When I laid my eyes for the first time on this bike, I said to myself, “this bike looks much better in flesh and blood.” I wanted a bike with good power along with good enough average. In other words, I want a jack of all trades bike. After browsing through hundreds of pages online, I have short listed three bikes Hero Honda Hunk, CBZ Extreme and Suzuki Gs150R. I felt Hunk’s looks doesn’t fit bikers of my age (28). No offense as this is purely a personal opinion. Coming to CBZ Extreme, I loved the initial acceleration amongst many other features the bike possesses. However, I needed a bike with straighter posture.
The Pulsars and Honda Unicorn were not considered. I felt the Pulsars are too common on the streets. Some user commented on a blog, “Every one has a Pulsar my neighbor, my cousin, my friend and even my milkman rides one.” Honda Unicorn is an old horse and might have considered it, had the company made some major cosmetic changes.
So after much deliberation and friendly and unfriendly chats with friends and relative, I have zeroed down on Suzuki GS150R. I liked the commuterish posture on this bike and felt it will cause less strain on my back on long journeys than on bikes with sporty leaning posture.
After I made my decision, I stopped browsing the internet as I knew it will only complicate matters and make me more confused. Like everyone else I wanted to put my hard earned money on a perfect bike (a myth nonetheless). Finally, I purchased the bike on 26th December, 2009 on cash payment of 71000 Rs inclusive all. The crash guard, saree guard, rear view mirrors are part of the standard and do not count toward accessories.
I felt like a celebrity on the road as everyone checked out my bike. A few people even asked if this is an imported one. Please read on to know more about this beast “Suzuki GS150R.”
Looks and Style: The first thing anyone would notice about the bike is the huge tank and the majestic curve it creates with the saddle. The digital console is probably one of the best looking consoles I have seen around. The gorgeous orange console displays speed, clock and gear position along with a beautiful analog tachometer. The readings are easily visible on bright sunlight. Unlike other bikes the disc brake assembly is on the left hand side of the wheel. I think it is an effort by the manufacturer to be unique amongst the crowd and does not necessarily affect the bike’s braking performance.
I was not very impressed by the headlight as I thought there is nothing new and its looks are pretty similar to other premium bikes available on the market. However, the pilot lamps do give the look of a bull horn and looks good. At the back the tail lamp is clustered along with the signal lights. The tail lamp and the rear signal lights have LED (Light Emitting Diode) and looks absolutely stunning at night. Both the wheels sport 18” alloy wheel manufactured by Enkei. The front tyre dimension is ‘2.75, tube type’ while the rear tyre is of ‘100/90, tube type’.
Comfort: The rear suspension is of swingarm type and handles the potholes well. It comes with 5 adjustable settings, ‘1’ being the softest and ‘5’ the hardest spring preload. The front suspension is of telescopic type and gives horse ride feel on uneven roads until its (the shock abosorber’s) run in period is over. Once the run in period is over, it can negotiate the potholes pretty well. A 240 mm hydraulic single disc brake performs its duty on the front. At the rear the bike has a 130 mm drum type brake. The bike stops when you want it to stop and has worked well till now for me. However, I have not tried checking out the stopping distance from a high speed.
Performance: The 149.5 cc engine churns out maximum power of 13.8 bhp@ 8500rpm and 13.4 Nm of peak torque at 6000rpm. The curb weight of the bike is bit heavy at 149 kgs and affects the initial pick up. It manages to push past 60km in a lengthy 6 seconds. However, the torque is well distributed and hence very comforting to ride in the city as well on the highway. Although a bit heavy it is not difficult to maneuver around traffic.
It comes with 6 speed transmission with the gear shift pattern of one down and five up. The sixth gear acts as overdrive and is a boon on the highway. The responsiveness of 3rd and 4th gear is worth mentioning. However, it would have been amazing had the 1st and 2nd gear been more responsive.
It was a breeze to accelerate till 85km. After 85km it took ages to go past the three figure mark. As in this part of the world we only have single highway, I was not able to fully test the bike above the three figure mark. Due to its heavy weight the bike hugs the road very well and instills a great deal of confidence on the rider. I was not intimidated by the cross wind created by the giant 16 and 18 wheelers on the road.
In addition, due to the bike’s “engine balancer system”, I did not feel any vibration even on high speeds of over 90km per hour. One can expect an average of 45-50 km per liter in the city and can expect an increment of 4-5 km per liter on the highway. I have even heard users getting an average of 70km per liter. However, I have not had the good fortune to experience that kind of average. I am happy with the average I am getting as I know it always depends on the individual’s riding style.
What could have been better:
- Headlight: The headlight is very humble and does not light up the road well enough. Maybe the company will switch to all DC setup and instill some confidence into the headlight.
- Rear suspension: A mono suspension would have been great at the rear for we all know how the handling improves with a mono suspension.
- Tyres: Currently both the tyres are of tube type. I would have loved to see the wheels sporting tubeless tyres or at least tuff up tubes like the Honda Unicorn. I get scared even while thinking of being stranded on a dark road with no help nearby. Also the rear wheel sports MRF Zapper Y which is a nightmare on a wet village road. It performs all right on the tarmac but not all Indians ride their bike only on tarmac. I hope the company switches to a soft compound tyre at the rear.
Verdict: If you are no nonsense guy and want to go about your normal business without much fuss, buy this bike. This bike will not disappoint and you will happily ride ever after. However, if you are looking for that instant rush of blood, I am sorry to disappoint, you and Suzuki GS150R are not made for each other.
Pros:
- Sixth gear, best looking console, warranty until 30000kms,
- Steady on high speeds, ultra smooth gearshift,
- Refined Engine (second to Honda Unicorn).
Cons:
- After sales and service is a concern, weight of the bike,
- Rear brake could have been better,
- Initial acceleration,
- Not enough colour choice.
Raj Basumatary
raj30182@yahoo.co.in
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{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
hi there raj good review and i am getting this bike on friday,even i was very confused with gs,hunk,cbz,apache160,unicorn and i threw a research on these bikes since 3 months and test rided them personally it is GS that gave me the ultra luxury feel though the initial pick up was not good it rocked later
great choice and a superb review raj……..
you cover all the points of the bike intead of just appreciatng you bike and your choice making ability like many bikers do.
gud work
Thank you guys for your kind words. Its really difficult to select a bike. Sites like xbhp and bike advice really helped. I guess every biker has different choice and taste. In my case gs150r works well.
I think this bike is the most underrated of all bikes in India.
wow nice. Liked it.
Hay Rs. 71000 for this is too much. You are getting much better bikes if u add 2 to 3 k to 71000K. Overall the bike is very good better than Pulsar150, Unicorn & CBZ Xtreme. HUNK is better option for this bike. HH Hunk has more power & best class in styling in segment. It also has good low end as well as high end performance than GS.
@fas- I agree with u. Its an underrated bike. I guess the company did not market their product aggressively. @athul – thanks 4 ur comments. @kedar – actually i purchased this bike 4m a sub dealer as our place did not have an authorised dealer. Therefore the price is higher than it should have been. Pulsar150 is priced at 70529 (with papers) in our place. As you can see the prices are little higher than other places in India. I liked extreme but decided to discard it due to its posture. I felt looks of Hunk is not suitable 4 me. Its a personal opinion and hence on offense to anyone.
hi guys i got this bike yesterday and i feel proud to be the owner of this bike because this bike is quite innovative than the other bikes on road and the candy orange colour just attracts everyone and moreover i got this bike just for Rs.66,700
the actual mrp price is around 68,150 but since i paid the full cash they deducted the insurance cost and finally i can say that this bike is for the people who r looking for different looks majestic feel ,great performance ,superb comfort ,refined engine comparable to unicorn and good mileage(50-55)but not for the ones who expect great pick up and fun ride like karizma,r15,apache 180
is this bike can climb in hill areeas with a pillion. total weight around 175kg(driver&pillion). i asked you because you said that its slow in starting time.
@arun- congrats for your new ride. Stick to the run-in instructions for the 1st 1000 kms. It would be hard but you would need to follow it to ensure long life of the engine. @mario – you would not face any issue in climbing steep road with the kind of weight you mentioned. The initial pick up is slow but it does not have a relation with the pulling power of the bike. This bike has probably the best pulling power amongst other bikes in its class. However, I would request you to test ride the bike before making a decision.
Thx basumataryraj for your reply……..
@mario – You are most welcome.
The Pulsar and Apache have constantly been technically upgraded since their launch. Even Cbzx and unicorn have at least had cosmetic color/sticker changes. It has been a year since suzuki launched gs150r. Gs150r, no doubt, is a good bike for price and is loaded with features, but with only limited colors. Have suzuki made any changes/upgrades to gs150r in 2010? We know Gs150r is very strongly built, hence heavy, but at least reduce the weight of Gs150r by 2 to 3 kg to increase pickup. Unicorn is just 3 kg lighter than gs150r. At least, do they plan to introduce any new colors/stickers like honda?
@ Antony
You are right. Suzuki should launch some eyecatching graphics like Honda Unicorn grand prix edition(blue-white). It looks stunning. Yesterday, I happened to see it parked outside a mall and when I parked GS beside it, it looked better than GS. Ofcourse GS built quality is better but that color theme is eyecatching. I hope suzuki comes up with such eyecatching theme for GS in future.
Antony, it is not due to weight that GS150R has less pickup than unicorn. If GS has 3 kg more than uni, It also have .5bhp more power and .6NM more torque than uni. The thing is suzuki made GS in such a way that it remains stress free at high speeds as well as give better fuel efficiency and hence the 6th gear. GS has least initial pickup, midrange comparable to unicorn and top end better than unicorn. Unicorn is an allrounder that performs equally good at low, mid and high speeds but GS150R is inclined more towards the top end. That 3 kg weight makes gs more stable than uni at high speeds.
My brother has almost decided to buy GS 150 R. But he is unsure of 1) maintenance & spare part cost 2)comfort (driver & pillion) 3) after sales.
Please give me a comparison of these 3 features with UNICORN( I have a unicorn, very satisfied with it, but we dont want to have similar bikes).
Also, in hyd they are quoting a price of 69,200/- as of March 10 2010. Please comment on price also.
Thanks,
Rajesh.
@rajesh narni
The spare parts of GS150R and unicorn is costly when compared to other bikes as they are of high quality but the maintenance is low. If you take care of runin period, regular servicing and not getting hard on throttle, you won’t end up in a problem. Be gentle on the throttle and avoid rash driving. As far as reliability is concerned both are reliable and they are japanese. You own a Unicorn and know is well. My GS150R has done 14500kms till date and it did not come against any major issues. No bike is perfect, so is GS150R but the issues are almost negligible. As far as comfort is concerned GS150R is as comfortable as Unicorn but not better even though the seat appears to be wide. Coming to service, it is not as good as hondas. Go for GS150R only if you are sure of a good service centre nearby. The feel, top end performance and acceleration of GS150R is better than unicorn.
Price of GS150R is almost 700-1000rs more than unicorn. Do check various dealers to get the best deal.
hi guys , i want to ask u guys 1 think i am planing to change my air filter to k&n filter and the agk spark plug …..
the top most of the level ……
i am getting the average level nice in city ……
here in my town there is gs 150r.the bike is 8 months old.the financer is telling last he will sell at 42000.is these rate correct or suitable.
@adil whtz the exact prblm u r facing …. to sell of the gs150r …. icant get u …..42000 is too low … infact 8mnths at least u shuld get more thn that ….. but i dnt knw why u r selling it .i am riding it with pleasure …..
hey adil dont go for selling your gs 150r it is the best commuter bike that one can get and by the way me and 3 of my friends own gs 150r with which we are very much satisfied and feel proud to own it,feel free to tell me what your problem is with the bike
gUYS, HE IS WILLING TO BUY THAT BIKE,NOT SELL IT. MAY BE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR THE SELLER NEEDS URGENT MONEY or IN HIS PLACE MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BIKE.
GUYS ONE THING I HAVE NOTICED IS THAT THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THIS BIKE. IN HYDERABAD, I SEE VERY FEW GS 150Rs, BUT WHO BOUGHT IT ARE VERY VERY SATISFIED, EXCEPT FOR THE AFTER SERVICING.
THANKS,
RAJESH NARNI.
@RAJESH NARNI U R RIGHT IN MUMBAI U CAN SEE VER RARE GS 150 S BUT I CAN SAY THE RARE SENTENCE SHOULD NOT MAKE THE PARTS PROBLM IN FUTURE ….. OTHERWISE I WOULD SAY ITS AWESOME …..
@I WOULD REALLY SAY 1 THING FROM THE DAY I BROUGHT ITS 1 MNTH PASSED I AM THE LUCKEST I CAN SAY … I LVE THE RIDE AND THE SMOOTHESS …. BOSS TELL ME WHICH OF THE BIKES HAVE VIBERATION
ALL I WOULD SAY … BUT GS 150 I THE PROUD OWNER WILL SAY SURE LL Y ITS AWESOME
yeah owning gs is an awesome experience i too own it and had done 2100km
i think suzuki should start some aggressive marketing unless they do that the sales of gs bikes wont reach high
The company should start upgrading the bike in terms of colour choice,service centres,aggressive marketing,attractive offers.
Here in Bangalore, nowadays I see a lot more Gs150r on the road than before. But there are more new Apaches, Pulsars and Unicorns on the road than Gs150r. But there are more new Gs150r visible on road than Hunk and CbZx here. I am talking about all latest 2009 and 2010 bikes, not old ones. So, surely Gs150r is catching up with the rest in about just 1 year of launch.
@ Arun
Me to bought the baby on Feb (4th Feb 2010) Paid by cash 65,500
i have done 1750 Kms till now
@ Antony
Yeah i agree with you its catching up faster nowadays
After reading lot of reviews especially bikeadvise, I finally went and test rode the bike. To specify the engine is very smooth and has great cruising capabilities. After 60kmph you will feel the real characters of this suzuki 150 cc engine with 6th gear it works wonders. I have rode Unicorn, which is smooth, but GS150R gives more smoother and comfortable ride at high speed riding. At last, I made my mind and booked the bike and tomorrow I am taking the bike home. Let me check for myself whether it meets my expectations. I write once I receive and ride this machine for at least 500 kms. The major fact is I opted for this bike for long distance rides with better millage figures.
Anthony, I agree with you more people in Bangalore are now opting for Suzuki GS150R, now you can see them more frequent on the Bangalore roads. Good things are appreciated after a rigrous test and now people have realized that Suzuki GS150R is good value for money. Some people worry about the spares, but keep in mind the sales figures of ACCESS 125cc scooter & Zeus 125cc, with access scooter suzuki is rocking, so no need to worry about GS150R’s spares, this is the bike to stay for long and the spares will be available.
I agree with you more people in Bangalore are now opting for Suzuki GS150R, now you can see them more frequent on the Bangalore roads. Good things are appreciated after a rigrous test and now people have realized that Suzuki GS150R is good value for money. Some people worry about the spares, but keep in mind the sales figures of ACCESS 125cc scooter & Zeus 125cc, with access scooter suzuki is rocking, so no need to worry about GS150R’s spares, this is the bike to stay for long and the spares will be available.
hi guys ,
i am confused between GS150 R and Unicorn. In chennai i dont c much of GS150R. I hear that it has problems like Rusting and road grip. I already own a HH passion. It has a problem, whenever it soaks in rain it stops i have to push the vehicle back home. what about GS150r, it looks heavy is it steady while driving in rains ?
iam also aprehensive of after sales , my current mechanic who maintains my hhpassion disapproves GS150r. From the websites i heard ,service is very bad
confused
kindly clear me
Sarav
its very gut bike for tall people. U wont feel tired after much rode.
The 2010 model doesn’t have any of the problem listed by you
* No Rusting issue on 2010 model
* its working well in rain
* we have good servicing support at chennai
just check xbhp.com GS150R thread to know in detail
http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/motorcycle-ownership-experiences/6831-suzuki-gs150r-529.html
thnks madhu,
what’s the mileage u r getting, i am just ordinary commuter have to take the bike in the slow moving arcot road. is it comfortable and besides the servicing support, there are only 4 dealers in chennai, SMK velachery, porur , ABT and other one pallavaram which one u suggeset
i went thru the link , i saw some owners are not really happy with mileage some thing like 35 and 40 i cant digest that i expect some thing in the range of 55 – 60 or atleast 50-55 , that’s what my 12 yr old hhpassion is giving
so still unclear abt it
Hi sarav if you are going to buy gs150r i suggest u give the service only at smk not at Abt for any sake
Their are certain percentage of dissatsified customers for all products what ever the company is
Those unhappy Owners are using old one not the new 2010 model GS150R
Regarding the mileage am getting 52 To 57 kmpl while traveling alone.
Togather with pillon weight if it carries 140 kg then ill get 47 kmpl
In single line life of the bike relies on how we use it for city as well as touring this is fine
Seems SMK is good but am in bangalore just check with rajesh in xbhp he has good experiance with all dealers at chennai
can we change the old version gs150r ‘s silencer cover to a new sporty one.
Dear friends, After reading lot of reviews especially bike-advise, a Suzuki GS 150R 150 cc engine with 6th gear.Now i am Planing to buy a bike for my Son is 20yrs old,I have Query that In a busy Roads of Hyderabad Traffic 5th & 6th gear how its works-out and a Speed of our city Traffic is 30km. and 40km.speed,In Such type of city’s what’s the Mileage of bike gives,Is it worth to buy Suzuki GS150R,Please Suggest me from the Company’s experts M/s.Suzuki Motorcycle India (P) Ltd.Previous i had Honda CD100 and now Honda Shine 125cc Past 25yrs. I don’t have any problem. Please guide us by email.naturesorbit@rediffmail.com
I’m very happy with my Grey color GS150r machine. I bought this bike on last month. Thanks to all for sharing their true comments.
hi i purchse suzuki gs 150 in month march from bajaj choice centre in mumbai (byculla).but last 3 months my bike engine are vibrate so much & millage give so less (25 km per litre) & one cell battery are so weak so there is much more problem for self start.so can u suggest me direct suzuki company service ior authorised dealer in mumbai near dadar,worli,byculla who solve my problem its treat as most urgent.(
Hey Tushar its so strange to hear that such a marvelous bike is so troublesome i think you might have ripped it harder in the initial period or else there might be poor maintenance i think thats y you are getting such a poor mileage and the rest of the problems in your bike my best suggestion would be to take your bike to the authorized service center and explain those guys about the problems you are facing with your bike cz they know how to deal with gs150r problems as they might have serviced more than 200-250 gs150rs till now
hey arun can u tell me where is the authorised service center in mumbai who serviced more than 200 to 250 gs
i think the following will help you better buddy
Akshay Automobiles Pvt. Ltd.
1&2 William Compound,
33 Mith Chowky, Marve Road,
Malad (W), Mumbai – 400064
Tel No. 9820874036,9769276111,9820393344
well, nice observations, but i dunno if you tried to mix up Zeus’ performance with the GS 150 R’s. Mine never took ‘ages’ to go from 85 kph to past 100!!
could you please help me out with suzuki gs150r service center located near chembur
i am getting a bike soon as a birthday gift from my dad and i wanted to get this bike. but since suzuki is a new guy in the bike market, i have no clue about its servicing.. a couple of my friends told its below average and that is of grave concern to me… my question is, is it worth taking the risk of buying this bike if the servicing isn’t good???
i also own a gs150r …its good except for its initial pickup….and 1 more problem i felt is that its difficult for the pillion rider to get to the seat b’coz of its height….dont u guys felt so?
This bike is superb good average it is a latest version so bye bye unicorn
I am going to buy new 2012 gs 150 r. Plz tel the original mileage of tat bike.
nice review,have suzuki made any change /upgrade to GS150R in 2012