There are not many reviews of the Suzuki GS150R available to read so it can be difficult to find out more information about this bike, however, here we’ll shed some light on this bike. Before I got the Suzuki GS150R I drove a Hero Honda Passion and a Honda Stunner.
I consider the Hero Honda Passion to be a great motorbike. On mine I changed its exhaust silencer to a Euro 1 model. Despite its great sound, power and higher torque after 5 years of driving the Hero Honda Passion I switched over to a Honda Stunner. One of the reasons why I did this is because I was looking to gradually move up from 100cc to 125cc and from 125cc to 150cc. I know that many people go for 180cc bikes etc. the first time that they buy a bike.
Not me, I’m not out for getting a bike just because of its power, I like to look at all the parts of a bike when I make my choice and therefore I chose the Stunner. In fact, I bought the Honda Stunner on the same day that I got rid of my Hero Honda Passion. However, because of this impulsive buy I started questioning my purchase of the Stunner.
It was apparent there were both negative and positive aspects to the Stunner. I ended up calling this bike a Vibrator, not a Stunner. As soon as you start to get some speed with the Stunner it starts to shake even with a pillion rider and its rear suspension is not that great either. Another issue was that the fuel efficiency was unreliable. Sometimes you were able to ride on it for 50km before you had used up a litre of fuel while other times it drained one litre of fuel every 35km.
Honda tried to secretly fix these mechanical issues and released a new version of the Stunner. However, I was not impressed with their efforts or the bike so I sold it. I started looking at 150cc motorbikes which are bigger and more stable. With the memories of my last bike, the Vibrator as I call it, I concentrated on finding a bike with good suspension, stability and good fuel efficiency.
My initial plan was to upgrade to a Honda Unicorn but the waiting period was three months long and I was not willing to wait that long. I wasn’t interested in getting bikes such as the Bajaj Pulsar, Honda Hunk, Hero Honda CBZ because they’re quite boring and they’re everywhere and I wanted to have a bit more unique bike for myself.
However, I love the new TVS Apache RTR 180 which both looks great and goes fast. Despite this, I hesitated when it came to what bike to buy. A friend offered me an almost new Yamaha FZ16 which had only travelled 1000km. I refused to accept it however because its pillion comfort is low and got poor fuel efficiency (35km/litre.). The only option that was left for me now was the Suzuki GS150r.
I had made up my mind; I went to a showroom and ordered a brand new one. The model that I ordered had two toned body colours, a new heat shield on its exhaust silencer, new brakes on its rear tire and a few electrical changes had been made since the last model. Now when I drive I feel that it’s definitely a bigger bike than my previous ones, it weighs more and there is no shaking and vibration on its 6th gear.
Even on a rocky road you and your pillion rider will be pleased and comfortable. I was extremely happy because this was what I had been looking for. The acceleration on the lower speed is not the best but once you reach 60km/hr it changes, you start to feel rock steady on your bike and it almost feels like your floating.
In order to avoid engine glazing this bike should be driven using all its gears. I serviced the bike for the first time when I had driven it for around 500 to 750 km (they did a good job.)The chain had become noisy and a rattling sound had started appearing from the front visors. They fixed these issues and they were also ready to change any other parts or correct any other faults because of the warranty.
However, at the time when I got it serviced I had already change the oil myself which I did when I passed the 400 km mark. When the oil turns dark brown it loses its viscosity (its thickness.) When I carefully examined the oil I found metal dust in it, which is a sign that the engine is properly run in. When I changed the oil the engine temperature was reduced significantly.
The GS bikes have a different sound from other bikes at a certain speed. Many GS owners make the mistake of thinking that it’s a sign that there is something wrong with the bike such as a faulty crank assembly but it’s actually just the sound from the silencer. The acceleration of the Suzuki GS150r is quite good and that’s great if you live in a city and you’re in a hurry.
When I took my GS150r to its second service the problem with the rattling front visors had come back, there was now also an irritating sound coming from the swing arm, the performance of the brakes was decreasing, the LCD display turned on 10 seconds after turning the key and there was also a sign of leakage.
The fixed all these problems by changing the rubber bushes of the visor, lubricating the swing arm, cleaning the disc brakes and by also changing the capacitor, and they did all that without charging me a single penny!
Some negative things that could be improved:
- The bike paint easily goes off during washing no matter how soft the cloth is and no matter how gentle you are.
- Rust easily builds in the fuel tank mouth so beware.
- The rear tyres easily skid on wet surface, probably due to the MRF Zapper tyres.
- If water goes directly into the spark plug area, the engine stop switch or the keyhole the bike can become difficult to start and then also to run for the first few kilometres.
Other things that I want to point out:
- The highest speed that I’ve reached with the Suzuki GS150r is 111 km/hr and I haven’t reached any higher speeds mostly due to crosswinds. The great thing is that even at this high speed there’s no vibration and it goes surprisingly smooth. I believe this is because the engine is fitted with the counter balancer (however, this may not be the case if you don’t live in India.)
- Because of its weight, this bike is best suited for a person of average size.
- There’s room for 17 litres of fuel in the fuel tank.
- The fuel efficiency is around 52km/litre of fuel.
My tips for new buyers:
- Its acceleration is a bit slow at first but after you’ve reached 60km/hr the acceleration gets better.
- The engine is reliable and will probably last longer than the engines on other similar motorbikes.
There’s some maintenance work to be done with this bike and it will require a bit of your attention. If you’re looking for a bike that you can ride in rougher terrains and situations you would probably be better of looking into the Pulsar or Unicorn.
- Santhosh John
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
nice review, but i would like to point out that MRF ZAPPER tyres improve grip and hold of your bike on the road rather than making it more slippery. TVS tyres on the other hand have issues of being slip prone.
@Deepak,
You should make sure that the photographs published here adhere to the norms. Riders must always wear their helmets.
The review was quite nice.
When you wash the bike the paint goes off. Then what we do, when get dirty after a long run? Blowing off the dirt?????
i was going to buy Bajaj Pulsar 180cc but after reading the review of this bike i think i should change my mind. It supports all feature which i want to be in my bike.
@ Bhaskar, Thanks for pointing it out. I will make sure to make it as a rule for future submissions.
hi Santhosh John!! good and honest review.i liked the way you mentioned cons and experience of your past and present bikes.
you mentioned in your review..”In order to avoid engine glazing this bike should be driven using all its gears”.could anyone throw more light on meaning of “engine glazing”?
thanks!!
to shubham
paint was easy to scratch at washing, like other new bikes,and IT DIDNT GOING OFF ,i only mean that,that may be some publishing mistake….
thank you
nice review dude.. bt as sachin said plz throw some light on engine glazing!
Hi santhosh i too own a gs 150r bike since february 2010 and so far my bike clocked 8000kms even my fourth service is done and regarding the paint and tank rusting problems my bike has not faced such problems till now and everyday morning i make it up as a duty to clean my bike with some nice soft cloth and once every 3 weeks i ll take it for water wash no issues so far with this bike ,initially even i was planning for unicorn but since the waiting period was too long (120 days) i went for gs150r which i got in 4 days along with registration for a price tag of Rs.65,300 in some offer and finally the top speed i reached was 128kmph @ 9500rpm in every gear but fearing the speed i stayed just for 5 seconds at 128kmph and trimmed down the speed to normal try it u will get it too but dont forget to wear a helmet and other safety wears because with great power comes great responsibility .I really liked your review
Hie bro nice and exclusive review of the japanese beast the gs150r.
Anyways I want to tell u that im also a gs owner.1st edition.the bike is 11 mths old and will complete a year nxt oct 17-2010.i clean it everyday with plain water in a mug and orange soft cloth. watever the time is.i suggest u my bike has completed 5000+ km its still brand new like the one seen in showroom.im serious.u also follow.
After all ur also a gs owner.
Mail me ur email.id I will sent u my bike pics.
Regards-
Pritam.
Hey guys…
Even I had a big dilemma between Pulsar 180 – Suzuki GS150R – Yamaha FZ-16 – Bajaj Avenger 200,
I finally purchased a Suzuki GS150R on 9th June 2010 after a year of the bike selection dilemma,..
Now the bike has 1500kms,
I will post a detailed re-view after I complete 4000kms 2nd service.
So that I will be able to give you more Pro’s and Con’s of this bike.
excellent and honest review…..people get over-emotional with their bikes and find it hard to mention problems they face..u hv done..gr8 job
A very honest review…how many plp havn’t i heard saying they go for GS bcoz Unicorn waitin period is too long…
I heard the rusting issue is resolved in 2010 models
@Deepak
If possible please make a comparative review between Suzuki GS150R and CB Unicorn. Its really confusing which one is better out of these two.
@Sathosh:
your honest review deserves an applause. Gr8 review! The bike color is awesome!
avoiding engine glaze..
the engine speed should be varied and not held at constant speed this allows parts to be loaded allowing the parts to cool.this aids the mating process of parts.it is essential that some stress to be placed on engine components during break-in to ensure its mating process,do not though apply excessive load on engine
operating the engine at constant low speed (light load) can cause parts to “glaze” and not seat in,,.allow the engine to accelerate freely through the gears,without exceeding the limits.do not however use,full throttle for first 1600km//.
(Suzuki gs 150r)
santhosh p john. kerala
A short comparison betn GS and CB Uni
Unicorn:
Pros:Almost a complete hassle free engine,Happy pillion rider, Tourer, smooth gears
Cons:Looks(subjective),No digi console or leds
GS150R:
Pros: Digi console,pilot lamps,Good high end response,Tourer
COns: Stickers(subjective), Rusting issue, low initial pickup,
Nice review and very fair. The GS has some shortcomings but like all Suzuki vehicles, the gearbox and engine is butter smooth.
hey santosh.. a nice review mate… but i still feel that stunner is a great bike. u might have had an old model, but the newer version is really good. just like the old and the new GS. I previously owned a Honada dio, and used it for 8 yrs without any problem. due to this i guess I am a bit biased towards Hondas. And the paint job done by them is really great… And santosh… congrats for your new bike…. whichever bike u own,,,, be it the Bajajs, Hondas, suzukis, tvs’,yamahas… it all depends upon the rider and how one maintains it,…. so happy million miles ahead of you on your GS150R.
literally i would like 2 say that dis bike is not so good. i hav test drived it
Hi,
Definitely GS 150R is much better than CB unicorn, CBZ X, Hunk & Pulsar. However, i bought CB Unicorn DAZZLER on 16 july due to some good features (in extra 4k) like tubless tyres, Mf battery, viscous paper filter, rear disk brake & GS150 is 11kg havier than this.
wow great share mate….
I am facing the same problem of rusting near the mouth of the tank and it started before the monsoon season.
hey guys … i recently got a pulsar 150 … now it has run 280 kms. 2days back ,at a speed of 55-60 i had a hard impact on a pothole … since then whenever i approach n go over a pot hole or a speed breaker a notice a sound, something like a knock on the fron side of the bike … im worried since something must have been broken … n im not able to make it out …
plz suggest somthing guys i will give it for servicing as it completes 600 kms
gs 150 looks outdated when it comes to styling…..colours are weird…and its not sporty also…..
I’ve gone through your valuable comments on GS150R.But i wanted to sak you how can one get rid of the paint problem that you mentioned and lastly as i am planning to buy a bike this month, i want to ask you that of the two bikes Unicorn and GS150R which 1 i shall buy?
Rajendra,Both bikes are equally matched in quality, performace and mileage figures, but unicorn has the advantage of being a much older model if you value track record. Unicorn has 2-5 month waiting period depending upon where you are located, so check out with your nearest dealer. And decide if you are willing to wait. Suzuki does not have a waitlist. Also consider how close the service point is; it doesnt seem to matter initially but it will become really useful if you use your bike for daily commute. I havent ridden the new Dazzler( I own a GSR) but if you dont mind the extra cash, it is lighter and snazier. Also check out Yamahas new 150 cc not-so-stylish but much more affordable bike.
hi Santosh
how u have got RIMs painted, Is painted RIMs comes with the bike, or u have done it from somewhere ouside.
And G8 Review
@ALL I have purchased my GS150r today, anyone want to suggest something to me based on your experinces.
Hi Guys..
Thanks for all ur honest comments about this bike. After did a long research, i’m going to buy this bike next week. so could you pls tell me what are all the things to be noted during the delivery of this bike.
the RIM is not painted,,its blue reflector,, great on nights,, adding the visibility to other riders..
now i crossed 10000km. with fuel efficiency well over,53 km/ltr,,, trust me its lovely bike …. no problems till now,.,, one of best thing is its suspension,,, and stabilty,.. pillion ride,.. it can be use on very long drive,, 200, 300 km on one stretch is easy,,with out stressing you back bone… better u test drive pulsar or apache,, and compair with it,,, you lll feel the comfort,,,
recently i tested the fuel efficiency of bike,, it gives,63.6km/litre,,. on combained cycles,,,
very happy with this figure,especialy on todays high fuel price
Hi Bikers, I have this good bike. Checked and test drived all 150cc bikes finelly i loved this bike because of good look,performence and milage. It gives milage 52 in city and 58 on highways. The brakes very sharp. One of my friend who loved pulsar fell down (from pulsar) when he use hard brake one emergency situation. When he drove my bike he told me that this braking is far better then pulsar and unicorn. Ive complete my 10,000km with out any Problem. But my father said its little bit more hight to sit in the pillion, But its true.
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