By the way, Kymco scooters and motorcycles, other than the Agility 50 and 125, are not made in China. Kymco, SYM, and PGO (which are sold as Genuine Scooters here in the USA) are made in Taiwan. These three makers all sell their bikes with a two year warranty. The Japanese makers, and even Vespa, only give a one year warranty. Kymco and SYM have made components and bikes for the big Japanese makers for years. And even some BMW motorcycles are made in China and Taiwan (or were). We have a SYM HD200 scooter, and a Kymco People 150, and these are as good a scooter as anyone makes anywhere. I will take a look at this new Suzuki when it gets to the dealer in Hilo Hawaii. One thing I like is the 3.5 gallon gas tank. This thing should get 70 mpg (??) and would have a nice cruising range.
By the way, I think the Suzuki GZ250 (also called a 250 Marauder in some countries) has been dropped. Looks like the GS500 is gone also? I am glad Suzuki has now brought the DR200 back. I'm sad to see the GS500 gone. It goes back to the GS400 of about 1978 I think, then to the GS425, GS450, and finally to the GS500. I had a 1980 GS450ST and it was a good motorcycle. And comments about Suzuki motorcycles looking "cheap" go back a long ways, though the 4-5 Suzukis I've owned were all very good motorcycles. Of the over 25 motorcycles I've owned over 51 years, only a KLR250 Kawasaki I bought new in 2001 blew up an engine under warranty, and later blew a water pump seal, also under warranty. Other than those issues, even it was a great motorcycle after these warranty issues were repaired. But,......I'm rambling on again.....
I have never had a single issue with a Suzuki motorcycle. I definitely prefer them over Hondas. A part of that has to do with Honda's snobby attitude, but I also think Suzuki makes great bikes. My first streetbike was a Suzuki GT380, and my first new streetbike was a Suzuki GS450L. The Suzuki GS400/425/450/500 engines are legendary for reliability, as were the large displacement inline fours, which are still used for drag racing. I have also owned a '95 GS500E and loved it. I did not like the GSXR lookalike F model, and it was not nearly as comfortable as the E model. It is now gone. So is the GZ250, a so so looking but extremely reliable bike and the most comfortable 250 for a full sized person. I believe Suzuki intended the TU250 to be it's replacement. The GS500 apparently succumbed to a lack of sales same as the Kawasaki EX500. It is nice to see the DR200 back, unfortunately it is just a bit 2 small for me especially off road. I have a Yamaha XT225 with a ton of mods, including a super expensive rear shock that allows it to support my 220 pounds without sagging or being super harsh. Also have a 4 gallon Clark tank, kickstarter, and centerstand on it. The DR200 doesn't seem to have the aftermarket support the XT225 has, but it is a great bike for anyone that fits it.
Instead of this nasty looking heavy bike, I wish Suzuki had dusted off the old gn400 (320 pounds) and turned it into a TU400 just like they did with the gn250/tu250.
I doin't think I saw a reference to this article in this thread yet. It's from Hell For Leather about the Suzuki Inzuma: http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/09/a-polite-question-on-the-suzuki-inazuma-250/ And I was just reading about the new Honda CB500 series, and the fairingless model looks about like this smaller Suzuki. Both look good to my geezerish self. jon
While most people have a negative opinion of the Suzuki GW250, I am eagerly anticipating it's arrival. I do like the TU250, and have came so close to buying one so many times. But in the end, it's tube type tires and lack of a centerstand prevented me from doing so. I would have to find some way to carry a jack, and all the tools to remove and replace tires and wheels with, plus extra tubes. Yes the GW is a completely different bike. But I have also owned both a Ninja 250 and a Ninja 500 since '07. I loved both bikes, other than the fairings. But the 250 was just too small (I heard the GW might be bigger) and I needed bar risers on it to reduce arm, shoulder, and neck pain. I then traded it for the 500, which was even more uncomfortable than the 250 (possibly because it was bigger, and it was a longer reach for the bars, which were also too low) I put bar risers on it as well, but they were not enough. As much fun as it was to ride, anything much over 20 miles was very painful. I sold it too. My next step for a sport type bike was going to be a supermoto (I have no problem with the dual sport riding position). But then I saw the GW250. No fairing, and it looks like it might have higher bars. It also looks like it has conventional bars, which could be replaced with higher ones if necessary. So it just might be the sportbike I've been looking for. I will definitely wait until it arrives and check it out before buying anything else. As for it's displacement, the Ninja 250 had plenty of power for the local curvy mountain roads. A 500 would be nice, but I am not interested in a Honda, other than the CB1100, which is currently out of my price range. And besides I like small bikes. I have been to the top (ZX11, YZF1000, Goldwing 1500) and am on my way back down. I put over 20,000 mostly freeway miles on a Rebel 250, and close that many on an XT225. The Rebel was cramped, the XT has been fine.
After some 51 years of riding motorcycles I can say that I enjoy riding period. And that includes smaller bikes. I've had a whole range of motorcycles and many have been dual sports including a Yamaha XT225, Kawasaki KLR250 and KLR650, Suzuki SP500, Honda XL350, two Yamaha DT-250s, a Bultaco 125 Lobito, etc, etc. A 250 GW250 would do me just fine at this time in my life. Also road a 500 Ninja for a few years and liked it fine. Two Harleys (Sportsters), a BSDA500 twin, a Royal Enfield 500 Bullet, and a bunch of the Japanese big four. I'll keep riding till I'm too old to ride safely.
That front fender is the worst I've ever seen........... I like all the choices, more people motorcycling is a very good thing. Besides small bikes are FUN.
I am interested in this new 250, and I am far from a beginner. I also like the TU250. I think the GW250 looks way better than the B-King, which was kind of over the top to me. And the only "standard" 250 street bike Honda sells in the US is the Rebel. Kawasaki and Yamaha don't make nakid street 250s that they sell here either. The rebel is a good, solid motorcycle that is as reliable as a rock, but is physically quite small, and economical, but about as exciting as a rock too. The TU250 has the classic looks of the old street thumpers....like the 2007 Royal Enfield Bullet I rode for some years. Nothing wrong with the Ninja 250s (now 300 I hear) or Honda's 250 sports bike, but some of us don't want a full fairing. I have not been without motorcycles since about 1961, and yet this GW250 interests me. That's because I allowed myself to rediscover the fun this old geezer can have on smaller motorcycles. Granted, most of my smaller motorcycles have been dual sports (KLR250, XT225,etc), but I could do just fine on a 250 street bike like this GW250 (or the fine TU250). On the island of Hawaii where I now live this bike would probably do just fine. I only ride solo any more, and we don't have freeways here either. The main highways are posted 55mph. Gas prices are always high here and a big road burner, apart from being overkill here, doesn't stretch a gallon very far. So I think this would be a good motorcycle for my every day transportation. In my case another big plus is that the only big four Japanese motorcycle dealer within about 125 miles (this is the Big Island of Hawaii) is a Suzuki dealer in Hilo about 13 miles away. The Honda/Kawasakai/Yamaha/Victory/KTM dealer is in Kona on the other side of the island. There is also a Harley-Davidson dealer there. My cons on this bike? The same as my cons are on almost all modern motorcyles (exception--the Royal Enfields): no kick starter as a backup, no center stand.
Thanks for the correction. I was unaware of that. It used to be just bthe Agility models were made in China. The Chinese made ones also have the two year warranty.
Yes, the Yamaha. It's been around quite a while too. It's a really good motorcycle also with a nice v-twin engine. It's a cruiser and not a standard. The Rebel is also a cruiser. Honda used to sell the 250 Nighthawk in the US which was a standard. I like the flatter bars on the newer Yamaha's. But I neglected to mention another interesting 250 street standard. That would be the Hyosung GT250. It's a very sporty v-twin engined motorcycle without a faring (but is also available fully faired).
Kymco is a bit special when it comes to Chinese built bikes since they don't outsource to some other factory like Piaggio does, they have their own there.
The TU250 is a great bike with one major shortcoming. Tube type tires and no centerstand. To me this makes it unsuitable for anything but running around locally, within cell phone range and within range of a friend with a truck. The GW250 has tubeless tires, so if you can manage to load it down, it should be suitable for touring. It appears to be the only 250 that is. The TU250, Rebel 250, and V-Star 250 have tube type tires and no centerstands (though the Rebel can be improvised, unfortunately not many riders are small enough to fit on it), the Ninja and CBR have very uncomfortable riding positions, nice for a 100 mile ride, but not 500 miles a day. The GW250 looks to have much more sane ergos, and if it turns out to be comfortable enough, would make an excellent small touring bike. I have no idea what is taking Suzuki so long to announce a price and get them to dealers, since they have already been sold in other markets. My local dealer is going to call me as soon as they find out anything. I need to get this one right, I have recently bought and sold 2 bikes and a scooter because they didn't work out.
Bad move. Its a mini cross between the Gladius and the B-king. Ugly. And on top of that, over weight. Honda has a winner with the CBR250F, and it seems so does Kawasaki with the EX300. Even the EX250, any generation, seems better than this GW250. The TU250 seems pretty nice, to me, but being in California I've never seen one in real life. I wonder if Yamaha will bring a 1/4 liter road bike to the US? I wonder if they will put in a bench warmer - substitute like the GW250 or something else?
It does not take Einstein to realize it is not a good idea to ride a bike very far away that you cannot even fix a flat tire on. Would you drive a car without a spare/jack/lug wrench? I wouldn't, but believe it or not, and I'm sure you will, you can now buy cars without spare tires. No problem, roadside assistance will take care of it. Very few car drivers are capable of changing a tire these days anyway, so why bother to include one. Just call up OnStar. How long before nobody is capable of doing ANYTHING for themselves?
Hey, Jerry.. If my non center stand, tube type tired motorbike got a flat tire while I was out not being a complete wimp by riding it wherever the hell I felt like, I'd pull out the spare tube I was carrying, flop the bike down on its side (gently) and get to fixing my tire. I wouldn't be all over an internet forum acting like any bike lacking a center stand and tubeless tires is the spawn of Cthulu. Apparently you can't fix anything unless you've got a center stand and tubeless tires. At least that's the impression you give by spouting tripe that any bike not so equipped is not suitable for anything beyond local riding.