Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro Review: Chubby Hustler

The Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro has been one of the more successful products to come out of the DSK-Hyosung alliance since the DSK Group acquired the exclusive distributorship of Hyosung motorcycles in India. To its credit, the Aquila GV650 managed to sell 145 units within 2 months of its launch last year. We recently took the motorcycle for an exhaustive spin in Pune putting the cruiser to high speed tests on the wide NH4 and tested its cornering prowess on the twisties of Tamhini Ghats. And then, just to be sure, we also took the Aquila to the broken interior trails for gauging the cruiser’s comfort level. So how did the Korean colt fare? Here’s our report in this detailed Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro review.

STYLING, FEATURES AND BUILD QUALITY

Our first glance at the Aquila Pro was from the rear three quarters and it immediately reminded us of the Yamaha Warrior and as we moved towards the sides, we could see very faint glimpses of the wicked Harley V-Rod too. But despite having distant hints of the aforementioned motorcycles, the curvaceous Aquila Pro still manages to have a clear identity of its own.

For those who love chrome, Hyosung has thrown up a brightwork feast on the Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro. The front fender bracket, headlight rings, the swooping dashboard, brake fluid reservoir, faux air scoops, engine covers, drive-belt guard, rear fender accents and that big barrel exhaust – everything is drenched in chrome. The Aquila Pro is a chrome supermarket on two wheels. It might initially seem as an overdose of gleam treatment, but managed to look nice in the flesh and turns a lot of heads too.

Even with the liberal splattering Hyosung has extended to the Aquila Pro, we still wish the engine was treated to a bit of chrome treatment – not in entirety, but on the cylinder ribs. The major flaunting part on big cruiser motorcycles has always been the engine; the v-twin motor on the Aquila Pro does seem lost amid the sea of chrome. But overall, the Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro with its black and chrome hues does manage to turn heads.

On the quality front, this Korean machinery seems to have come of age. We still remember those early days of Hyosung where rough finished surfaces and crude welding joints used to be part of the package- but Hyosung seems to have ironed out all the creases on the Aquila Pro. The paint quality, chromed embellishments and the blacked out treatment while still not in the supreme league, is quite good. The finish and quality won’t let you frown especially knowing the cost of the machine.

There are a few areas which could be improved, though. Starting with the engine coating, the paint on the cylinders had already peeled off (though mildly) at the ribs plus the glossy finish if swapped with a matt texture would enhance the visual appeal of the v-twin. The switchgear is next. One would definitely expect better quality switchgear when shelling out more than half a million rupees for a premium motorcycle. Though operating the switches wasn’t an issue, but the plastics quality could definitely have been better. And finally the last on the list of our grudges were the handlebar grips. The rubber could have been suppler with grooves with more comfortable and nicer looking material. The chromed bits on either side of the grips are made of plastic (easy to conclude at first sight). Metal bar end weights would have been more apt.

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