No need to feel cramped on this 250. It's full size.
ANY LEARNER wanting a sporty, easy to ride and economic mount should have the Hyosung GT250R on their shortlist.
Not only does it use the same platform as its bigger brother the GT650, it has a decent amount of grunt from its 250cc engine, and of course, that unmistakable V-twin rumble.
A quick look
Hyosung is one company trying to change the face of learner/commuter bikes from staid to raunchy, whether it be a futuristic looking learner approved cruiser or a sports bike with race bred styling, also learner approved.
At first glance you would think the GT250R would be its older and larger sibling, the GT650R because both the bikes use the same frame, bodywork and everything else in between except for the engine but the only thing that actually gives it away is the 250R sticker on the side, and the engine power when you burn up the road.
It's hard to look past the racy styling but when you do you'll find clip on ’bars, digital instruments, 41mm upside down forks, single rear shock, twin 300mm discs with twin-piston calipers, 21kW of power from the 250cc V-twin EFI engine and five speed gearbox. Hyosung obviously stands by its products, offering a two-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Ride time
As the GT250R uses the same platform as the GT650R it feels heavier than some 250cc machines. But rather than be seen as a disadvantage it gives a more planted feel on the road. Although it has clip on handlebars, the riding position isn't too aggressive to be entirely uncomfortable in traffic. On the open road at higher speeds the wind blast eases this somewhat anyway. If lane splitting is your go you could look at the unfaired GT250, its friendlier riding position would make negotiating city traffic easier.
Power wise the 250cc engine is capable enough to keep up with traffic, even on the freeway, and acceleration is what you would expect from a bike of this size. If you test a GT250 and are not happy with the performance you could always try the learner legal GT650; same weight, same style just more go.
Machines made in Asia but outside of Japan have often been derided on their build quality. This is not always justified and in the case of the Korean made Hyosungs, especially the new fuel injected models, this is definitely not the case. We found it hard to fault the bike's finish, from the mechanicals right through to the mile deep paint although we have to admit some of the nuts and bolts were showing signs of the weather quicker than we'd like.
We rode the bike in traffic and even on country roads, coming away impressed with the overall performance and handling of the GT250R. One thing we would look at though is the damping of the front forks which struggled to cope with series of bumps, but this was on one fairly ugly section of road. Many riders may not subject the bike to this type of riding.
Even though the suspension is not generally adjustable (the shock has pre-load adjustment), Hyosung has looked at allowing riders to tailor other areas of the bike to suit their individual needs. For example, the footpegs offer more adjustment than you'll see this side of a set of racing rear sets.
If we owned one we would ditch the standard exhaust for an aftermarket pipe to let some of that sweet sound out. When you hear a GT250 go past with a pipe on it sounds awesome, much meatier than a bike of this engine capacity would usually sound. It would even jazz that part of the bike up to suit the rest of it.
Two styles are available, the GT250 naked bike with higher ’bars, and the bike tested here, the GT250R. A number of colour schemes are available, too.
Our thoughts
As an overall package the competitively priced $6,990 GT250R offers riders a more capable platform than the regular throng of 250cc commuter/learner machines, mostly due to its size and build quality. In our eyes it certainly looks great and the number you see charging around the streets is testament to its popularity.
© Motorcycle Publishing 2009