My name is Hari and I am a biker. I just love to drive and is always hungry to drive more and more…. I don’t like to travel in a bus or train. I get my adrenaline released whenever I drive a bike on highways. This is the third motorcycle I am using. The first one being a Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i and second bike was Suzuki Heat. I bought the GSR on August 2009. I was not satisfied with my Pulsar because of the reliability issues. My Pulsar began to show troubles from the time it clocked just 15000Kms. The issue was frequent damage to magnetising coil or starting coil. I changed it 4 times and finally decided to get rid of Pulsar.
I took Pulsar because of its looks and I learnt a lesson from my experience with the first bike. Then because of the lack of budget I bought a Suzuki Heat in 2006. Even though it lack looks I like the bike for its smoothness and reliability. It was a trouble free motorcycle and I rode it for the last three and a half years and done 37000Kms on the odo. Then I decided to upgrade my bike to a 150cc machine. I have to travel 150Kms in a stretch four times a month from my home to college hostel. I need something with more power and weight and comfort.
Before giving my views about how I chose GSR, let me tell you one thing frankly! There are no bad bikes or best bikes. Every bike got its own pros and cons. And depending on the attributes you are looking for your choice will vary. So always evaluate which bike suits you the most. I mean I took Gsr for the optimum combination of Power, Comfort, Ride Quality, and Stability.
I considered Unicorn, FZ-16, Hunk and the GSR for buying. FZ was the bike I liked the most in case of looks but it was not good to ride in highways. I test drove each motorcycle. FZ may be fastest to reach 60kmph but after that it is a complete slug in higher ends. Hunk was also good looking but lack mileage. Unicorn and GSR, uffff…. I was confused between the two Titans. Both were equally good in terms of comfort, reliability (Since I drove a Heat and because of the good experience I believed GSR would also be reliable) It took three months for me to decide after reading many reviews and articles from bike advice (search for unicorn Vs GSR article in bike advice) as well as ownership reviews from mouthshut.com. And finally I decided to go for GSR as Unicorn is outdated.
When I first saw the GSR on a magazine I said Yack! I was upset by the way they mentioned that GSR is a copy of many of the existing bikes, headlight looks similar to Pulsar, tail lamp similar to cbz xtreme, side panels similar to hunk blah blah blah! When I enquired more on this bike’s design I came to know that it resembles the GSR series. Just search for the GSR600, GSR 1000 etc on google images and you can see that the tail lights and side panels are replica of the GSR family and also the headlight which resembles the Lotus flower.
When I reached the showroom to have a glance at this bike: OHH man its huge. I mean a big big monster. I love it compared to the other bikes like Apache, FZ and Hunk which looks small in terms of length and tank size. For me ‘SIZE DOES MATTER’. I am not describing about the looks of the bike as it is personal feelings. But I would like to mention that I love it for its simplicity. Since I took the bike on August 17th, till now I had done 9500kms and completed my fifth service last Saturday. So far I have not troubled by this bike in any manner.
Starting with the seating position it employs a commuter type seating position. To be said in simple words it gives an upright seating position which won’t cause any back pain or any kind of aches to joints. I had driven this bike from Cochin to Trivandrum and back in a single day. 440Kms and I didn’t feel any sort of tiredness. In a Heat I feel my joints get punished after driving it for 60Kms. I give an impressive five star rating for comfort.
Regarding the power GSR won’t give you a punch at the beginning. Or this is not appropriate for those people who want to stay ahead when the traffic light turns green. But it got its power delivery uniformly throughout the entire rpm range. That is you won’t run out of power even at higher rpms. The bike is a winner once you enter the highways. It climbs easily to 100kmps. But beyond that it becomes sluggish. The top speed I achieved on this bike is 118kmph so far (on the speedo of the bike).
A four star rating is what I give for performance. If you are driving the bike only in city and you won’t go beyond 70kmph and if you are looking for a bike which is very quick at the lower rpms then this is not your cup of tea. In that case I advise you to take a test drive of the RTR160/180. But if you are driving on highways don’t hesitate to include GSR in your options and definitely go for a test drive. It gains speed at higher rpms. Once you past the 5000rpm mark the bike accelerate like a rocket. Awesome performance man.
Regarding the stability of the bike, this is the best bike I have driven so far. It is completely vibration free. It stays in control even at 100kmph. You won’t feel any sort of vibration at foot rest or on handles. That makes your ride on highways comfortable. About the brakes, the GSR employs disk brake at its front and a drum at its back and both brakes are good enough in case of an emergency. You won’t lose control even if you are new to disk brakes. (The right way of applying brakes is to apply both brakes simultaneously and never to use only one of them. Otherwise the tyre may skid). Again a four rating for the brakes.
Now comes the suspension. I had already told that the bike is comfortable to ride. I heard a lot that the monoshocks are more good. But seriously yaar, I didn’t feel much difference while riding a unicorn and GSR in terms of cornering stability and handling potholes.
Now comes the important factor for the Indian bikers Mileage. I am not sure about this part. During the time I bought this bike, for the initial 4000Kms, I kept the bike within the limits well below the 5000rpm mark. At that time I was getting a fuel efficiency of 54kmpl. Since the time I began to rev my gsr ( I used to drive at 75Kmph+ in highways) I got a mileage between 42kmpl and 51kmpl. So far the worst fuel efficient figure I got is 38kmpl and the best is as astounding 66kmpl. So I say a four star for mileage.
Overall the Suzuki Gs150r is a good package for Rs.67000 OTR. It surely gives you value for money. It got all the new generation goodies like the LED tail lamps and a brilliant LCD display which incorporates a gear indicator too. Also there is an economy/power mode which you can choose (this is strictly for beginners, ok) There is a light which glows at the time you need to have an upshift in gear. It is not that important as there isn’t much technical stuff in it. If you engage the economy mode the small led on the console blinks at 4500rpm. If you put the power mode it blinks at 8000rpm. That’s all for the modes. I used to switch off this thing.
You can find the small led at the left bottom side of the console just near by the tacho meter. The digital console got a clock, two trip meters.
The Negatives: There is not much negatives. Still the fuel indicator in the digital meter is not accurate. But I heard it is common in all bikes employing digital display(apache, pulsars) . another shortcoming is the noise of the engine. It is not a pleasant sound like that of a Unicorn. But the sound becomes negligible at high speeds.
The Positives: There is an added advantage for this bike, the sixth gear. It improves the top end performance of the bike significantly and the gear indicator located inside the tachometer circle helps to identify in which gear you are(in case you are confused). For its price it delivers everything that a 21st generation biker wants, digital goodies, optimum combination of power and mileage.
I would like to tell you that you won’t regret buying a Suzuki GS150R. But again it depends on what you want from a bike. That’s all folks that I have to say. Make sure that you test drive every motorcycle before deciding which one you buy. Wear a helmet on highways and please do all the services at the right time in an authorized service centre itself. It will enhance the life of your motorbike. Thank you for reading my review and post any question regarding GSR and I will help you to get an answer!
Regards,
Hari
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
i am first to reply.. Mate how is the power at starting position. I ask u because i was fatty about 95kg and my friend also the same. So a total of 190kg. Is this bike has the power to ride to hill areas with me and my friend?
Hi Hari
Good to hear about the bike experience. Could you please let me know whether is it possible to reduce the height of the bike, i mean the seat height. I took a test drive, feel comfortable if the height is little bit lower.
Hari, I must say its a very impartial and personal review. One thing which I also felt extremely correct is that among the array of available bikes it totally depends on one’s need and taste which bike suits to whom.
great review man , you have chosen the best machine with awesome color . And you have written a very good review and the pictures add to the beauty of your review. That’s what i want whenever i open an ownership review at bikeadvice
So far the worst review I came across in bikeadvice.in. The reason being, self appreciation of bike and passing wrong, stupid, judgments on other bikes. BTW: Its good to know that you are happy with your bike, but you don’t have any right to judge Bajaj Pulsar based on your single experience. And, make people think twice before they buy Pulsars. As, you mentioned every bike has its advantages and dis-advantages, and if you take care of your vehicle properly – it will never give you any trouble. By saying that I am not favoring Bajaj Pulsar, because I don’t need to – Pulsar is the most selling premium bike in India even today after these many years of its inception.
So, please use this platform to help one other. Instead of appreciating your bike and passing bad judgments on others.
Very good ownership review.What about the headlights is it enough ?(I mean does it have DC setup like the one in pulsars)
Scott? Wash your mouth.
Nice review buddy. Yesterday on my way to office I saw unicorn and gs150r racing against each other. Honda unicorn grand prix edition(blue & white) vs Suzuki GS150R(blue). Both were looking stunning. From the signal, Unicorn took the lead and upto 80kmph on my speedo gs150r was behind. I was on pulsar 220 and closely observing them. At almost 100kmph gs came very close to uni and was just behind and then came the stupid traffic jam. The uni guy managed to cut through the traffic and then dissappeared. If it has been for another 5 mins I am sure gs would have taken the lead as it has more power. I liked the way how both the bikes seems to be relaxed at that speed. However, I liked the silent nature of uni. I was only hearing my bike sound while passing uni whereas gs150r was making some noise. I am sure my old pulsar 150 should have shouted like hell at that speed. Japanese bikes are simple yet amazing. I am planning to buy a bike for my brother and is waiting for unicorn sports concept as it looks superb. If Honda takes another one year I am definately going to buy gs150r.
Yes, you are right. GS is not as refined as Unicorn. It is only between say 60 to 80 the sound is less. Otherwise it is quite similar to pulsar’s. But the ride quality is better than pulsar’s.
@bikerboy
The headlight is wide enough at high beam but not focussed. I think It should have been better. But the horn is great as it has dual horns.
Nice review……….
keep posting……..
I am too keen to get this bike but unfortunately, there is no Suzuki outlet in Kolkata. If any one can suggest me what simalar bike in 150-180cc segment, can I go for. My budget is 75k.
Debasish, get the FZ16 or Fazer
@Debasish
Buddy, go for Honda Unicorn. It is the best 150CC bike till date. In few aspects like handling, engine refinement etc it is still better than GS150R. The only thing is it looks bland infront of other 150 bikes. But GS is more value for money. As you are unable to find suzuki dealer in kolkata, go for Unicorn, the troublefree bike. “Dikhawe pe mat jao, apni aqal lagao”.
@Ahmed
unicorn sports concept?
is they were going to launch that?
is that the same engine of old one or increased any power?
@ Mariosites.com
Few days back I saw new cbf stunner at a Honda showroom and lot of people were gathered around it. I went there. New stunner looks much better than current ones. Simply best got even better. I enquired about Honda Unicorn sports concept. They said it is in the pipeline and will be available by june-july 2010. It will have digital console, rear disk brake and ofcourse more power than the current one. It is the same one they showcased at Auto expo 2010. Currently Unicorn is the best 150CC bike apart from looks and if the 2010 uni has power say 15bhp with that stunning looks and uptodate features then it will surely rule the entire 150CC segment. Let us hope for the best.
This is my reply to Atul. The initial pickup is good enough to carry your weight as well as your partners. I used to ride with 3 persons at a time. There wont be a swift acceleration but the torque of the bike is more compared to unicorn,pulsar,hunk etc which gives you more pulling power.
Reply to sidharth. Dude the heas lights are just ok and it could be better, especially on highways. The heaklights are not good enough compared to unicorn
This is my reply to bikerboy.
Thanks for your comment. I never told any one not to take any particular bike. I wrote a review based on my ownership experiance and pulsar was my fisrt bike and I used it for 2 and a half years and clocked 25oookms. Regarding maintaining my bike, I never gave ,my bike to a trhird party workshop. Done all the services at the right time in an authorized servide provider itself and there wasn’t even a scratch on my bike.
Yes I too know that the Pulsar is the best selling bike in the 150cc segment. But it is not the best bike and GSR, Unicorn, Hunk are all better than the Pulsar and the sales figure is only because of the Indian People are so much affectionate towards the ‘HAMARA BAJAJ’.
Yas you can go for a Unicorn or a HH Hunk/Cbz xtreme. All these bikes cost less than 70k OTR and are good bikes and lacks nothing compared to GSR. Any way you take a test drive of all the bikes before making your mind.
Engine noise you mentioned is rectified in new models. i mean 2010 model. Also tank rusting problem also rectified.
I just bought this bike. not even a week. Got a bike manufactured on 21-1-2010 which came to chennai showroom on 31-1-2010 and i bought on 17-2-2010.
Dealer told that they changed many parts vendor to rectify problems like tank rust. Engine is imported as a whole from suzuki and assembled in gurgaon. added info.
Hi guys this is arun last week i brought suzuki gs 150r(candy orange coloured) and cloaked 745 kms and my first service is done too,all i can say is that this bike is just amazing and the best 150 cc bike because in city conditions i am getting around 56km and on highways 64km and moreover this bike has got amazing comfort ,refined engine,great body built,good handling and stability while braking on high speeds,descent looks and pick up ,6 speed gear box,left disc,digital instrumentation good body graphics and also reliable because this is a suzuki product and finally i recommend this bike to anyone who is looking for a perfect 150cc commuter .Go for this bike only if there is a suzuki dealer in your place
Hi all
i am also confused between GS150 R and unicorn. Currently Unicorn is not available in Chennai. I heard about the Rusting Problem of GS 150 R. Owners please check and confirm
Also owners of GS 150 R ( i dont c much of GS150 R in chennai)kindly confirm about your mileage and is there any need arised for parts change and its availabilities
I dont know much about bike lingo. But can u ppl tell me what is this “Knocking” Some says that there is no Knocking in GS while they say they have the KNOCKING
Sarav
Honda Bikes are always used be soundless while regarding Unicorn, Shine, Stunner, Cb Twister. They stand for appearance but doesnt have much technolgy as Suzuki gs 150r.Its a High technolgy imposed bike from my view.
Honda could give more than 60kms as mileage for bikers but suzuki cant as it meshes with high rpm.Considering, the specification honda failed against more over sports bike but the performance is better than others anyway it will take a very deep discussion to describe. As a result Honda has a name in Indian Market. But both Suzuki and honda are from Japan.
Hari,do you have any problem with rusting of parts?pls reply.
Hari,
Your review is cool man. Its comprehensive.It helps for people who are reading reviews on GS 150r.
Cheers
Krishna
pls. suggest. me final answer? no confusions. which bike out of the two unicorn or GSR150 is better. comparision of pickups, what about the rusting problem with the uinicorn bike? and what about the engine noise [ slightly large as compared to other bikes] of 150 GSR bikes. what about spare part and service centres availibility in case of transer of job places; are service centers avaaible/ pls help me with comparision on these rational points.
hi subash even i was very much confused of which bike to go for a year ago but after test riding both the bikes i made up my mind to go for gs150r because i found it to be far better than unicorn in terms of stability ,technology,excellent features offered for a price tag of 67,000, engine quality what not so far i ve faced no problem with my gs i am getting a mileage of 54kmpl in city and 62kmpl in highway normally i drive at a speed of 40-50kmph and sometimes on rare occasion i drive at 90-115kmph so far the top speed i ve reached was 122kmph @9500rpm in every gear , the drive quality was very much comfortable and also u will have no back pains after continuous ride for about 1 hour trust me and also no rusting problems faced so far mine was 2009 model and i heard that 2010 model has got no problems what 2008 and 2009 models had and coming to quality of service if u r from Chennai don’t go for ABT their service is worst instead go for smk porur branch or guindy branch they not only treat customers with great respect but also their service is of top notch so i suggest u go for gs150r and also don’t get disappointed with the initial pick up of gs150r its XTP(extra torque power) helps u reach 0 -60 and 0 -100 very quicker than unicorn so for further details contact me at (9962637512) name arun
Very Good Review Indeed!
But someone tell this guy that GS 150 R shares the styling cues with the SUZUKI GSX 1000 R and SUZUKI GSX 600 R and not GSR 600!!