Plan ahead when making lane changes; you don’t want a car coming up on you faster than you thought. You’d think that wringing out the motor like this would produce some serious vibes, but because of the GW’s gear-driven counter-balancer shaft, the Suzook is remarkably smooth when it comes to vibration, or the lack of vibration. You just don’t feel it through the handlebars, footpegs or seat areas, though one tester noted some buzzing when he consciously pressed down hard on the right footpeg, but overall, the GW is surprisingly smooth at all rpm’s. When you combine the lack of vibration with the lack of exhaust and engine noise (but adding in some wind noise in your helmet), the tach is your only indication that you’re trying to squeeze every bit of power out of the GW’s small motor. Again, the motor is very smooth. The GW is fitted with a six-speed transmission that takes little persuasion to get it to do what you want. Upshifts or downshifts, the tranny responds with only a light touch on the gearshift lever. Finding neutral is also very easy. One of the GW’s biggest advantages is fuel economy. Even though the motor is always working hard, it doesn’t suck much gas. We had the bike a short time but saw an easy 70 mpg, and a lot of that came after some serious flogging on the highway. With a 3.5-gallon fuel tank, you won’t be visiting the gas stations all that much. Overall, the motor is solid, but power is very tame – great for beginners and newbies, but, not surprisingly, unimpressive for experienced riders. Suzuki designed the GW250 to be comfortable and easy on the body, and that it is. It has relaxed ergos, tall handlebars and a level seat that doesn’t having you sliding into the tank all the time. The 30.7-inch seat height is also very low, which is another huge benefit for the new rider. Being able to plant your feet on the ground is a big confidence booster. On board, the GW also feels narrow and light, even though it tips the scales at 403 pounds, according to Suzuki’s scale. That’s roughly 30 or so more pounds than the CBR250R and Ninja 250. The GW250 handles well. It corners nicely without requiring much effort by the riders to get the turning process initiated, and once leaned over, it has the tendency to stay put until told otherwise. The bike feels well balanced and very stable at both low and high speeds, which has a lot to do with its somewhat long 56.3-inch wheelbase. Braking isn’t great but good enough to get the job done. The front single-disc, single-piston brake is strong enough and a little on the mushy side, which is probably a good thing for the learning rider. Inexperience combined with a strong and touchy front brake is a recipe for disaster. The rear brake is strong but can easy lock if used solo. Suzuki chose not to equip the GW250 with ABS, most likely a cost-saving decision. You could argue that ABS might be a good safety net for the beginner, but you could also argue that not having ABS is a good way to teach a new rider how to brake properly – learn first, add ABS later. Suspension is quite good for what it is – pretty basic and non adjustable, though there is a seven-step preload adjustment on the single shock in the back. The ride is fairly smooth but a little springy when you hit a distinctive bump in the road. We were impressed with the GW’s instruments. The dash is very informative and looks like it came off a bike twice its price. It features both digital and analogue readouts, including a gear position indicator and clock. Suzuki did not skimp here. One of the best features of the GW250 is that it does not look like an entry-level bike at all. Its modern and edgy guise, however, might not sit well with everyone (mainly because of that goofy front fender that immediately pulls your eyes away from what is otherwise a good-looking bike), but at least it doesn’t scream newbie when you go riding by. We did like the curves of the headlight, not to mention how it brightly lit up the road. Suzuki says the GW250 took some of its styling cues after the company’s short-lived B-King. The GW250, which is manufactured at Suzuki’s plant in China, seems to be built very well. It has a nice fit and finish, and just feels solid. We didn’t see any reason why this bike won’t hold together for a quite some time. We shall see a few years from now. Although we didn’t have the GW250 in our possession for very long, we found the bike to do what it was intended to do quite well. It’s a great platform for the beginner thanks to its super-mellow motor, relatively small size, and smooth-working transmission and clutch. However, we feel the newbie will quickly master the GW and will most likely want to graduate to a more powerful machine in short order, though it will be hard to let go of that excellent mpg, agile handling, edgy looks and comfy ergos. Heck, since you’re only spending $3999, you could always hang on to it as your economical commuter or around-towner and add a spunkier canyon carver to your stable later on. After all, isn’t it better to have too many bikes in your garage than not enough? SPECIFICATIONS2013 Suzuki GW250ENGINE: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 2-valve, 4-stroke, parallel-twin BORE x STROKE: 53.5 x 55.2mm DISPLACEMENT: 248cc COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: Fuel injection, 26mm throttle body LUBRICATION SYSTEM: Wet sump CLUTCH: Wet multi-plate TRANSMISSION: 6-speed constant mesh FINAL REDUCTION RATIO: 46/14t DRIVE CHAIN: #520 D.I.D CHASIS: Steel, semi double-cradle frame FRONT SUSPENSION: Kayaba, telescopic fork, 37mm, non-adustable REAR SUSPENSION: Kayaba, single-shock, 7-step preload adjustable FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: 4.7 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: 4.9 in. FRONT BRAKE: Single-piston, single 290mm disc REAR BRAKE: Single-piston, single 240mm disc FRONT TIRE: 110/80-17 in. tubeless, IRC 57H REAR TIRE: 140/70-17 in. tubeless, IRC 66H O/A LENGTH: 84.4 in. SEAT HEIGHT: 30.7 in. WHEELBASE: 56.3 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: 6.4 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 3.5 gal. CLAIMED WEIGHT (curb): 403 lbs. COLOR: Pearl Nebular Black MSRP: $3999
