Four stroke, 75° V twin, DOHC,
4 per valve cylinder.
Capacity
248 cc / 15.2 cu-in
Bore x Stroke
57 x 48.8 mm
Cooling System
Oil / Air
Engine Oil
Semi-Synthetic, 10W/40
Compression Ratio
11.0:1
Induction
2x 26mm Mikuni carburetors
Ignition
Digital CDI
Spark Plug
NGK, CR8E
Starting
Electric
Max Power
30 hp / 22.4 kW @ 10500 rpm
Max Torque
20.6 Nm / 2.1 kgf-m @ 7300 rpm
Clutch
Wet Multi-Plate
Transmission
5 Speed
Final Drive
Chain
Frame
Perimeter Double Cradle
Front Suspension
41mm Oil upside down forks
Front Wheel Travel
120 mm / 4.7 in
Rear Suspension
Swinging arm
Rear Wheel Travel
100 mm / 3.9 in
Front Brakes
Single 300mm disc
Rear Brakes
Single 230mm disc
Front Tyre
110/70 -17
Rear Tyre
150/70 -17
Rake
25.5°
Trail
85 mm / 3.3 in
Dimensions
Length 2280 mm / 89.7 in
Width 760 mm / 29.9 in
Height 1120 mm / 44.0 in
Wheelbase
1455 mm / 57.2 in
Seat Height
780 mm / 30.7 in
Dry Weight
150 kg / 330.6 lbs
Fuel Capacity
17 Litres / 4.4 US gal
Review
The recipe for a beginner’s bike is pretty simple really. It needs enough of an
engine to get you up to highway speeds, handling that’s good enough to get you
through the corners without trauma, and brakes that handle what traffic throws
at you – like a bus – all sandwiched in by a capable chassis to hold it all
together. The Hyosung GT250 meets all the requirements of this recipe, but
offers a little bit more.
So here I am, at 12,500 RPM I’m well into the 11,000 marked red line, and
expecting the rev limiter to cut me off at any moment. The special sauce here is
the super-abundance of smooth revs, the tiny 249cc twin’s enthusiastic demeanor
and polished feel which leaves thoughts of “cheap” and “Korean” out of mind. If
you were looking for cheese, then move along. There’s a joy here, it’s pure
essence of riding, no garnish… The GT250 is divested of any of the fatuous brand
attributes or lifestyle marketing messages wrapping other marks. It’s a
beginner’s bike, most definitely, but the little GT is also good enough and
frisky enough to make even an experienced rider grin.
True, the track sees me flipping upwards through the ratios quickly to keep the
28hp (claimed at the crank) air-oil cooled twin in its preferred power
developing range past 7500RPM. That’s the fun of a small bike though; thrashing
it soundly to make it go. The pull, 15ft.lbs, seems inconsistent to the meager
displacement, there’s enough oomph here to commute and even have a few giggles.
When it comes to lever dancing through the 5-gear transmission, the shifts are
slick, smooth and easy, though not precise feeling. This is beginner’s fare and
it need not make any apologies for feeling soft or comfortable. The
cable-actuated clutch has a relatively light feel, a good thing given the bike’s
minimalist output. A bit of clutch-slipping is needed to spin the engine up to
its power range and pull off the line with any swiftness. That light feel will
pay off in traffic, where this will be a common maneuver.
Progress up to 100kph is sedate though, and the name of the game is keeping
speed up through the corners. Indeed, such tactics let you saddle up to the
115kph top end with a bit of work. The relatively low power of the GT250 may not
be a bad thing; the stomping power of latest crop of 600cc sport-bikes being to
a new rider what the gift of a shotgun is to a toddler.
Casting back to my first bike, a superannuated and ill cared for Maxim 400, I’d
have taken the GT-250 any day; the Maxim was temperamental and the throttle
stuck the first day’s riding, resulting in damage to a curb, a rose bush, a
fence and myself. By contrast, the GT250’s throttle control is linear and well
measured, completely without shock or surprise – a sign of user-friendly
carburetion. That alone would have been enough of an argument to have me saving
my first bike shekels for an offering such as this had I known back then what I
do now. By offering up a two-year warranty for Canada, Hyosung appears confident
in the GT250’s solid-feeling mechanicals. None of the Japanese manufacturers
stand by their offspring for this long… yet.
Other merits come into play of course. Handling-wise the little 250 is planted,
with a chassis suspiciously similar to the much more expensive Suzuki GS500
wrapping the twin. The bike itself carries about the same mass as a gnat, and
has the same turn-in; especially with the wide comfortable bars providing
leverage and the minimalist interpretation of tire widths (110/70 front, 150/70
rear) keeping things nimble. Then there are the inverted forks up front, which
look suspiciously Showa. Even un-dialed-in on the track they did the duty over
bumps and ruts, once again soft but still capable. It’s actually reasonably
tight and clean.
Braking is likewise new rider friendly, no touchy grab or violence here. Just a
well-sorted, confident deceleration with a progressive amount of feel provided
by the 300mm disk, clamped down be twin-calipers out front, and the 230mm our
back. It’s not very aggressive, and if I project back to my formative riding
years it would have felt a good match for my skills of the time and the bike.
Even for the urban commuter the binders are more than enough to handle emergency
stops in traffic without drama.
The upright seating position is actually quite spacious for a 250, small and
compact, but not tight or cramped. This is thanks to three-position adjustable
pegs available on the Canadian model, and a seat height of 795mm (31.25 in.)
that is vaguely considerate to the vertically challenged. Originally Hyosung had
intended this chassis to house both the 250 and 650cc engines for its bikes; a
plan since abandoned so 250 owners may proceed in comfort. However, a lowering
kit might be needed for those in the small ladies learner market. The seated
posture gives you great visibility both of your domain and the gauges. These are
shared with the GT-650 and offer a clear display of fuel level, velocity and
RPM, with clean black lettering against a white backdrop. The mirrors are well
positioned and usable, with no concessions to design getting in the way of
visibility.
It’s all held together by tidy welds and well-finished castings. It’s good fit
and finish, with a lot of the switchgear and components looking suspiciously
Suzuki. The GT250 is all very practical, thought out and straightforward. There
is a bit of room under the pillion seat for storage, and several bungee points
to keep the commuting crowd happy. As a first bike one could easily be happy
with the GT-250 for a couple years or more.
Wrapping up my second set of laps on the GT-250, the first set was fun enough to
merit a second, and again I pull up grinning. The bike is fun and carries with
it some extra spirit I wasn’t expecting. Part of that spirit may be the sound; a
tune box balances outflow of the cylinders at lower RPMs. The idea is to
increase torque in these ranges, and it may, but the result is a bigger than
249cc sound – think bastard love child of a buzz saw and a Ducati. It sounds,
well… nice.
It leaves me with the thought of a GT 250 Cup or similar race series; it could
be hugely entertaining running near stock bikes – a contest that comes down to
skill and the ability to hold one’s speed in the turns. That may just be the
track here talking. Back on the road practical consideration of finances may
drive this bike’s sales as much as anything else; in addition to its lower cost
of entry, “small”, “compact” and “tight” are words that could be used to
describe the budget needed for insurance for the GT250 in most Provinces. Based
on the displacement game they play, smaller is definitely better.
The Hyosung GT250 is a cheap, solid, basic bike and it’s perfectly ok, and I
wasn’t expecting more than that… so I was surprised to be confronted with so
much fun and feel. New riders, urban commuters and motorcycle “charm” schools
now have a solid choice in an under-served niche of the Canadian motorcycle
ecology - one that doesn’t break the bank with cost of entry, or the price of
insurance. It’s a cracking good little bike – for cheap. It’s like ordering a
ham and cheese and getting a steak sandwich by mistake, you almost feel like you
should tell someone – but you don’t.