Introduction
I’m the ‘largest’ member of our team. In fact, when Ranjan and Neil sit together on a motorcycle that is the same as mine, it isn’t clear who has the better power-to- weight ratio, them or me. So when I was told that I’d have to ride the Gixxer, I wasn’t quite looking forward to it. I had visions of me, crouched and with a wide open throttle on the back straight of the MMRT while Ranjan nonchalantly cruised past on the R15.
What makes it special
Suzuki has taken seriously what my doctor has been telling me for a few years now… their new- generation products have gone on a strict diet and lost weight. It started with the naked version of the SF, the Gixxer. It took what was a winning formula in the 150cc segment – the Yamaha FZ – and gave it a fun motor to go with a fun, light chassis. The result? A bike that we all love, and truthfully, we wouldn’t mind it on a track, either, given how grin-inducing it is on public roads.
What I think it can do
This, the Gixxer SF FI ABS, has a few additions over the plain-Jane Gixxer. One, the ‘SF’ means that you’ve got a full fairing. Suzuki says that it helps it become a tourer of sorts. We think it makes it look ready for the racetrack – that MotoGP livery and the Ecstar logos help that impression. I remember the Gixxer being a fun motorcycle that still somehow keeps its heads on its shoulders. Dismal sales figures notwithstanding, it has managed to beat all challengers to its crown in our comparison tests. Given that fun factor, I think it will a fun companion, if a little underpowered for little ol’ me at the Madras race track.
The track test
The Suzuki Gixxer SF is based on the naked motorcycle of the same name. The only real difference is the added fairing and the fuel injection system. Our example also has the rear disc brake, and ABS for the front wheel. As expected, it feels a little small for the MMRT, which is a track made primarily for a 400-600cc motorcycle. However, even with my weight, cracking open the throttle in third gear results in surprisingly perky progress. The first lap or two, I found myself in third gear around the sweeping right handers that lead onto the back straight. After those first couple of laps, third gear just wasn’t enough – the Gixxer was like the steadying hand of a parent, giving me confidence and egging me on to do better. That assurance had me short-shifting to fourth and exiting that sequence of corners much faster than before. Sure, it is only a 155cc, 14.6bhp motorcycle, which means it is struggling to accelerate once in top gear on the back straight, but that’s the only place which offers dissatisfaction. Everywhere else, the feel and feedback from the chassis, steering and brakes kept me engaged. On this motorcycle, you start to pay more attention to lines and keeping up momentum because there isn’t enough poke for the straights. In effect, it even helps you become a better rider if you’re a novice. Can you reasonably ask any more of a 150cc street motorcycle?
Last words
Ranjan didn’t manage to overtake me on his R15 in a nonchalant fashion, he had to work for it just a little. However, he might have been faster – but I’m not so sure he was having more fun than me on the Gixxer.
Gallery
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Suzuki Gixxer SF Fi Action
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