New 2013 Hyosung GT250R Review, Images, Specs, Price

Engine and Gearbox

Powering the Hyosung GT250R is a 249cc, Fuel Injected, V-Twin, Oil Cooled engine that has a max power of 27 PS and peak torque of 22 Nm. The GT250R facelift’s engine continues to have a DOHC head with four valves per cylinder. Peak power is produced at 10,000 RPM, with peak torque coming in at around 8000 RPM. While these power figures aren’t a match to those of the mighty Kawasaki Ninja 300, they do seem to make the Hyosung GT250R more potent than a Honda CBR 250R. However, a kerb weight of almost 190 kg means that the acceleration figures are nothing to write home about. The bike feels only a wee bit quicker than a CBR250R and while it can easily hit 100 kmph in less than 11 seconds, this Korean machine is best kept off the drag strips.

Don’t get us wrong, we do rate this engine highly for its smoothness and that linear toque spread, but we would still maintain that the bike lacks the sense of urgency that comes associated with bikes with clothes like these. As we said, the torque delivery is very linear and you don’t need to keep the engine on the boil to make the most of those 27 ponies this Vee-Twin delivers. The smooth nature and high levels of refinement come across as quite a surprise, especially if you consider that we aren’t too happy about the pre-facelift GT650R’s erratic fuel delivery and high levels of vibrations. Talking about the vibrations, the same are conspicuous by their absence on the 250cc sibling, even when you approach the rev-limiter, which is set at 11,500 rpm! The smoothness of the motor, along with well-spaced out gear ratios means that the bike is apt for the occasional ‘sports touring’. We could easily roll at speeds of 50 kmph in fifth gear, with the bike managing to pick up more speed without much hiccups. Even a speedo indicated 100kmph in fifth gear comes at a leisurely 6400 RPM! The five speed gearbox has the traditional one-down, four-up shift pattern and offers smooth shifts, with a false neutral hardly ever thrown in. However, we sorely missed the availability of sixth cog. We feel that the inclusion of the sixth gear would make the bike far more relaxed during high speed cruising.

As we mentioned above, the 250cc heart of the GT250R has a V-Twin layout. Now, in engines like these, the cylinder towards the rear of the bike fails to get as much air flow as the front part and hence, it is not surprising for the engine to heat up a little more than comparable single cylinder or liquid cooled V-Twin engines. No surprise then that feeling the engine heat on the thighs is a rather common affair while riding the GT250R in city traffic. Thankfully though, the heat levels never go unbearably high and its all about getting accustomed for the rider to feel comfy astride this machine.

The Hyosung GT250R test bike provided to us was equipped with an aftermarket, slip on Solfer Exhaust. Other than being high on aesthetic appeal and probably shedding few kilos off the kerb weight, the performance exhaust system does aid the engine performance by a slight margin. We found the bike’s engine revving a tad more freely and boy was that exhaust note pure music to our ears! This exhaust is worth INR 20,000 and can be fitted at the dealership.

Motoroids Rating (Engine and Gearbox) — 8/10. Well spaced out gear ratios and a linear torque delivery means that the GT250R is sufficiently enjoyable in most riding conditions. However, high kerb weight means straight line acceleration is rather ordinary for a 250cc sportsbike.

Ride, Handling and Brakes

Suspension duties on the 2013 Hyosung GT250R are courtesy upside down front forks and a linked type monoshock at the rear. The bike is built around a cradle frame with perimeter elements. The overall soft suspension setup of the bike means ride quality is good and the GT250R absorbs most of the craters our roads are famous for with quite an aplomb. Even the pillion won’t ever complain of his/her spine having to suffer any sort of serious jolts and only the most devastating of potholes/undulations tend to unsettle this machine.

The Hyosung GT250R is a heavy bike, which along with the long wheelbase, blunts the nimbleness to a large extent. Also, the steering isn’t exactly as sharp as you would expect from a bike with sporty aspirations and the GT250R can only dream about changing directions at lightning fast speeds. The bike is really not the sharpest 250cc motorcycle you can buy today. However, all the weight and that long wheelbase bestows the bike with good straight line stability. While it might take quite an effort to throw this machine into a corner, or make mid-corner corrections, track-oriented ergonomics and good weight distribution means the bike feels at home while apex hunting. But let not the ergonomics and aesthetics fool you, this bike is surely much more apt for sports touring than track riding!  And did we tell you, U-turns on this bike are a pain in the wrong places?

The GT250R comes with twin 300mm discs upfront and a single 230mm disc at the rear. The GT250R is currently the only bike in its class to come with twin front disc setup. However, let not the twin disc setup fool you, for the brakes on this bike can be best described as adequate. Remember, momentum is directly related to mass? Hence, to force stop this heavy motorcycle, a twin disc setup becomes all the more essential. While the brakes do get the job done, they sure aren’t the best set of brakes in business. Also, lack of ABS means locking of the brakes under hard braking is an issue.

Motoroids Rating (Ride, Handling and Brakes) — 7/10. Nothing mind blowing here. The GT250R isn’t the most modern bike around and it is in these areas that the age shows the most.

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