Hyosung is planning to introduce a new 250cc motorcycle, christened EXIV R (X5R), in South Africa. Dealers in country have started accepting bookings for the EXIV R, and it is expected to be priced at AUD 44,900 (Rs 2.31 lakh).
The EXIV R is basically the faired version of the GD 250N motorcycle, which was showcased in India at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. It is powered by the same 249cc fuel-injected single-cylinder engine from the streetfighter and churns out 27.6bhp and 24Nm of torque. Unlike the twin-cylinder GT 250R, the EXIV R’s engine also gets liquid cooling and comes mated to a six-speed transmission.
Most of the bodywork and panels in the EXIV R are similar to the GD 250N, and it even gets the stubby underbody exhaust. The EXIV R comes fitted with 37mm inverted forks at the front and an offset monoshock in the rear. Braking at the front is taken care of by a single 300mm disc while a 230mm disc is present in the rear.
At the Auto Expo earlier this year, Hyosung had revealed their intention of launching the GD250N along with the RT 125D in India, by the end of this year. However, DSK’s collaboration with Benelli meant that the launch has now been pushed to next year. As the EXIV R is a single-cylinder motorcycle, it will be significantly cheaper than the GT 250R, though this might negatively impact the sales of the twin-cylinder motorcycle. The company so far hasn’t revealed any plans of bringing the EXIV R to the Indian market.
